Isolation, identification, and tolerance analysis of yeast during the natural fermentation process of Sidamo coffee beans.

Yeast, which plays a pivotal role in the brewing, food, and medical industries, exhibits a close relationship with human beings. In this study, we isolated and purified 60 yeast strains from the natural fermentation broth of Sidamo coffee beans to screen for indigenous beneficial yeasts. Among them, 25 strains were obtained through morphological characterization on nutritional agar medium from Wallerstein Laboratory (WL), with molecular biology identifying Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain YBB-47 and the remaining 24 yeast strains identified as Pichia kudriavzevii. We investigated the fermentation performance, alcohol tolerance, SO2 tolerance, pH tolerance, sugar tolerance, temperature tolerance, ester production capacity, ethanol production capacity, H2S production capacity, and other brewing characteristics of YBB-33 and YBB-47. The results demonstrated that both strains could tolerate up to 3% alcohol by volume at a high sucrose mass concentration (400 g/L) under elevated temperature conditions (40 ℃), while also exhibiting a remarkable ability to withstand an SO2 mass concentration of 300 g/L at pH 3.2. Moreover, S. cerevisiae YBB-47 displayed a rapid gas production rate and strong ethanol productivity. whereas P. kudriavzevii YBB-33 exhibited excellent alcohol tolerance. Furthermore, this systematic classification and characterization of coffee bean yeast strains from the Sidamo region can potentially uncover additional yeasts that offer high-quality resources for industrial-scale coffee bean production.

Recovery and characterization of ß-glucosidase-producing non-Saccharomyces yeasts from the fermentation broth of Vitis labruscana Baily × Vitis vinifera L. for investigation of their fermentation characteristics.

The present study focuses on investigating 60 strains of yeast isolated from the natural fermentation broth of Vitis labruscana Baily × Vitis vinifera L. These strains underwent screening using lysine culture medium and esculin culture medium, resulting in the identification of 27 local non-Saccharomyces yeast strains exhibiting high ß-glucosidase production. Subsequent analysis of their fermentation characteristics led to the selection of four superior strains (Z-6, Z-11, Z-25, and Z-58) with excellent ß-glucosidase production and fermentation performance. Notably, these selected strains displayed a dark coloration on esculin medium and exhibited robust gas production during Duchenne tubules' fermentation test. Furthermore, all four non-Saccharomyces yeast strains demonstrated normal growth under specific conditions including SO2 mass concentration ranging from 0.1 to 0.3 g/L, temperature between 25 and 30 °C, glucose mass concentration ranging from 200 to 400 g/L, and ethanol concentration at approximately 4%. Molecular biology identification confirmed that all selected strains belonged to Pichia kudriavzevii species which holds great potential for wine production.

Fermented Ophiocordyceps sinensis mycelium products for preventing contrast-associated acute kidney injury: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy, effectiveness and safety of fermented Ophiocordyceps sinensis mycelium (FOSM) products for preventing contrast-associated acute kidney injury (CA-AKI). METHODS: Randomized controlled trials were searched from four Chinese and four English electronic databases and three clinical trial registries up to July 2023. Methodological quality was assessed by using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool 2.0. Risk difference (RD) or risk ratio (RR) and mean difference (MD) were calculated along with the 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: Fourteen trials testing three types of FOSM products (Bailing, Zhiling, and Jinshuibao capsules) involving 1271 participants injected contrast agents were included. For the risk of bias, all trials were rated as some concerns. Compared with routine preventive procedure (RPP) (saline hydration and alprostadil), FOSM products plus RPP showed beneficial effects in reducing the incidence of CA-AKI (14.62% and 5.35%, respectively; RD -0.06, 95% CI -0.09 to -0.03). Subgroup analysis showed that Bailing/Jinshuibao plus RPP demonstrated lower incidence of CA-AKI compared to RPP. However, there was no statistically significant difference between Zhiling with RPP and RPP in the incidence of CA-AKI. Additionally, only when FOSM products were taken before injection of the contrast, it was superior to RPP in reducing the incidence of CA-AKI. There was no statistical difference in adverse events between these two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Low certainty evidence suggests that preventive oral use of FOSM products as an adjuvant agent was safe and might decrease the incidence of CA-AKI. However, high-quality placebo-controlled trials are needed to confirm its benefit.

Purification and characterization of an α-l-arabinofuranosidase, α-l-AFase, for hydrolyzed ginsenoside Rc from Bacillus subtilis.

