Biomarkers based on multiplatform comprehensive analysis: A systematic analysis of Geng-Nian-Shu in perimenopausal syndrome.

Although Geng-Nian-Shu has been shown to be clinically effective in perimenopausal syndrome, its active components and mechanism have not yet been elucidated. To demonstrate the mechanism-based biomarkers of Geng-Nian-Shu in treating perimenopausal syndrome, a total of 135 chemical constituents including 52 prototype blood constituents were identified via high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight/mass spectrometry. Then, network pharmacology showed significant enrichment for the PhosphoInositide-3 Kinase/Akt pathway, suggesting that it may be the main regulatory pathway for the Geng-Nian-Shu treatment of the perimenopausal syndrome. Subsequently, multivariate analysis was performed between the Geng-Nian-Shu sham-treated and Geng-Nian-Shu ovariectomy-treated groups and further screened out 18 prototype blood constituents by correlation analysis with plasma estrogen levels to identify potential biomarkers associated with Geng-Nian-Shu treat the ovariectomy-induced perimenopausal syndrome. Finally, the results of pharmacological experimental verification and Pearson correlation analysis indicated that catalpol, ligustilide, paeoniflorin, and gallic acid were selected as biomarkers of Geng-Nian-Shu which were strongly and positively correlated with PhosphoInositide-3 Kinase/Akt signaling pathway. In this study, based on high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight/mass spectrometry combined with pharmacodynamics, network pharmacology, pharmacology, and other disciplines, we explored the effects and mechanisms of Geng-Nian-Shu in the treatment of perimenopausal syndrome at multiple levels. Using multiplatform technology to investigate the role of Geng-Nian-Shu represents a new strategy for the selection and verification of biomarkers of Geng-Nian-Shu and provides a basis for further development and utilization of Geng-Nian-Shu.

Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. essential oil exhibits antidepressant-like effects and against brain oxidative stress through Nrf2/HO-1 pathway activation.

The present study aimed to evaluate the antidepressant-like effect of essential oils from Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. (SEO) and its possible mechanisms of SEO. The behavioral despair mouse model in vivo and H2O2-induced PC12 cells model in vitro were employed. And the potential effective components were identified by the spectrum-effect relationships analysis. SEO significantly decreased the immobility time in the forced swimming test and tail suspension test, which indicated a promising antidepressant-like effect of SEO in depressed mice. The decreased levels of SOD, GSH, and CAT, and increased levels of MDA were significantly reversed by SEO treatment, which showed good antioxidant activities both in vitro and in vivo. Besides, SEO significantly promoted the nuclear translocation of Nrf2 and the expression of HO-1 in depressed mice and H2O2-induced PC12 cells. The histopathological examination results showed a potential neuronal protective effect of SEO in the hippocampus and cortex. Furthermore, the upregulation of PI3K/AKT/GSK3ß signaling was observed after SEO treatment in the H2O2-induced PC12 cells. Additionally, based on the spectrum-effect relationship analysis, 9 peaks were identified as positively correlated with the antioxidant activity of SEO. These results suggested that SEO promoted Nrf2/HO-1 pathway to improve the oxidative stress status and exerted the antidepressant-like effects.

Salidroside inhibited cerebral ischemia/reperfusion-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis via Nrf2/Trx1 signaling pathway.

Cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury (CIRI) is still a serious problem threatening human health. Salidroside (SAL) is a natural phenylpropanoid glycoside compound with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-ischemic properties. This study investigated the protective mechanism of SAL on middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)- and oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) model-induced CIRI via regulating the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/thioredoxin 1 (Trx1) axis. The results indicated that SAL (50 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injection) not only effectively alleviated infarction rate, improved histopathological changes, relieved apoptosis by strengthening the suppression of cleaved caspase-3 and Bax/Bcl-2 proteins and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) formation, but also increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities and upregulated the expressions of Nrf2 and Trx1 on MCAO-induced CIRI rats. SAL also efficiently inhibited apoptosis and decreased oxidative stress in OGD/R-stimulated PC12 cells. Furthermore, blocking the Nrf2/Trx1 pathway using tretinoin, an Nrf2 inhibitor, significantly reversed the protective effect of SAL on OGD/R-induced oxidative stress. Moreover, SAL reduced the expression of apoptosis signal-regulating kinase-1 (ASK1) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family proteins. These results demonstrated that SAL inhibited oxidative stress through Nrf2/Trx1 signaling pathway, and subsequently reduced CIRI-induced apoptosis by inhibiting ASK1/MAPK.

