Preclinical anti-apoptotic properties of salidroside for hypoxic-ischemic cerebral damage: a systematic review and meta-analysis / 数字中医药（英文）

@#【Objective】   As the main active ingredient of Tibetan medicine Hongjingtian (Rhodiolae Crenulatae Radix et Rhizoma), salidroside (Sal) has a good anti-apoptotic potential. Currently, there are some conflicting results on the anti-apoptotic mechanisms of Sal. Here we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide the preclinical evidence of its anti-apoptotic properties in preventing and treating hypoxic-ischemic cerebral damage(HICD). 【Methods】   The literature on the anti-apoptotic potential of Sal in the treatment of HICD from January 1, 1980 to November 9, 2021 was searched online using Chinese databases including Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and Wanfang Database, and English databases including PubMed and Web of Science. The quality of the included articles was evaluated by the Cochrane Collaboration network bias risk assessment criteria, and meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. 【Results】  A total of 40 articles were finally included. Among the 40 articles, 30 were about in vivo animal experiments and 17 about in vitro cell experiments, and 7 of them included both animal and cell experiments. After analysis, it was found that Sal had significant effects on disease-related indicators of HICD (P < 0.05), such as cerebral infarctsize and brain water content. As to in vivo studies, Sal mainly affects the expressions of apoptotic factors through antiinflammation, anti-oxidation, activation of complement pathway, and regulation of signal transduction and autophagy, thus exerting anti-apoptotic potential in treating HICD. While for in vitro studies, Sal plays the anti-apoptotic role in HICD models mainly through anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation, reduction of Ca2+ overload, regulation of mitochondrial function, signal transduction, and C3 complement. 【Conclusion】  Sal can take anti-apoptotic effects to prevent and treat HICD through mechanisms such as anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, enhanced autophagy, complement and signal transduction, regulation of mitochondrial membrane potential, and reduction of Ca2 + overload.

Protective Effect of Alcohol Extract of Phyllanthi Fructus on Silicosis Mice and Its Correlation with Nrf2/ARE Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the effect and underlying mechanism of alcohol extract of Phyllanthi Fructus on silicosis mice induced by silicon dioxide （SiO2）. MethodThirty-six male Kunming mice of SPF grade were randomly divided into a blank group，a model group，high-， medium， and low-dose Phyllanthi Fructus groups （800， 400， 200 mg·kg-1），and a tetrandrine group （0.039 mg·kg-1），with six mice in each group. The silicosis model was induced by static SiO2 exposure in mice except for those in the blank group. After 28 days of administration by gavage，the lung tissues were collected and the organ coefficient was calculated. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE）staining and Masson staining were used to detect the morphology of lung tissues. The content of hydroxyproline （HYP），superoxide dismutase （SOD），malondialdehyde （MDA）， and catalase （CAT） in serum was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Western blot and Real-time polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） were used to detect the protein and mRNA expression of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 （Nrf2），heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1），NAD（P）H：quinone oxidoreductase 1 （NQO1），and Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 （Keap1）， respectively. ResultCompared with the blank group，the model group showed seriously damaged morphological structure of lung tissues with inflammatory cell infiltration and fibrous tissue proliferation， reduced serum content of SOD and CAT（P<0.01），increased content of HYP and MDA（P<0.01）， down-regulated protein and mRNA expression of Nrf2，HO-1， and NQO1（P<0.01），and up-regulated protein and mRNA expression of Keap1 （P<0.05，P<0.01）. Compared with the model group，the high- and medium-dose Phyllanthi Fructus groups showed significantly restored morphological structure of lung tissues with reduced collagen deposition， increased serum content of SOD and CAT（P<0.05，P<0.01），decreased content of HYP and MDA（P<0.01）， up-regulated protein and mRNA expression of Nrf2，HO-1， and NQO1 （P<0.05，P<0.01），and down-regulated protein and mRNA expression of Keap1（P<0.05，P<0.01）. ConclusionThe alcohol extract of Phyllanthi Fructus can inhibit pulmonary fibrosis in silicosis mice，and the underlying mechanism may be related to the regulation of the Nrf2/antioxidant response element （ARE） signaling pathway.