Natural ginsenoside needs to be converted into rare ginsenoside before it can be readily absorbed into the bloodstream for action. In this study, an α-l-arabinofuranosidase (α-l-AFase) gene Bsafs2 was cloned from Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis). Bsafs2 was ligated to the expression vector pET28a(+), and the expression vector was constructed and transformed into Escherichia coli (E. coli) BL21 heterologous recombinant expression to obtain α-l-AFase. α-l-AFase can hydrolyze at the C20 site of Ginsenoside Rc to obtain rare ginsenoside Rd. Studies on the enzymatic property showed that α-l-AFase had good tolerance to ethanol, glucose, and l-arabinose. The optimum temperature of α-l-AFase was 40 °C and pH = 5.5. Kinetic parameters Km of α-l-AFase for pNPαAraf and Ginsenoside Rc were 1.93 and 8.9 mmol/L, the Vmax were 26 and 154 µmol/min/mg, the Kcat were 24.14 and 1.48 S-1, respectively. This study provides the enzyme source for the biotransformation of Ginsenoside Rc.

Flavonoids and saponins: What have we got or missed?

BACKGROUND: Flavonoids and saponins are important bioactive compounds that have attracted wide research interests. This review aims to summarise the state of the art of the pharmacology, toxicology and clinical efficacy of these compounds. METHODS: Data were retrieved from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Proquest, CNKI, Chongqing VIP, Wanfang, NPASS and HIT 2.0 databases. Meta-analysis and systematic reviews were evaluated following the PRISMA guideline. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS23.0. RESULTS: Rising research trends on flavonoids and saponins were observed since the 1990s and the 2000s, respectively. Studies on pharmacological targets and activities of flavonoids and saponins represent an important area of research advances over the past decade, and these important resources have been documented in open-access specialised databases and can be retrieved with ease. The rising research on flavonoids and saponins can be attributed, at least in part, to their links with some highly investigated fields of research, e.g., oxidative stress, inflammation and cancer; i.e., 6.88% and 3.03% of publications on oxidative stress cited by PubMed in 1990 - 2021 involved flavonoids and saponins, respectively, significantly higher than the percentage involving alkaloids (1.88%). The effects of flavonoids concern chronic venous insufficiency, cervical lesions, diabetes, rhinitis, dermatopathy, prostatitis, menopausal symptoms, angina pectoris, male pattern hair loss, lymphocytic leukaemia, gastrointestinal diseases and traumatic cerebral infarction, etc, while those of saponins may have impact on venous oedema in chronic deep vein incompetence, erectile dysfunction, acute impact injuries and systemic lupus erythematosus, etc. The volume of in vitro research appears way higher than in vivo and clinical studies, with only 10 meta-analyses and systematic reviews (involving 290 interventional and observational studies), and 36 clinical studies on flavonoids and saponins. Data are sorely needed on pharmacokinetics, in vitro pan-assay interferences, purity of tested compounds, interactions in complex herbal extracts, real impact of anti-oxidative strategies, and mid- and long-term toxicities. To fill these important gaps, further investigations are warranted. On the other hand, drug interactions may cause adverse effects but might also be useful for synergism, with the goals of enhancing effects or of detoxifying. Furthermore, the interactions between phytochemicals and the intestinal microbiota are worth investigating as the field may present a promising potential for novel drug development.

