EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
·
2020
·
IF 3.263
Hui Zhang,Junfeng Hui,Jing Yang,Jianjun Deng,Daidi Fan
Eurocristatine (ECT) is an alkaloid isolated from Eurotium cristatum , and it has been used in multiple applications. However, its use as a treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has not yet been reported. In this study, we investigated the anti-T2DM effect of ECT and explored its potential molecular mechanism. In vivo , after treatment with ECT (20, 40 mg/kg) for 6 weeks, fasting blood glucose (FBG) was remarkably reduced in db/db mice. Moreover, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity and hyperinsulinemia were ameliorated treatment with ECT. The values of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) also showed that ECT could alleviate liver toxicity caused by diabetes in db/db mice. In vitro , ECT (15 and 30 μM) alleviated insulin resistance by increasing glucose consumption, glucose uptake and glycogen content in high glucose-induced HepG2 cells. The Western blotting (WB) results showed that ECT could upregulate the expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), increase the phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS1) and protein kinase B (AKT) in vivo and in vitro . Besides, ECT improved the glycogen content by inhibiting the expression of glycogen synthase kinase3β (GSK3β) and promoting that of glycogen synthase (GS). Furthermore, administration of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway inhibitor LY294002 abolished the beneficial effects of ECT. These findings are the first to verify that ECT has the potential to improve glucose metabolism and alleviate insulin resistance by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in db/db mice.
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高影响因子
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
·
2025
·
IF 5.4
Yuewei Lin,Qi He,Baihao Chen,Zuang Li,Chuyi Chen,Wei Deng,Haishan Li,Jiamin Yang,Bin Mai,Zhen Zhang,Dongping Wang,Huizhi Guo,Yongchao Tang,Kai Yuan,Guoye Mo,Liangliang Xu,Yongxian Li,Haibin Wang,Shuncong Zhang
Ethnopharmacological relevance Zuogui Pill (ZGP) is a classic herbal formula in Traditional Chinese Medicine, primarily used to tonify the kidney and replenish essence, and is widely applied in treating various kidney deficiency-related conditions. Over time, ZGP has demonstrated significant efficacy in addressing symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, and soreness of the lower back and knees, which are often caused by kidney deficiency. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, the kidneys govern the bones, meaning that sufficient kidney essence is closely related to bone strength. By nourishing the kidneys and replenishing essence, ZGP helps to increase bone density and improve bone microstructure, making it an important therapeutic option for osteoporosis. Aim of the study To investigate the protective effects of ZGP in iron overload-induced osteoporosis and elucidate its molecular mechanisms through the activation of the Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase (PI3K)/Protein Kinase B (AKT) and Nuclear Factor Erythroid 2-Related Factor 2 (Nrf2)/Heme Oxygenase-1 (HO-1) pathways, which reduce oxidative stress, inhibit osteoblast apoptosis, and promote osteoblast differentiation and mineralization. Materials and methods An in vivo mouse model of iron overload-induced osteoporosis and an in vitro MC3T3-E1 osteoblast model were used. In vitro experiments involved the use of ZGP containing-serum, along with transcriptomic analysis, Western blot, flow cytometry, TUNEL staining, and immunofluorescence, to assess the effects on oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, and apoptosis. In vivo experiments evaluated the effects of ZGP on bone mass, oxidative stress, and apoptosis using Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), Hematoxylin and eosin staining (H&E), TUNEL staining, and immunohistochemistry. Results The study found that ZGP containing-serum significantly enhanced the viability of osteoblasts induced by iron overload and reduced apoptosis through the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated Phosphoinositide 3-Kinase (PI3K) / Protein Kinase B (AKT) pathway while mitigating mitochondrial damage. In vivo , micro-computed tomography results showed that ZGP improved bone mass, and decreased ROS and apoptosis, consistent with the in vitro findings. Conclusion ZGP demonstrates significant antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects in iron overload-induced osteoporosis, primarily through the ROS-mediated PI3K/AKT pathway and by reducing mitochondrial damage. These findings suggest that ZGP may be a promising therapeutic agent for treating osteoporosis associated with iron overload.