Research progress on pharmacological effects of bilirubin nanoparticles / 中国药房

Bilirubin has good anti-inflammatory， antioxidant and immunomodulatory effects， but its poor water solubility and low bioavailability greatly limit its clinical application. Researchers have developed bilirubin into various nanoparticles， which effectively eliminate the limitation of low solubility of bilirubin with the advantage of dosage form， so that they can maximize its pharmacological activities such as anti-inflammatory， anti-oxidation and immune regulation. Bilirubin nanoparticles have great application potential in a variety of gastrointestinal diseases， liver and kidney diseases， skin diseases， autoimmune diseases， islet transplantation and targeted therapy of tumors （both as a direct anti-tumor drug and as a drug delivery system）. The study of bilirubin nanoparticles will promote the clinical application of bilirubin and the development of related new drugs.

Zooming in and out of ferroptosis in human disease / 医学前沿

Ferroptosis is defined as an iron-dependent regulated form of cell death driven by lipid peroxidation. In the past decade, it has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases that together involve almost every organ of the body, including various cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases, liver diseases, kidney diseases, endocrine metabolic diseases, iron-overload-related diseases, orthopedic diseases and autoimmune diseases. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms of ferroptosis and its regulatory pathways could provide additional strategies for the management of these disease conditions. Indeed, there are an expanding number of studies suggesting that ferroptosis serves as a bona-fide target for the prevention and treatment of these diseases in relevant pre-clinical models. In this review, we summarize the progress in the research into ferroptosis and its regulatory mechanisms in human disease, while providing evidence in support of ferroptosis as a target for the treatment of these diseases. We also discuss our perspectives on the future directions in the targeting of ferroptosis in human disease.

The developments of silicosis drugs / 药学学报

Pneumoconiosis is the most common occupational disease in China, which severely endangers people's health. Depending on the inhaled air pollutants, pneumoconiosis is classified as anthracosis, silicosis, asbestosis, etc., among which silicosis is the most common and serious. Silicosis is a systemic, poor prognostic disease characterized by diffuse fibrosis of lung tissue, which is caused by long-term exposure to dust with high levels of free silicon dioxide (SiO2) in the occupational environment. Appropriate treatment in time is important for the disease. Unfortunately, no effective drugs have been approved to delay or even reverse pulmonary fibrosis caused by SiO2. This review briefly classifies potent therapeutic drugs and compounds in term of mechanisms, providing the probability for clinical treatment of silicosis.

Research advances in bioactivity of oyster peptides / 药学实践杂志

Functional peptides refer to peptides that are beneficial to life activities or have special physiological activities, also known as bioactive peptides. Oyster is rich in protein and is a good material for developing bioactive peptides, which has great potential as a functional food and great application value in pharmaceutical and medical industry. With the development of modern biotechnology and medical technology, the method innovation of oyster peptide preparation，the absorptivity and biological activity of oyster peptide have been enhanced significantly, which lead to deep recognition of the biological function of oyster peptide and offer the boarder application prospect. The researches on the diversification activities of oyster peptides were summarized in this review, which provided clues and ideas for the development of the oyster peptide applications.

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of four kinds of Huangshan chrysanthemum / 药学实践杂志

Objective To investigate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of four kinds of Huangshan chrysanthemum. Methods ABTS, FRAP and DPPH were used to detect the antioxidant activities of Huangshan golden silk chrysanthemum, Huangshan chrysanthemum, Huangshan gongju, and Huangshan dendranthema. Their anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated by NF-κB reporter gene assay and rat foot swelling models. Results The outcomes of ABTS，FRAP and DPPH showed that the water extracts of four kinds of chrysanthemum all had certain antioxidant activities and the activities of Huangshan golden silk chrysanthemum were strongest, followed by Huangshan chrysanthemum , Huangshan gongju , and Huangshan dendranthema. Results of NF-κB reporter gene assay and rat foot swelling models showed that four extracts of chrysanthemum morifolium could inhibit the transcription of NF-κB induced by LPS and alleviate foot swelling of rat induced by carrageenan, with the strongest activity of Huangshan chrysanthemum, followed by Huangshan golden silk chrysanthemum, Huangshan gongju, and Huangshan dendranthema. Conclusion The antioxidant activities of Huangshan golden silk chrysanthemum were strongest, followed by Huangshan chrysanthemum, Huangshan gongju, and Huangshan dendranthema. The anti-inflammatory activities of Huangshan chrysanthemum were strongest, followed by Huangshan golden silk chrysanthemum, Huangshan gongju, and Huangshan dendranthema.

