Coumarin glycosides from Hydrangea paniculata slow down the progression of diabetic nephropathy by targeting Nrf2 anti-oxidation and smad2/3-mediated profibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Water extract of Hydrangea paniculata (HP) stem, rich in coumarin glycosides, has been demonstrated to have renal protective effect in several experimental kidney injury animal models. Currently, it is under pre-clinical development as a class 5 herbal drug against membranous nephropathy. However, whether it also benefits diabetic nephropathy (DN) is not clear. PURPOSE: This study was performed to investigate the protective effect of HP on streptozotocin-induced experimental DN, and further understand its molecular mechanisms. METHODS: In the present study, type 1 diabetes rat model was established by the intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. HP was orally administered every day for three months. Biochemical analysis and histopathological staining were conducted to evaluate the renal functions. In vivo pharmacokinetic study was conducted to analyse the metabolites of HP with high blood drug concentration. In vitro assay using these metabolites was performed to analyse their ability to reduce reactive oxygen species (ROS) production induced under high glucose (HG) condition by flow cytometry. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was conducted to analyse the mRNA level of nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) and IL6 and western blot was performed to analyse the phosphorylation status of smad 2/3 in HK2 cells under TGFß1 stimulation. RESULTS: The treatment with HP significantly reduced the blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine content, and urine albumin excretion in diabetic rats, and increased the creatinine clearance rate. Periodic acid-schiff and methenamine staining and immunohistochemistry revealed that HP also ameliorated glomerulosclerosis and tubular vacuolar degeneration, as well as the deposition of fibronectin and collagen IV in the glomeruli. Pharmacokinetic study results revealed that the major coumarin compounds from HP were metabolised into umbelliferone and esculetin. By in vitro assay, umbelliferone and esculetin were found to significantly decrease ROS production induced by HG content, as well as increase the mRNA level of Nrf2. HP and its metabolites also can down-regulate fibronectin secretion in HK2 cells stimulated by TGFß1 and inhibit smad2/3 phosphorylation. CONCLUSION: HP has beneficial effect on DN by increasing Nrf2 expression and inhibiting TGF-smad signal activation. Further, it can be a novel herbal drug against DN.

Total Coumarins from Hydrangea paniculata Protect against Cisplatin-Induced Acute Kidney Damage in Mice by Suppressing Renal Inflammation and Apoptosis.

Aim. Hydrangea paniculata (HP) Sieb. is a medical herb which is widely distributed in southern China, and current study is to evaluate renal protective effect of aqueous extract of HP by cisplatin-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) in animal model and its underlying mechanisms. Materials and Methods. HP extract was prepared and the major ingredients were coumarin glycosides. AKI mouse models were established by single i.p. injection of 20 mg/kg cisplatin, and HP was orally administrated for total five times. The renal biochemical functions, pathological staining, kidney oxidative stress, and inflammatory status were measured. Apoptosis of tubular cells and infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils were also tested. Results. HP administration could improve the renal function by decreasing concentration of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine and attenuates renal oxidative stress and tubular pathological injury and apoptosis; further research demonstrated that HP could inhibit the overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines and regulate caspase and BCL-2 family proteins. HP also reduced renal infiltration of macrophages and neutrophils, and its effect might be by downregulating phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and stat3 signaling pathway. Conclusions. This present study suggests that HP could ameliorate cisplatin induced kidney damage by antioxidation and suppressing renal inflammation and tubular cell apoptosis.

Chemical constituents from Machilus wangchiana / 中国中药杂志

Twenty-one compounds were isolated from an ethanol extract of Machilus wangchiana by a combination of various chromatographic techniques including column chromatography over silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 and reversed-phase HPLC. Their structures were identified by spectroscopic data analysis including optical rotation, UV, IR, MS, and NMR data. The compounds are categorized as eight butanolides (1-8), eight lignans (9-16), and five terpenoids (17-21). Compound 16 is a new natural product with an uncommon heptanorlignan skeleton. Meanwhile, the unique Ginkgo biloba (maidenhair) metabolites ginkgolides A (19) and ginkgolides B (20) were obtained from this material. In the preliminary assays, compound 5 showed selective inhibitory activities against human stomach cancer cells (BGC-823) and ovary cancer cells (A2780) with IC50 values of 0.13 x 10(-6) and 2.66 x 10(-6) mol x L(-1), respectively. Compounds 8 and 9, at 1 x 10(-5) mol x L(-1), showed inhibitory activities against the release of beta-glucuronidase of the polymorphous nuclear leukocytes induced by platelet activating factor (PAF), with inhibition rates of 60.0% and 54.2%.

