Cordycepin, a metabolite of Cordyceps militaris, inhibits xenograft tumor growth of tongue squamous cell carcinoma in nude mice / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the inhibitory effect of cordycepin on oral cancer xenograft in nude mice and explore the underlying mechanisms.@*METHODS@#Sixteen BALB/c mice bearing subcutaneous human tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) TCA-8113 cell xenografts were randomized into model group and cordycepin treatment group for daily treatment with saline and cordycepin for 4 weeks. After the treatment, the tumor xenografts were dissected and weighed to assess the tumor inhibition rate. Histological changes in the heart, spleen, liver, kidney, and lung of the mice were evaluated with HE staining, and tumor cell apoptosis was examined using TUNEL staining; The expressions of Bax, Bcl-2, GRP78, CHOP, and caspase-12 in the xenografts were detected using RT-qPCR and Western blotting.@*RESULTS@#Cordycepin treatment resulted in a tumor inhibition rate of 56.09% in the nude mouse models, induced obvious changes in tumor cell morphology and significantly enhanced apoptotic death of the tumor cells without causing pathological changes in the vital organs. Cordycepin treatment also significantly reduced Bcl-2 expression (P < 0.05) and increased Bax, GRP78, CHOP, and caspase-12 expressions at both the RNA and protein levels in the tumor tissues.@*CONCLUSION@#Cordycepin treatment can induce apoptotic death of TCA-8113 cell xenografts in nude mice via the endogenous mitochondrial pathway and endoplasmic reticulum stress pathways.

Mechanism of Cordycepin Inhibiting Proliferation and Promoting Apoptosis of Hepatoma Cells by Regulating Gli1 / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the molecular mechanism of cordycepin inhibiting proliferation and promoting apoptosis of human hepatoma cells （HCCs）. MethodGlioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 （Gli1） gene was silenced by small interfering RNA （siRNA） and transfected into SMMC-7721 cells， and then cell proliferation was detected by cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8） assay and cell cloning assay. SMMC-7721 cells were treated with different concentration of cordycepin， and the cell proliferation and apoptosis were examined. The expression of Gli1 and the downstream related genes was determined by Real-time polymerase chain reaction（PCR） and Western blot. ResultThe mRNA and protein expression of Gli1 in SMMC-7721 cells was higher than that in normal liver cells （P<0.01）. The proliferation rate of SMMC-7721 with silenced Gli1 decreased at 72 and 96 h （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the colony-forming capacity lowered （P<0.01） compared with those in the blank group. Compared with the control， 80 μmol·L-1 and 120 μmol·L-1 cordycepin significantly inhibited the proliferation of SMMC-7721 cells at 72 and 96 h （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and promoted the apoptosis of them （P<0.01）. Moreover， 80 and 120 μmol·L-1 cordycepin restrained the mRNA and protein expression of Gli1 in SMMC7721 cells （P<0.05， P<0.01）. At 120 μmol·L-1， cordycepin led to the decrease in the mRNA and protein levels of B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2） and c-Myc （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the increase in the mRNA and protein expression of cysteine-aspartic acid protease-3 （Caspase-3） （P<0.05）. ConclusionGli1 is highly expressed in HCCs， and cordycepin can suppress the proliferation and enhance the apoptosis of HCCs by regulating Gli1 and the downstream apoptosis-related factors.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry based quantitative analysis of cordycepin from Cordyceps militaris / 药物分析学报

Cordycepin,which has great immunomodulatory activities such as anticancer,antifungal,antivirus,antileukemia and lipid-lowering ones,is the secondary metabolite of Cordyceps militaris (C.militaris).Liquid submerged fermentation is the common cultivation process to produce cordycepin.To optimize the fermentation process and improve production,monitoring the cordycepin secretion in the fermen-tation is essential.The measurement based on chromatography-mass spectrometry methods is generally involved in the complex sample pretreatments and time-consuming separation,so more rapid and convenient methods are required.Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry(MALDI-MS) is more attractive for faster and direct detection.Therefore,MALDI-MS detection combined with isotope-labeled internal standard was applied to the measurement of cordycepin content in the fermentation broth and mycelium.This method made accurate quantification of cordycepin in the range of 5-400 μg/mL with a relative standard deviation of 5.6％.The recovery rates of fermentation samples after the 1,13,and 25 days were 90.15％,94.27％,and 95.06％,respectively.The contents of cordycepin in the mycelium and fermentation broth were 136 mg/g and 148.39 mg/mL on the 20th culture day,respectively.The cordycepin secretion curve of the liquid fermentation of C.militaris was real-time traced over 25 days.

