Huangqin decoction mitigates hepatic inflammation in high-fat diet-challenged rats by inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common chronic hepatopathy worldwide, in which ectopic steatosis (5%) and inflammatory infiltration in the liver are the principal clinical characteristics. Huangqin decoction (HQD), a Chinese medicine formula used in the clinic for thousands of years, presents appreciable anti-inflammatory effects. Nevertheless, the role and mechanism of HQD against inflammation in NAFLD are still undefined. AIM OF THE STUDY: The objective of this study was to evaluate the curative efficacy and unravel the involved mechanism of HQD on a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: First, HPLC was utilized to analyze the main chemical components of HQD. Then, NAFLD model was introduced by subjecting the rats to HFD for 16 weeks, and HQD (400 and 800 mg/kg) or polyene lecithin choline (PLC, 8 mg/kg) was given orally from week 8-16. Pharmacodynamic indicators including body weight, liver weight, liver index, as well as biochemical and histological parameters were assessed. As to mechanism exploration, the expressions of TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway and molecular docking between major phytochemicals of HQD and key targets of TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway were investigated. RESULTS: Seven main monomeric constituents of HQD were revealed by HPLC analysis. Of note, HQD could effectively attenuate the body weight, liver weight, and liver index, rescue disorders in serum transaminases and lipid profile, correct hepatic histological abnormalities, and reduce phagocytes infiltration into the liver and pro-inflammatory cytokines release in NAFLD rats. Mechanism investigation discovered that HQD harbored inhibitory effects on TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway-regulated liver inflammation. Further exploration found that seven phytochemicals in HQD exhibited better binding modes with TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway, in which baicalein, baicalin and liquiritin presented the highest affinity and docking score for protein TLR4, NF-κB, and NLRP3, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These findings confirmed that HQD ameliorated hepatic inflammation in NAFLD rats by blocking the TLR4/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway, with multi-components and multi-targets action pattern.

Aqueous extract of Paeoniae Radix Alba (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) ameliorates DSS-induced colitis in mice by tunning the intestinal physical barrier, immune responses, and microbiota.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic non-specific intestinal inflammatory disease, the pathogenesis of which is strongly associated with the compromised intestinal barrier. Paeoniae Radix Alba (PRA), the root of Paeonia lactiflora Pall., is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine and an adaptogen used in Hozai, exhibiting appreciable anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory activity. Nevertheless, the role and mechanism of PRA in UC have yet to be elucidated. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study was set out to examine the ameliorative effects of the aqueous extract of PRA (i.e., PRA dispensing granule, PRADG) on dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The chemical components of PRADG was analyzed by HPLC. Colitis model mice were induced by free access to water containing 2.5% DSS for 10 consecutive days, and concurrently, PRADG (0.1025 and 0.41 g/kg) or Salazosulfapyridine (SASP, 450 mg/kg) was given orally from day 1-10. Body weight, disease activity index (DAI), colon length, histologic scoring, and inflammatory response were assessed. Additionally, IL-23/IL-17 axis and tight junction (TJ) proteins, as well as gut microbiota were also investigated under the above-mentioned regimen. RESULTS: Eight main chemical constituents of CPT were revealed with HPLC analysis. Noticeably, PRADG could effectively lower body weight loss as well as DAI scores, alleviate colon shortening, and reduce the levels of proinflammatory cytokines in mice with colitis. Further exploration found that increment of TJ proteins expression (ZO-1, occludin and claudin-1) and inhibition of IL-23/IL-17 axis-modulated inflammation were observed in PRADG-treated mice. Additionally, the diversity of gut microbiota and the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria were increased following PRADG treatment. CONCLUSIONS: PRADG could be sufficient to ameliorate colitis by regulating the intestinal physical barrier, immune responses, and gut microbiota in mice. Our findings highlight that PRADG might be a prospective remedy for UC.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Libanotis buchtormensis (Apiaceae).

Libanotis buchtormensis (Fisch.) DC. is one of the traditional Chinese herbal medicines in the Qinling District, while the genetic information is limited. In the study, we reported the complete chloroplast genome of L. buchtormensis using BGISEQ-500 sequencing data. The complete chloroplast genome was 147,036 bp in length with a GC content of 37.6%, consisting of four parts, namely LSC (91,969 bp), SSC (17,469 bp), and two IRs (18,799 bp in each). The cp genome contained 127 genes, including 83 CDS genes, 36 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. The phylogenetic analysis showed that L. buchtormensis was sister to Ledebouriella seseloides.

