Baihe Wuyaotang Ameliorates NAFLD by Enhancing mTOR-mediated Liver Autophagy / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of Baihe Wuyaotang （BWT） on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） and elucidate its underlying mechanism. MethodC57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to six groups： normal control， model， positive drug （pioglitazone hydrochloride 1.95×10-3 g·kg-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose BWT （1.3，2.5 and 5.1 g·kg-1）. Following a 12-week high-fat diet （HFD） inducement， the mice underwent six weeks of therapeutic intervention with twice-daily drug administration. Body weight was monitored weekly throughout the treatment period. At the fifth week， glucose tolerance （GTT） and insulin tolerance （ITT） tests were conducted. Subsequently， the mice were euthanized for the collection of liver tissue and serum， and the subcutaneous adipose tissue （iWAT） and epididymal adipose tissue （eWAT） were weighed. Serum levels of total triglycerides （TG） and liver function indicators，such as alanine aminotransferase （ALT） and aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， were determined. Histological examinations， including oil red O staining， hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining， Masson staining， and transmission electron microscopy， were performed to evaluate hepatic lipid deposition， pathological morphology， and ultrastructural changes， respectively. Meanwhile， Western blot and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） were employed to analyze alterations， at both gene and protein levels， the insulin signaling pathway molecules， including insulin receptor substrate 1/2/protein kinase B/forkhead box gene O1 （IRS1/2/Akt/FoxO1）， glycogen synthesis enzymes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxy kinase （Pepck） and glucose-6-phosphatase （G6Pase）， lipid metabolism-related genes stearoyl-coA desaturase-1 （SCD-1） and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 （CPT-1）， fibrosis-associated molecules α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， type Ⅰ collagen （CollagenⅠ）， and the fibrosis canonical signaling pathway transforming growth factor-β1/drosophila mothers against decapentaplegic protein2/3（TGF-β1/p-Smad/Smad2/3）， inflammatory factors such as interleukin（IL）-6， IL-8， IL-11， and IL-1β， autophagy markers LC3B Ⅱ/Ⅰ and p62/SQSTM1， and the expression of mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR）. ResultCompared with the model group， BWT reduced the body weight and liver weight of NAFLD mice（P<0.05， P<0.01）， inhibited liver lipid accumulation， and reduced the weight of white fat： it reduced the weight of eWAT and iWAT（P<0.05， P<0.01） as well as the serum TG content（P<0.05， P<0.01）. BWT improved the liver function as reflected by the reduced ALT and AST content（P<0.05， P<0.01）. It improved liver insulin resistance by upregulating IRS2， p-Akt/Akt， p-FoxO1/FoxO1 expressions（P<0.05）. Besides， it improved glucose and lipid metabolism disorders： it reduced fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose（P<0.05， P<0.01）， improved GTT and ITT（P<0.05， P<0.01）， reduced the expression of Pepck， G6Pase， and SCD-1（P<0.01）， and increased the expression of CPT-1（P<0.01）. The expressions of α-SMA， Collagen1， and TGF-β1 proteins were down-regulated（P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the expression of p-Smad/Smad2/3 was downregulated（P<0.05）， suggesting BWT reduced liver fibrosis. BWT inhibited inflammation-related factors as it reduced the gene expression of IL-6， IL-8， IL-11 and IL-1β（P<0.01） and it enhanced autophagy by upregulating LC3B Ⅱ/Ⅰ expression（P<0.05）while downregulating the expression of p62/SQSTM1 and mTOR（P<0.05）. ConclusionBWT ameliorates NAFLD by multifaceted improvements， including improving IR and glucose and lipid metabolism， anti-inflammation， anti-fibrosis， and enhancing autophagy. In particular， BWT may enhance liver autophagy by inhibiting the mTOR-mediated signaling pathway.

