Serum metabonomic study of the effects of Huofeitong tablet on rats with COPD.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory disease. The Huofeitong tablet (HFTT), a Chinese compound medicine, exhibits an unambiguous therapeutic effect on COPD. However, the mechanism of its therapeutic effect on COPD is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of HFTT on COPD and its mechanism. The changes in pulmonary function and the inflammatory factors in rats were determined via histopathology and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The mechanism of HFTT in COPD treatment was revealed using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS and multivariate statistical analysis. Results showed that after HFTT treatment, the lung function began to recover, the lung tissue improved, and the TNF-α and IL-6 levels decreased, suggesting that HFTT had a therapeutic effect on COPD. In addition, 12 potential biomarkers, including malonate, urea-1-carboxylate, pyruvate, l-cysteate, glutathione, 2-deoxy-α-d-ribose1-phosphate, 3-fumarylpyruvate, 3-maleylpyruvate, 2-inosose, urate, allantoin, and inosine were screened. They associated with COPD development and concentrated in glutathione metabolism, glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism, secondly concentrated in pyruvate metabolism, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pentose phosphate pathway, citrate cycle, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, inositol phosphate, and purine metabolism. This study contributes to the development and application of HFTT in COPD treatment and provides a theoretical basis for COPD diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.

Cardioprotective effects of timosaponin B-II isolated from Anemarrhena rhizome in a zebrafish model.

Timosaponin B-II (TB-II; (25S)-26-(ß-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-3ß-[(2-O-ß-D-glucopyranosyl-ß-D-galactopyranosyl) oxy]-5ß-furostan-22-ol is extracted from Anemarrhena. Its anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, and anti-asthma properties have been widely explored. However, its effect on the heart has not been reported. In this study, we used zebrafish as a research model to determine the effects of TB-II on the heart and its toxic and anti-inflammatory effects. To explore the cause of cardioprotective effects of TB-II, we used transgenic zebrafish with macrophages and neutrophils labeled with fluorescent protein. We found for the first time that TB-II had a protective effect on the zebrafish heart. It did not affect the survival and hatching rates of zebrafish embryos, indicating its low toxicity. Results showed that TB-II may have cardioprotective effects, which might be related to its anti-inflammatory effects.

Anti-inflammatory and proresolution activities of bergapten isolated from the roots of Ficus hirta in an in vivo zebrafish model.

Bergapten (5-methoxypsoralen), a coumarin-derivate compound isolated from Ficus hirta roots, was evaluated for its anti-inflammatory and proresolution activities in a tail-cutting-induced zebrafish larvae model. Bergapten was evaluated using a caudal fin-wounded transgenic zebrafish line "Tg(corola: eGFP)" to visualize the effects of the recruitment and clearance of neutrophils and macrophages at the injury site. We found that bergapten significantly suppressed the recruitment of neutrophils and macrophages toward the injury site, as well as promoted the clearance of neutrophils and macrophages from the wound site. We also investigated the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO) level of bergapten in a tail-cutting-induced inflammation zebrafish model. The Results revealed that bergapten effectively inhibited the tail-cutting-induced production of ROS and NO in zebrafish larvae. This study reported for the first time the potential anti-inflammatory and proresolution activities of bergapten in an in vivo zebrafish model, suggesting that bergapten may be a potential candidate for inflammation therapy.