Adipose-derived stem cell exosomes loaded with icariin alleviates rheumatoid arthritis by modulating macrophage polarization in rats.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease marked by synovitis and cartilage destruction. The active compound, icariin (ICA), derived from the herb Epimedium, exhibits potent anti-inflammatory properties. However, its clinical utility is limited by its water insolubility, poor permeability, and low bioavailability. To address these challenges, we developed a multifunctional drug delivery system-adipose-derived stem cells-exosomes (ADSCs-EXO)-ICA to target active macrophages in synovial tissue and modulate macrophage polarization from M1 to M2. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis confirmed a 92.4 ± 0.008% loading efficiency for ADSCs-EXO-ICA. In vitro studies utilizing cellular immunofluorescence (IF) and flow cytometry demonstrated significant inhibition of M1 macrophage proliferation by ADSCs-EXO-ICA. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, cellular transcriptomics, and real-time quantitative PCR indicated that ADSCs-EXO-ICA promotes an M1-to-M2 phenotypic transition by reducing glycolysis through the inhibition of the ERK/HIF-1α/GLUT1 pathway. In vivo, ADSCs-EXO-ICA effectively accumulated in the joints. Pharmacodynamic assessments revealed that ADSCs-EXO-ICA decreased cytokine levels and mitigated arthritis symptoms in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) rats. Histological analysis and micro computed tomography confirmed that ADSCs-EXO-ICA markedly ameliorated synovitis and preserved cartilage. Further in vivo studies indicated that ADSCs-EXO-ICA suppresses arthritis by promoting an M1-to-M2 switch and suppressing glycolysis. Western blotting supported the therapeutic efficacy of ADSCs-EXO-ICA in RA, confirming its role in modulating macrophage function through energy metabolism regulation. Thus, this study not only introduces a drug delivery system that significantly enhances the anti-RA efficacy of ADSCs-EXO-ICA but also elucidates its mechanism of action in macrophage function inhibition.

Achieving Multicolor Upconversion Emissions without Changing Compositions.

It is widely recognized that a proper way of adjusting fluorescence color is meaningful for pushing forward upconversion materials to be utilized in anti-counterfeiting, display and solid-state lightning applications. Traditional routes that apply different host materials and/or doping categories to adjust fluorescence color have shown large color region tunability yet have to rely on complex synthesis process accompanied with time and raw material consumption. In this work, in order to get a wide luminous color gamut without depending on reciprocating synthesis, we desinged and provided a high-sensitizer-concentration upconversion crystals, hexagonal NaLuF4:Yb3+/Er3+ (50/2 mol%), whose red-to-green emission intensity ratio can be conveniently tuned from 2.69 to 4.96 by simply modulating excitation power densities. The promoted three-photon-population progress of red emission achieved by using an intensive excitation laser is considered to be responsible for the facile upconversion modulation. The results may provide new ideas for emission color control that based on external parameters in identical host and the greatly amplified excitation power-sensitivity of NaLuF4:Yb3+/Er3+ (50/2 mol%) is highly potential for fluorescence anti-fake and colorful display applications.

Interaction of nobiletin with methotrexate ameliorates 7-OH methotrexate-induced nephrotoxicity through endoplasmic reticulum stress-dependent PERK/CHOP signaling pathway.

