Función antiinflamatoria y antioxidante del ácido ursólico en la pancreatitis aguda inducida por ceruleína en ratas / Anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant role of ursolic acid in cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in rats

Resumen Antecedentes: El ácido ursólico se encuentra en numerosas plantas y se ha informado que tiene efectos antiproteasas, antioxidantes, antiinflamatorios, antimicrobianos, nefroprotectores, hepatoprotectores y cardioprotectores. Objetivo: Este estudio tuvo como objetivo investigar los efectos del ácido ursólico en la pancreatitis aguda inducida por ceruleína. Material y métodos: Treinta y dos ratas albinas Wistar fueron asignadas aleatoriamente a cuatro grupos iguales: grupo simulado, grupo de pancreatitis aguda, grupo de tratamiento y grupo de ácido ursólico. Resultados: Los niveles de amilasa sérica en los grupos de pancreatitis aguda y de tratamiento fueron significativamente más altos que en los otros grupos (p < 0.05). Además, los niveles séricos de IL-1β, IL-6 y TNF-α fueron significativamente más altos en el grupo de pancreatitis aguda en comparación con el grupo de tratamiento. Aunque la actividad oxidante total del tejido pancreático en ambos grupos fue similar, la capacidad antioxidante total del tejido pancreático en el grupo de tratamiento fue significativamente mayor. Conclusión: Se observó que el ácido ursólico reduce el daño al páncreas y órganos remotos en la pancreatitis aguda, al igual que el estrés oxidativo.

Abstract Background: Ursolic acid (UA) is found in many plants, and has been reported to have anti-protease, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, nephroprotective, hepatoprotective, and cardioprotective effects. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of ursolic acid in cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis (AP). Materials and methods: Thirty-two Wistar albino rats were randomly assigned to 4 equal groups: Sham, acute pancreatitis, treatment, and ursolic acid group. Results: Serum amylase levels in the AP and treatment groups were significantly higher than in the others (p < 0.05). In addition, serum IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels were significantly higher in the AP group in comparison with the treatment group. Although pancreatic tissue total oxidant activity in the AP and treatment groups was similar, pancreatic tissue total antioxidant capacity was significantly higher in the treatment group than in the AP group. Conclusions: Damage to the pancreas and remote organs in AP was observed to be reduced by UA. In addition, oxidative stress was observed to be decreased by the effect of UA.

Effect of Ursolic Acid on Proliferation and Apoptosis of Colorectal Cancer Cells Based on Akt/FoxO Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects and molecular mechanism of ursolic acid on the proliferation and apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells. MethodThe proliferation inhibition rate of human colorectal cancer RKO cells treated with different concentrations of ursolic acid （0， 5， 10， 15， 20， 25， 30 μmol·L-1） was detected by cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8）， and the half maximal inhibitory concentration （IC50） at 24 h and 48 h was calculated. According to the IC50 of RKO cells treated with ursolic acid for 24 h， two concentrations were selected for subsequent experiments. The colony formation assay was used to detect the proliferation ability of the cells and flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis rate and cell cycle arrest after treatment of RKO cells with ursolic acid. After treatment of RKO cells with ursolic acid for 24 hours， the expression of B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）-associated X protein （Bax） in RKO cells， Bcl-2 in Raji cells， PMA responsive gene in T lymphocyte （Noxa）， cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A （p21）， cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B （p27）， cyclin-dependent kinase 4 （CDK4）， protein kinase B （Akt）， phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt）， forkhead transcription factor O3a （FoxO3a）， and phosphorylated FoxO3a （p-FoxO3a） was determined by Western blot. ResultCompared with the blank group， the ursolic acid groups could inhibit the viability of RKO cells （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the colony formation rates of RKO cells in the ursolic acid groups were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01） in a concentration-dependent manner. The cells in the ursolic acid group （20 μmol·L-1） experienced cell cycle arrest， which increased in the early stage of synthesis， ie， the G0/G1 phase （P<0.05） as compared with the results in the blank group. Compared with the blank group， the ursolic acid groups （15 and 20 μmol·L-1） showed increased protein expression of p21 and p27， decreased expression of CDK4 protein （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and increased apoptosis rate， and the ursolic acid group （20 μmol·L-1） showed increased protein expression of Bax and Noxa and decreased expression of Bcl-2 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In terms of mechanism， compared with the blank group， the ursolic acid group （20 μmol·L-1） down-regulated the expression of p-Akt protein and up-regulated the expression of p-FoxO3a （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and there was no significant change in the total protein of Akt and FoxO3a. ConclusionUrsolic acid can effectively inhibit the proliferation of colorectal cancer RKO cells and promote cell apoptosis， which may be related to the Akt/FoxO pathway.