Cordycepin Attenuates Immune Function Injury in A Rat Model of Lung Cancer After Radiotherapy by Inhibiting JAK2/STAT3 Pathway / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effect of cordycepin on immune function injury in lung cancer rats after radiation therapy through JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway. Methods Fifty rats were used to establish tumor-bearing model and other 10 rats were taken as normal group. After successful modeling, the rats were randomly divided into model group, radiotherapy group, cordycepin group, agonist group and agonist+cordycepin group (10 rats in each group). We compared tumor weight, tumor volume, tumor inhibition rate, IL-6, TNF-α, spleen index and thymus index, the number of T lymphocyte subsets, JAK2, p-JAK2, STAT3 and p-STAT3 protein expression levels among all groups. Results Compared with normal group, IL-6, TNF-α, CD8+, p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 in model group were increased, while spleen index, thymus index, CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ were decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with model group, tumor weight, tumor volume, spleen index, thymus index, CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ were decreased in radiotherapy group, while IL-6, TNF-α, CD8+, p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 were increased (P < 0.05). Compared with radiotherapy group, tumor weight, tumor volume, IL-6, TNF-α, CD8+, p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 were decreased in cordycepin group, while tumor inhibition rate, spleen index thymus index, CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ were increased; tumor weight, tumor volume, IL-6, TNF-α, CD8+, p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 protein expression were increased in agonist group, while tumor inhibition rate, spleen index, thymus index, CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ were decreased (P < 0.05). Compared with agonist+cordycepin group, tumor weight, tumor volume, IL-6, TNF-α, CD8+, p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 were decreased in cordycepin group, while tumor inhibition rate, spleen index, thymus index, CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ were increased; tumor weight, tumor volume, IL-6, TNF-α, CD8+, p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 were increased in agonist group, while tumor inhibition rate, spleen index, thymus index, CD4+ and CD4+/CD8+ were decreased (P < 0.05). Conclusion Cordycepin can effectively inhibit the immune function injury in lung cancer rats after radiation therapy, and may play a regulatory role by inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 signal pathway.

Construction and optimization of cordycepin-producing Saccharomyces cerevisiae / 生物工程学报

Cordycepin is the key active component of medicinal fungus Cordyceps militaris, and it shows multiple functional activities such as anti-tumor and anti-virus. Cordycepin was conventionally produced by liquid fermentation of C. militaris, but the long production cycle and the low productivity constrained its development and application. In this study, two key genes for cordycepin biosynthesis (ScCNS1 and ScCNS2) were introduced into Saccharomyces cerevisiae S288C, producing 67.32 mg/L cordycepin at 240 h. Analysis of gene expression profiles indicated that ZWF1, PRS4, ADE4, ScCNS1 and ScCNS2 which encode enzymes involved in pentose phosphate pathway, purine metabolism and cordycepin biosynthesis pathway, were significantly up-regulated in the late phage of fermentation. Optimization of fermentation medium determined that 50 g/L initial glucose followed by feeding, supplemented with 5 mmol/L Cu²⁺ and 1.0 g/L adenine were the best condition. Fed-batch fermentation using the engineered yeast in a 5 L stirred fermenter produced 137.27 mg/L cordycepin at 144 h, with a productivity up to 0.95 mg/(L·h) reached, which was 240% higher than that of the control.