Botanicals in health and disease of the testis and male fertility: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Male factor infertility often results from testicular disorders leading to inadequate sperm quantity and quality. Both beneficial and detrimental effects of botanical products, especially herbal medicines, on testicular functions and male fertility have been reported in the literature. PURPOSE: This scoping review aims to map the main clinical evidence on different impacts of botanical entities on the testis and to critically appraise relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in the recent 5 years, so as to inform the future. METHODS: Systematic reviews, meta-analyses and RCT reports on botanical impacts on testicular functions and male fertility were retrieved and synthesized from Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, ProQuest, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar up to 10th May 2022. RCTs published since 2018 were critically appraised against good practice guidelines for RCT and for reporting herbal studies. RESULTS: We identified 24 systematic reviews and meta-analyses published since 2005, by authors from Iran (25%), China (21%), USA (12.5%) and 9 other countries. All but two were published in English. Only 3 systematic review protocols were identified, all published in English from China in the recent 3 years. We identified 125 RCTs published in six languages, mainly English (55%) and Chinese (42%). They were published since 1994 from 23 countries on all the six inhabitable continents, with China (46%), Australia (8%), USA (8%), India (7%) and Iran (5%) being the leading contributors. 72% and 28% RCTs published in English were on efficacy (botanicals vs placebo) and comparative effectiveness (a botanical vs other treatments), respectively. In contrast, 98% RCT reports in Chinese were on comparative effectiveness, with merely 2% on efficacy. Among all the 125 RCTs, 57% were studies in patients with semen abnormality and/or male infertility, 22% investigated herbal effects in healthy men, 14% were on patients with male sexual dysfunction and hypogonadism, and 7% were conducted in men with non-sexual disorders. Since 2018, 32 RCTs have been published, in English (69%) or Chinese (31%). Nineteen RCT reports from China, India, Japan and Korea all studied herbal formulae while the 13 RCT reports from Australia, Brazil, Czech and Italy, Iran, Malaysia, Spain, the UK and the USA all exclusively studied extracts of a single species. Putting geo-cultural differences aside, gossypol and extracts of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. were found to be detrimental to the testis and male fertility, while the extracts of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal and traditional Chinese medicine Qilin Pill, etc., might improve testosterone levels and semen parameters, thus could be therapeutic for male sexual dysfunction and infertility. However, all still require further evaluation in view of recurring weaknesses in quality control of herbal materials, RCT design and reporting. For example, only 9%-23% of the RCTs published since 2018 provided information on voucher samples, chemical profiling, herbal authentication and herbal extraction. CONCLUSION: Research on botanicals and the testis has been reported worldwide, demonstrating clear geo-cultural differences in studied plant species, botanical types, study objectives and quality of research design, implementation and reporting. Due to a few recurring weaknesses in the literature, this study is unable to recommend the use of any specific botanicals, however, current evidence does indicate that botanicals can be double-edged swords to the testis and male fertility. To secure better clinical evidence, future studies must faithfully implement existing and emerging good practice guidelines.

Photoaffinity Labeling-Based Chemoproteomic Strategy Reveals RBBP4 as a Cellular Target of Protopanaxadiol against Colorectal Cancer Cells.

Protopanaxadiol (PPD), a main ginseng metabolite, exerts powerful anticancer effects against multiple types of cancer; however, its cellular targets remain elusive. Here, we synthesized a cell-permeable PPD probe via introducing a bifunctional alkyne-containing diazirine photo-crosslinker and performed a photoaffinity labeling-based chemoproteomic study. We identified retinoblastoma binding protein 4 (RBBP4), a chromatin remodeling factor, as an essential cellular target of PPD in HCT116 colorectal cancer cells. PPD significantly decreased RBBP4-dependent trimethylation at lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27me3), a crucial epigenetic marker that correlates with histologic signs of colorectal cancer aggressiveness, and PPD inhibition of proliferation and migration of HCT116 cells was antagonized by RBBP4 RNA silencing. Collectively, our study highlights a previously undisclosed anti-colorectal cancer cellular target of the ginseng metabolite and advances the fundamental understanding of RBBP4 functions via a chemical biology strategy.

Antifibrotic activities of Scutellariae Radix extracts and flavonoids: Comparative proteomics reveals distinct and shared mechanisms.