Alpinae Oxyphyllae Fructus alleviated LPS-induced cognitive impairments via PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Herein, we aim to investigate the effect of Alpinae Oxyphyllae Fructus (AOF) on cognitive impairments and neuroinflammation in a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced models of AD. Mice were injected intracerebroventricularly with LPS, and then administrated AOF using a gavage for 6 weeks. Spatial working memory was assessed using the Y-maze and Morris water maze test, whereas the levels of PI3K, AKT, p-AKT, p-GSK3ß, GSK3ß, NF-κB, IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α were evaluated using western blot and ELISA assay. Our data showed that AOF was able to significantly alleviate the memory decline in LPS-induced AD mice. Moreover, AOF was able to protect neurons through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and significantly decrease NF-κB, IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α levels in the hippocampal and cortex tissues, which were reversed through the use of LY294002. Additionally, we discovered that AOF could significantly decrease the high expression of cytokines as well as the expression and translocation of NF-κB induced by LPS in PC12 cells. These results demonstrate the anti-neuroinflammatory effect of AOF in both cell and animal models of AD, thereby slowing down the process and development of the disease.

An Investigation of the Anti-Depressive Properties of Phenylpropanoids and Flavonoids in Hemerocallis citrina Baroni.

The World Health Organization predicts that over the next several years, depression will become the most important mental health issue globally. Growing evidence shows that the flower buds of Hemerocallis citrina Baroni (H. citrina) possess antidepressant properties. In the search for new anti-depression drugs, a total of 15 phenylpropanoids and 22 flavonoids were isolated and identified based on spectral data (1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS, UV) from H. citrina. Among them, compound 8 was a novel compound, while compounds 1-4, 6, 9, 10, 15, 17, 24-26, 28, and 37 were isolated for the first time from Hemerocallis genus. To study the antidepressant activity of phenylpropanoids and flavonoids fractions from H. citrina, macroporous resin was used to enrich them under the guidance of UV characteristics. UHPLC-MS/MS was applied to identify the constituents of the enriched fractions. According to behavioral tests and biochemical analyses, it showed that phenylpropanoid and flavonoid fractions from H. citrina can improve the depressive-like mental state of chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) rats. This might be accomplished by controlling the amounts of the inflammatory proteins IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α in the hippocampus as well as corticosterone in the serum. Thus, the monomer compounds were tested for their anti-neuroinflammatory activity and their structure-activity relationship was discussed in further detail.

Schisandra chinensis ameliorates depressive-like behaviors by regulating microbiota-gut-brain axis via its anti-inflammation activity.

The present study aimed to examine the antidepressant actions of the composition fractions of Schisandra chinensis using LPS-induced mice. Animals were treated with total extracts (SCE), lignans (SCL), polysaccharides (SCPS), and essential oil (SCVO), and then subjected to behavioral tests. The forced swimming test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) were used as predictive animal models of antidepressant activity. Total extracts and lignans significantly decreased the duration of immobility in FST and TST. We found that treatment with SCE and SCL could significantly decrease the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines both in the periphery and central nervous system (CNS). This was confirmed by the histopathological examination of the colon. The RT-PCR results demonstrated that SCE and SCL could greatly inhibit the TLR4/NF-κB/IKKα signaling pathway. In addition, the concentrations of Butyric acid and Propionic acid were upregulated by the administration, and the decreased diversity of intestinal microbiota and alterations of the relative proportions of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes phylum members, Barnesiella and Lactobacillus genus members in LPS-induced mice were restored as well. All results suggested that lignans is the effective fraction of S.chinensis to ameliorating depressive disorders, which its anti-inflammation activity possibly involved in the bidirectional connection between gut microbiota and brain.