Cordycepin inhibits pancreatic cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo via targeting FGFR2 and blocking ERK signaling / 中国天然药物

Cordycepin (3'-deoxyadenosine) from Cordyceps militaris has been reported to have anti-tumor effects. However, the molecular target and mechanism underlying cordycepin impeding pancreatic cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo remain vague. In this study, we reported functional target molecule of cordycepin which inhibited pancreatic cancer cells growth in vitro and in vivo. Cordycepin was confirmed to induce apoptosis by activating caspase-3, caspase-9 and cytochrome c. Further studies suggested that MAPK pathway was blocked by cordycepin via inhibiting the expression of Ras and the phosphorylation of Erk. Moreover, cordycepin caused S-phase arrest and DNA damage associated with activating Chk2 (checkpoint kinase 2) pathway and downregulating cyclin A2 and CDK2 phosphorylation. Very interestingly, we showed that cordycepin could bind to FGFR2 (K = 7.77 × 10) very potently to inhibit pancreatic cancer cells growth by blocking Ras/ErK pathway. These results suggest that cordycepin could potentially be a leading compound which targeted FGFR2 to inhibit pancreatic cells growth by inducing cell apoptosis and causing cell cycle arrest via blocking FGFR/Ras/ERK signaling for anti-pancreatic cancer new drug development.

Overexpression of ribonucleotide reductase small subunit, RNRM, increases cordycepin biosynthesis in transformed Cordyceps militaris / 中国天然药物

Cordycepin was the first adenosine analogue used as an anticancer and antiviral agent, which is extracted from Cordyceps militaris and hasn't been biosynthesized until now. This study was first conducted to verify the role of ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs, the two RNR subunits, RNRL and RNRM) in the biosynthesis of cordycepin by over expressing RNRs genes in transformed C. militaris. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blotting results showed that the mRNA and protein levels of RNR subunit genes were significantly upregulated in transformant C. militaris strains compared to the control strain. The results of the HPLC assay indicated that the cordycepin was significantly higher in the C. militaris transformants carrying RNRM than in the wild-type strain, whereas the RNRML was preferentially downregulated. For the C. militaris transformant carrying RNRL, the content of cordycepin wasn't remarkably changed. Furthermore, we revealed that inhibiting RNRs with Triapine (3-AP) almost abrogated the upregulation of cordycepin. Therefore, our results suggested that RNRM can probably directly participate in cordycepin biosynthesis by hydrolyzing adenosine, which is useful for improving cordycepin synthesis and helps to satisfy the commercial demand of cordycepin in the field of medicine.

Advances in biosynthesis of cordycepin from Cordyceps militaris / 生物工程学报

Cordycepin as the main active ingredient of Cordyceps militaris, a traditional medicinal fungus in China, has many physiological functions such as anti-cancer, anti-tumor and anti-virus activity. The most potential route for effective cordycepin production has been considered as liquid fermentation of C. militaris though with low productivity at present. Thus, it is urgent to apply both process engineering strategy and metabolic engineering strategy to enhance the productivity of cordycepin. In this review, the effects of medium components (i.e. the carbon/nitrogen source, precursor substances and metal ions) and operation factors (i.e. pH, dissolved oxygen and light) on cordycepin biosynthesis in liquid fermentation system are summarized. Besides, separation of cordycepin, the gene cluster involved and predicted biosynthesis pathways of cordycepin are also discussed, providing possible solutions of finally realizing efficient production of cordycepin.

Cordycepin promotes browning of white adipose tissue through an AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-dependent pathway

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic. Promoting browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) contributes to increased energy expenditure and hence counteracts obesity. Here we show that cordycepin (Cpn), a natural derivative of adenosine, increases energy expenditure, inhibits weight gain, improves metabolic profile and glucose tolerance, decreases WAT mass and adipocyte size, and enhances cold tolerance in normal and high-fat diet-fed mice. Cpn markedly increases the surface temperature around the inguinal WAT and turns the inguinal fat browner. Further investigations show that Cpn induces the development of brown-like adipocytes in inguinal and, to a less degree, epididymal WAT depots. Cpn also increases the expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and other thermogenic genes in WAT and 3T3-L1 differentiated adipocytes, in which AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) plays an important role. Our results provide novel insights into the function of Cpn in regulating energy balance, and suggest a potential utility of Cpn in the treatment of obesity.