BACKGROUND: Scutellariae Radix (SR), the root of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, and SR flavonoids have antifibrotic activities. It remains obscure, however, amongst SR aqueous extract (SRA), SR methanolic extract (SRM) and five major SR flavonoids (baicalein, baicalin, wogonoside, wogonin and oroxyloside), which ones are the most promising antifibrotics and what their mechanisms are. PURPOSE: To compare the antifibrotic activities of SR extracts and flavonoids, and the proteomic signatures of selected SR extract and flavonoid, versus IN1130 phosphate, an antifibrotic positive control (abbreviated as IN1130), in TGF-ß1-induced in vitro model of fibrosis in NRK-49F renal fibroblasts. METHODS: Isobaric labelling-based mass spectrometry was used for proteomic studies. Differentially expressed proteins were further analyzed using Gene Ontology annotation enrichment, protein-protein interaction network analysis and pathway analysis. Selected proteins of interest were validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Baicalein was the SR flavonoid with the best efficacy-toxicity ratio. SRM contained 8-fold more flavonoids and was more potently antifibrotic than SRA. Proteomic analysis of cells treated by TGF-ß1, with or without baicalein (40 and 80 µM), SRM (40 and 80 µg/ml) and IN1130 (1 µM) suggested that baicalein, SRM and IN1130 all repressed TGF-ß1-induced ribosomal proteins in cell lysates, while baicalein and SRM, but not IN1130, regulated the intracellular lysosome pathway; secretomic analysis suggested that 40 and 80 µg/ml SRM and 80 µM baicalein, but not IN1130 and 40 µM baicalein increased ribosomal proteins in conditioned media, whereas only baicalein regulated the lysosome pathway. ELISA verified secretomic findings that baicalein, SRM and IN1130 repressed TGF-ß1-induced PAI-1 (Serpine1), Plod2, Ctgf (Ccn2), Ccl2 and Ccl7; baicalein and IN1130, but not SRM, reversed TGF-ß1-induced Cyr61 (Ccn1) and Tsku; only baicalein reversed TGF-ß1 repression of Mmp3; only IN1130 reversed TGF-ß1-repressed Nov (Ccn3). ELISA validated cell-lysate proteomic findings that baicalein, SRM and IN1130 all reversed TGF-ß1-induced Enpp1; only IN1130 reversed TGF-ß1-induced Impdh2 and Sqstm1 and TGF-ß1-repressed Aldh3a1. Baicalein and SRM induced Ccdc80, while only baicalein induced Tfrc. CONCLUSION: Baicalein, SRM and IN1130 repress TGF-ß1-induced fibrogenesis in renal fibroblasts by regulating overlapping protein targets and biological pathways. Our findings offer a comprehensive view of shared, drug- and dose-specific pharmacological and toxicological mechanisms and provide a valuable resource for further research and development of more efficacious and safer antifibrotics.

Characterization of liver injury induced by a pyrrolizidine alkaloid in rats.

BACKGROUND: Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are common phytotoxins. PA intoxication is reported to cause severe acute liver damage, typically known as hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (HSOS), but it remains obscure whether the acute liver damage may progress into chronic liver disease characterized by hepatic fibrosis. PURPOSE: This study aims to characterize the biochemical markers of liver injury and histological features of regressive and progressive liver fibrosis, and to examine changes in hepatic gene expression that may underpin mechanisms of fibrogenesis in rats induced by retrorsine (RTS), a representative toxic PA. STUDY DESIGN/METHODS: Rats were gavaged with RTS via two dosing regimens, i.e. a single dose of 40 mg/kg (Group 1) and two doses of 40 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg on day 0 and day 7 (Group 2), respectively. Rats receiving one (Group 3) or two (Group 4) doses of vehicle served as negative controls. The animals were followed for up to 16 weeks by serum biochemical analyses and histological examination, and gene expression assays of liver tissues. RESULTS: Acute liver injury on day 2 manifested as HSOS, characterized by sinusoidal dilation, endothelial cell damage, and elevated serum alanine aminotransferase activity and bilirubin levels. In Group 1, mild liver fibrosis developed at sinusoids and perisinusoidal space surrounding the central veins at week 1 and 2, and thereafter, all liver injury resolved gradually. In Group 2, liver fibrosis progressed within the 16-week observation period. No apparent liver injury was observed in Groups 3 and 4. Compared with negative control groups, RTS induced myofibroblastic activation, TGF-ß1 signaling, and changes in expression of matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP-1). These dynamic changes differed in Groups 1 and 2, corresponding with the regression and progression of liver fibrosis, respectively, in these groups. CONCLUSION: This study has provided in-vivo proof of concept that "one hit" and "two hits" of RTS lead to acute resolving liver injury and chronic progressive liver fibrosis, respectively. These animal models may serve as powerful tools for studying RTS toxicology and related preventive and therapeutic strategies and as positive controls for studying other PA- and non-PA-induced liver injury.

Proteomic landscape of TGF-ß1-induced fibrogenesis in renal fibroblasts.

Transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1) plays a premier role in fibrosis. To understand the molecular events underpinning TGF-ß1-induced fibrogenesis, we examined the proteomic profiling of a TGF-ß1-induced in vitro model of fibrosis in NRK-49F normal rat kidney fibroblasts. Mass spectrometric analysis indicated that 628 cell-lysate proteins enriched in 44 cellular component clusters, 24 biological processes and 27 molecular functions were regulated by TGF-ß1. Cell-lysate proteins regulated by TGF-ß1 were characterised by increased ribosomal proteins and dysregulated proteins involved in multiple metabolic pathways, including reduced Aldh3a1 and induced Enpp1 and Impdh2, which were validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). In conditioned media, 62 proteins enriched in 20 cellular component clusters, 40 biological processes and 7 molecular functions were regulated by TGF-ß1. Secretomic analysis and ELISA uncovered dysregulated collagen degradation regulators (induced PAI-1 and reduced Mmp3), collagen crosslinker (induced Plod2), signalling molecules (induced Ccn1, Ccn2 and Tsku, and reduced Ccn3) and chemokines (induced Ccl2 and Ccl7) in the TGF-ß1 group. We conclude that TGF-ß1-induced fibrogenesis in renal fibroblasts is an intracellular metabolic disorder and is inherently coupled with inflammation mediated by chemokines. Proteomic profiling established in this project may guide development of novel anti-fibrotic therapies in a network pharmacology approach.

