Jia-ga-song-tang protection against alcoholic liver and intestinal damage.

Gut-liver axis and cellular homeostasis play key roles in alcohol liver disease (ALD). Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is a stress-sensitive guarantor of cellular homeostasis. We investigated whether the beneficial effects and underlying mechanisms of Jia-ga-song Tang (JGST) against ALD were associated with gut-liver axis and cellular homeostasis. A predictive network depicting the relationship between Jia-Ga-Song-Tang (JGST) and alcoholic liver disease (ALD) was designed by Network pharmacology. Next, 5% v/v Lieber-DeCarli alcohol liquid diet was used to establish the ALD. JGST protected the liver damage, repaired the intestines to alleviate the Two-hit on the liver, and balanced the cellular homeostasis. It was manifested in repairing the liver and intestinal pathological structure, reducing serum ALT, AST, and liver TG, TC, MDA, CAT, and increasing liver GSH, and intestine GSH-Px. JGST mainly inhibited the liver mRNA levels of HO-1, NQO1, GCLC, FASN, and PPARα and activated the intestinal mRNA levels of HO-1 and NQO1, while inhibiting the liver protein levels of HO-1, NQO1. Furthermore, LPS and LBP in the plasma and the expression of inflammatory factors such as IL-1ß, TNF-α, IL-6, TGFß1, CD14, and Myd88 were reduced after treatment to prove that JGST protects the liver from Two-hit. Ethanol was used to intervene in HepG2 and IEC-6 to establish an ALD cell model and treated by Germacrone, ML385, and TBHQ. repaired the intestinal barrier, and inhibited Nrf2 in IEC-6, but protect the HepG2 by activating Nrf2 to balance cellular homeostasis. Our results reinforce that JGST provides an effective protective method for alcoholic liver disease (ALD) by regulating Gut-liver axis and cellular homeostasis.

Diterpenoid alkaloids isolated from Delphinium trichophorum alleviate pulmonary fibrosis via the TGF-ß/Smad pathway in 3T6 and HFL-1 cells.

Delphinium trichophorum Franch (DTF), a species endemic to China, has been widely used for centuries in Tibet as an indigenous medicine for treating cough, pneumonia, and pulmonary fibrosis. Hetisine-type C20-diterpenoid alkaloids have been reported to be characteristic and active ingredients. Herein, five ones with relatively high contents in D. trichophorum, including 2α,11α,13ß-triacetylhetisine (DTF1), trichodelphinine A (DTF2), trichodelphinine D (DTF3), 2α-acetyl-11α,13ß-dihydroxyhetisine (DTF4), and trichodelphinine C (DTF5), were investigated for anti-fibrosis effects using fibroblasts induced by TGF-ß1 or LPS for the first time. The results showed that all five tested compounds decreased hydroxyproline (HYP) levels and inhibited the abnormal proliferation of 3T6 and HFL-1 cells induced by either TGF-ß1 or LPS. Moreover, DTF1 and DTF2 attenuated the production of collagen (Col-1 and Col-3) at relatively low doses, suggesting their higher efficiency among the five alkaloids. Based on large-scale ligand-based pharmacophore modeling, TGFBR1 was screened as a potential target for these tested alkaloids. The molecular docking results also exhibited high-affinity interactions between TGFBR1 and five alkaloids, especially DTF1 and DTF2. Further experiments revealed that DTF1 and DTF2 could inhibit the expression of TGF-ß1 and α-SMA and the phosphorylation of Smad3 and Smad4 while restoring the expression of Smad7 protein. Overall, DTF1 and DTF2 may reduce collagen generation and delay the development of pulmonary fibrosis by inhibiting the activation of the TGF-ß/Smad signaling pathway. Our results provide experimental and theoretical evidence for DTF1 and DTF2 as superior candidates for further development of anti-fibrotic drugs.

Intrahepatic cholestasis induced by α-naphthylisothiocyanate can cause gut-liver axis disorders.

Clinical studies have shown that Intrahepatic cholestasis is closely related to intestinal injury. The gut-liver axis theory suggests that the intestine and liver are closely related, and that bile acids are important mediators linking the intestine and liver. We compared two cholestasis models: a single injection model that received a single subcutaneous ANIT injection (75 mg/kg), and a multiple subcutaneous injection model that received an injection of ANIT (50 mg/kg) every other day for 2 weeks. We used Transmetil (ademetionine 1,4-butanedisulfonate) to relieve intrahepatic cholestasis in the multiple injection group. In the multiple injection group, we found increased hepatic bile duct hyperplasia, increased fibrosis of the liver, increased small intestine inflammation and oxidative damage, increased harmful bile acids, decreased bile acids transporter levels. After treatment with Transmetil, the liver and gut injuries were relieved. These results suggest that intrahepatic cholestasis can cause disorders of the gut-liver axis.