Schizandrin ameliorates behavioral disorders in hepatic injury mice via regulation of oxidative stress and neuroinflammation.

Aim: The present study was aimed to evaluate the anxiolytic and antidepressant-like effects of schizandrin (from Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill. which is a functional food) against chronic liver injury in mice.Methods: Chronic liver injury was induced by the treatment of d-galactose (d-GaIN, 200 mg/kg, s.c.) for 8 weeks.Results: Administration of schizandrin (30 mg/kg, i.g.) significantly ameliorated d-GaIN-induced anxiety and depression-like behavior as evident from the results of open field test (OFT), sucrose preference test (SPT), tail suspension test (TST), forced swimming test (FST), novelty-suppressed feeding test (NSFT), and elevated plus maze (EPM) test. In addition, schizandrin remarkably reduced the oxidative stress due to its potential to enhance the levels of decreased CAT, GSH/GSSG, SOD, and increased MDA in peripheral and brain, the antioxidant activities might be related with the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway. Furthermore, schizandrin could dramatically inhibit the neuroinflammation in mice by reducing pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6) through regulating NF-κB/NLRP3/Iba-1 signaling. Besides, the elevated levels of ammonia, AST, and ALT were significantly reduced by schizandrin.Conclusion: The present data revealed that hyperammonemia produced due to liver injury-induced oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex resulting in anxiety and depression were improved by schizandrin.

Nootkatone improves anxiety- and depression-like behavior by targeting hyperammonemia-induced oxidative stress in D-galactosamine model of liver injury.

Acute or chronic liver injury is closely related to hyperammonemia, which will result in oxidative stress and damage to nerve cells, and these factors are vital to the development of anxiety and depression. In this study, the effect of Nootkatone (NKT) on the anxiety- and depression-like behavioral changes in mice induced by liver injury was investigated. Liver injury was induced by D-galactosamine (D-GalN; 350 mg/kg) three times a week for 4 weeks. NKT (5 mg/kg or 10 mg/kg) was given as co-treatment daily for 4 weeks. NKT (5 mg/kg) co-treatment remarkably ameliorates D-GalN-induced anxiety- and depression-like behaviors as evident from the results of sucrose preference test, forced swimming test, tail suspension test, and novelty suppressed feeding test. Results showed that NKT could induce an elevation in serum alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase level, alleviate the oxidative stress induced by hyperammonemia through activating Keap1/Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidant pathways, decrease the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase and NOX2 in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, enhance the vitality of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione levels in serum, liver, and brain, and significantly reduce the generation of malondialdehyde. At the same time, NKT also reduces the level of ammonia in serum and brain and upgrades the activity of glutamine synthetase in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Taken together, the present results suggested that NKT has a significant antidepressant effect through modulation of oxidative stress induced by D-GalN administration.

Untargeted metabolomic study on the insomnia effect of Suan-Zao-Ren decoction in the rat serum and brain using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry combined with data processing analysis.

Insomnia is a common clinical disease that can seriously damage the normal lives of sufferers. Suan-Zao-Ren decoction has been used to treat insomnia for a long time. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of Suan-Zao-Ren decoction is still not clear. In this study, the nontargeted metabolomics based on high-resolution mass spectrometry and multiple statistical approaches were initially used to investigate the changes of potential serum and brain biomarkers and metabolic pathways in the insomnia model rat. Principal component analysis-discriminate analysis indicated that the Suan-Zao-Ren decoction treatment improved the metabolic phenotype insomnia. Moreover, the heatmap analysis identified the most important biomarkers involved in insomnia. According to the pathway analysis, phenylalanine metabolism, tryptophan metabolism, and so on were recognized as the most affected metabolic pathways associated with insomnia disease. These findings provided a comprehensive understanding of the regulative effects of Suan-Zao-Ren decoction on the host metabolic phenotype of the insomnia rats. Our work demonstrated that the metabolomics approach is a promising tool that could help us to conduct the exploration of the therapeutic effects and mechanism of traditional Chinese medicines.