Inhibitory effects of ursolic acid on IL-6-mediated invasion and migration of breast cancer cells / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To investigate the inhibitory effects of ursolic acid on interleukin-6 （IL-6）-mediated invasion and migration of breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells （hereinafter referred to as “231 cells”）. METHODS The effects of 20， 40， 80， 160 and 320 µmol/L ursolic acid on the proliferation rate of 231 cells were measured by CCK-8 method. The breast cancer 231 cells were divided into control group， model group and administration group. The migration and invasion abilities of cells were detected by scratch assay and Transwell assay. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （q-PCR） assay and Western blot assay were used to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related makers such as E cadherin （E-cad）， matrix metalloprotein 2 （MMP2）， MMP9， vimentin （Vim）， CD44 molecule （CD44） and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A1 （ALDH1A1）. The phosphorylation levels of JAK2 and STAT3 in the Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 （JAK2/STAT3） signaling pathway （in terms of p-JAK2/JAK2 ratio and p-STAT3/STAT3 ratio） were detected by Western blot assay. RESULTS A low concentration of ursolic acid of 20 µmol/L （no significant inhibitory effect on cell proliferation ability） was selected as the subsequent administration concentration. Compared with the control group， the migration and invasion abilities of cells in the model group were significantly enhanced （P＜0.05）； compared with the model group， the migration and invasion abilities of cells in the administered group were significantly reduced （P＜0.05）. Compared with the control group， the relative mRNA and protein expressions of epithelial-mesenchymal transition-related markers MMP9， MMP2， Vim， ALDH1A1 and CD44 were all elevated to different extents， and the mRNA and protein expressions of E-cad were all decreased to different extents in the model group cells， and part of the differences had statistical significance （P＜0.05）， the p-JAK2/JAK2 ratio and p-STAT3/STAT3 ratio were significantly increased in the model group （P＜0.05）； compared with the model group， the expressions of the above indicators were reversed to some extent in the administration group. CONCLUSIONS Ursolic acid blocks the activation of JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathwby the inflammatory factor IL-6， which ultimately interrupts the invasion and metastasis of breast cancer cells.

Effects of ursolic acid on iron death in endometrial stromal cells via JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects of ursolic acid (UA) on proliferation, migration and iron death of ectopic endometrial stromal cells (EESCs) and its mechanism.Methods:Mouse model of endometriosis was established and the primary EESCs were isolated. The cells were treated with UA at different concentrations (0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40, 50, 80, 100, 200 μmol/L). The cells were divided into Control group (normal culture), 2.5 μmol/L UA group (2.5 μmol/L UA treatment), 5.0 μmol/L UA group (5.0 μmol/L UA treatment), 10.0 μmol/L UA group (10 μmol/L UA treatment), and UA+DUSP19 group (10 μmol/L UA+50 μmol/L JAK2/STAT3 signal pathway activator DUSP19 treatment). Cell survival rate was detected by CCK-8 method. Cell proliferation was detected by plate cloning method. Transwell chamber assay was used to detect cell migration. The levels of Fe 2+ and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were detected by kit. Protein expression levels of Ki67, PCNA, CyclinD1, p-JAK2, p-STAT3, JAK2 and STAT3 were detected by western blot. Results:The number of clones in Control, 2.5 μmol/L UA, 5.0 μmol/L UA and 10.0 μmol/L UA groups were as follows: 152.22±15.47, 121.22±11.54, 92.00±5.54, 66.44±6.88; Ki67 protein expression was 1.08±0.10, 0.73±0.07, 0.61±0.06, 0.45±0.02, respectively; The expression of PCNA protein was 0.85±0.07, 0.64±0.05, 0.41±0.03, 0.31±0.05, respectively; CyclinD1 protein expression levels were 0.98±0.11, 0.65±0.06, 0.51±0.05, 0.42±0.07, respectively. The migration numbers were 92.78±6.27, 62.22±2.20, 50.22±4.59 and 39.11±4.33, respectively; Fe 2+ levels were (1.06±0.07) μmol/g, (1.21±0.11) μmol/g, (1.33±0.08) μmol/g, (1.47±0.09) μmol/g, respectively; MDA content was (0.48±0.06) μmol/g, (0.65±0.07) μmol/g, (0.85±0.08) μmol/g, (1.03±0.11) μmol/g, respectively; ROS contents were (19.85±1.21) %, (24.83±2.79) %, (29.04±1.86) %, (33.87±2.45) %, respectively; SOD content were (36.41±3.56) U/mg, (31.03±2.81) U/mg, (25.63±2.84) U/mg, (19.62±1.67) U/mg, respectively; p-JAK2 protein expression was 0.85±0.10, 0.75±0.06, 0.53±0.05, 0.31±0.03, respectively; p-STAT3 protein expression was 1.08±0.11, 0.79±0.06, 0.63±0.07, 0.42±0.03, respectively. The p-JAK2 protein content in UA group and UA+DUSP19 group was 0.38±0.05 and 0.75±0.08, respectively; p-STAT3 protein expression was 0.46±0.04 and 0.80±0.03, respectively; The cell survival rates were (52.55±2.44) % and (82.18±4.72) %, respectively; Fe 2+ levels were (1.57±0.06) μmol/g and (1.21±0.13) μmol/g, respectively. The differences in the above indicators between the Control group and the 2.5 μmol/L UA group, 5.0 μmol/L UA group and 10.0 μmol/L UA group were statistically significant ( P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences among 2.5 μmol/L UA group, 5.0 μmol/L UA group and 10.0 μmol/L UA group ( P<0.05). There were statistically significant differences in p-JAK2, p-STAT3, cell survival rate and Fe 2+ levels between UA group and UA+DUSP19 group ( P<0.05) . Conclusion:Ursolic acid can inhibit the proliferation and migration of EESCs cells and induce iron death by regulating JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway, thus playing a protective role in endometriosis.