Effects of cordycepin on motor and cognition in Parkinson disease mice induced by MPTP / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM:To investigate the effects of cordycepin on the motor and cognition in Parkinson disease mice induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP).METHODS:C57BL/6 mice were intraperitoneally injected with MPTP at a dose of 30 mg/kg daily for consecutive 8 d to establish the model of Parkinson disease.HE staining was used to observe the cell number in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) from the mice.Western blot was used to detect the protein level of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in substantia nigra (SN).The effects of cordycepin on the motor, emotional change and cognitive behavior of the Parkinson disease mice were examined by open-field test (OFT) , spontaneous alternating behavior (SAB) and water maze test (WMT) , respectively.RESULTS:Cordycepin significantly reduced the apoptosis of cells in SNpc and reversed the decrease in the expression of TH in SN induced by MPTP (P<0.05).Furthermore, cordycepin was able to improve the average speed in OFT (P<0.05) , and increased the total number of arm entry and the accuracy in SAB (P<0.05) , but had no obvious effect on the latency in WMT.CONCLU-SION:Cordycepin is capable of attenuating the impairments of motor and explorative ability in the early stage of Parkinson disease mice, but does not alter the cognitive dysfunction.

Cordycepin protects against β-amyloid and ibotenic acid-induced hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neuronal hyperactivity

Cordycepin exerts neuroprotective effects against excitotoxic neuronal death. However, its direct electrophysiological evidence in Alzheimer's disease (AD) remains unclear. This study aimed to explore the electrophysiological mechanisms underlying the protective effect of cordycepin against the excitotoxic neuronal insult in AD using whole-cell patch clamp techniques. β-Amyloid (Aβ) and ibotenic acid (IBO)-induced injury model in cultured hippocampal neurons was used for the purpose. The results revealed that cordycepin significantly delayed Aβ + IBO-induced excessive neuronal membrane depolarization. It increased the onset time/latency, extended the duration, and reduced the slope in both slow and rapid depolarization. Additionally, cordycepin reversed the neuronal hyperactivity in Aβ + IBO-induced evoked action potential (AP) firing, including increase in repetitive firing frequency, shortening of evoked AP latency, decrease in the amplitude of fast afterhyperpolarization, and increase in membrane depolarization. Further, the suppressive effect of cordycepin against Aβ + IBO-induced excessive neuronal membrane depolarization and neuronal hyperactivity was blocked by DPCPX (8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine, an adenosine A₁ receptor-specific blocker). Collectively, these results revealed the suppressive effect of cordycepin against the Aβ + IBO-induced excitotoxic neuronal insult by attenuating excessive neuronal activity and membrane depolarization, and the mechanism through the activation of A₁R is strongly recommended, thus highlighting the therapeutic potential of cordycepin in AD.

The protective effects of cordycepin on MPTP-induced dopaminergic neuron damage in mice and its mechanism / 中国药理学通报

Aim To observe the protective effects of cordycepin ( Cor) on dopaminergic neurons in 1-meth-yl-4-phenyl-1 , 2 , 3 , 6-tetrahydropyridine ( MPTP )-in-duced mouse model of Parkinson's disease ( PD) and to explore its mechanism. Methods C57BL/6 mice were administered with MPTP to establish the PD mod-el. Mice in Cor groups were pretreated with Cor (2.5,5.0 and 10.0 mg·kg-1 ) by intragastric administra-tion, respectively. The motor functions of the mice were observed in the open-field test, rotarod test and pole test. The content of DA, the numbers of TH-im-munoreactive cells and apoptotic cells were measured respectively by HPLC-ECD, immunohistochemistry staining and TUNEL staining. The expression of apop-tosis related proteins and MAPK signaling pathway-re-lated proteins ( p38 , p-p38 , ERK1/2 , p-ERK1/2 JNK1/2 and p-JNK1/2 ) were determined by Western blot. Results Cor could significantly improve the mo-tor dysfunction in PD mice. The contents of DA, DOPAC and HVA in the striatum remarkably increased after administration of Cor in MPTP-induced mice. Mo-reover, Cor could obviously reduce both the loss of TH-immunoreactive neurons and the numbers of TUNEL-positive cells in substantia nigra pars compacta ( SNpc) of PD mice. The protein expressions of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 were markedly down-regulated,whereas those of Bcl-2 and the ration of Bcl-2/Bax were significantly up-regulated by Cor pre-treatment followed by MPTP treatment. Furthermore, the protein expressions of p-p38 , p-ERK1/2 and p-JNK1/2 signif-icantly decreased in substantia nigra in Cor groups. Conclusions The results suggest that Cor can protect DA neurons against MPTP-induced injury by inhibiting apoptosis, which may be closely relevant to the inhibi-tion of MAPK signaling pathways.