A new diterpenoid alkaloid isolated from Delphinium caeruleum.

The present study was designed to determine the chemical constituents of Delphinium caeruleum Jacq. ex Camb.. The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by column chromatography with silica gel, ODS, and Sephadex LH-20. Their structures were elucidated by IR, MS, and NMR. Ten compounds were obtained and identified as caerudelphinine A (1), lycoctonine (2), talitine B (3), talitine A (4), talitine C (5), tatsienine-V (6), d-magnoflorine (7), 2-trimethyl-ammonio-3-(3-indolyl) propionate (8), vakhmatine (9), and delatisine (10). Compound 1 was a new lycoctonine-type C19-diterpenoid alkaloid, and compounds 4-10 were isolated from this plant for the first time.

A new diterpenoid alkaloid isolated from Delphinium caeruleum / 中国天然药物

The present study was designed to determine the chemical constituents of Delphinium caeruleum Jacq. ex Camb.. The chemical constituents were isolated and purified by column chromatography with silica gel, ODS, and Sephadex LH-20. Their structures were elucidated by IR, MS, and NMR. Ten compounds were obtained and identified as caerudelphinine A (1), lycoctonine (2), talitine B (3), talitine A (4), talitine C (5), tatsienine-V (6), d-magnoflorine (7), 2-trimethyl-ammonio-3-(3-indolyl) propionate (8), vakhmatine (9), and delatisine (10). Compound 1 was a new lycoctonine-type C19-diterpenoid alkaloid, and compounds 4-10 were isolated from this plant for the first time.

Structure-activity relationships of antioxidant activity in vitro about flavonoids isolated from Pyrethrum tatsienense.

AIM: Antioxidant activity is one of the important indexes for estimating medicinal value for the traditional Chinese medicine. The aim of this study is to investigate the antioxidant activity of 11 flavonoids mainly revealing luteolin as mother nucleus isolated from Pyrethrum tatsienense. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The antioxidant activity of 11 flavonoids was measured in vitro using the classical 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl removal method. The percentages of scavenging activity of 11 flavonoids were analyzed by taking the choice of a-tocopherol as positive drugs, and the scavenging activity was plotted against the sample concentration to obtain the IC50 values. RESULTS: Ten flavonoids containing phenolic hydroxyl groups have different levels of antioxidant activity. Antioxidant activity mainly depends on the numbers and the substitutional positions of phenolic hydroxyls in B ring. When C-3', 4' positions in B ring of flavonoids are replaced by hydroxyl groups, the antioxidant activity improved remarkably. Phenolic hydroxyl groups in A ring contribute some to antioxidant activity because of the electrophilic effect of C ring, and the numbers and substitutional positions of methoxyl and glycosyl have a little effect on the antioxidant activity. CONCLUSION: Structure-activity relationships of antioxidant activity about flavonoids isolated from P. tatsienense are concluded, which will be beneficial to deep understanding the pharmacological functions of this Tibetan medicine in vivo from the point of antioxidation.

Diterpenoid alkaloids and flavonoids from Delphinium trichophorum.

Five hetisane-type C20-diterpenoid alkaloids, trichodelphinines A-E, one delnudine-type C20-diterpenoid alkaloid, trichodelphinine F and three known flavonoids, quercetin, quercetin 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside, and quercetin 3-O-ß-D-glucopyranoside-7-O-α-L-arabinopyranoside, were isolated from whole plants of Delphinium trichophorum Franch. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis, including HSQC, HMBC, (1)H-(1)H COSY, NOESY and X-ray crystallographic analysis, and from chemical evidence. The cytotoxic activities of the diterpenoid alkaloids were evaluated using the MTT method, and the IC50 values of their cytotoxicity against A549 cancer cells ranged from 12.03 to 52.79 µM.

Simultaneous determination of five diterpenoid alkaloids in Herba Delphinii by HPLC/ELSD.

A HPLC-ELSD method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of five Hetisane-type diterpenoid alkaloids in a Tibetan traditional herbal medicine, "Gebu Dilu" (Herba Delphinii), using a Kromasil C18 column (250 mm×4.6 mm, 5 µm) with the mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and 0.1% triethylamine in gradient (detected by evaporative light scattering detector). The linear ranges of five compounds were determined and method validation was evaluated completely. The established method is rapid and accurate with high repeatability, and can be applied for the quality control of Herba Delphinii.