PVP solid dispersions containing Poloxamer 407 or TPGS for the improvement of ursolic acid release

Abstract Solid dispersions (SDs) of ursolic acid (UA) were developed using polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 (PVP K30) in combination with non-ionic surfactants, such as D-α-tocopherol polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) or poloxamer 407 (P407) with the aim of enhancing solubility and in vitro release of the UA. SDs were investigated using a 24 full factorial design, subsequently the selected formulations were characterized for water solubility, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), particle diameter, scanning electron microscopy, drug content, physical-chemical stability and in vitro release profile. SDs showed higher UA water-solubility than physical mixtures (PMs), which was attributed by transition of the drug from crystalline to amorphous or molecular state in the SDs, as indicated by XRD and DSC analyses. SD1 (with P407) and SD2 (with TPGS) were chosen for further investigation because they had higher drug load. SD1 proved to be more stable than SD2, revealing that P407 contributed to ensure the stability of the UA. Furthermore, SD1 and SD2 increased UA release by diffusion and swelling-controlled transport, following the Weibull model. Thus, solid dispersions obtained with PVP k-30 and P407 proved to be advantageous to enhance aqueous solubility and stability of UA.

27-P-CAUA induces apoptosis and mitochondrial autophagy in breast cancer cells by inhibiting HER2/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the inhibitory effect of 27-P-coumayl-ursolic acid (27-P-CAUA), the active ingredient in triterpenoids from the leaves of Ilex latifolia Thunb, against breast cancer cells and explore the underlying mechanism.@*METHODS@#CCK-8 assay was used to assess the changes in viability of breast cancer HCC-1806 cells after 27-P-CAUA treatment for 24, 48, or 72 h. The inhibitory effect of 27-P-CAUA on proliferation of the cells was determined by clonogenic assay. JC-1 was used to detect the changes in mitochondrial membrane potential and flow cytometry was performed for analyzing cell apoptosis following 27-P-CAUA treatment. Immunofluorescence assay was used to observe the expression of cl-caspase-3 and P62 in the treated cells. Western blotting was performed to observe the effect of 27-P-CAUA and chloroquine pretreatment on the expressions of LC3I/II, P62 and HER2 signaling pathway proteins in the cells.@*RESULTS@#The results of CCK-8 and clonogenic assays showed that 27-P-CAUA treatment significantly inhibited the proliferation of HCC-1806 cells (P < 0.01) with IC50 values of 81.473, 48.392 and 18.467 μmol/L at 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively. 27-P-CAUA treatment also caused obvious changes in mitochondrial membrane potential (P < 0.01) and induced cell apoptosis in HCC-1806 cells with a 3.34% increase of the early apoptosis rate. Immunofluorescence assay revealed a significant increase of cl-caspase3 expression in 27-P-CAUA-treated HCC-1806 cells, and treatment with 40 μmol/L 27-P-CAUA resulted in significant cell apoptosis (P < 0.01). 27-P-CAUA obviously reduced the expression of LC3II, caused P62 degradation and induced autophagy in HCC-1806 cells. Chloroquine pretreatment obviously blocked the autophagy-inducing effect of 27-P-CAUA. 27-P-CAUA treatment also inhibited the phosphorylation of HER2 and AKT proteins and progressively lowered the expressions of HER2 and phosphorylated AKT protein in HCC-1806 cells (P < 0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#27-P-CAUA can inhibit the proliferation and induce mitochondrial autophagy and apoptosis of HCC-1806 cells by inhibiting the HER2/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Bibliometric analysis for research hotspot and frontier of ursolic acid / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To e xplore the research