Combination of schisandrin and nootkatone exerts neuroprotective effect in Alzheimer's disease mice model.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases which seriously affect the quality of life of the elderly. Schisandrin (SCH) and nootkatone (NKT) are the two marked active components in ASHP. In this study, the effects of Alpinia oxyphylla-Schisandra chinensis herb pair (ASHP) as well as its bioactive components on cognitive deficiency and dementia were revealed via Aß1-42-induced AD in mouse. Morris water maze test showed that acute administration of ASHP and SCH + NKT treatments had higher discrimination index in the object recognition task, more quadrant dwell time and shorter escape latency compared with those in the Morris water maze. The levels of TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6 were decreased after ASHP and SCH + NKT treatment. The inflammatory response was attenuated by inhibiting TLR4/ NF-κB/ NLRP3 pathway. In addition, ASHP and SCH + NKT treatments significantly restored the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and inducible nitric oxide syntheses (iNOS), and the levels of glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO). The histopathological changes of hippocampus were noticeably improved after ASHP and SCH + NKT treatments. These findings demonstrate that ASHP as well as its bioactive components exerted a protective effects on cognitive disorder, inflammatory reaction and oxidative stress.

Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus inhibits behavioral deficits induced by sleep deprivation and chronic unpredictable mild stress via increased signaling of brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

The present study was undertaken to explore the interactions between sleep deprivation (SD) and Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus (SCF) treatment in the antidepressant-like effects. We observed that SD aggravated the anxiety-like behavior induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) in the elevated plus maze test. However, the forced swimming test and sucrose preference test showed that SD (12 hr) alleviated the depressive symptoms and SD (72 hr) has the opposite effects. Administration of SCF showed a promising therapeutic effect on depression and anxiety induced by CUMS and SD. Moreover, SCF could potential strengthen the antidepressant-like effects of SD (12 hr) according to the behavioral tests. In addition, the BDNF level in hippocampus was elevated by SD (12 hr) and SCF treatment and together with the upregulation of TrkB/CREB/ERK and PI3K/AKT/GSK3ß/mTOR signaling pathways. Besides, the protein levels of p70S6K and PSD95, which are downstream targets of mTOR, also increased by the treatment. These results indicated that the antidepressant-like effect of SCF in the CUMS depends on the activation of BDNF and the modulation of TrkB/CREB/ERK and PI3K/AKT/GSK3ß/mTOR signaling cascades, and SD (12 hr) shared a common etiology consisting of complex bidirectional interactions with SCF.

Kaempferide prevents cognitive decline via attenuation of oxidative stress and enhancement of brain-derived neurotrophic factor/tropomyosin receptor kinase B/cAMP response element-binding signaling pathway.

Kaempferide (KF) is a compound of flavonoids from Alpinae oxyphylla Miq, and the herb itself is used as a classical tonic agent. This paper aims to investigate the effects of KF on cognitive function impairment and neurodegeneration in the mouse model of Alzheimer's disease induced by intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of Aß1-42 . The mice were treated with KF at doses of 0.02 and 0.2 mg/kg/day (ICV) for five consecutive days after Aß1-42 exposures. The behavioral test results showed that KF could prevent cognitive decline in mice induced by Aß1-42 as assessed by the locomotor activity test, Y-maze test, and Morris water maze test. Furthermore, the activities of superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex were elevated by KF administration. Results of hippocampus slices showed that neurons were integrated and regularly arranged in the groups, which were administered along with KF. In addition, we found KF could boost brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB)/cAMP response element-binding (CREB) protein signal in the hippocampus. All results illustrated that KF could exert neuroprotective effects at least partly through alleviating oxidative stress and enhancing the BDNF/TrkB/CREB pathway in Aß1-42 -induced mice.

