Anti-Tobacco Mosaic Virus Quassinoids from Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle.

Quassinoids are bitter constituents characteristic of the family Simaroubaceae. A total of 18 C20 quassinoids, including nine new quassinoid glycosides, named chuglycosides A-I (1-6 and 8-10), were identified from the samara of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle. All of the quassinoids showed potent anti-tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) activity. A preliminary structure-anti-TMV activity relationship of quassinoids was discussed. The effects of three quassinoids, including chaparrinone (12), glaucarubinone (15), and ailanthone (16), on the accumulation of TMV coat protein (CP) were studied by western blot analysis. Ailanthone (16) was further investigated for its influence on TMV spread in the Nicotiana benthamiana plant.

Wedelolactone Enhances Osteoblastogenesis through ERK- and JNK-mediated BMP2 Expression and Smad/1/5/8 Phosphorylation.

Our previous study showed that wedelolactone, a compound isolated from Ecliptae herba, has the potential to enhance osteoblastogenesis. However, the molecular mechanisms by which wedelolactone promoted osteoblastogenesis from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) remain largely unknown. In this study, treatment with wedelolactone (2 µg/mL) for 3, 6, and 9 days resulted in an increase in phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs), c-Jun N-terminal protein kinase (JNK), and p38. Phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), ERK and JNK started to increase on day 3 of treatment, and p38 phosphorylation was increased by day 6 of treatment. Expression of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP2) mRNA and phosphorylation of Smad1/5/8 was enhanced after treatment of cells with wedelolactone for 6 and 9 days. The addition of the JNK inhibitor SP600125, ERK inhibitor PD98059, and p38 inhibitor SB203580 suppressed wedelolactone-induced alkaline-phosphatase activity, bone mineralization, and osteoblastogenesis-related marker genes including Runx2, Bglap, and Sp7. Increased expression of BMP2 mRNA and Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation was blocked by SP600125 and PD98059, but not by SB203580. These results suggested that wedelolactone enhanced osteoblastogenesis through induction of JNK- and ERK-mediated BMP2 expression and Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation.

The inhibitory effect of Aconiti Sinomontani Radix extracts on the proliferation and migration of human synovial fibroblast cell line SW982.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Aconiti Sinomontani Radix is frequently used in the treatment of Bi syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine. Several reports indicate that Aconiti Sinomontani Radix has therapeutic effects for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the cellular mode of action is still unclear. To investigate the effect of alkaloid extracts of Aconiti Sinomontani Radix on proliferation and migration of human synovial sarcoma SW982 cells as well as the molecular mechanism underlying. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SW982 cells were examined for proliferation by a 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) method. Wound scratch assays were performed to assess the migrated rate of SW982 cells. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression levels of Wnt5a, Runx2, MMP3, and Bmp2. Western blotting was used to measure the phosphorylated levels of JNK and NF-κB as well as the expression of MMP3. RESULTS: The alkaloid extract from Aconiti Sinomontani Radix (MQA) and MQB, which removed lappaconitine from MQA significantly inhibited the proliferation of SW982 in a dose-dependent manner. The proliferation inhibitory effect of MQB was more potent. Incubation with 10µg/ml MQB for 12, 24, and 36h inhibited the migration of SW982 cells by 83%, 58%, and 42%, respectively. Treatment with different concentrations of MQB for 24h inhibited mRNA expression of Wnt5a, Runx2, and MMP3, but Bmp2 mRNA expression was elevated by MQB. Further, MQB inhibited phosphorylation of JNK and NF-κB p65 as well as MMP3 expression by Western blotting analysis. CONCLUSION: The results showed that MQB inhibited proliferation and migration of SW982 cells possibly through suppressing Wnt5a-mediated JNK and NF-κB pathways. These results indicated that MQB might be an active extract of Aconiti Sinomontani Radix for targeting fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) and be potential for RA therapy.

The effect of Chinese Jinzhida recipe on the hippocampus in a rat model of diabetes-associated cognitive decline.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the effects of treatment with Multi component Chinese Medicine Jinzhida (JZD) on behavioral deficits in diabetes-associated cognitive decline (DACD) rats and verify our hypothesis that JZD treatment improves cognitive function by suppressing the endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) and improving insulin signaling transduction in the rats' hippocampus. METHODS: A rat model of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was established using high fat diet and streptozotocin (30 mg/kg, ip). Insulin sensitivity was evaluated by the oral glucose tolerance test and the insulin tolerance test. After 7 weeks, the T2DM rats were treated with JZD. The step-down test and Morris water maze were used to evaluate behavior in T2DM rats after 5 weeks of treatment with JZD. Levels of phosphorylated proteins involved in the ERS and in insulin signaling transduction pathways were assessed by Western blot for T2DM rats' hippocampus. RESULTS: Compared to healthy control rats, T2DM rats initially showed insulin resistance and had declines in acquisition and retrieval processes in the step-down test and in spatial memory in the Morris water maze after 12 weeks. Performance on both the step-down test and Morris water maze tasks improved after JZD treatment. In T2DM rats, the ERS was activated, and then inhibited the insulin signal transduction pathways through the Jun NH2-terminal kinases (JNK) mediated. JZD treatment suppressed the ERS, increased insulin signal transduction, and improved insulin resistance in the rats' hippocampus. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with JZD improved cognitive function in the T2DM rat model. The possible mechanism for DACD was related with ERS inducing the insulin signal transduction dysfunction in T2DM rats' hippocampus. The JZD could reduce ERS and improve insulin signal transduction and insulin resistance in T2DM rats' hippocampus and as a result improved the cognitive function.