Drug-induced nephrotoxicity is a frequent adverse event that contributes to acute kidney injury with tubular and/or glomerular lesions. Methotrexate (MTX) is a folate analog used against a myriad of malignancies and autoimmune diseases. Unfortunately, ambiguous renal toxicology limits its safe clinical usage. Based on our previous studies, 7-OH MTX as an overlooked oxidative metabolite of MTX was proposed to be the main culprit responsible for nephrotoxicity, while nobiletin, a naturally occurring polymethoxylated flavonoid screened from our prepared total phenolic extracts of Citrus aurantium L. (TPE-CA), was employed as a therapeutic agent for drug-drug interactions. According to the present study, nobiletin can ameliorate the renal accumulation of 7-OH MTX through the interaction with aldehyde oxidase. RNA-seq analysis revealed that 7-OH MTX was mainly related to protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, with the PERK/CHOP pathway selected as the most significant for metabolic nephrotoxicity. Meanwhile, the cross-linked proteins and conducted signals were investigated by western blotting and further verified by GSK inhibition analyses. These results indicated that nobiletin protected renal function from MTX-induced nephrotoxicity by modulating metabolism and ameliorated the metabolic toxicity of 7-OH MTX on ER stress-induced PERK/CHOP conduction by maintaining Ca2+ homeostasis and reducing the production of reactive oxygen species.

Synergistic enhancement and hepatoprotective effect of combination of total phenolic extracts of Citrus aurantium L. and methotrexate for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder characterized by joint destruction and bone damage. Methotrexate (MTX) is recommended as the first-line disease-modifying agent for the treatment of RA. However, the clinical efficacy of MTX is limited due to its low response and side effects, especially hepatotoxicity. Total phenolic extracts of Citrus aurantium L. (TPE-CA) are rich in dietary bioactive flavonoids, which show beneficial effects on liver health and are regarded as therapeutic tools against inflammatory diseases. In this study, the efficacy of MTX, alone or in combination with TPE-CA, for the treatment of collagen-induced arthritis and protection against hepatic injury in rats was investigated. TPE-CA and MTX combination effectively reduced the inflammatory symptoms and joint damage by inhibiting the NF-κB pathway. Moreover, TPE-CA significantly ameliorated MTX-induced chronic hepatic injury by enhancing antioxidant enzymes activities, suppressing hepatic cytochrome P450 2E1 expression, and modulating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 pathway. This combination regimen not only provided synergistic enhancement but also exhibited hepatoprotective effect against chemically induced chronic hepatotoxicity. This could be an alternative strategy to improve the low response of MTX in RA treatment.

The Effects of Vinegar Processing on the Changes in the Physical Properties of Frankincense Related to the Absorption of the Main Boswellic Acids.

Boswellic acids (BAs), as the main components of frankincense, exhibit notable anti-inflammatory properties. However, their pharmaceutical development has been severely limited by their poor oral bioavailability. Traditional Chinese medicinal processing, called Pao Zhi, is believed to improve bioavailability, yet the mechanism is still completely unclear. Previous research suggested that the bioavailability of a drug can be influenced by physical properties. This paper was designed to investigate the physical properties of frankincense and processed frankincense, including the surface morphology, particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential (ZP), specific surface area, porosity, and viscosity. The differences in the intestinal absorption characteristics and equilibrium solubilities between frankincense and processed frankincense were determined by an ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a triple quadrupole electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-TQ-MS) analysis method. The results showed that vinegar processing can alter the surface morphology, decrease the particle size and PDI, raise the absolute values of the ZP, specific surface area and porosity, and drop the viscosity of frankincense. Meanwhile, the rates of absorption and dissolution of the main BAs were increased after the processing of frankincense. The present study proves that the physical properties were changed after processing, in which case the bioavailability of frankincense was enhanced.

Integrated and global pseudotargeted metabolomics strategy applied to screening for quality control markers of Citrus TCMs.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) exerts its therapeutic effect in a holistic fashion with the synergistic function of multiple characteristic constituents. The holism philosophy of TCM is coincident with global and systematic theories of metabolomics. The proposed pseudotargeted metabolomics methodologies were employed for the establishment of reliable quality control markers for use in the screening strategy of TCMs. Pseudotargeted metabolomics integrates the advantages of both targeted and untargeted methods. In the present study, targeted metabolomics equipped with the gold standard RRLC-QqQ-MS method was employed for in vivo quantitative plasma pharmacochemistry study of characteristic prototypic constituents. Meanwhile, untargeted metabolomics using UHPLC-QE Orbitrap HRMS with better specificity and selectivity was employed for identification of untargeted metabolites in the complex plasma matrix. In all, 32 prototypic metabolites were quantitatively determined, and 66 biotransformed metabolites were convincingly identified after being orally administered with standard extracts of four labeled Citrus TCMs. The global absorption and metabolism process of complex TCMs was depicted in a systematic manner.