Identification of two small molecule inhibitors of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 with different cell-based screening model / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the inhibitory activity of HIF-1 by triptolide and manasaantin A, two cell-based models with luciferase report gene assay were established.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Two cell-based models of HIF-1 were used to evaluate HIF-1 inhibition activity of triptolide and manasaantin A. Secreted VEGF expression induced by hypoxia was detected by ELISA with two compounds. The growth inhibition of different solid tumor cell lines was measured by the MTT assay.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The expression of firefly luciferase was induced by hypoxia in U251-HRE and T47D-HRE cells. U251-HRE model was suitable for the detection of HIF-1 inhibition activity of triptolide. The IC50 of triptolide on HIF-1 activity was (3.4 +/- 0.5) x 10(-8) mol x L(-1). The report gene assay using T47D cells co-transfected with pGL2-TK-HRE and pRL-CMV showed more sensitive inhibition activity of HIF-1 on manassantin A than that of detected by U251-HRE model. The IC50 of manassantin A on HIF-1 activity was (2.4 +/- 0.6) x 10(-8) mol x L(-1). HIF-1 target gene VEGF was also inhibited by test compounds on protein level in T47D cells. Manasaantin A showed selective inhibition on the growth of human solid cancer cell lines, especially on breast cancer and pancreatic cancer cells. Meanwhile, triplotide showed strong proliferation inhibition activity on all tested cell lines.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>It is very important to select a suitable cell-based report gene assay of HIF-1 for screening of different kinds of inhibitor.</p>

Aromatic constituents of Heteroplexis micocephal and their bioactivities / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the chemical constituents of Heteroplexis micocephal and their bioactivities.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The constituents were isolated by using a combination of various chromatographic techniques including column chromatography over macroporous adsorbent resin, silica gel, Pharmadex LH-20, and C-18, as well as reversed-phase HPLC. Structures of the isolates were identified by spectroscopic data analysis. In vitro cytotoxic, HIV-1 replication, neuroprotective, and anti-inflammatory activities were screened by using cell-based models.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Thirty-one compounds were obtained. Twelve of them are phenylpropanols, and the structures were elucidated as (+)-(7S,8R)-guaiacylglycerol (1), ferulic acid (2), cinnamate methyl ester (3), 1-eicosanyl 3,4-dihydroxycinnamate (4), morinin B (5), sinapyl diangelate (6), chlorogenic acid (7), 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid (8), 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid (9), 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid methyl ester (10), 1,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid (11) and 4,5-di-O-caffeoylquinic acid methyl ester (12). Three lignans, (+)-pinoresinol (13), prinsepiol (14) and (+)-pinoresinol-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (15). Four acetophenones, 2,4-diacetylanisole (16), espeleton (17), viscidone (18) and 12-hydroxytremetone-12-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (19). Nine flavones, isosakuranetin (20), hesperetin (21), 3-methoxy-5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxyflavone (22), acacetin (23), 5-hydroxy-7,4'- dimethoxyflavone (24), 7-methoxy-4',5, 6-trihydroxyflavone (25), 3,3'-dimethylquercetin (26), kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside (27), rutin (28). And three coumarins scopoletin (29), umbelliferone (30) and ayapin (31). Compound 6 and 22 showed selective cytotoxicities against a human stomach cancer cell line(BGC-823) and a human lung cancer cell line (A549) with IC50 values of 3.74 x 10(-5) and 7.17 x 10(-5) mol L(-1), respectively. In addition, Compound 6 showed a potent activity inhibiting HIV-1 replication with an IC50 value of 4.04 x 10(-6) mol L(-1), while 22 showed neuroprotective activity Against the MPP+ induced PC12-syn cell damage, with a relative protection ratio of 105.2% (P < 0.01) at a concentration of 10(-5) mol L(-1). Compound 26 and 31 showed inhibitory activities against the release of beta-glucuronidase of the polymorphous nuclear leukocytes induced by platelet activating factor (PAF), with inhibitory rates of 75.6% (P < 0.001) and 53. 9% (P < 0.01), respectively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compounds 1-31 were obtained from the genus Heteroplexis for the first time. Compound 6 and 22 possessed selective cytotoxicities against human cancer cell lines BGC-823 and A549, respectively. In addition, Compound 6 showed a potent activity inhibiting HIV-1 replication while 22 showed neuroprotective activity against the MPP+ induced PC12-syn cell damage. Compound 26 and 31 were potent anti-inflammatory agents.</p>

Chemical constituents from the roots of Pithecellobium lucidum and their cytotoxic activity / 中国中药杂志

Six compounds were isolated from the roots of Pithecellobium lucidum by various chromatograhic techniques such as column chromatography on silica gel and Sephadex LH-20, and preparative HPLC, and their structures were elucidated as julibroside A2 (1), 3-[ (2-acetamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl) oxy] -16alpha-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid (2), galloyl acid (3), ethyl gallate (4), (+)-catechin (5), (-)-gallocatechin gallate (6) on the basis of spectrascopic data analysis. Compounds 1-6 were isolated from Pithecellobium lucidum for the first time. Compound 2 showed selective cytoxic activity against the human cell lines A2780 with an IC50 value of 1.72 micromol x L(-1).