Ruscogenin alleviates LPS-triggered pulmonary endothelial barrier dysfunction through targeting NMMHC IIA to modulate TLR4 signaling

Pulmonary endothelial barrier dysfunction is a hallmark of clinical pulmonary edema and contributes to the development of acute lung injury (ALI). Here we reported that ruscogenin (RUS), an effective steroidal sapogenin of Radix Ophiopogon japonicus, attenuated lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced pulmonary endothelial barrier disruption through mediating non-muscle myosin heavy chain IIA (NMMHC IIA)‒Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) interactions. By in vivo and in vitro experiments, we observed that RUS administration significantly ameliorated LPS-triggered pulmonary endothelial barrier dysfunction and ALI. Moreover, we identified that RUS directly targeted NMMHC IIA on its N-terminal and head domain by serial affinity chromatography, molecular docking, biolayer interferometry, and microscale thermophoresis analyses. Downregulation of endothelial NMMHC IIA expression in vivo and in vitro abolished the protective effect of RUS. It was also observed that NMMHC IIA was dissociated from TLR4 and then activating TLR4 downstream Src/vascular endothelial cadherin (VE-cadherin) signaling in pulmonary vascular endothelial cells after LPS treatment, which could be restored by RUS. Collectively, these findings provide pharmacological evidence showing that RUS attenuates LPS-induced pulmonary endothelial barrier dysfunction by inhibiting TLR4/Src/VE-cadherin pathway through targeting NMMHC IIA and mediating NMMHC IIA‒TLR4 interactions.

Examination of protective and therapeutic effects of ruscogenin on cerulein-induced experimental acute pancreatitis in rats

PURPOSE: To determine the potential protective and therapeutic effects and action mechanism of ruscogenin on cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis (AP) model in rats. METHODS: Overall, 32 rats were attenuated to the sham (2-mL/kg/day isotonic solution for 4 weeks), control (20-µg/kg cerulein-induced AP for 12 hours), prophylaxis groups (cerulein-induced AP following 3-mL/kg/day ruscogenin for 4 weeks) and treatment (3-mL/kg/day ruscogenin following cerulein-induced AP for 12 hours). Blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis of nitric oxide synthase 1 (NOS1/neuronal NOS), malondialdehyde (MDA) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1). After sacrification, pancreas tissues were collected and prepared for light microscopic (hematoxylin and eosin), immunohistochemical (nuclear factor kappa B) and biochemical analysis (tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α], interleukin-6 and 1β [IL-6 and IL-1β], CRP, high-sensitivity CRP [hs-CRP] amylase, lipase, and ICAM-1). Ultrastructural analysis was performed by transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS: The protective and therapeutic actions of ruscogenin were accomplished by improvements in histopathology, by decreasing blood cytokine levels of CRP, hs-CRP levels, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, ICAM-1, by reducing the pancreatic enzymes amylase and lipase in blood, and by suppressing the expression of nuclear factor kappa B, ICAM-1, and NOS-1, but not MDA in pancreatic tissues. Ruscogenin also improved cerulein-induced ultrastructural degenerations in endocrine and exocrine cells, especially in treatment group. CONCLUSION: The present findings have demonstrated the beneficial protective and therapeutical effects of ruscogenin, nominating it as a highly promising supplementary agent to be considered in the treatment of AP, and even as a protective agent against the damages induced by disease.

Evaluation of prophylactic and therapeutic effects of ruscogenin on acute radiation proctitis: an experimental rat model

PURPOSE: Radiation proctitis (RP) is inflammation and damage to the rectum, manifested secondary to ionizing radiation utilized for treatment. In this study, we evaluated the anti-inflammatory therapeutical and protective effects of ruscogenin in a model of acute RP. METHODS: Thirty-two Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups (n = 8) as sham, control, treatment, and prophylaxis groups. Prophylaxis group and treatment group were dosed ruscogenin by oral gavage for 14 days pre- and postradiation. At the end of the 28th day, all subjects were sacrificed. RESULTS: Histopathological analysis showed a significant increase in cryptitis abscess, cryptitis and reactive atypia, and depth of lymphocytic infiltration of the control group, compared to the other groups (P < 0.05), while treatment and prophylaxis groups showed significant decreases (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that immunoreactivity were significantly higher in control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.001, and P < 0.01, respectively), but vice versa for treatment and prophylaxis groups. There was not any significant difference for fibroblast growth factor 2 immunoreactivity. The epithelium of control rectums indicated an increase in TNF-α immunoreactivity while other groups had significant decrease (P < 0.01). Electron microscopical findings were parallel to light microscopy. CONCLUSION: In this study, ruscogenin was observed to be effective on prophylaxis or treatment of acute RP. Although there are various reports on the treatment of the rectum damaged by acute RP in the literature, this could be the first study since there is no research indicating the ultrastructural effect of ruscogenin.