Polysaccharide from Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) Improves Antioxidant Capacity via PI3K/AKT Pathways and Nrf2 Translocation in a Type 2 Diabetes Model.

Polysaccharide extracted from okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench), a traditional functional food, is a biologically active substance reported to possess hypoglycemic and anti-oxidative qualities. However, it is unknown which polysaccharides play a role and have the potential mechanism. This present study is to assess the possible impacts of a novel polysaccharide isolated from okra (OP) on mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) combined with an intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) of 100 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) twice, to induce type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We found that an eight-week administration of OP at 200 or 400 mg/kg body weight significantly alleviated the symptoms, with elevations in blood glucose, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), as well as reducing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), body weight, food, and water consumption. The OP treatment increased the hepatic glycogen and decreased the mussy hepatic cords and liver fibrosis in the T2DM mice. The decreases of ROS and MDA and the increases of SOD, GSH-Px and CAT in liver were observed after administration of OP. OP alleviated the T2DM characteristics through the activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT)/glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3ß) pathway, and enhanced the nuclear factor erythroid-2 (Nrf2) expression and promoted Nrf2-medicated heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) and superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) expression. OP also relieved mitochondrial dysfunction by inhibiting NOX2 activation. Taken together, these findings suggest that a polysaccharide isolated from okra exerts anti-T2DM effects partly by modulating oxidative stress through PI3K/AKT/GSK3ß pathway-medicated Nrf2 transport. We have determined that a polysaccharide possesses hypoglycemic activity, as well as its underlying mechanism.

Neuroprotective effects of nootkatone from Alpiniae oxyphyllae Fructus against amyloid-ß-induced cognitive impairment.

The sesquiterpene nootkatone (NKT), isolated from Alpiniae oxyphyllae Fructus, was shown to possess protective effects on neurons. In our study, by using an Alzheimer's disease (AD) model of mice induced by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of Aß1-42 oligomers, we investigated the effects of NKT on memory impairment and further evaluated the pathological changes of mice. AD mice were treated by i.c.v. injection of NKT (at a dose of 0.02 mg/kg and 0.20 mg/kg) or vehicle (PBS) into the lateral ventricle once daily for 5 consecutive days. The behavioral tasks were performed, and levels of some biochemical indicators and histopathological changes of the brain were evaluated to elucidate the mechanism of NKT in the treatment of AD. The results revealed that NKT significantly improved the neurobehavioral performance of the AD mice in the Y-maze and Morris water maze tests. More importantly, NKT treatment decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA), Aß as well as the acetylcholin esterase (AChE) levels in the mice brain, while increased the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels with improved histopathological changes in the hippocampus. These findings provided evidences for the beneficial role of NKT in Aß1-42-induced mice AD model linking to anti-oxidative and anti-AChE activities with inhibitory effect against Aß accumulation.

Protective Effects of Puerarin against Aß 1-42-Induced Learning and Memory Impairments in Mice.

Puerarin is a major isoflavone glycoside from the root of Pueraria lobata. It has been reported that puerarin can protect neurons from oxidative stress-induced apoptosis. Emerging evidence suggests that oxidative damage is associated with Aß-induced neuronal death. In the current study, we evaluated the effect of puerarin on Alzheimer's disease induced by Aß and explored the potential mechanisms underlying this effect. We found that the escape latency of the Morris water maze was decreased in groups treated with puerarin compared to the model group (p < 0.01). In addition, there were significant differences between treated groups and the model group mice in a Y-maze test (p < 0.01). Furthermore, puerarin recovered the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, phosphorylated tau, malondialdehyde, acetylcholine esterase, glycogen synthase kinase-3beta, and the activity of superoxide dismutase to some extent in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex. Shrinkage of nuclei and swollen and eccentrically dispersed neuronal bodies were observed in the hippocampus of Aß-treated mice. These data demonstrate that puerarin might protect against cognitive deficits, oxidative stress, and neurodegeneration induced by Aß1-42.