Collecting duct cells show differential retinoic acid responses to acute versus chronic kidney injury stimuli.

Retinoic acid (RA) activates RA receptors (RAR), resulting in RA response element (RARE)-dependent gene expression in renal collecting duct (CD). Emerging evidence supports a protective role for this activity in acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Herein, we examined this activity in RARE-LacZ transgenic mice and by RARE-Luciferase reporter assays in CD cells, and investigated how this activity responds to neurotransmitters and mediators of kidney injury. In RARE-LacZ mice, Adriamycin-induced heavy albuminuria was associated with reduced RA/RAR activity in CD cells. In cultured CD cells, RA/RAR activity was repressed by acetylcholine, albumin, aldosterone, angiotensin II, high glucose, cisplatin and lipopolysaccharide, but was induced by aristolochic acid I, calcitonin gene-related peptide, endothelin-1, gentamicin, norepinephrine and vasopressin. Compared with age-matched normal human CD cells, CD-derived renal cystic epithelial cells from patients with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) had significantly lower RA/RAR activity. Synthetic RAR agonist RA-568 was more potent than RA in rescuing RA/RAR activity repressed by albumin, high glucose, angiotensin II, aldosterone, cisplatin and lipopolysaccharide. Hence, RA/RAR  in CD cells is a convergence point of regulation by neurotransmitters and mediators of kidney injury, and may be a novel therapeutic target.

The Renal Collecting Duct Rises to the Defence.

When injury occurs, it implies that attack has overcome defence. Tubulointerstitial injury plays important roles in acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is the common pathway leading to end-stage renal disease, but how the renal tubulointerstitium defends against attack is poorly understood. Emerging evidence suggests that collecting ducts (CDs), which modify urine from nephrons and drain into ureter, could be key defenders protecting tubulointerstitium from injury; furthermore, the canonical renal vitamin A signalling physiologically confined to CDs could be a key regulator of this protective machinery. This hypothesis can be tested by in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies, particularly by repressing or boosting key molecular regulators in CDs, to observe the resulting phenotypes in models of AKI and CKD. Further investigation of this hypothesis could lead to new strategies for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of AKI and CKD.

Intrarenal Arterial Lesions Are Associated with Higher Blood Pressure, Reduced Renal Function and Poorer Renal Outcomes in Patients with IgA Nephropathy.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Arterial fibrotic intimal thickening and arteriolar hyaline are considered common pathological features in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), whereas little is known about the acute pathological manifestations of endothelial cell injury. The aim of this study was to investigate characteristics of intrarenal arterial lesions and to estimate their prognostic values in patients with IgAN. The primary renal endpoint was a 50% reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) or end-stage renal disease (ESRD). METHODS: Various renal arterial lesions (arterial fibrotic intimal thickening, arteriolar hyaline, arteriolar endotheliocyte swelling, arteriolar inflammatory cell infiltration, and arteriolar thrombosis) in 1683 patients with IgAN were reviewed and reclassified using a semi-quantitative scoring system. Their correlations with clinical features, pathological characteristics, and renal outcomes were evaluated. RESULTS: The prevalence of intrarenal arterial lesions was up to 72.2% in IgAN patients. There were 978 patients (58.1%) with arterial fibrotic intimal thickening, 350 patients (20.8%) with arteriolar hyaline, 432 patients (25.7%) with arteriolar endotheliocyte swelling, 356 patients (21.2%) with arteriolar inflammatory cell infiltration and 43 patients (2.6%) with arteriolar thrombosis. Arterial fibrotic intimal thickening and arteriolar hyaline were strongly associated with higher mean arterial pressure (MAP) and reduced eGFR (P < 0.001) but were not related to proteinuria at the time of renal biopsy. In contrast, arteriolar endotheliocyte swelling and arteriolar thrombosis were correlated with heavier proteinuria as well as higher MAP and reduced eGFR. During follow-up, patients with vascular lesions received more renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockade and less glucocorticoid and showed poorer renal outcomes. Univariate Cox model showed that the presence of renal vascular lesions [hazard ratio (HR) = 25.01, 95% confidence interval (CI): 6.19 to 101.03, P < 0.001] was a risk factor for renal outcomes. However, in multivariable Cox analysis, which included clinical factors and the Oxford-MEST-C, vascular lesions were not significantly associated with an increased risk of renal failure. Remarkably, the impact of vascular lesions on the survival from ESRD or 50% reduction in renal function was eliminated by the use of RAS blockade after adjustment for eGFR, proteinuria, and MAP. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates the high prevalence of vascular lesions, including the chronic and acute arterial pathological changes, in patients with IgAN. The presence of vascular lesions is associated with higher MAP, reduced eGFR and poorer renal outcomes, which could be influenced by the RAS blockade treatment.