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高影响因子
MOLECULES
·
2024
·Vol. 29
·期 17
·3990
·
IF 4.2
Shuang Tian,Yinxu Zhao,Siqi Deng,Liman Hou,Juan Song,Ming Wang,Ming Bu
In the following study, a series of new lupeol-3-carbamate derivatives were synthesized, and the structures of all the newly derived compounds were characterized. The new compounds were screened to determine their anti-proliferative activity against human lung cancer cell line A549, human liver cancer cell line HepG2, and human breast cancer cell line MCF-7. Most of the compounds were found to show better anti-proliferative activity in vitro than lupeol. Among them, obvious anti-proliferation activity (IC50= 5.39~9.43 μM) was exhibited by compound3iagainst all three tumor cell lines. In addition, a salt reaction was performed on compound3k(IC50= 13.98 μM) and it was observed that the anti-proliferative activity and water solubility of compound3k·CH3I(IC50= 3.13 μM), were significantly enhanced subsequent to the salt formation process. The preliminary mechanistic studies demonstrated that apoptosis in HepG2 cells was induced by compound3k·CH3Ithrough the inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. In conclusion, a series of new lupeol-3-carbamate derivatives were synthesized via the structural modification of the C-3 site of lupeol, thus laying a theoretical foundation for the design of this new anticancer drug.
研究领域:
药理学
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肿瘤学
·
药物化学
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高影响因子
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
·
2025
·
IF 8.5
Yawen Yu,XinLiu Duan,Xiaorong Wang,Mingyan Yang,Ling Weng,Dalei Li,Teng Liu,Baifang Gong,Zhixia Wang,Huaying Fan
Ginseng-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (GENs) have been considered as new candidates for tumor therapy. However, maintaining the retention and stability of exosomes in vivo is a major challenge in clinical application of GENs. Here, we prepared hydrogels using modified hyaluronic acid (HA) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS). We investigated whether the combination of GENs with hydrogels could improve the stability of GENs and enhance their retention in tumor tissues, thereby enhancing their tumor therapeutic effect. In vitro experiments showed that hydrogels significantly increased the uptake of GENs by cells and increased tumor apoptosis rate. In vivo experiments showed that hydrogels significantly increased the retention of GENs in tumor tissues and improved the antitumor ability of GENs. Meanwhile, we evaluated the anti-tumor mechanism of GENs. The results showed that GENs and GENs@Hydrogels induced 4T1 cell apoptosis through the PTEN/PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and caspase-dependent pathway. In addition, GENs and GENs@Hydrogels down-regulate PD-L1 level in tumor tissues, up-regulate MHC-I level, and increase the abundance of CD8+T cells, which have immune regulation ability. In conclusion, GENs@Hydrogels has been shown to be a successful candidate for the treatment of breast cancer (BC) with its promising potential to modulate immunity and inhibit tumor progression.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
·
肿瘤学
·
药理学
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高影响因子
CURRENT MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
·
2024
·
IF 3.5
Liu Wei,Zheng Yi-nan,Jiang Shuang,Ren Shen,Tang Shan,Zhang Jing,Wang Zi,Li Wei
Background: Based on the Maillard reaction principle of red ginseng, this
study innovatively synthesized a new amino acid derivative by combining arginine with
lactose through simulated synthesis and was separated and purified through repeated silica
gel and polyacrylamide gel (Bio-gel P-II) column chromatography.
Purpose: The work was aimed at elucidating the synthesis of a novel amino acid derivative
and investigating the intestinal protective activity of the novel amino acid derivative
and possible molecular mechanism by establishing the intestinal injury model induced
by cisplatin in mice.
Methods: The purity and molecular weight of the amino acid derivatives were determined
to be by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Subsequently, by
establishing cisplatin (20 mg/kg)-induced intestinal injury in vivo for 10 days and IEC-6
cell model. The biochemical indexes and histopathological analysis were used to evaluate
the oxidative stress and inflammatory and pathological changes of intestinal tissue in
mice. The protein expression levels of p-Nuclear transcription factor-κB (p-NF-κB),
cleaved caspase 3/caspase 3, cleaved caspase 9/caspase-9, Bcl-2, Bax, cytochrome C,
phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Protein Kinase B (Akt), p-PI3K, p-Akt were quantified
through immunofluorescence staining and western blot analysis.