Chemotaxonomic Classification Applied to the Identification of Two Closely-Related Citrus TCMs Using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS-Based Metabolomics.

This manuscript elaborates on the establishment of a chemotaxonomic classification strategy for closely-related Citrus fruits in Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs). UPLC-Q-TOF-MS-based metabolomics was applied to depict the variable chemotaxonomic markers and elucidate the metabolic mechanism of Citrus TCMs from different species and at different ripening stages. Metabolomics can capture a comprehensive analysis of small molecule metabolites and can provide a powerful approach to establish metabolic profiling, creating a bridge between genotype and phenotype. To further investigate the different metabolites in four closely-related Citrus TCMs, non-targeted metabolite profiling analysis was employed as an efficient technique to profile the primary and secondary metabolites. The results presented in this manuscript indicate that primary metabolites enable the discrimination of species, whereas secondary metabolites are associated with species and the ripening process. In addition, analysis of the biosynthetic pathway highlighted that the syntheses of flavone and flavone glycosides are deeply affected in Citrus ripening stages. Ultimately, this work might provide a feasible strategy for the authentication of Citrus fruits from different species and ripening stages and facilitate a better understanding of their different medicinal uses.

Preparation and quantification of the total phenolic products in Citrus fruit using solid-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array and UV detection.

Citrus fruit is an important health-promoting food that is rich in dietary phenolic metabolites. Traditional Chinese medicines, such as Zhishi and Zhiqiao, come from young and immature fruits of Citrus cultivars. The preparation of diversified bioactive phenolic products and establishment of the corresponding quality control methodology are challenging and necessary. In the current study, four types of solid-phase extraction sorbents for the enrichment and clean-up of the phenolic matrix were evaluated. A solid-phase extraction column coated with Strata-X was finally used in the procedure. Twenty phenolic compounds were selected to evaluate the extraction performances of the sorbents using high-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Under the optimized conditions, good linearities were obtained with R2 more than 0.9996 for all analytes with LODs of 0.04-1.012 µg/g. Intra- and interday relative standard deviation values were less than 3%, and the recovery was equal to or higher than 90.02%. Compared to non-solid-phase extraction process, the content of total phenolic products was elevated 35.55-68.48% with solid-phase extraction. Finally, the developed and validated method was successfully applied to the discrimination of Zhishi samples from different species as well as Zhishi and Zhiqiao samples in different development stages.

[Research on concentration of 5 different ginsenosides in Panax japonica collected from different cultivated geographic regions].

In this paper, an HPLC-QqQ-MS method for determination of 5 different ginsenosides of Panax japonica collected from different cultivated geographic regions was established. The separation was performed on a Zorbax XDB-C18 (4.6 mm×100 mm, 1.8 µm) column with the gradient elution of acetonitrile (contained 0.1% formic acid)-0.1% formic acid water. The flow rate was 0.5 mL•min⁻¹. The colunm temperature was maintained at 30 ℃. The analytes were detected using electrospray ionization (ESI) in multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) modes. Reaction selected ions were 203.2 for ginsenoside Re, 202.9 for ginsenoside Rg1, 365.0 for ginsenoside Rf, 789.1 for ginsenoside Rd, 360.9 for ginsenoside Ro. Ginsenosides Re, ginsenosides Rg1, ginsenosides Rf, ginsenosides Rd, ginsenosides Ro had good linearity in the ranges of 3.33-66.60 µg (r=0.999 1),2.83-56.54 µg (r=0.999 2), 0.32-6.51 µg (r=0.999 2), 12.55-251.00 µg (r=0.999 3), 0.85-16.90 µg (r=0.999 5), respectively. The results of recovery were among 100.8% to 104.6%, and the values of RSD were blow 3.0%. This method is simple, reliable and accurate, and can provide basis for P. japonica basic research.