Simultaneous Determination of Four Components in Huangqi Shengmai Decoction by HPLC-DAD / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To establish a method for simultaneous determination of contents of schisandrin B, schisantherin A, lobetyolin and ruscogenin in Huangqi Shengmai Decoction with HPLC method. Methods The chromatographic column was an Agilent Eclipse C18 column (4.6 mm × 250 mm, 5 μm) that was maintained at a constant temperature of 30 ℃. The mobile phase was 0.1% acetic acid solution-acetonitrile, with gradient elution. The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min. The detection was at wavelength of 280 nm. Results The standard curves of schisandrin B, schisantherin A, lobetyolin and ruscogenin had good linearity in the ranges of 0.862 5-21.562 5μg (r 2=0.999 1), 0.737 5-18.437 5μg (r 2=0.999 4), 0.095 2-2.380 0 μg (r 2=0.999 6), and 0.810 0-20.250 0 μg (r 2=0.999 0), respectively. The average recoveries of the four components were 98.06%(RSD=1.64%), 99.61%(RSD=2.72%), 97.98%(RSD=1.45%), and 99.30%(RSD=1.25%), respectively. Conclusion This method is accurate, rapid and specific, achieving the stable results with high reproducibility.

A monoclonal antibody-based competitive ELISA for the determination of ruscogenin in Chinese traditional medicines and biological samples / 中国天然药物

A competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to determine ruscogenin (RUS) by using the monoclonal antibody (McAb). The monoclonal antibody against RUS, secreted from the established hybridoma cell lines, was identified as being of the IgG1 isotype. The McAb exhibited high specificity to RUS, showing a very slight cross reactivity with diosgenin (15.7%), and no cross-reactivity to sarsasapogenin, diammonium glycyrrhizinate, oleanolic acid and notoginsenoside R1. The established ELISA, at an IC50 value of 157.55 ng·mL(-1) and a detection limit (IC20) of 20.57 ng·mL(-1), was compared with HPLC analyses, and a good correlation between ELISA and HPLC-ELSD analyses of RUS in the extract of Radix Ophiopogonis was obtained. The experimental data indicated that the ELISA method exhibits more advantages over HPLC-ELSD, such as low detection limit, high specificity, low background, and no requirement for sample pre-treatment, and is more suitable for the determination of natural components in Chinese traditional medicines and in biological samples for pharmacokinetic studies.

Chemical constituents in Dioscorea septemloba / 中草药

Objective To study the chemical constituents of Dioscorea septemloba.Methods The compounds were isolated by GC-MS and chromatography on silica gel column and identified on the basis of physico-chemical constants and spectral analysis.Results Thirteen compounds were isolated and their structures were identified as 4,8-dimethyl-1,7-nonadiene(Ⅰ),5-isopropyl-2,8-dimethylcyclodeca(Ⅱ),3,7-dimethyl-6-octen-1-ol-formate(Ⅲ),dodecanoic acid methyl easter(Ⅳ),N,N'-dinitro-1,2 cyclohexanddiamine(Ⅴ),1-octyn-4-ol(Ⅵ),?-sitosterol(Ⅶ),palmitic acid(Ⅷ),stigmasterol(Ⅸ),6,7-dihydroxy-2-methoxy-1,4-phenanthrenedione(Ⅹ),diosgenin(Ⅺ),ruscogenin(ⅩⅡ),and stigmasterol-3-O-?-D-glucoside(ⅩⅢ).Conclusion Compounds Ⅰ—Ⅵ,Ⅸ,Ⅹ,ⅩⅡ,and ⅩⅢ are obtained from this plant for the first time.

Effects of ruscogenin on adhesion of HL-60 cells to ECV304 cells / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the anti-inflammatory activity of ruscogenin,a major sapogenin from Ophiopogon japonicus,effect of ruscogenin on cell adhesion is studied.Methods By MTT assay,effect of ruscogenin on normal and TNF-?-induced adhesion of human pro-myelocytic leukemia cell strain(HL-60)to venous endothelial cell strain(ECV304)was observed and effect of ruscogenin on the viability of ECV304 cells and HL-60 cells were investigated.Results Adhesion between HL-60 cells and ECV304 cells induced by TNF-? was significantly inhibited when ECV304 cells were pretreated with ruscogenin at the concentration of 0.1,1.0 ?mol?L~(-1).Meanwhile,ruscogenin remarkably inhibited TNF-a-induced adhesion when HL-60 cells were pretreated with ruscogenin at the concentration of 0.001,0.01,0.1 ?mol?L~(-1).On the other hand,their viability and adhesion of HL-60 cells to normal ECV304 cells were not affected at above concentrations.Conclusion Ruscogenin shows significant anti-inflammatory activity via inhibition of adherence of HL-60 cells to activated ECV304 cells.