Lignans from Schisandra chinensis ameliorate cognition deficits and attenuate brain oxidative damage induced by D-galactose in rats.

The aim of this study was to explore the neuroprotective effects of active compounds from Schisandra chinensis (Trucz.) Baill. (Magnoliaceae) against the D-galactose (D-gal)-induced neurotoxicity in rat. The Wistar rats were subcutaneously injected with D-gal (150 mg/(kg day)) for six weeks and orally administered with water extract or 95 % ethanol extract (partitioned with petroleum ether (PE), chloroform (CF), ethyl acetate (EA) and n-Butanol (NB), respectively) of the fruits of Schisandra chinensis simultaneously. The alteration of cognitive functions was assessed by using Morris water maze and Step-down type passive avoidance test. The results demonstrated that PE fraction was the most effective fraction to ameliorate cognitive deficits. Further biochemical examination indicated that PE could attenuate the activities decreasing of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), the total antioxidant (T-AOC) induced by D-gal, and maintain the normal levels of glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) in the serum, prefrontal cortex, striatum and hippocampus of the brain of related rat, selectively. Meanwhile, the compounds of PE fraction were also identified as mainly lignans, thus, these results suggest that lignans from the PE fraction of Schisandra chinensis represented a potential source of medicine for the treatment of the aging-associated neurodegenerative diseases.

Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor Signaling Mediates the Antidepressant-like Effect of the Total Flavonoids of Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus in Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress Mice.

The present study verified the antidepressant-like effects of the total flavonoids of Alpinia oxyphylla Miq. (AOF) using the chronic unpredictable mild stresses paradigm and explored the mechanism that underlies antidepressant-like effects of AOF in mice. Previous research has shown that tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) receptor-mediated extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) signaling pathways participate in depression pathophysiology. Therefore, we aimed to explore whether AOF improved depression-like behaviors by increasing activity of ERK pathways mediated by TrkB. Results showed that AOF significantly reduced the immobility time in the forced swimming test and increased the sucrose preference in sucrose preference test. In addition, decreased phosphorylated cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element-binding protein (pCREB)/CREB, pERK/ERK, and pTrkB/TrkB levels in the hippocampus induced by chronic unpredictable mild stresses were reversed by intragastric administration of AOF. Results suggested that AOF increased pCREB/CREB, pERK/ERK, and pTrkB/TrkB levels by acting on the TrkB receptor. To verify this hypothesis, mice were pretreated with the TrkB inhibitor K252a (or 0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide, intraperitoneally, 2 weeks), before the intragastric administration of AOF. This resulted in an absence of antidepressant-like effects, as well as no activation of pERK/pCREB/BDNF signaling pathways. Results demonstrated that AOF might exert antidepressant-like effects by targeting TrkB receptor-mediated pERK/pCREB/BDNF signal systems, which could help to identify the AOF receptor. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Schisandra chinensis lignans regulate and cooperate with endogenous cannabinoid systems to ameliorate intestinal barrier injury associated with depression.