[Study on HPLC fingerprint and chemical constituent difference of different species of Aurantii Fructus Immaturus].

This study is to establish an HPLC fingerprint by HPLC-DAD method and simultaneous quantitative analysis of 17 components of 18 batches of Citrus aurantium and 10 batches of C. sinensis. The separation was performed on an Agilent Poroshell 120 SB-C18 (4.6 mm×100 mm,2.7 µm) column with the gradient elution of methanol-0.1% formic acid water, the flow was 0.6 mL•min⁻¹. The detection wavelength was set at 318 nm. The column temperature was maintained at 30 ℃. The data calculation was performed with similarity evaluation system for chromatographic fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine (Version 2004A) together with SIMCA-P 13.0 software to clarify the differential marker between these two different species of Aurantii Fructus Immaturus. This method has good precision stability and repeatability that could provide basis for quality control and evaluation of Aurantii Fructus Immaturus.

Prospects of boswellic acids as potential pharmaceutics.

Boswellic acids have long been considered the main bioactive components of frankincense, and many studies in vitro and in animals as well as several clinical studies have confirmed their various bioactivities. In particular, a large number of mechanistic studies have confirmed their anti-inflammatory and antitumor activities. However, not every boswellic acid exhibits a satisfactory pharmacological performance, which depends on the chemical structure and functional groups of the acid. To enhance the pharmacological values of boswellic acids, derivatization has been specifically applied with the aim of discovering more active derivatives of BAs. In addition, the preliminary pharmacokinetic studies of these compounds using various standard methods show their poor bioavailability in humans and rodents, which has led to questions of their pharmacological relevance and potentially limits their use in clinical practice and pharmaceutical development. To improve these effects, some approaches have shown some improvements in effectiveness, and the new formula compatibility approach is considered a very reasonable method for improving the bioavailability of boswellic acids.

Adipose-derived stem cell exosomes loaded with icariin attenuated M1 polarization of macrophages via inhibiting the TLR4/Myd88/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Abnormal macrophage polarization is one of the common pathological bases of various inflammatory diseases. The current research focus involves targeting macrophages to remodel their phenotype as a treatment approach for inflammatory diseases. Notably, exosomes can be delivered to specific types of cells or tissues or inflammatory area to realize targeted drug delivery. Although icariin (ICA) exhibits regulatory potential in macrophage polarization, the practical application of ICA is impeded by its water insolubility, poor permeability, and low bioavailability. Exploiting the inherent advantages of exosomes as natural drug carriers, we introduce a novel drug delivery system-adipose-derived stem cells-exosomes (ADSCs-EXO)-ICA. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis confirmed a loading rate of 92.7 ± 0.01 % for ADSCs-EXO-ICA, indicating the successful incorporation of ICA. As demonstrated by cell counting kit-8 assays, ADSCs-EXO exerted a significantly higher promotion effect on macrophage proliferation. The subsequent experimental results revealed the superior anti-inflammatory effect of ADSCs-EXO-ICA compared to individual treatments with EXO or ICA in the lipopolysaccharide + interferon-gamma-induced M1 inflammation model. Additionally, results from enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and western blot analyses revealed that ADSCs-EXO-ICA effectively inhibited macrophage polarization toward the M1-type and concurrently promoted polarization toward the M2-type. The underlying mechanism involved the modulation of macrophage polarization through inhibition of the Toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 88/nuclear transcription factor-kappa B signaling pathway, thereby mitigating inflammation. These findings underscore the potential therapeutic value of ADSCs-EXO-ICA as a novel intervention for inflammatory diseases.