Quantitative analysis of five nucleosides in Cordyceps by HPLC and quality control of Cordyceps militaris / 中草药

Objective To establish an HPLC method for simultaneous determination of uridine, vernine, adenosine, cordycepin, and N6-(2-hydroxyethyl)-adenosine in Cordyceps (Cordyceps militaris, Cordyceps Fungus Powder CS-4, Hirsutella sinensis, and C. sinensis), and determine the characteristic components of C. militaris to provide the scientific basis for quality control of C. militaris and its extract. Methods HPLC was performed on Inertsil ODS-3 column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with mobile phase A (acetonitrile) and B (water) for gradient elution. The flow rate was 0.8 mL/min, detection wavelength was 260 nm, and column temperature was 30 ℃. Results All mentioned five nucleosides can be detected from C. militaris. However, cordycepin and N6-(2-hydroxyethyl)-adenosine were undetected in the other three Cordyceps species. The sample preparation method of C. militaris has a great effect on the content of nucleosides. The content of uridine, vernine and adenosine was the highest in samples prepared by ultrasonic extraction 180 min. Cordycepin was stable form six sample preparation methods, and N6-(2-hydroxyethyl)-adenosine was unbearable to heat and acid. The contents of cordycepin and N6-(2-hydroxyethyl)-adenosine were the same in four preparation methods. Conclusion This experiment provides a basis for the quality analysis of C. militaris and its extracts. Cordycepin and N6-(2-hydroxyethyl)-adenosine can be used as markers for the quality control of C. militaris and its extracts.

Cordycepin negatively modulates LPS-induced cytokine production by induction of Heme Oxygenase-1 / 实用医学杂志

Objective To investigate the mocelualr mechanism of Cordycepin negative modulates LPSinduced cytokine production in murine macrophages.Methods The RAW264.7 murine macrophages were cultured in vitro and were pre-treated by different concentration of Cordycepin,and then stimulated by LPS for 8 h.Production of TNF-o,IL-6 and IL-12,and the content of p65 in the nuclear were detected by ELISA.Expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and phosphorylation of IκB and p38 were measured by Western blot.Nuclear translocation of Nrf2 was detected by Immunofluorescence.Results 1 ～ 30 μg/mL of Cordycepin treatment significantly abrogated LPS-induced TNF-α,IL-6 and IL-12 production,p65 nuclear translocation and IκB phosphorylation.In addition,different concentration of Cordycepin could also induce RAW264.7 cells expression of HO-1,phosphorylation of p38 and nuclear translocation of Nrf2.Application of p38 inhibitor and small interfering RNA-mediated knock-down of Nrf-2 significantly inhibited surfactin-induced HO-1 expression.Treatment with a selective inhibitor of HO-1 reversed the Cordycepin mediated inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines.Conclusions Cordycepin induces antiinflammatory effects by inhibition of NF-κB and activation of Nrf-2 and p38 mediated HO-1 induction.