Inhibitory effects of N-acetyl-L-cysteine on brain inflammation in mice with periodontitis and Alzheimer’s disease / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To explore the effects of periodontitis on the brains of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mice and the effects of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) on the periodontium and the brain of AD mice with experimental chronic periodontitis (CP). 【Methods】 Ten wild-type C57 mice were in the blank control group (Group C57), and another 40 3-month-old APP/PS1 transgenic mice were randomly divided into four groups: AD+CP group, AD+CP+NAC group, AD+NAC group, and AD group. The periodontitis model was established in mice in AD+CP group and AD+CP+NAC group by silk ligation. At the same time, mice in AD+CP+NAC group and AD+NAC group were injected with NAC (200 mg/kg). The height of alveolar bone loss was detected after 3 weeks, and the cell morphology of the hippocampus was observed. We determined the expression levels of NLRP3 inflammasome and amyloid-β (Aβ) in the hippocampus as well as the expression levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 in the hippocampus and gums by ELISA. 【Results】 Compared with AD group, the height of alveolar bone loss in AD+CP group was higher (P<0.05), and the expression levels of IL-18 in the gum and IL-1β and NLRP3 in the hippocampus were increased significantly (P<0.05). In addition, compared with AD+CP group, the height of alveolar bone loss in AD+CP+NAC group was reduced significantly (P<0.05), the expression levels of IL-1β and IL-18 in the gum were reduced significantly (P<0.05) as well as the expression levels of IL-1β and Aβ in the hippocampus were reduced significantly (P<0.05). Compared with C57 group, the neurons in the hippocampus of AD+CP group were more loose and disordered, and the activation of microglia was increased, while the disarrangement of cells in AD+CP+NAC group was less than that in AD+CP group. 【Conclusion】 Periodontitis can aggravate brain inflammation in AD mice. NAC can effectively reduce alveolar bone resorption in AD mice caused by periodontitis as well as reduce the levels of inflammatory factors in the gum and hippocampus. NAC can effectively reduce the alveolar bone absorption of AD mice caused by periodontitis, reduce the level of inflammatory factors in the gingiva and hippocampus, and reduce the damage of nerve cells in the hippocampus.

Research Progress of HO1 on AntiOxidative Stress Injury of MSC --Review / 中国实验血液学杂志

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) is widely used in cell therapy because of its high proliferative and multi directional differentiation potential as well as its low immunogenicity. The transplantation of MSC can help the repair of the injured organs, however, the MSC transplanted to the local organs are affected by oxidative stress and lead to premature aging or apoptosis. Heme oxygenase 1 (HO1) is a key ratelimiting enzyme in the process of heme metabolism, which has the functions of antiinflammation, antioxidation, antiapoptosis, antiaging, reducing cell damage and promoting angiogenesis. Induced high expression of HO1 in MSC could increase the ability of MSC against oxidative stress injury, delay the senescence and apoptosis of MSC, and alleviate cell injury. In this reviews, the research progress of HO1 on antioxidative stress injury of MSC.

Research progress of iron metabolism and its mechanism in the treatment of heart failure / 药学学报

The pathogenesis of heart failure is a complex progression and associated with abnormal regulation of many signaling pathways. As a cofactor of hemoglobin, myoglobin, oxidative respiratory chain, DNA synthase and other important proteins, iron plays an indispensable role in myocardial energy metabolism. Recently, a large number of studies have shown that heart failure is related to the disorder of iron metabolism. Both iron deficiency and iron overload can lead to the development of a variety of cardiomyopathy, and even progress to heart failure. Iron metabolism could be a key target for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of heart failure. Here, we review the basic process of iron metabolism and its mechanism in heart failure, expecting to provide new clues and evidence for the treatment of heart failure.