Association of Crowd-Sourced Assessment of Technical Skills and Outcomes of Robotic-assisted Radical Prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if use of the Crowd-Sourced Assessment of Technical Skills (CSATS) platform and video peer review with constructive feedback is associated with improvement in technical skill and patient outcomes for robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP). METHODS: Five fellowship-trained urologists voluntarily submitted RALP cases for CSATS Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills (GEARS) scoring and expert narrative review between April 15, 2022-April 30, 2023. Surgeon-selected and randomly selected cases were reviewed. Surgeons underwent local peer review of videos with constructive feedback. Change in GEARS scores and frequency of postoperative outcomes over the 12-month periods before and during the study were analyzed in logistic regression models. Bias was assessed with sensitivity analysis comparing surgeon-selected to randomly selected cases. RESULTS: GEARS scores for randomly selected vs surgeon-selected cases did not differ significantly. Overall GEARS score correlated positively with annual surgical RALP volume (r = 0.39, P = .003) and negatively with years in practice (r = -0.34, P = .01). After adjusting for confounders, there was no significant improvement in overall GEARS Score (0.01 ± 0.02/month, P = .48); but likelihood of sepsis (Odds Ratio 0.07, 95% CI 0.01-1.00, P = .05) and pelvic fluid collection (Odds Ratio 0.09, 95% CI 0.01-0.99, P = .049) were significantly decreased during the intervention period (n = 165) compared to the prior 12months (n = 144). No outcome increased in likelihood (P > .05). CONCLUSION: Integration of CSATS and local video peer review is associated with significant improvement in patient outcomes after RALP, despite no significant change in surgeons' GEARS scores. This is the first study demonstrating improvement in patient RALP outcomes after implementation of such a paradigm in practicing surgeons.

[Exploring the association rules of clinical application of shenmai injection through text mining].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the rules of clinical application of Shenmai Injection (SI). METHODS: The data sets of SI were downloaded from CBM database by the method of literature retrieved from Jan. 1980 to May 2012. Rules of Chinese medical patterns, diseases, symptoms, Chinese patent medicines (CPM), and Western medicine (WM) were mined out by data slicing algorithm, and they were demonstrated in frequency tables and two-dimension based network. RESULTS: Totally 3 159 literature were recruited. Results showed that SI was most frequently correlated with stasis syndrome and deficiency syndrome. Heart failure, arrhythmia, myocarditis, myocardial infarction, and shock were core diseases treated by SI. Symptoms such as angina pectoris, fatigue, chest tightness/pain were mainly relieved by SI. For CPM, SI was most commonly used with Compound Danshen Injection, Astragalus Injection, and so on. As for WM, SI was most commonly used with nitroglycerin, fructose, captopril, and so on. CONCLUSIONS: The syndrome types and mining results of SI were the same with its instructions. Stasis syndrome was the potential Chinese medical pattern of SI. Heart failure, arrhythmia, and myocardial infarction were potential diseases treated by SI. For CPM, SI was most commonly used with Danshen Injection, Compound Danshen Injection, and so on. And for WM, SI was most commonly used with nitroglycerin, fructose, captopril, and so on.

[Determination of alpha-pinene and octyl acetate contents in Boswellia serrata].

