[Advance in studies of Panax notoginseng saponins on pharmacological mechanism of nervous system disease].

The pharmacological mechaisms of Panax notoginseng saponins on nervous system diseases (Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, ischermic cerebral apoplexy and depressive disorder) , including panax notoginseng saponins, protoparaxotriol saponins, panasadiol saponins, ginsenoside Rg1, ginsenoside Rb1, ginsenoside Re and notoginsenoside R1 were summarized to analyze the study hotspots and potential advantages (such as estrogen-like effect) of notoginsenoside's pharmacological actions, provide reference for further pharmacological studies and new ideas for clinical treatment of nervous system diseases and drug studies and development.

Enhancement of the functionality of attenuating acute lung injury by a microemulsion formulation with volatile oil of Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Ligusticum Chuanxiong Rhizoma encapsulated.

Acute lung injury (ALI), a clinical syndrome of acute respiratory failure due to acute lung inflammation, remains a substantial public health problem in the worldwide. Ligusticum Chuanxiong Rhizoma and Angelicae Sinensis Radix was herb-pair of the traditional Chinese medicine. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that volatile oil extracted from Chuanxiong Rhizome and Angelicae Sinensis Radix is identified as an important active ingredient, which has good antipyretic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. However, whether their volatile oil combination (CA-VO), has effects on the prevention and treatment of ALI has not been reported yet. Due to poor water solubility and low oral bioavailability of CA-VO, CA -VO-loaded microemulsion (CA-VO-ME) was formulated to enhance its oral bioavailability. The physical properties of CA-VO-ME were characterized. The pharmacokinetic parameters and the effect on ALI were evaluated. The particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and encapsulation efficiency of CA-VO-ME were 20.19 ± 0.08 nm, 0.091 ± 0.01, 36.33 ± 4.29%, and 93.75%, respectively. CA-VO-ME had a greater bioavailability (214%) than CA-VO. CA-VO-ME reduced the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced increase in levels of nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in vitro and/or in vivo. Moreover, CA-VO-ME treatment notably decreased the lung index, ameliorated histopathological changes and prolonged the survival of ALI mice. By comparison, CA-VO-ME exerted a better effect on ALI than CA-VO, suggesting that CA-VO-ME is a promising drug for the treatment of ALI.

Notoginsenoside R1 inhibits oxidized low-density lipoprotein induced inflammatory cytokines production in human endothelial EA.hy926 cells.

Notoginsenoside R1 (NG-R1), a unique and main active ingredient of Panax notoginseng, has been described to exhibit anti-inflammatory activity. However, its protective effects against oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)-induced inflammatory injury in vascular endothelial cells have not been clarified. In the present study, we have evaluated the anti-inflammatory effects of NG-R1 on oxLDL-induced endothelial cells and its possible molecular mechanism of action. Our results showed that NG-R1 treatment significantly attenuated oxLDL-induced expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1ß. These effects were accompanied with suppression of oxLDL-induced activation of NF-κB and Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK). Moreover, NG-R1 also increased in Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) protein expression and transcription levels, and attenuated oxLDL-induced suppression of PPARγ expression. The inhibition of NG-R1 on oxLDL-induced TNF-α and IL-1ß productions can be reversed by PPARγ antagonist GW9662. In conclusion, these data suggested that NG-R1 could suppress oxLDL-induced inflammatory cytokines production via activating PPARγ, which subsequently inhibiting oxLDL-induced NF-κB and MAPK activation.

Geniposide Protects Primary Cortical Neurons against Oligomeric Aß1-42-Induced Neurotoxicity through a Mitochondrial Pathway.

Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a key role in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The accumulation of amyloid-beta peptide (Aß) in the brains of AD patients is thought to be closely related to neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress. Therefore, protecting mitochondria from Aß-induced neurotoxicity is an effective strategy for AD therapeutics. In a previous study, we found that geniposide, a pharmacologically active compound purified from gardenia fruit, has protective effects on oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in AD transgenic mouse models. However, whether geniposide has a protective effect on Aß-induced neuronal dysfunction remains unknown. In the present study, we demonstrate that geniposide protects cultured primary cortical neurons from Aß-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction by recovering ATP generation, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) and caspase 3/9 activity; by reducing ROS production and cytochrome c leakage; as well as by inhibiting apoptosis. These findings suggest that geniposide may attenuate Aß-induced neuronal injury by inhibiting mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress.

Geniposide Alleviates Amyloid-Induced Synaptic Injury by Protecting Axonal Mitochondrial Trafficking.

Synaptic and mitochondrial pathologies are early events in the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Normal axonal mitochondrial function and transport play crucial roles in maintaining synaptic function by producing high levels of adenosine triphosphate and buffering calcium. However, there can be abnormal axonal mitochondrial trafficking, distribution, and fragmentation, which are strongly correlated with amyloid-ß (Aß)-induced synaptic loss and dysfunction. The present study examined the neuroprotective effect of geniposide, a compound extracted from gardenia fruit in Aß-treated neurons and an AD mouse model. Geniposide alleviated Aß-induced axonal mitochondrial abnormalities by increasing axonal mitochondrial density and length and improving mitochondrial motility and trafficking in cultured hippocampal neurons, consequently ameliorating synaptic damage by reversing synaptic loss, addressing spine density and morphology abnormalities, and ameliorating the decreases in synapse-related proteins in neurons and APPswe/PS1dE9 mice. These findings provide new insights into the effects of geniposide administration on neuronal and synaptic functions under conditions of Aß enrichment.

Effect of exenatide on the cardiac expression of adiponectin receptor 1 and NADPH oxidase subunits and heart function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the effect of exenatide on the cardiac expression of adiponectin receptor 1 and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase subunits and heart function in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups, i.e. control group, diabetic group, diabetic treated with low doses of exenatide (2 µg · kg-1.d-1) and diabetic treated with high doses of exenatide (10 µg · kg-1.d-1). Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (65 mg/kg body weight). At the termination after exenatide treatment for eight weeks, following anesthesia of the rats, a catheter was inserted into the left ventricle through the right common carotid artery for measurement of left ventricular pressure, which included left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP), left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and the maximal rate of rise and decline of ventricular pressure (±dp/dt[max]). Plasma and myocardial adiponectin levels, and the expressions of myocardial adiponectin receptor 1, p22phox, NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4), glucose transporter type 4 (Glut4), AMPK-α, phosphorylated-AMPK-α, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and copper zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu-Zn-SOD) were assayed. RESULTS: Heart function, plasma adiponectin levels, the protein expression of myocardial phosphorylated-AMPK-α, the mRNA expression of myocardial Glut4, and the positive expression of myocardial Cu-Zn-SOD were significantly decreased in diabetic. The protein expression of myocardial adiponectin receptor 1, the mRNA expression of myocardial p22phox and NOX4, and the positive expression of myocardial CTGF were significantly increased in diabetic. Low and high doses of exenatide treatment significantly attenuated these changes in diabetic rats. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that exenatide may contribute to the improvement of the heart function in diabetic rats by down-regulating the expression of myocardial adiponectin receptor 1, p22phox and NOX4, and up-regulating plasma adiponectin level and the expression of myocardial AMPK-α, Glut4 and Cu-Zn-SOD.