Protective effect and underlying mechanism of cordycepin on non-alcoholic fatty liver in ob/ob mice / 药学学报

This study is designed to investigate the protective effect and mechanism of cordycepin on nonalcoholic fatty liver in ob/ob mice. Twelve-week-old male ob/ob mice were divided into 5 groups according to their body weight and blood glucose, and C57BL/6J mice were used in the control group. The animals were orally administered with cordycepin for 7 weeks. Body weight and food intake were measured once a week. Blood were collected from ophthalmic venous and biochemical indexes were determined at the 2nd and 4th week. Insulin tolerance test was performed at the 5th week. After 7 weeks of administration, liver tissues were collected to determine the contents of triglycerides and total cholesterol, and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Liver histology was performed by hematoxylin-eosin and oil-red O staining. Total RNA were extracted from liver tissues and the levels of lipid metabolism-related and inflammation-related genes were detected by real time PCR. Cordycepin effectively reduced the blood lipids level and improved liver function. Nevertheless, it did not improve insulin resistance in ob/ob mice. Cordycepin significantly reduced the contents of triglycerides and cholesterol, and the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in liver tissues. Moreover, cordycepin remarkably suppressed the expression of genes related to lipids synthesis and inflammation. These results indicate that cordycepin may improve non-alcoholic fatty liver in ob/ob mice, and the underlying mechanism may be associated with decreased expression of genes related to lipids synthesis and inflammation.

The mechanism of cordycepin in inhibition of pancreatic cancer stem cells proliferation and metastasis / 药学学报

To investigate the effects of cordycepin on proliferation and invasion of pancreatic cancer stem cells (Pan CSC) and its mechanisms, MTT assay was used to investigate the effect of cordycepin on proliferation of Pan CSC. Inverted microscope was used to observe the morphologic change of cells. Propidium iodide staining methods was employed to observe the cell apoptosis. Cell scratch method was used to detect the ability of migration of Pan CSC in each group. RT-PCR and Western blot were used to determine the expression of apoptosis gene and epithelial-mesenchymal transitions (EMT) gene. The growth of Pan CSC was inhibited by cordycepin in a dose-and time-dependent manner, with IC50 107.364 and 48.472 μmol·L-1 at 24 and 48 h, respectively. Moreover, the cell migration was inhibited at the same time. RT-PCR and Western blot results showed that cordycepin decreased the expression of Bcl-2 and activated pro-apoptotic gene levels such as Bax,p53, caspase-3. Furthermore, cordycepin reduced the expression of EMT genes by up-regulation of E-cadherin and down-regulation of N-cadherin. Cordycepin has the ability to inhibit Pan CSC proliferation and invasion by activating p53 pathway as well as suppressing the EMT. This study provides a new basis for inhibition of pancreatic cancer stem cells in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Antimetastatic effects of cordycepin and its molecular mechanism in human hepatoma MHCC97H cells in vitro and in vivo / 药学学报

The objective of this study was to examine the antimetastatic effects of cordycepin and elucidate its molecular mechanism using MHCC97H cells in vitro and in vivo. Cellular proliferation was detected with MTT assay. The migration and metastatic potential were measured with scratch wound healing as well as transwell migration assays in vitro. Protein expression was detected by Western blotting. Antitumor and antimetastatic effects of cordycepin were evaluated by subcutaneous xenograft and lung metastatic model in vivo. The results demonstrated that cordycepin significantly inhibited MHCC97H cells proliferation and metastasis which was due to the down-regulation of AKT, p-AKT, p-GSK-3β, β-catenin, N-cadherin, MMP-7, MMP-9 and up-regulation the expression of E-cadherin. Furthermore, cordycepin inhibited tumor growth and metastasis in a dose-dependent manner in vivo. Cordycepin(40 and 20 mg·kg-1)and 5-fluorouracil group significantly inhibited the tumor weights to 0.38 ± 0.04, 0.61 ± 0.08 and 0.65 ± 0.07 g, respectively, comparing with the control group(1.52 ± 0.46 g)(P < 0.01), but not 10 mg·kg-1 cordycepin group(1.13 ± 0.36 g)(P > 0.05); the lung metastasis nodus numbers showed the same results, which in all group above(48.9 ± 7.2, 67.2 ± 9.4, 73.6 ± 8.6, respectively)were fewer than the control group(123.5 ± 14.5)(P < 0.01), except 10 mg·kg-1 cordycepin(106.4 ± 11.3)(P > 0.05). Collectively, cordycepin inhibited MHCC97H cell proliferation and metastasis in vivo and in vitro.