OBJECTIVE: To establish method for determining the contents of alpha-pinene and octyl acetate in Boswellia serrata, in order to provide preference for making quality standards for B. serrata and processed B. serrata. METHOD: Application of orthogonal design was employed to optimize the solvent, solvent quantity and extraction time. The GC-MS analysis was performed on a Rxi-5ms silica capillary column, running in the electron impact (EI) mode, with ion trap and injector temperature of 200 degrees C and 250 degrees C, respectively. The column oven was initially 50 degrees C and was held for 1 min after injection, followed by temperature ramping at 5 degrees C x min(-1) up to 130 degrees C, holding for 1 min. 1 microL of samples solution were injected in the split mode (1:60). Helium was the carrier gas. The mass spectrometer was set to scan m/z 45450 with an ionizing voltage at 70 eV. RESULT: Sample solutions were prepared for 50-fold dose by ultrasonic extraction with hexane for 30 min. The content of alpha-pinene and octyl acetate in 10 batches of B. serrata were 0.021 3-0.149 5, 2.519 6-9.098 0 mg x g(-1), respectively. And, those of alpha-pinene and octyl acetate in processed B. serrata were 0.015 9-0.065 9, 0.801 0-12.812 2 mg x g(-1). CONCLUSION: The method is a stable and reliable for determining the contents of alpha-pinene and octyl acetate in B. serrata.

Frankincense vinegar-processing improves the absorption of boswellic acids by regulating bile acid metabolism.

BACKGROUND: Boswellic acids in Olibanum (known as frankincense) are potent anti-inflammatory properties in treating ulcerative colitis (UC), but its low bioavailability limited drug development. Evidence accumulated that vinegar processing of frankincense exerts positive effects on improving absorption of compositions. The underlying mechanism is unknown. In recent decades, spectacular growth and multidisciplinary integration of metabolic application were witnessed. The relationship between drug absorption and curative effect has been more or less established. However, it remains a knowledge gap in the field between drug absorption and endocrine metabolism. PURPOSE: To investigate the enhancement mechanism of vinegar processing in the absorption of boswellic acids via the aspect of bile acid metabolism. METHODS: The effects of raw frankincense (RF) and processed frankincense (PF) were compared by the UC model of rats. The plasma concentration of boswellic acids and the hepatic and colonic bile acids contents were quantified by UPLC-TQ-MS. The levels of mRNA and protein associated with bile acid metabolism were also compared. RESULTS: The results showed that PF exhibited re-markable mitigating effects on UC with the elevated plasma level of boswellic acid and upregulated expression of the absorption-related protein multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2) and organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B3 (OATP1B3) in the liver and colon. It improved colonic lithocholic acid (LCA), which promoted the expression of bile acid nuclear receptors constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) and pregnane X receptor (PXR), resulting in the upregulation of MRP2 and OATP1B3. CONCLUSION: This paper revealed the mechanisms behind the absorption promotion effects of processing. Bile acids metabolism exhibits potential status in pharmaceutical development. The results shed light on the interdisciplinary collaboration between the metabolism and drug absorption fields.

Comparative analyses of chromatographic fingerprints of the roots of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. and their processed products using RRLC/DAD/ESI-MS(n).

The dried roots of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. (Heshouwu) and their processed products (Zhi-heshouwu) are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, yet their therapeutic effects are different. Previous investigations focused mainly on the differences between Heshouwu and Zhi-heshouwu in the contents of several known compounds. In this study, a rapid resolution liquid chromatography-diode array detection/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (RRLC/DAD/ESI-MS(n)) method was developed for the comparative analysis of the components of Heshouwu and Zhi-heshouwu. A total of 23 compounds were identified or tentatively characterized. We found that 16 batches of Heshouwu and 15 batches of Zhi-heshouwu samples shared eight compounds, including gallic acid; 3,5,4'-tetrahydroxylstilbene-2,3-di-O-glucoside, CIS-2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxylstilbene-2-O- ß-D-glucoside, trans-2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxylstilbene-2-O- ß-D-glucoside, emodin-8-O- ß-D-glucoside, physcion-8-O- ß-D-glucoside, emodin, and physcion. Nevertheless, the relative amounts of gallic acid, emodin, and physcion were very high in Zhi-heshouwu samples compared to those in Heshouwu samples. Six compounds disappeared after processing and were unique for Heshouwu: catechin, flavanol gallate dimer, polygonimitin B, emodin-1-O-glucoside, emodin-8-O-(6'-O-malonyl)-glucoside, and physcion-8-O-(6'-O-malonyl)-glucoside. Three compounds were unique for Zhi-heshouwu: hydroxymaltol, 2,3-dihydro-3,5-dihydroxy-6-methyl-4(H)-pyran-4-one, and 5-hydroxymethyl furfural. These results suggest that the types and relative amounts of the chemical components of Heshouwu and Zhi-heshouwu are different.

