Isolation, structural elucidation, and cytotoxicity of three new ent-kaurane diterpenoids from Isodon japonica var. glaucocalyx.

Three new ENT-kaurane diterpenoids, glaucocalyxin H ( 1), glaucocalyxin I ( 2), and glaucocalyxin J ( 3), together with four known diterpenoids ( 4- 7), were isolated from the leaves of Isodon japonica Hara var. glaucocalyx. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, and the structures of compounds 2 and 3 were further confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Compounds 1, 4, and 5 were evaluated for their cytotoxicity IN VITRO against CE-1, U87, A-549, MCF-7, Hela, K-562, and HepG-2 human tumor cell lines. Compound 1 showed potent inhibitory activities against six tumor cell lines with IC (50) values ranging from 1.86-10.95 µM, and compounds 4 and 5 exhibited significant selective cytotoxicity on seven tumor cell lines.

3ß,11α-Dihy-droxy-12-ursen-3-yl palmitate.

In the title compound, C(46)H(80)O(3), a natural ursane-type triperpenoid, four of the five six-membered rings adopt chair conformations; the fifth, which has a C=C double bond, adopts an approximate half-boat conformation. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming chains along [010].

Untargeted Metabolomics Analysis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Discovers Dysregulated Metabolic Pathways and Potential Diagnostic Biomarkers.

Background: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is one of the most fatal diseases worldwide. Because early diagnosis is difficult, ESCC is mostly diagnosed at an advanced stage, leading to a poor overall prognosis. The purpose of this study was to explore the differences between plasma metabolic profiles in ESCC patients and healthy controls and to establish a diagnostic model of ESCC. Methods: In this study, a cohort of 310 subjects, containing 140 ESCC patients and 170 healthy controls (HC), was recruited. Participants were randomly separated into a training set (80 ESCCs, 80 HCs) and a validation set (60 ESCCs, 90 HCs) and their plasma metabolomics profiles were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF/MS) technique. Univariate statistical analysis and multivariate analysis (MVA) methods were used to identify differential metabolites. Finally, the dysregulated pathways associated with ESCC were further explored and the diagnostic performance of the biomarker panel was evaluated. Results: Metabolic analyses identified 34 significant metabolites involved in the metabolism of amino acids, phospholipids, fatty acids, purine, and choline. Farthermore, an effective diagnostic model for ESCC was constructed based on eight metabolites. This panel of biomarkers consisted of hypoxanthine, proline betaine, indoleacrylic acid, inosine, 9-decenoylcarnitine, tetracosahexaenoic acid, LPE (20:4), and LPC (20:5). The model was verified and evaluated in the validation set. The AUC value of the ROC curve was 0.991(95% CI: 0.981-1.000, CI, Confidence interval), with a sensitivity (SE) of 98.8% and a specificity (SP) of 94.9% for the training set and 0.965(95% CI: 0.936-0.993), with a SE of 88.3% and a SP of 88.9% for the validation set. Among them, three biomarkers, indoleacrylic acid, LPC (20:5), and LPE (20:4), exhibited a trend associated with the ESCC progression. Conclusions: Our study identified a novel plasma biomarker panel, which clearly distinguishes ESCC patients and provides insight into the mechanisms of ESCC. This finding may form the basis for the development of a minimally invasive method for ESCC detection.

Polyphyllin VI induces apoptosis and autophagy in human osteosarcoma cells by modulation of ROS/JNK activation.

PURPOSE: Polyphyllin VI, a main active saponin isolated from traditional medicinal plant Paris polyphylla, has exhibited antitumor activities in several cancer cell lines. In the present study, we investigated the antitumor effect of Polyphyllin VI against human osteosarcoma cells (U2OS) and the underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS: The U2OS cell lines were used to determine the antiproliferative effect of Polyphyllin VI by CCK8 assay. Cell cycle was analyzed by flow cytometry. The Polyphyllin VI-induced apoptosis was determined by Annexin V-APC/7-AAD apoptosis detection kit and JC-1 staining. Meanwhile, the autophagy was determined by acridine orange staining. The apoptosis and autophagy-related proteins were monitored by Western blot assay. Subsequently, intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and the activation of ROS/JNK pathway were detected. RESULTS: Polyphyllin VI could potently inhibit cell proliferation by causing G2/M phase arrest. Polyphyllin VI induced mitochondria-mediated apoptosis with the upregulation of proapoptotic proteins Bax and poly ADP-ribose polymerase, and downregulation of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 in U2OS cells. Concomitantly, Polyphyllin VI provoked autophagy with the upregulation of critical Atg proteins and accumulation of LC3B-II. Intracellular H2O2 production was triggered upon exposure to Polyphyllin VI, which could be blocked by ROS scavenger. Polyphyllin VI dramatically promoted JNK phosphorylation, whereas it decreased the levels of phospho-p38 and ERK. CONCLUSION: Our results reveal that Polyphyllin VI may effectively induce apoptosis and autophagy to suppress cell growth via ROS/JNK activation in U2OS cells, suggesting that Polyphyllin VI is a potential drug candidate for the treatment of osteosarcomas.