[Characteristics of phosphate-solubilizing microbial community in the soil of poplar plantations under successive-planting and rotation.] / æ¨æ ‘äººå·¥æž—è¿žä½œä¸Žè½®ä½œå¯¹åœŸå£¤è§£ç£·å¾®ç”Ÿç‰©ç±»ç¾¤çš„å½±å“.

The metagenome sequencing was used to compare the difference of six soil samples, the rhizosphere soil of the first and the second rotation poplar plantations (RSP1, RSP2), the bulk soil of the first and the second rotation poplar plantations (BSP1, BSP2), the soil of rotated peanut field (RPS) and the abandoned land soil (ALS) after poplar clear cutting, in phosphate-solubili-zing microbial community and abundance of phosphatase gene (PG) in a poplar plantation. The results showed that microorganisms from nine genera were related to phosphorus cycle with Bacillus and Pseudomonas being the dominant. The abundance of PSMs was highest in ALS, followed by RPS, RSP2 and BSP2, RSP1 and BSP1, respectively. There was a significant difference of PSMs among the six soil samples. After poplar clear cutting, the abundance of Bacillus and Pseudomonas in RPS and ALS increased significantly, whereas that of Arthrobacter, Bradyrhizobium and Streptomyces decreased. However, in the rhizosphere soil of poplar plantations, an opposite pattern appeared when comparing RSP2 to RSP1. Bacillus and Pseudomonas were more abundant in rhizosphere soils than in bulk soil, while Arthrobacter, Bradyrhizobium and Streptomyces were higher. The abundance of PG presented the regularity of RSP1 and BSP1 > ALS > RSP2 and BSP2 > RPS. Rhizosphere had a more significant effect in the successive rotation poplar plantations than in the second rotation plantation. An even lower phosphatase gene's abundance was shown in rhizosphere soil than in bulk soil. The number of PSMs was negatively correlated with the content of phenolic acids but positively correlated with pH value.

FFA4 receptor (GPR120): A hot target for the development of anti-diabetic therapies.

Free Fatty Acid 4 receptor (FFA4 receptor or GPR120), a rhodopsin-like G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) subfamily member, is a receptor that senses specific fatty acids such as ω-3 fatty acid in fish oil or the endogenous signaling lipid, PHASA. FFA4 receptor is enriched in lung, colon and adipose tissue but is also detected in many other tissues and cells. The activation of FFA4 receptor has multiple effects, including but not limited to inhibition of inflammation, improving insulin sensitivity and adipogenesis, and regulating hormone secretion from the gastro-intestinal system and pancreatic islets. The important role of FFA4 receptor in maintaining metabolic homeostasis strongly indicates the great potential of selective FFA4 receptor agonizts to treat diabetes and inflammation. In this review, we summarize recent research progress in the physiological and biochemical studies of FFA4 receptor and highlight its underlying signaling mechanisms and ligand identification to assist future research to exploit FFA4 receptor as a drug target.

Cytotoxicity of 9,11-dehydroergosterol peroxide isolated from Ganoderma lucidum and its target-related proteins.

The cytotoxicty of 9,11-dehydroergosterol peroxide (DHEP) isolated from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum on HeLa cells was studied. DHEP treatment for 48 h inhibited the proliferation of HeLa human cervical carcinoma cells with an IC50-value of 8.58 +/- 0.98 microM. Morphological changes of DHEP-treated cells indicated that DHEP induced apoptosis in HeLa cells. To identify the cellular targets of DHEP, two-dimensional electrophoresis analysis was performed to compare the protein expression profiles of DHEP-treated cells with that of control cells. Proteins altered in expressional level after DHEP exposure were identified by MALDI-TOF MS/MS. The cytotoxic effect of DHEP was associated with regulated expression of 6 proteins. Stathmin 1 might be an important target-related protein of DHEP. The regulation of stathmin 1 by DHEP treatment was also confirmed by Western blotting.