[Determination of five boswellic acids in Boswellia serrata].

OBJECTIVE: To develop an HPLC method for determinating the contents of five boswellic acids in Boswellia serrata. METHOD: Analysis was performed on a zorbax SB C18 column eluted with acetonitrile-0.1% phosphoric acid in water as mobile phases in gradient elution and the detection wavelengths were 210 nm and 250 nm. RESULT: The five ingredients were separated well. The content ranges of alpha-boswellic acid, beta-boswellic acid, 3-acetyl-beta-boswellic acid, 11-keto-beta-boswellic acid and 11-keto-beta-acetyl- boswellic acid were 8.68-16.1, 53.5-246.9, 38.4-192.9, 4.48-5.81, 32.7-44.2 mg x g(-1), respectively. CONCLUSION: The contents of five individual boswellic acids were different in 12 batches of B. serrata samples.

How Perturbated Metabolites in Diabetes Mellitus Affect the Pathogenesis of Hypertension?

The presence of hypertension (HTN) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common phenomenon in more than half of the diabetic patients. Since HTN constitutes a predictor of vascular complications and cardiovascular disease in type 2 DM patients, it is of significance to understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms of type 2 DM binding to HTN. This review attempts to understand the mechanism via the perspective of the metabolites. It reviewed the metabolic perturbations, the biological function of perturbated metabolites in two diseases, and the mechanism underlying metabolic perturbation that contributed to the connection of type 2 DM and HTN. DM-associated metabolic perturbations may be involved in the pathogenesis of HTN potentially in insulin, angiotensin II, sympathetic nervous system, and the energy reprogramming to address how perturbated metabolites in type 2 DM affect the pathogenesis of HTN. The recent integration of the metabolism field with microbiology and immunology may provide a wider perspective. Metabolism affects immune function and supports immune cell differentiation by the switch of energy. The diverse metabolites produced by bacteria modified the biological process in the inflammatory response of chronic metabolic diseases either. The rapidly evolving metabolomics has enabled to have a better understanding of the process of diseases, which is an important tool for providing some insight into the investigation of diseases mechanism. Metabolites served as direct modulators of biological processes were believed to assess the pathological mechanisms involved in diseases.

The Role of miRNA in Tumor Immune Escape and miRNA-Based Therapeutic Strategies.

Tumor immune escape is a critical step in the malignant progression of tumors and one of the major barriers to immunotherapy, making immunotherapy the most promising therapeutic approach against tumors today. Tumor cells evade immune surveillance by altering the structure of their own, or by causing abnormal gene and protein expression, allowing for unrestricted development and invasion. These genetic or epigenetic changes have been linked to microRNAs (miRNAs), which are important determinants of post-transcriptional regulation. Tumor cells perform tumor immune escape by abnormally expressing related miRNAs, which reduce the killing effect of immune cells, disrupt the immune response, and disrupt apoptotic pathways. Consequently, there is a strong trend toward thoroughly investigating the role of miRNAs in tumor immune escape and utilizing them in tumor treatment. However, because of the properties of miRNAs, there is an urgent need for a safe, targeted and easily crossed biofilm vehicle to protect and deliver them in vivo, and exosomes, with their excellent biological properties, have successfully beaten traditional vehicles to provide strong support for miRNA therapy. This review summarizes the multiple roles of miRNAs in tumor immune escape and discusses their potential applications as an anti-tumor therapy. Also, this work proposes exosomes as a new opportunity for miRNA therapy, to provide novel ideas for the development of more effective tumor-fighting therapeutic approaches based on miRNAs.