Berberine Inhibition of Fibrogenesis in a Rat Model of Liver Fibrosis and in Hepatic Stellate Cells.

Aim. To examine the effect of berberine (BBR) on liver fibrosis and its possible mechanisms through direct effects on hepatic stellate cells (HSC). Methods. The antifibrotic effect of BBR was determined in a rat model of bile duct ligation- (BDL-) induced liver fibrosis. Multiple cellular and molecular approaches were introduced to examine the effects of BBR on HSC. Results. BBR potently inhibited hepatic fibrosis induced by BDL in rats. It exhibited cytotoxicity to activated HSC at doses nontoxic to hepatocytes. High doses of BBR induced apoptosis of activated HSC, which was mediated by loss of mitochondrial membrane potential and Bcl-2/Bax imbalance. Low doses of BBR suppressed activation of HSC as evidenced by the inhibition of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression and cell motility. BBR did not affect Smad2/3 phosphorylation but significantly activated 5' AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signalling, which was responsible for the transcriptional inhibition by BBR of profibrogenic factors α-SMA and collagen in HSC. Conclusion. BBR is a promising agent for treating liver fibrosis through multiple mechanisms, at least partially by directly targeting HSC and by inhibiting the AMPK pathway. Its value as an antifibrotic drug in patients with liver disease deserves further investigation.

Why is Research on Herbal Medicinal Products Important and How Can We Improve Its Quality?

Research on herbal medicinal products is increasingly published in "Western" scientific journals dedicated primarily to conventional medicines. Publications are concerned mainly not only on the issues of safety and interactions, but also on efficacy. In reviews, a recurring complaint has been a lack of quality studies. In this opinion article, we present the case of Chinese herbal medicines as an example, as they have been extensively used in the global market and increasingly studied worldwide. We analyze the potential reasons for problems and propose some ways forward. As in the case of any drug, clinical trials for safety, efficacy, and/or effectiveness are the ultimate demonstration of therapeutic usefulness of herbal products. These will only make scientific sense when the tested herbal products are authentic, standardized, and quality controlled, if good practice guidelines of evidence-based medicine are followed, and if relevant controls and outcome measures are scientifically defined. Herbal products are complex mixtures, and for such complexity, an obvious approach for mechanistic studies is network pharmacology based on omic tools and approaches, which has already begun to revolutionize the study of conventional drugs, emphasizing networks, interactions, and polypharmacological features behind the action of many drugs.

Histone deacetylase 3 unconventional splicing mediates endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition through transforming growth factor ß2.

Histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) plays a critical role in the maintenance of endothelial integrity and other physiological processes. In this study, we demonstrated that HDAC3 undergoes unconventional splicing during stem cell differentiation. Four different splicing variants have been identified, designated as HD3α, -ß, -γ, and -δ, respectively. HD3α was confirmed in stem cell differentiation by specific antibody against the sequences from intron 12. Immunofluorescence staining indicated that the HD3α isoform co-localized with CD31-positive or α-smooth muscle actin-positive cells at different developmental stages of mouse embryos. Overexpression of HD3α reprogrammed human aortic endothelial cells into mesenchymal cells featuring an endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) phenotype. HD3α directly interacts with HDAC3 and Akt1 and selectively activates transforming growth factor ß2 (TGFß2) secretion and cleavage. TGFß2 functioned as an autocrine and/or paracrine EndMT factor. The HD3α-induced EndMT was both PI3K/Akt- and TGFß2-dependent. This study provides the first evidence of the role of HDAC3 splicing in the maintenance of endothelial integrity.