Neuroprotective Effects of Molecular Hydrogen: A Critical Review / 神经科学通报·英文版

Molecular hydrogen (H

Forsythiae Fructus inhibits melanoma growth through activating MAPKs/Nrf2/HO-1 signaling and modulating glycerophospholipid metabolism / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE Forsythiae Fructus (Lianqiao) is a typical heat-clearing and detoxicating traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herb, which has been traditionally used for treating cancer according to TCM theory. However, the under?lying mechanism has not been fully explained. METHODS In this study, we investigated the antitumor effect of Forsyth?iae Fructus aqueous extract (FAE) on B16-F10 melanoma. RESULTS FAE strongly inhibited the tumor growth and metastasis formation in B16-F10 melanoma transplanted mice. The survival time of tumor-bearing mice was also signifi?cantly prolonged by FAE. The levels of ROS, MDA, TNF-α and IL-6 decreased, while GSH increased in the FAE treat?ment group, indicating FAE possesses strong anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory activity. Western blotting analysis demonstrated that antioxidant proteins Nrf2 and HO-1, tumor suppressors P53 and p-PTEN, and the MAPK pathways in tumor tissues were upregulated by FAE treatment. Serum metabolomics analysis further uncovered that 17 metabolites mostly involving in glycerophospholipid metabolism were correlated with the antitumor effect of FAE. Notably, several lysophosphatidylcholines (LysoPCs) significantly decreased in tumor model group, while FAE treatment restored the changes of these phospholipids to about normal condition. LysoPC acyltransferase 1 (LPCAT1) and autotaxin (ATX) highly expressed in melanoma and markedly downregulated by FAE were believed to be responsible for this modulation. CONCLUSION FAE exhibites strong antitumor activity against B16-F10 melanoma through activating MAPKs/Nrf2/HO-1 mediated anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation and modulating glycerophospholipid metabolism via downregulating LPCAT1 and ATX. Besides, it is suggested that serum LysoPCs could be potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and prog?nosis of melanoma.

Research advances in active components of traditional Chinese medicine in prevention and treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease based on oxidative stress / 临床肝胆病杂志

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a multifactorial pathological disease. Although the molecular mechanism of the onset of NAFLD has not been fully elucidated, oxidative stress is believed to play a key role in this process and can affect a variety of physiological functions. In recent years, the use of active components of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of NAFLD has become a research hotspot. This article summarizes the role of active components of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of NAFLD from the perspective of anti-oxidative stress effect, so as to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD.

Synthesis, bioactivity evaluation of dibenzoyl methane halophenols and their interactions with CAV-1 / 药学学报

Caveolin-1 (CAV-1) is related to inflammation, oxidative damage, and immunity. In order to obtain a series of dibenzoylmethane halophenols with strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects targeting CAV-1, twenty-nine target compounds were therefore synthesized by Baker-Ventaraman rearrangement and demethylation reaction, starting from the substituted benzoyl chloride and o-hydroxyacetophenone, and their interactions with CAV-1 were investigated by BLI technique. Their in vitro anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties were also evaluated. The results showed that compounds A6, A17, A18, and A29 not only specifically bind to CAV-1, but also present strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. These results suggest that this class of compounds can affect the signaling pathways related to inflammation and oxidative stress by directly acting on CAV-1. In particular, these compounds exhibit the most significantly inhibitory effects on IL-1β and COX-2 release. IL-1β plays a key regulatory role in the development of arthritis. Therefore, it is worth expecting for the application of such compounds in the prevention and treatment of arthritis.

Triptolide improves motor dysfunction in rats following spinal cord injury / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: One of the main causes of high disability rate of secondary spinal cord injury is oxidative stress and inflammatory response. How to suppress secondary spinal cord injury is a hot topic of current research. OBJECTIVE: To explore the improvement effect of triptolide on motor dysfunction after spinal cord injury and its possible mechanism. METHODS: Forty-eight healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham operation group, spinal cord injury group and triptolide group, 16 rats in each group. The modified Allen method was used to establish the rat spinal cord injury model. Rats in the triptolide group received intraperitoneal injection of triptolide (0.1 mg/kg per day) 30 minutes after spinal cord injury. Both the sham operation group and spinal cord injury group were given the same amount of normal saline containing 1% dimethyl sulfoxide via the same route for 10 consecutive days. The sham operation group only underwent laminectomy without damaging spinal cord. Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan scoring method was used to evaluate hindlimb function of Sprague-Dawley rats at 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 days after surgery. The thoracic spinal cord (T8-11) of the rats was collected on the 10th day after surgery for histological detection, western blot, and real-time quantitative PCR analysis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The behavioral scores in the spinal cord injury group and triptolide group increased with increasing days from injury, and the behavioral scores in the triptolide group were significantly higher than that in the spinal cord injury group at 14, 21, 28, and 35 days after surgery (P < 0.05). Hematoxylin-eosin staining results of the T8-11 sections at 10 days after surgery revealed severe edema, bleeding, and inflammatory cell infiltration in the longitudinal section of the thoracic spinal cord core area of the spinal cord injury group, and these abnormalities could be significantly reduced by triptolide treatment (P < 0.05). RT-PCR results showed that compared with the spinal cord injury group, the expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, p-STAT3 and p-JAK2 mRNAs in the spinal cord was significantly decreased (P < 0.05), and the levels of superoxide dismutase and catalase mRNAs were significantly increased in the triptolide group (P <0.05). Findings from this study confirm that intraperitoneal injection of triptolide can moderately improve motor dysfunction after spinal cord injury. Its mechanism may be related to the abnormal activation of JAK/STAT signaling pathway regulated by triptolide.