Mechanism of Pachymic Acid in Inhibiting Invasion and Metastasis of Renal Carcinoma Cells via Regulating MMP/TIMP Balance by Smads / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of pachymic acid （PA） in Poria on the invasion and metastasis of renal carcinoma cells. MethodThe effect of PA （0， 20， 40， 80， 160 μmol·L-1） on cell viability was detected by cell counting kit-8（CCK-8）， and the dose of PA was selected for subsequent experiments. The effect of PA （0， 20， 40， 80 μmol·L-1） on cell proliferation was evaluated by colony formation assay. The effect of PA （0， 20， 40， 80 μmol·L-1） on cell adhesion ability was observed by cell adhesion assay. The effect of PA （0， 20， 40， and 80 μmol·L-1） on cell invasion and metastasis was investigated by Wound healing assay and Transwell invasion assay. The inhibitory effect of PA （0， 20， 40， 80 μmol·L-1） on cell motility was further observed and verified by high-content imaging technology. The effects of PA （0， 20， 40， 80 μmol·L-1） on the expression of matrix metalloproteinase （MMP）/tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinasas （TIMP） related to invasion and metastasis and Smads were detected by Western blot. ResultCCK-8 results showed that compared with the blank group， the PA groups showed decreased cell viability（P<0.01）， with the half-maximal inhibitory concentration （IC50） of ACHN cells of 70.42 μmol·L-1 at 24 h. Colony formation assay showed that the number of cell clonal groups in the PA groups was reduced compared with that in the blank group（P<0.01）. Cell adhesion assay showed that compared with the blank group， the PA groups displayed reduced cell adhesion（P<0.01）. Wound healing assay showed that the wound healing rate of cells in the PA groups was lower than that in the blank group （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Transwell invasion assay showed that compared with the blank group， the number of transmembrane cells in PA groups was reduced（P<0.01）. High-content imaging showed that the cumulative migration distance of cells in the PA groups was shorter than that in the blank group（P<0.01）. The results of Western blot showed that the protein expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in the PA groups decreased （P<0.01）， and TIMP-1 protein expression increased （P<0.01） compared with those in the blank group. In addition， compared with the blank group， the PA groups showed decreased protein expression of Smad2 and Smad3 （P<0.01）. ConclusionPA can inhibit the invasion and metastasis of renal carcinoma cells presumably through regulating the homeostasis of MMP/TIMP by Smad2/3.

Relationship between Sestrin2 and mtDNA-NLRP3 inflammasome pathway during endotoxin-induced myocardial injury in mice / 中华麻醉学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between Sestrin2 and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-NOD-like receptor associated protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome pathway during endotoxin-induced myocardial injury in mice.Methods:One hundred and eighty-four clean-grade healthy male ICR mice, aged 8-12 weeks, weighing 20-25 g, were used in this study. One hundred and sixty-eight mice were divided into 7 groups ( n=24 each) using the random number table method: normal control group (N group), lipopolysaccaride(LPS) group (L group), mtDNA group, LPS+ mtDNA group (M group), normal control+ negative control adeno-associated virus (AAV-NC)group (NC group), LPS+ mtDNA+ AAV-NC group (MC group), and LPS+ mtDNA+ Sestrin2 overexpression adeno-associated virus (AAV-Sestrin2) group (MSgroup). Another 10 mice were used to detect the transfection effect of AAV-Sestrin2, and the left 6 mice were used for mtDNA extraction. The model of endotoxemia was developed by intraperitoneal injection of LPS 10 mg/kg. mtDNA 5 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected in mtDNA group, and mtDNA 5 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected at 30 min after LPS injection in M group.AAV-Sestrin2 150 μl was injected via the tail vein in MS group, and the equal volume of AAV-NC was injected via the tail vein in MC and NC groups. Four weeks after virus injection, LPS 10 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected and 30 min later mtDNA 5 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected in MS and MC groups. Blood samples were collected at 24 h after LPS injection for determination of serum creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities (by biochemical assay), concentrations of serum cardiac troponin I (cTnI), interleukin-18 (IL-18) and interleukin-1beta (IL-1β)(by enzyme-linked immunesorbent assay), and expression of mtDNA (by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction). The animals were sacrificed after the end of blood sampling and myocardial tissues were obtained for determination of the contents of reactive oxygen species (ROS), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and expression of NOD-like receptor associated protein 3 (NLRP3), active subunit p20 of caspase-1 (caspase-1p20) and apoptosis-associated microprotein (ASC) in myocardial tissues (by Western blot) and for microscopic examination of the pathological changes after HE staining (with a light microscope). Results:Compared with N group, the levels of CK-MB, LDH, cTnI, IL-1β and IL-18 in serum were significantly increased, the expression of mtDNA was up-regulated, the ROS content in myocardial tissues was increased, the T-AOC and ATP contents in myocardial tissues were decreased, the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1p20 and ASC in the myocardial tissues was up-regulated( P<0.05), and the pathological changes of myocardial tissues were aggravated in L group and mtDNA group.Compared with L group and mtDNA group, the levels of CK-MB, LDH, cTnI, IL-1β and IL-18 in serum were significantly increased, the expression of mtDNA was up-regulated, the ROS content in myocardial tissues was increased, the T-AOC and ATP contents in myocardial tissues were decreased, the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1p20 and ASC in the myocardial tissues was up-regulated( P<0.05), and the pathological changes of myocardial tissues were aggravated in M group. Compared with M group, the levels of CK-MB, LDH, cTnI, IL-1β and IL-18 in serum were significantly decreased, the expression of mtDNA was down-regulated, the ROS content in myocardial tissues was decreased, the T-AOC and ATP contents in myocardial tissues were increased, the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1p20 and ASC in the myocardial tissues was down-regulated( P<0.05), and the pathological changes of myocardial tissues were significantly attenuated in MS group. Conclusions:Sestrin2 can reduce endotoxin-induced myocardial injury in mice by alleviating mitochondrial damage, inhibiting oxidative stress, protecting mtDNA from oxidative damage, and then inhibiting mtDNA-NLRP3 inflammasome pathway.