Results: The new amino acid derivatives of chemical structure were identified to be 1-
(arginine-Nαgroup)-1-deoxy-4-O-(β-D-galactopyranosyl)-D-fructose, named Argininylfructosyl-
galactose (AFGA, C18H34N4O12). The results showed that pretreatment with a
single AFGA dose remarkably alleviated cisplatin-evoked intestinal oxidative stress injury,
and the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) were lessening in IEC-6 cells
(p<0.05, p<0.01) and could effectively reduce the secretion of TNF-α and IL-1β in
serum and the expression level of NF-κB protein in intestinal tissues (p<0.01). Meantime,
AFGA also significantly suppressed the caspase 3, caspase 9, cytochrome C and
Bax protein expression in intestinal tissue in mice (p<0.01), and regulated the PI3K/Akt
pathway (p<0.05, p<0.01). Importantly, the molecular docking results of AFGA also
suggested a better binding ability with the above-mentioned related target proteins.
Conclusion: The results clearly revealed AFGA as a potential multifunctional therapeutic
agent with a clear protective effect against cisplatin-induced intestinal injury may be
related to the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
研究领域:
药理学
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毒理学
·
分子生物学
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生物化学
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高影响因子
RSC Advances
·
2020
·Vol. 10
·期 32
·18927-18935
·
IF 3.119
Xia Jiang,Genyun Tang,Jie Yang,Jiacheng Ding,Hongwei Lin,Xiaoliang Xiang
In the present study, a novel series of acylhydrazone compounds (A0–A10) with the structure of 1,2,4-triazole have been designed and synthesized. In addition, all the synthesized compounds have been evaluated for neuritogenic activity in mouse neuroblastoma (Neuro-2a) cells. Notably, we found that one of these 11 acylhydrazone compounds, compound A5 (2-(4-amino-5-(pyridin-4-yl)-4H-1,2,4-triazol-3-ylthio)-N′-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)-acetohydrazide) displays excellent neuritogenic activity. Moreover, our present study revealed that compound A5 had the ability to induce neurite outgrowth through the PI3K/Akt and MEK-ERK signaling pathway in Neuro-2a cells. These findings suggest that compound A5 might exert neuritogenic effects and thus may be useful for the treatment of neural repair and regeneration.
研究领域:
药理学
·
神经生物学
·
有机化学
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高影响因子
CELL BIOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
·
2024
·
IF 3.3
Guang Yang,Xin Shi,Meixia Zhang,Kaiwen Wang,Xin Tian,Xiaofeng Wang
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common oral malignancy. DEAD/H-box helicase 11 (DDX11), a DNA helicase, has been implicated in the progression of several cancers. Yet, the precise function of DDX11 in OSCC is poorly understood. The DDX11 expression in OSCC cells and normal oral keratinocytes was evaluated in the Gene Expression Omnibus database (GSE146483 and GSE31853). SCC-4 and CAL-27 cells expressing doxycycline-inducible DDX11 or DDX11 shRNA were generated by lentiviral infection. The role of DDX11 in OSCC cells was determined by 3-(4, 5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, colony formation assay, flow cytometry assay, TUNEL staining, and western blot. The effects of DDX11 on tumor growth were explored in a xenograft nude mouse model. The relationship between DDX11 and transcription factor Yin Yang-1 (YY1) was researched using the dual luciferase report assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assay. DDX11 expression was significantly upregulated in OSCC cells. Knockdown of DDX11 inhibited cell proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest, and suppressed PI3K-AKT pathway, while DDX11 overexpression showed opposite effects. The number of apoptotic cells was increased in DDX11 silenced cells. DDX11 upregulation or knockdown accelerated or suppressed tumor growth in vivo, respectively. Moreover, the YY1 bound and activated the DDX11 promoter, resulting in increasing DDX11 expression. Forced expression DDX11 reversed the anticancer effects of YY1 silencing on OSCC cells. DDX11 has tumor-promoting function in OSCC and is transcriptionally regulated by YY1, indicating that DDX11 may serve as a potential target for the OSCC treatment.
