Project description:Sutherlandia frutescens (L) R. Br. (Sutherlandia) is a South African botanical that is traditionally used to treat a variety of health conditions, infections and diseases, including cancer. We hypothesized Sutherlandia might act through Gli/ Hedgehog (Hh)-signaling in prostate cancer cells and used RNA-Seq transcription profiling to profile gene expression in TRAMPC2 murine prostate cancer cells with or without Sutherlandia extracts. We found 50% of Hh-responsive genes can be repressed by Sutherlandia ethanol extract, including the canonical Hh-responsive genes Gli1 and Ptch1 as well as newly distinguished Hh-responsive genes Hsd11b1 and Penk.
Project description:The goal of this project was to compare the metabolite profiles of the: mouse gastric antrum and the mouse gastric corpus, the mouse gastric antrum and the mouse gastric antrum isolated glands, and the mouse gastric corpus and the mouse gastric corpus isolated glands.
Project description:<p>Traumatic brain injury is a significant cause of mortality in young adults and disability in all age groups. Secondary injury involving various processes such as oxidative stress, which induced neuronal apoptosis, ensued afterward. This study aimed to analyze the active compounds of Citrus sinensis and predict its antioxidative activity in traumatic brain injury. Liquid Chromatography High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry (LC-HRMS) was used to identify compounds in ethanol extract of Citrus sinensis peel. We analyzed pharmacokinetics, blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and toxicity of active compounds in Citrus sinensis peel using SwissADME and OSIRIS. The compounds have good blood-brain barrier permeability conducted for molecular docking study to identify molecular interaction with Keap1 (Kelch-like ECH Associated Protein 1) and NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) proteins using PyRx, PyMol and Discovery Studio software. Results of the LC-HRMS examination obtained 16 active compounds contained in the ethanol extract of the orange peel. Nootkatone, alminoprofen, linoleic acid, chanoclavine, scoparone and tangeretin are predicted to pass the blood-brain barrier. Active compounds of Citrus sinensis strongly bond against Keap1 and NMDA, especially Scoparone and Nootkatone. The strong binding affinity of scoparone-Keap1 was -5.0, more than the control ligand, and nootkatone-NMDA was -7.8, similar to the control ligand. Active compounds of Citrus sinensis peel showed inhibitory potentials, good pharmacokinetics and toxicity profiles against Keap1 and NMDA. These findings suggested that ethanol extract of Citrus sinensis peels has the potential as an oxidative stress inhibitor for brain injury therapy.</p>
Project description:Ethnopharmacological relevance: Helicobacter pylori (H.pylori) infection is the leading cause of gastric mucosal damage and inflammation, and persistent infection is one of the major risk factors for gastric cancer. Eradication of H.pylori remains a clinical challenge, and therefore, it is urgently necessary to identify more drugs that can interfere with H.pylori colonization and promote its clearance. Jiawei Lianpu Yin (JWLPY) is a compound formula composed of natural drugs used to treat gastric diseases associated with H.pylori infection. However, the underlying mechanisms of its action are still unclear. Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to investigate whether JWLPY can inhibits H.pylori colonization and alleviates gastric mucosal inflammation and damage and to explore its mechanism of action. Materials and METHODS: The effects of JWLPY on Helicobacter pylori and gastric mucosa injury were studied by using Helicobacter pylori induced gastritis model in rats. Transcriptomics, network pharmacology and bioinformatics were used to determine the mechanism of JWLPY Results: JWLPY inhibited the aggregation of inflammatory cells and preserved the integrity of the mucosal barrier, reducing autophagy and apoptosis in gastric mucosal epithelial cells. Network pharmacology and transcriptomics analysis revealed that JWLPY promotes the assembly and synthesis of MUC5AC in the endoplasmic reticulum by activating the IRE1-XBP1 signaling pathway, which enhances the process of protein assembly in the endoplasmic reticulum, thereby inhibiting H.pylori colonization in the gastric mucosa. Conclusion: This study is the first to demonstrate that JWLPY inhibits H.pylori colonization in the gastric mucosa, alleviates gastric inflammation and damage, and is a potential drug for the treatment of H.pylori -related gastritis.
Project description:A recent study showed that 54% of type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which is a risk factor for aggravation diabetic symptoms. Previous studies suggested components in maple syrup alleviated liver injury and found polyphenols as food components to improve the symptoms and complications of diabetes. Therefore, we hypothesized that a polyphenol fraction in maple syrup improves the symptoms and complications of diabetes. To address the hypothesis, we investigated the effects of a polyphenol-rich maple syrup extract (MSE) on a T2D model mice. KK-Ay mice were fed a normal or 0.1% MSE-supplemented diet for 43 days. The results showed that the levels of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were significantly reduced in mice that ingested MSE. Hepatic genes related to lipogenesis and lipolysis were down- and upregulated, respectively, in mice that ingested MSE. These results suggest that MSE intake alleviates liver injury and suppresses lipid accumulation in the livers of T2D mice.
Project description:Modern pharmacology has proved that Codonopsis Radix and its active ingredients can treat stomach diseases by ameliorating gastrointestinal motility and regulating oxidase levels. However, the detailed molecular mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we systematically evaluated the pharmacodynamic effects of Codonopsis Radix in Gastric Precancerous Lesions animal models. Considering the combination of proteomics and metabolomics, we found that CR could significantly reversed the biological pathways related to energy metabolism which were disturbed by GPL model. Furthermore, the results of serum pharmacology indicated that the Codonopsis Radix contained serum could ameliorate gastritis injury, and selectively inhibit the proliferation of gastric cancer cells rather than normal cells, which was closely related to ATP production in above cells.