Timosaponin B-II Ameliorates Palmitate-Induced Insulin Resistance and Inflammation via IRS-1/PI3K/Akt and IKK/NF-[Formula: see text]B Pathways.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of timosaponin B-II (TB-II) on palmitate (PA)-induced insulin resistance and inflammation in HepG2 cells, and probe the potential mechanisms. TB-II, a main ingredient of the traditional Chinese medicine Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge, notably ameliorated PA-induced insulin resistance and inflammation, and significantly improved cell viability, decreased PA-induced production of tumor necrosis factor-[Formula: see text] (TNF-[Formula: see text]) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. Further, TB-II treatment notably decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, and improved superoxide dismutase (SOD) and nitric oxide (NO). TB-II also reduced HepG2 cells apoptosis. Insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and inhibitor of nuclear factor [Formula: see text]-B kinase (IKK)/NF-[Formula: see text]B pathways-related proteins, and IKK[Formula: see text], p65 phosphorylation, serine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) at S307, tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1, and Akt activation were determined by Western blot. Compared to model group, TB-II significantly downregulated the expression of p-NF-[Formula: see text]Bp65, p-IKK[Formula: see text], p-IRS-1, p-PI3K and p-Akt. TB-II is a promising potential agent for the management of palmitate-induced insulin resistance and inflammation, which might be via IR/IRS-1/PI3K/Akt and IKK/NF-[Formula: see text]B pathways.

Timosaponin B-II ameliorates diabetic nephropathy via TXNIP, mTOR, and NF-κB signaling pathways in alloxan-induced mice.

BACKGROUND: Many synthesized drugs with clinical severe side effects have been used for diabetic nephropathy (DN) treatment. Therefore, it is urgent and necessary to identify natural and safe agents to remedy DN. Timosaponin B-II (TB-II), a major steroidal saponin constituent in Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge, exhibits various activities, including anti-inflammatory and hypoglycemic functions. However, the anti-DN effects and potential mechanism(s) of TB-II have not been previously reported. PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of TB-II on DN in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. METHODS: TB-II was isolated and purified from A. asphodeloides Bunge using macroporous adsorption resin and preparative high-performance liquid chromatography. The effect of TB-II on DN was evaluated in alloxan-induced diabetic mice using an assay kit and immunohistochemical determination in vivo. The expression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP), and nuclear transcription factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathways was also measured using Western blot analysis. RESULTS: TB-II significantly decreased the blood glucose levels and ameliorated renal histopathological injury in alloxan-induced diabetic mice. In addition, TB-II remarkably decreased the levels of renal function biochemical factors, such as kidney index, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, urinary uric acid, urine creatinine, and urine protein, and it reduced lipid metabolism levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides and the levels of inflammatory cytokines interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in alloxan-induced mice. Furthermore, TB-II inhibited the expression of mTOR, TXNIP, and NF-κB. CONCLUSION: The results revealed that TB-II plays an important role in DN via TXNIP, mTOR, and NF-κB signaling pathways. Overall, TB-II exhibited a prominently ameliorative effect on alloxan-induced DN.

Shinjulactone O, a new quassinoid from the root bark of Ailanthus altissima.

A new quassinoid, shinjulactone O (1), and seven known quassinoids, were isolated from the 50% ethanol extract of the root bark of Ailanthus altissima. The structures of these compounds were determined based on spectroscopic methods including UV, IR, HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR. Their cytotoxic activities were evaluated on the tumour cell lines MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, HepG2 and A549 cells, as well as the normal HUVEC line in vitro. Compounds 1-8 exhibited different levels of inhibitory activity against tumour cell lines.

Isolation and identification of a new ent-kaurane diterpenoid from the leaves of Isodon japonica.

A new ent-kaurane diterpenoid, 3α, 14ß, 16α-trihydroxy-ent-kaurane (1), together with seven known diterpenoids (2-8), was isolated from the leaves of Isodon japonica. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 1D and 2D NMR experiments, IR, HR-ESI-MS and X-ray crystallographic analysis.