Geniposide ameliorates TNBS-induced experimental colitis in rats via reducing inflammatory cytokine release and restoring impaired intestinal barrier function.

Geniposide is an iridoid glycosides purified from the fruit of Gardenia jasminoides Ellis, which is known to have antiinflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-tumor activities. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of geniposide on experimental rat colitis and to reveal the related mechanisms. Experimental rat colitis was induced by rectal administration of a TNBS solution. The rats were treated with geniposide (25, 50 mg·kg-1·d-1, ig) or with sulfasalazine (SASP, 100 mg·kg-1·d-1, ig) as positive control for 14 consecutive days. A Caco-2 cell monolayer exposed to lipopolysaccharides (LPS) was used as an epithelial barrier dysfunction model. Transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) was measured to evaluate intestinal barrier function. In rats with TNBS-induced colitis, administration of geniposide or SASP significantly increased the TNBS-decreased body weight and ameliorated TNBS-induced experimental colitis and related symptoms. Geniposide or SASP suppressed inflammatory cytokine (TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6) release and neutrophil infiltration (myeloperoxidase activity) in the colon. In Caco-2 cells, geniposide (25-100 µg/mL) ameliorated LPS-induced endothelial barrier dysfunction via dose-dependently increasing transepithelial electrical resistance (TER). The results from both in vivo and in vitro studies revealed that geniposide down-regulated NF-κB, COX-2, iNOS and MLCK protein expression, up-regulated the expression of tight junction proteins (occludin and ZO-1), and facilitated AMPK phosphorylation. Both AMPK siRNA transfection and AMPK overexpression abrogated the geniposide-reduced MLCK protein expression, suggesting that geniposide ameliorated barrier dysfunction via AMPK-mediated inhibition of the MLCK pathway. In conclusion, geniposide ameliorated TNBS-induced experimental rat colitis by both reducing inflammation and modulating the disrupted epithelial barrier function via activating the AMPK signaling pathway.

(Z)-4-[(Ethyl-amino)(furan-2-yl)methyl-idene]-3-methyl-1-phenyl-1H-pyrazol-5(4H)-one.

In the crystal of the title compound, C(17)H(17)N(3)O(2), the mol-ecules exist in the keto-enamine form. The pyrazole ring is oriented at 10.59 (4) and 57.98 (5)° to the phenyl and furyl rings, respectively, and the dihedral angle between phenyl and furyl rings is 73.30 (11)°. An intra-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bond occurs between imino and carbonyl groups. In the crystal, weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol-ecules into supra-molecular chains along the b axis.

N'-(3,4-Dimeth-oxy-benzyl-idene)-3,5-dihy-droxy-benzohydrazide methanol monosolvate.

In the title compound, C(16)H(16)N(2)O(5)·CH(4)O, the two benzene rings in the Schiff base mol-ecule form a dihedral angle of 17.1 (1)°. In the crystal, inter-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the components into corrugated sheets parallel to the (101) plane.

(E)-N'-(2-Bromo-benzyl-idene)-2-fluoro-benzohydrazide.

The title compound, C(14)H(10)BrFN(2)O, adopts an E geometry about the C=N bond. The dihedral angle between the mean planes of the two benzene rings is 81.5 (6)°. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked through inter-molecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming chains running along the b axis.

Amelioration effects of berberine on diabetic microendothelial injury model by the combination of high glucose and advanced glycation end products in vitro.

Microvascular complications are much earlier and common in diabetes. Advanced glycation end products (AGEs), together with high glucose, play a key role in the endothelial dysfunction of diabetic vascular complications. So it is of more significance to expedite the therapies to block the formation and/or the effects of AGEs. Berberine has been showed to have anti-diabetic effects, however the effects on diabetic complications were less explored, especially the effects on the microvascular complications and the formation and pathways of AGEs which have not been reported. Therefore, the present study established an in vitro model of diabetic microendothelial (microEC) injury by the combination of high glucose and AGEs to mimic the clinical situations and examine the effects and mechanisms of berberine on high glucose-AGEs-induced microEC injuries and on the formation of AGEs. We prepared AGEs, established the high glucose-AGEs injured microEC models by MTT assay, which was further supported by significantly decreased nitric oxide (NO) release, NO synthase (NOS) and thrombomodulin production with ELISA, western blot and RT-PCR analysis. Berberine treatments showed significant improvements as indicated by significantly increased NO release, NOS and thrombomodulin production. Moreover, we also observed significant inhibition effects of berberine on AGEs formation. We concluded that the in vitro model of diabetic microEC injury could be established by the combination treatments of high glucose and AGEs, while berberine could improve the diabetic microvascular injury in vitro and inhibit the formation of AGEs, suggesting the potential clinical therapies with berberine for diabetes and its vascular complications.

(E)-N'-(4-Bromo-benzyl-idene)-3,4-dihydroxy-benzohydrazide monohydrate.

In the title compound, C(14)H(11)BrN(2)O(3)·H(2)O, the dihedral angle between the two benzene rings of the Schiff base is 22.7 (2)° and an intra-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bond is observed. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked into layers parallel to the ab plane by O-H⋯O and N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.