Effects of intervention of hot spring bathing on antioxidation functions in population / 上海预防医学

Objective To understand the influence of hot spring bathing intervention on population's antioxidation functions. Methods Three typical types of hot spring(metasilicic acid type, warm mineral type and temperature type)in Guizhou Province were selected for investigation. According to the inclusion-exclusion criteria, questionnaires and physical examinations results, 421 individuals were selected as observation subjects for hot spring bathing intervention, of which 311 subjects completed 40 to 50 minutes of intervention once a day, 5 days a week, and for 4 weeks. Two physical examinations before and after the intervention were conducted for the 311 subjects. The fasting venous blood samples on the mornings of two physical examinations were collected and the serum was separated. Levels of serum oxidative stress-related parameters including total superoxide dismutase(T-SOD), copper zinc superoxide dismutase(Cu-Zn SOD), glutathione sulfur transferases(GSTs)glutathione peroxidase(GSH-px), sulfhydryl(-SH)and malondialdehyde(MDA)were measured by enzymatical methods. Results The overall comparison showed that compared with before the bathing intervention, the levels of antioxidant enzymes including T-SOD, Cu-Zn SOD, GSTs and GSH-px significantly increased in serum after the intervention(all P < 0.05). There was an increasing trend of serum -SH level after the intervention, but with no statistical differences were seen(P > 0.05). MDA, a product of lipid peroxidation, significantly decreased in serum after the intervention(P < 0.05). The results of classified comparison showed that the effects of different hot spring types on antioxidant enzymes were different. Metasilicic acid type significantly increased the activities of GSTs and GSH-px in serum(all P < 0.05), warm mineral type significantly increased the activities of T-SOD and Cu-Zn SOD in serum(all P < 0.05), and temperature type significantly increased the activities of T-SOD, Cu-Zn SOD and GSTs in serum(all P < 0.05). There were increasing trends of serum -SH levels after bathing intervention of all three hot spring types, but no statistical differences were seen(all P > 0.05). The serum MDA levels decreased significantly after bathing intervention of all three types of hot springs(all P < 0.05). Conclusion Overall, bathing intervention of hot springs can improve the activities of antioxidant enzymes and reduce lipid peroxidation products in population. The results of oxidative stress parameters are slightly different in different types of hot springs. The subjects mainly show the elevation of glutathione related enzyme(GSTs and GSH-px)activities after intervention of metasilicic acid type, the elevation of superoxide dismutase(SOD)activities after intervention of warm mineral type and temperature type, and the decline of lipid peroxidation levels after intervention of all three types. It suggests that hot spring bathing may have certain effects on improving the body's antioxidation functions.

The cellular immunotherapy of integrated photothermal anti-oxidation Pd-Se nanoparticles in inhibition of the macrophage inflammatory response in rheumatoid arthritis

Reducing the inflammatory response is a major goal in the therapy of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Herein, we integrated palladium nanoparticles (Pd NPs) with selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) and obtained a multiple nanosystem (Pd@Se-HA NPs) that could simultaneously scavenge hydroxyl radicals (⋅OH) and provide a photothermal effect. The Pd@Se-HA NPs were constructed by a simple self-assembly method in which Se NPs were electrostatically bonded to Pd NPs; hyaluronic acid (HA) was linked to the NPs by ester bonding to provide macrophage targeting ability. The experiments show that the combined therapy of eliminating ⋅OH with Se NPs and utilizing PTT with Pd NPs could effectively reduce the inflammatory response in macrophages more effectively than either individual NP treatment. In addition, the outer layer of HA could specifically target the CD44 receptor to enhance the accumulation of Pd@Se NPs at the lesion, further enhancing the therapeutic effect. After treatment for 15 days, the Pd@Se-HA NPs nearly eliminated the inflammatory response in the joints of mice in an induced RA model, and prevented joint damage and degradation.