研究领域:
肿瘤学
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分子生物学
·
细胞生物学
·
转化医学
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高影响因子
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
·
2026
·
IF 6.1
Shaoying Gong,Tianju Yang,Ruoyu Wu,Qinghai Sheng,Tangwei Zhang,Ming Xiao,Miao Wang,Yongxin She,Jing Wang,A.M. Abd El-Aty
Nonylphenol (NP) is known to damage the intestinal epithelial barrier (IEB), although its mechanisms remain unclear. Arabinogalactan (AG) is a natural polysaccharide with intestinal protective properties. This study explored the mechanisms of NP-induced IEB damage and evaluated the protective potential of AG in a Caco-2 cell monolayer model. The results revealed that NP induces inflammation and oxidative stress through the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, thereby inhibiting tight junction (TJ) gene and protein expression and ultimately leading to IEB damage. Conversely, AG enhanced TJ expression and suppressed inflammation and oxidative stress by activating the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, thus alleviating NP-induced IEB damage. This research provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of NP-induced IEB damage and highlights the potential of AG as a functional food ingredient for promoting intestinal health. Moreover, our study provides a theoretical basis for supporting policies aimed at restricting NP residues in food and offers a potential dietary reference for high-risk populations exposed to NP-contaminated environments.
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高影响因子
Pharmaceuticals
·
2025
·Vol. 18
·期 6
·817
·
IF 4.8
Luqi Qin,Yixia Zhou,Bei Fan,Jiahuan Zheng,Rao Diao,Jiameng Liu,Fengzhong Wang
Background/Objectives: Endophytes can produce bioactive metabolites similar to their host plants. CM-YJ44 ( Pseudomonas protegens CHA0, 99.24% similarity), an endophyte from Dendrobium officinale , has not yet validated hypoglycemic potential. This study aimed to evaluate its anti-insulin resistance (IR) activity and metabolite profile. Methods: The fermentation broth of CM-YJ44 was separated into three fractions (CM-YJ44-1, -2, and -3) using semi-preparative high-performance liquid chromatography (pre-HPLC). An IR HepG2 cell model was constructed to evaluate their glucose uptake capacity. CM-YJ44-3 was further tested for oxidative stress, inflammatory, and insulin signaling pathway activation. Metabolites in CM-YJ44-3 were preliminarily identified using the Q Exactive Focus LC-MS system (QE), and the dendrobine content was quantified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Molecular docking was performed to predict the binding affinities between dendrobine and target proteins. Results: Among the three fractions, CM-YJ44-3 significantly reduced nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in IR cells, enhanced glycogen synthesis, upregulated the activities of pyruvate kinase (PK) and hexokinase (HK), and suppressed the expression of inflammatory factors. Its mechanism of action was mainly through activation of the IRS1/PI3K/Akt/GSK3β/GLUT4 signaling pathway. QE analysis preliminarily identified 24 metabolites in CM-YJ44-3. Quantitative analysis by UPLC-MS/MS showed that the dendrobine content was 78.73 ± 4.29 ng/mL. Molecular docking results indicated that dendrobine exhibited binding energies below −5 kcal/mol with multiple target proteins involved in this signaling pathway, suggesting it may be a key bioactive component responsible for the anti-IR effect. Conclusions: This study provides the first evidence of hypoglycemic bioactive metabolite production by strain CM-YJ44, indicating its potential as a novel microbial candidate for alleviating IR.
研究领域:
微生物学
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药理学
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植物学
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生物化学
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高影响因子
JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY
·
2022
·
IF 5.895
Sinan Chen,Fanhua Wu,Chenchen Yang,Cheng Zhao,Ni Cheng,Wei Cao,Haoan Zhao
Insulin resistance (IR) is the central link to metabolic syndrome (MS), and IR prevention has become the key to overcoming this worldwide public health problem. A diet rich in simple sugars is an important pathogenic factor in IR development. To investigate the effect of honey on IR compared to the sugar-water diet, we analyzed phenolics and oligosaccharides in jujube honey and rape honey based on LC-MS and silane derivatization/GC–MS. The effects of different diets on glucose and lipid profile, histopathology and IR-related mechanism pathways were analyzed and compared by equal sugar levels intervention of fructose, fructose + glucose and two kinds of unifloral honey (high-/low-dose) in rats. The results suggested that sugar-equivalent honey, which differs from sugar solution, especially 17.1 g/kg BW jujube honey rich in phenolics (1.971 mg/100 g of isoquercitrin) and oligosaccharides (2.18 g/100 g of turanose), suppressed IR via maintaining glucose (OGTT and ITT) and lipid (TC, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, and NEFA) homeostasis, improving histological structural abnormalities of the liver, adipose and skeletal muscle, reducing oxidative stress (GSH-Px and MDA) and inflammation (IL-6 and TNF-α), modulating the NF-κB (NF-κB gene expression was down-regulated to 0.94) and IRS/PI3K/AKT signaling pathways (e.g., AKT and GLUT2 expression in liver increased by 4.56 and 13.37 times, respectively) as well as reshaping the gut microbiota. These revealed a potential nutritional contribution of substituting honey for simple sugar in the diet, providing a theoretical basis for controlling IR development via dietary modification and supplementation.