Pharmacological effects on the central nervous system and toxicity of cordycepin:research advances / 国际药学研究杂志

Cordycepin(3′-deoxyadenosine),a derivative of the nucleoside adenosine,is a major functional component of Cordyceps militaris. It has been found that cordycepin possesses a variety of pharmacological activities,such as antibacterial,antivial, antiinflammatory,antitumor,immunoregulation,hypolipidemic,and hypoglycemic activities. In recent years,the effects of cordyce-pin on the central nervous system(CNS)have attracted great attention,and it has been found that cordycepin could not only affect the function of the CNS but also protect nerves from injuries. This paper reviews the effects of cordycepin on sedation and hypnosis ,the im-provement of learning and memory,and the protection of nerve injuries caused by cerebral ischemia/hemorrhage ,nerve toxin(gluta-mate,β-amyloid,rotenone and 6-hydroxydopamine,etc.),lipopolysaccharide and trauma,along with the in vitro toxicity as well as acute and subacute in vivo toxicity,so as to offer valuable references for future study and application of cordycepin.

Preconditioning with cordycepin attenuates myocardial ischemia-reperfu-sion injury in SD rats / 中国病理生理杂志

AIM:To study whether cordycepin (Cordy) plays a role in myocardial protection by regulating the expression of microRNA-455 ( miR-455) and reducing apoptosis induced by endoplasmic reticulum stress in the ischemia -reperfusion (IR) rats.METHODS: SD rats (250 ~300 g) were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group, the chests of the rats were only opened;IR group, the rats were given myocardial ischemia for 30 min, and then reperfusion for 120 min;IR+Cordy group:before IR, the rats were given Cordy (10 mg/kg) through femoral vein injection once a day for one week, and the last injection was given 30 min before ischemia.Automated biochemical analysis was used to detect rat serum activity of LDH and CK-MB.The myocardial endothelial cell ( EC) apoptotic rate was measured by TUNEL , and the ultrastructural changes of the myocardial EC were observed under transmission electron microscope .RT-qPCR was used to detect the expression of miR-455 and the mRNA levels of glucose-regulated protein 78 ( Grp78) and caspase-12 in the myo-cardium.RESULTS:Compared with control group, EC apoptosis in IR group was significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with IR group , EC apoptosis in IR +Cordy group decreased significantly ( P<0.05 ) .Compared with control group, swelling of mitochondria , irregular membrane , loose wrinkles with vacuoles , disappeared matrix granules , irregular nuclear membrane , chromatin condensation , disappeared nucleoli and even small apoptosis body in the EC were found in IR group.Compared with IR group , the symptoms in IR +Cordy group were greatly improved .Compared with control group, the mRNA expression of Grp78 and caspase-12 as well as the miR-455 level in IR group was increased (P<0.05). Compared with IR group , the mRNA expression of Grp78 and caspase-12, as well as the miR-455 level in IR+Cordy group was decreased (P<0.05).CONCLUSION:Cordycepin attenuates myocardial EC apoptosis , down-regulates the expres-sion of miR-455, and inhibits endoplasmic reticulum stress in the myocardium .

Development of High Cordycepin-Producing Cordyceps militaris Strains

Cordyceps militaris, known as Dong-Chong-Xia-Cao, produces the most cordycepin among Cordyceps species and can be cultured artificially. For these reasons, C. militaris is widely used as herb or functional food in the East Asia. In this study, we developed a new strain of C. militaris that produces higher cordycepin content than parent strains through mating-based sexual reproduction. Twenty parent strains were collected and identified as C. militaris based on internal trasncrived spacer and rDNA sequences. Seven single spores of MAT 1-1 idiomorph and five single spores of MAT 1-2 idiomorph were isolated from 12 parent strains. When 35 combinations were mated on the brown rice medium with the isolated single spores, eight combinations formed a stroma with a normal perithecia and confirmed mated strains. High pressure liquid chromatography analysis showed that mated strain KSP8 produced the most cordycepin in all the media among all the tested strains. This result showed due to genetic recombination occurring during the sexual reproduction of C. militaris. The development of C. militaris strain with increased cordycepin content by this approach can help not only to generate new C. militaris strains, but also to contribute to the health food or medicine industry.