BACKGROUND: Schisandra chinensis lignan (SCL), a major active component of the traditional functional Chinese medicine Schisandra chinensis, has been reported to have antidepressant effects. Its mechanisms include alleviating intestinal barrier injury (IBI) by resolving intestinal microflora, anti-inflammation, and neuroprotection. SCL also regulates endogenous cannabinoid system, and it is closely related to the onset and development of depression. PURPOSE: We investigated a new treatment strategy for depression, i.e., alleviating IBI by regulating the endogenous cannabinoid system for antidepressant effects, as well as conducted in-depth research to explore the specific mechanism. METHODS: Behavioral analysis was conducted to detect the occurrence of depressive-like behavior in C57BL/6 mice. We used hematoxylin-eosin staining, periodic acid-Schiff staining, and immunofluorescence to evaluate IBI. Network pharmacology and Western blotting (WB) were used to predict and confirm that the amelioration effect of SCL was associated with anti-inflammation and anti-apoptosis. Combined with the levels of anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), we conducted the Pearson analysis between the AEA, 2-AG levels and the major targets identified and validated by network pharmacology and WB. Subsequently, URB-597, a fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) antagonist with an AEA hydrolase-inhibiting effect, was administered to the mice, and behavioral analysis and apoptotic proteins were verified. Plasma endocannabinoid levels after URB-597 supplementation were measured via 6470 Triple Quadrupole LC/MS. Finally, the cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2R) antagonist AM630 was administered to mice, and immunofluorescence and WB were performed to assess the proteins of IBI and anti-inflammation. RESULTS: The study demonstrated that SCL alleviated depressive-like behaviours and ameliorated IBI. Network pharmacology and WB confirmed that the improvement of IBI was related to the anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic pathways. Pearson results showed that AEA levels were positively correlated with inflammation and apoptosis, with a greater contribution to apoptosis. In-depth studies validated that the URB-597 administration reversed the positive effects of SCL on depressive-like behavior and anti-apoptosis. Similarly, URB-597 counteracted AEA levels reduced by SCL and decreased 2-AG levels. Furthermore, AM630 supplementation antagonized SCL's effect of improving IBI by reactivating the MAPK/NF-κB inflammation pathway. CONCLUSION: Overall, SCL, in collaboration with the endogenous cannabinoid system regulated by SCL, alleviates depression associated IBI. The specific mechanism involes SCL decreasing AEA levels to inhibit colon tissue cell apoptosis by up-regulating FAAH. Simultaneously, it directly triggers CB2R to reduce inflammation responses, further alleviating IBI.

Schisandrin B restores M1/M2 balance through miR-124 in lipopolysaccharide-induced BV2 cells.

BACKGROUND: In this study, Schisandrin B (SCHB), the main active component of Schisandra chinensis extract (SCE), was taken as the research object. From gene, microRNA (miR-124), and the level of protein expression system to study the influences of microglia phenotype to play the role of nerve inflammation. METHODS: In this study, we investigated the role of miR-124 in regulating microglial polarization alteration and NF-κB/TLR4 signaling and MAPK signaling in the LPS-induced BV2 by PCR, western blot, ELISA, immunofluorescence, and cytometry. RESULTS: SCE and SCHB significantly reduced the NO-releasing, decreased the levels of TNF-α, iNOS, IBA-1, and ratio of CD86+/CD206+, and increased the levels of IL-10, Arg-1. In addition, SCE and SCHB inhibited the nucleus translocation of NF-κB, decreased the expressions of IKK-α, and increased the expressions of IκB-α. Besides, the expressions of TLR4 and MyD88, and the ratios of p-p38/p38, p-ERK/ERK, and p-JNK/JNK were reduced by SCE and SCHB treatments. Furthermore, SCHB upregulated the mRNA levels of miR-124. However, the effects of SCHB were reversed by the miR-124 inhibitor. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggested SCHB downregulated NF-κB/TLR4/MyD88 signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway via miR-124 to restore M1/M2 balance and alleviate depressive symptoms.

LC-MS/MS-based chemical profiling of water extracts of Moringa oleifera leaves and pharmacokinetics of their major constituents in rat plasma.

Moringa oleifera leaves (MOL) are native to India and have high biological activities. To better understand the basic pharmacodynamic materials, the chemical components in MOL and their pharmacokinetic properties were studied and quantitated using UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS. Forty-two compounds were identified, including phenolic acids and their derivatives, flavonoids, isothiocyanates, nucleosides, alkaloids, and other compounds. Two phenolic acids and six flavonoids were studied for their pharmacokinetic properties using UHPLC-MS/MS. Precision, accuracy, stability, matrix effects, and extraction recovery were verified. All substances that were measured reached their maximum within 0.5 h. Vicenin-2 had a high peak concentration and bioavailability. Kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside had a longer biological half-life than other components. The results from this study provide the data basis for subsequent comprehensive qualitative evaluation and potential MOL use in clinical applications.