Explore antioxidant quality markers of Hippophae tibetana based on "dry-method + wet-method" technology / 中国中药杂志

The cross combination of dry-method(network pharmacology analysis) and wet-method(high-resolution mass spectro-metry with antioxidation experiment) was used to predict antioxidant quality markers(Q-markers) of Hippophae tibetana. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with hybrid quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS) was developed to rapidly separate and identify the chemical constituents in H. tibetana. Then in DPPH free radicals and superoxide anion scavenging experiment, the antioxidant activity of the four different polar parts with extracts of petroleumether, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water was evaluated. Network pharmacology method was used for functional enrichment and pathway analysis to screen antioxidant-related components and preliminarily explain the mechanism of action. On this basis, multi-source information was integrated to predict the antioxidant Q-markers. The results showed that 51 components in H. tibetana were identified, including 18 flavonoids, 14 terpenoids, 6 alkaloids, 4 coumarins and phenylpropanoids, 3 volatile components and 2 polyphenols. The antioxidant capacity of different fractions: ethyl acetate > n-butanol > water > petroleum ether. The medicine mainly acted on PI3 K-Akt and FoxO signaling pathways to perform antioxidant effects through flavonoids such as quercetin, luteolin and kaempferol. According to the results of dry-method and wet-method, quercetin, luteolin and kaempferol, the representatives of poly-hydroxy flavone, may be the antioxidant Q-markers of H. tibetana. In this study, with the antioxidant Q-markers of H. tibetana as an example, an investigation model of predicting Q-marker was discussed based on the ternary system of composition, function and informatics, providing a scientific basis for the establishment of quality evaluation standards for H. tibetana.

Preparation and properties of extracellular vesicle-like nanoparticles from medicinal and edible plants / 药学学报

Extracellular vesicle-like nanoparticles (EVNs) isolated from edible plants have been shown to have multiple activities, while EVNs from medicinal plants have rarely been reported. In this paper, medicinal parts of medicinal and edible homologous fresh Curcumae Longae Rhizoma (CLR), Lilii Bulbus (LB), Polygonati Rhizoma (PR), and Gastrodiae Rhizoma (GR) are used to squeeze juice to collect EVNs. The physical and chemical properties, antioxidant capacity, and cellular uptake behavior of EVNs are determined. The results show that the particle size of EVNs from different sources ranges from 150 nm to 200 nm, and the polydispersity index (PDI) values of four EVNs are less than 0.2. Different EVNs all contain lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates, but their contents are different. The stability of EVNs is different at 4 ℃ and -80 ℃, among which the CLR-derived EVNs are most stable. Antioxidant experiments confirm that the four EVNs have different antioxidant activities while structural damage of EVNs leads to the reduced antioxidant capacity. Cellular uptake studies prove that four EVNs differ in the uptake capacity by RAW264.7 cells, which is associated with the structural interference of EVNs. The available evidence implies that the specific structure of EVNs may be necessary to their pharmacological activity and transport property.

Anwulignan alleviates liver damages in exhausted mice by activating NRF2 / 药学学报

Excessive exercise makes the body consume more oxygen and produce excessive free radicals. The increased free radicals lead to oxidative stress injury and dysfunctions in liver tissue. Our previous study showed that Anwulignan, an active monomer in Schisandra sphenanthera Rehd. et Wils. (Schisandra), had anti-fatigue effects in mice. However, whether Anwulignan has a protective effect on liver damage in exhausted mice and the mechanism underlying remain elusive. An exhaustive swimming mice model was used to study the protective effects of Anwulignan on liver damage. The involvement of the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (NRF2)/antioxidant responsive element (ARE) antioxidative pathway in Anwulignan-mediated anti-fatigue was analyzed using NRF2 inhibitor ML385 in HepG2 cells treated with H2O2. Animal welfare and experimental process follow the regulations of the Animal Ethics Committee of Beihua University. Anwulignan significantly lowered serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, reduced liver tissue damages, increased superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and catalase (CAT), and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) and 8-hydroxy-2 deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) contents in the livers of exhausted mice, demonstrating a strong antioxidant effect. Furthermore, Anwulignan up-regulated the NRF2/ARE antioxidant pathway in liver tissue, increased B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) expression, and decreased Bcl-2-like protein 4 (Bax) and caspase3 expression. In HepG2 cells, Anwulignan improved the cell viability and SOD activity, reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) and MDA contents, up-regulated the expression of the NRF2/ARE signaling pathway and Bcl-2, and decreased Bax and caspase3 expression in the cells. Furthermore, pretreated ML385 partly abolished all these effects of Anwulignan. Anwulignan protects the liver from damage in the exhausted mice by its antioxidant effects and related to its activation of the NRF2 pathway.