研究领域:
营养学
·
代谢学
·
内分泌学
·
分子生物学
·
药理学
·
动物生理学
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PubMed
高影响因子
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
·
2022
·
IF 6.1
Yanbei Tu,Lihua Tan,Tao Lu,Kai Wang,Haiyong Wang,Bing Han,Yuxin Zhao,Hanbin Chen,Yanfang Li,Haixia Chen,Meiwan Chen,Chengwei He
The roots of Glycine tabacina are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and joint infection in folk medicine. Glytabastan B (GlyB), a newly reported coumestan isolated from this species, was found to significantly attenuate IL-1β-induced inflammation in SW982 human synovial cells at 3 and 6 μM, as evidenced by the decreased levels of pro-inflammatory mediators and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). GlyB also suppressed RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis, decreased the expression of osteoclastogenic markers (NFATc1, CTSK , MMP-9) and osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. Further, GlyB administration (12.5 and 25 mg/kg) significantly inhibited inflammation, osteoclast formation and disease progression in collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) mice. Integration of network pharmacology , quantitative phosphoproteomic and experimental pharmacology results revealed that these beneficial actions were closely associated with the blockade of GlyB on the activation of MAPK , PI3K/AKT and their downstream signals including NF-κB and GSK3β/NFATc1. Drug affinity responsive target stability (DARTS) assay, cellular thermal shift (CETSA) assay and molecular docking analysis confirmed that there were direct interactions between GlyB and its target proteins ERK2 , JNK1 and class Ⅰ PI3K catalytic subunit p110 (α, β, δ and γ), which significantly contributed to the inhibition of activation of MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways. In conclusion, these results strongly suggest GlyB is a promising multiple-target candidate for the development of agents for the prevention and treatment of RA.
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Bioengineered
·
2022
·
IF 6.832
Kenan Zheng,Baojiang Lv,Lulu Wu,Chen Wang,Haoyou Xu,Xiaojun Li,Zhibing Wu,Yuanqi Zhao,Zequan Zheng
Experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) is characterized by demyelination of the central nervous system. Emodin is an anthraquinone derivative with comprehensive anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and immunomodulatory effects and is widely used in the treatment of inflammatory, tumor, and immune system diseases. However, none of the clinical or experimental studies have explored the therapeutic efficacy of emodin in EAE/multiple sclerosis (MS). Thus, we evaluated the protective effect of emodin on EAE mediated via inhibition of microglia activation and inflammation. Wild-type mice were randomly divided into the normal control, EAE, low-dose emodin, and high-dose emodin groups. Clinical scores and pathological changes were assessed 21 days after immunization. The network pharmacology approach was used to elucidate the underlying mechanisms by using an online database. Molecular docking, polymerase-chain reaction tests, western blotting, and immunofluorescence were performed to verify the network pharmacology results. An in vivo experiment showed that high-dose emodin ameliorated clinical symptoms, inflammatory cell infiltration, and myelination. Pharmacological network analysis showed AKT1 was the main target and that emodin played a key role in MS treatment mainly via the PI3K–Akt pathway. Molecular docking showed that emodin bound well with PI3K, AKT1, and NFKB1. Emodin decreased the expression of phosphorylated(p)-PI3K, p-Akt, NF-κB, and myeloid differentiation factor 88 and the levels of markers (CD86 and CD206) in M1- and M2-phenotype microglia in EAE. Thus, the emodin inhibited microglial activation and exhibited anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects against EAE via the Myd88/PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signalling pathway. In conclusion, emodin has a promising role in EAE/MS treatment, warranting further detailed studies.
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高影响因子
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