Celastrus orbiculatus Extract Promotes Apoptosis of Gastric Cancer Cells by Destroying Mitochondrial Structure / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo study the inhibitory effect of Celastrus orbiculatus extract （COE） on gastric cancer cells， to clarify the specific mechanism of COE promoting the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells by affecting the mitochondrial structure and function， and to provide an experimental basis for the further development and clinical application of C. orbiculatus. MethodBrdu staining combined with flow cytometry and Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate （AnnexinV-FITC） staining combined with flow cytometry were employed to detect the effects of COE （20， 40， 80 mg·L-1） on the proliferation and apoptosis of gastric cancer cells， respectively. The changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were detected with JC-1 mitochondrial membrane potential assay kit. The expression of apoptosis-associated proteins including B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， B-cell lymphoma-xL （Bcl-xL）， Bcl-2-associated X （Bax）， and cysteine aspartutespecific protease-3 （Caspase-3） in gastric cancer cells was determined by Western blot. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to detect changes in the mitochondrial microstructure of gastric cancer cells exposed to COE. Western blot was employed to measure the expression of mitochondrial marker proteins ［superoxide dismutase 1 （SOD1）， voltage-dependent anion channel （VDAC）， prohibitin 1 （PHB1）， and heat shock protein 60 （HSP60）］ in gastric cancer cells. ResultCompared with the control group， COE （40， 80 mg·L-1） inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells （P<0.05）. Furthermore， COE reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential of gastric cancer cells. Compared with the control group， COE （20， 40， 80 mg·L-1） up-regulated the expression of Bax and Caspase-3 which promoted apoptosis of gastric cells （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and COE at 40 and 80 mg·L-1 down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL which inhibited the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells （P<0.01）. The results of transmission electron microscopy showed that COE changed the microstructure of gastric cancer cells， which led to the appearance of vacuoles in the cell membrane and mitochondria and damaged the mitochondrial structure. Compared with the control group， COE （20， 40， 80 mg·L-1） changed the expression of mitochondrial marker proteins. Specifically， it up-regulated the expression of SOD1 involved in stress response （P<0.05， P<0.01） and down-regulated that of VDAC， PHB1， and HSP60 associated with mitochondrial stability and permeability （P<0.01）. ConclusionCOE can significantly inhibit the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells. It may activate the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway by destroying the mitochondrial structure and function of gastric cancer cells.

Celastrus orbiculatus Extract Promotes Apoptosis of Gastric Cancer Cells by Destroying Mitochondrial Structure / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo study the inhibitory effect of Celastrus orbiculatus extract （COE） on gastric cancer cells， to clarify the specific mechanism of COE promoting the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells by affecting the mitochondrial structure and function， and to provide an experimental basis for the further development and clinical application of C. orbiculatus. MethodBrdu staining combined with flow cytometry and Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate （AnnexinV-FITC） staining combined with flow cytometry were employed to detect the effects of COE （20， 40， 80 mg·L-1） on the proliferation and apoptosis of gastric cancer cells， respectively. The changes in mitochondrial membrane potential were detected with JC-1 mitochondrial membrane potential assay kit. The expression of apoptosis-associated proteins including B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， B-cell lymphoma-xL （Bcl-xL）， Bcl-2-associated X （Bax）， and cysteine aspartutespecific protease-3 （Caspase-3） in gastric cancer cells was determined by Western blot. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to detect changes in the mitochondrial microstructure of gastric cancer cells exposed to COE. Western blot was employed to measure the expression of mitochondrial marker proteins ［superoxide dismutase 1 （SOD1）， voltage-dependent anion channel （VDAC）， prohibitin 1 （PHB1）， and heat shock protein 60 （HSP60）］ in gastric cancer cells. ResultCompared with the control group， COE （40， 80 mg·L-1） inhibited the proliferation and promoted the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells （P<0.05）. Furthermore， COE reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential of gastric cancer cells. Compared with the control group， COE （20， 40， 80 mg·L-1） up-regulated the expression of Bax and Caspase-3 which promoted apoptosis of gastric cells （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and COE at 40 and 80 mg·L-1 down-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL which inhibited the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells （P<0.01）. The results of transmission electron microscopy showed that COE changed the microstructure of gastric cancer cells， which led to the appearance of vacuoles in the cell membrane and mitochondria and damaged the mitochondrial structure. Compared with the control group， COE （20， 40， 80 mg·L-1） changed the expression of mitochondrial marker proteins. Specifically， it up-regulated the expression of SOD1 involved in stress response （P<0.05， P<0.01） and down-regulated that of VDAC， PHB1， and HSP60 associated with mitochondrial stability and permeability （P<0.01）. ConclusionCOE can significantly inhibit the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of gastric cancer cells. It may activate the mitochondrial apoptosis pathway by destroying the mitochondrial structure and function of gastric cancer cells.