hots pots and development frontiers of ursolic acid in recent 20 years，and to provide reference for researchers in this field. METHODS Research literatures related to ursolic acid in Web of Science from Jan. ， 1，2002 to Dec. 31，2021 were collected ，and visualization analysis was performed on countries or regions ，research institutions ， authors，journals and keywords involved in the literatures using CiteSpace software ，to obtain the spatial and temporal distribution of ursolic acid and research frontiers. The research status and development frontier of ursolic acid were further analyzed by analyzing keywords co-occurrence ，keyword emergence ，keyword clustering ，etc. RESULTS & CONCLUSIONS Totally 3 528 valid papers were included in this study ，and the top three countries were China ，India and the United States. Analysis of publishing institutions showed that Chinese Academy of Sciences ，Univisity of Karachi and China Medical University were the top 3 research institutions in the list of publication amount. Analysis of published journals showed that Molecules （127 articles），Journal of Ethnopharmacology（90 articles），Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry （75 articles）had high number of literatures on ursolic acid. The analysis of keyword analysis showed that pharmacological effects ，such as antitumor activity of ursolic acid ， antioxidant activity ，antibacterial activity and anti-inflammatory activity ，are always the focus of the research ；the mechanism ursolic acid induced apoptosis ，oxidative stress and autophagy ，the research on ursolic acid signaling pathway ，drug delivery of ursolic acid nanoparticles were the research direction in the future.

Molecular Mechanism of Ursolic Acid in the Treatment of Osteoporosis Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To explo re the potential molecular mechanism of ursolic acid in the treatment of osteoporosis （OP）. METHODS：TCMSP，PubMed database and UniProt database were used to screen potential targets of monomer compound ursolic acid. OP related target genes were searched with GeneCards database. The common target genes of component-disease were obtained by Venny 2.1 online mapping tool. The protein-protein interaction （PPI）network of component-disease common target genes was constructed by using STRING database ，and topological analysis was carried out ；the core target genes ，whose degree value was greater than the average degree value ，were screened. GO functional annotation and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of component-disease common target genes were carried out by DAVID database. AutoDock Vina 1.1.2 software was used for molecular docking ，using protein encoded by the core target gene as receptor and ursolic acid as ligand. RESULTS ：A total of 55 ursolic acid related target genes and 4 273 OP related target genes were excavated ，with a total of 44 common target genes. PPI network with above common target genes included 44 nodes and 513 edges，with an average node degree of 23.3. There were 24 core target genes ，including VEGFA，TP53，IL6，CASP3. There were 340 GO functional items were enriched （corrected P＜ 0.05），including 263 biological processes （negative regulation of apoptosis ，etc.），25 molecular functions （protein binding ，etc.） and 52 cell components （cytosol，etc.）. There were 90 KEGG signaling pathways （corrected P＜0.05），such as tumor pathway ， hepatitis B pathway ，TNF signaling pathway ，viral carcinogenesis and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K-Akt） signaling pathway. The binding energy between ursolic acid and 6 proteins encoded by core target genes such as TP53 was lower than －5 kcal/mol，which had strong binding activity. CONCLUSIONS ：The therapeutic effect of ursolic acid on OP may be achieved by regulating VEGFA，TP53，IL6，CASP3，JUN and other core target genes and acting on multiple key pathways such as cancer pathway ， hepatitis B and TNF signaling

A smart dual-drug nanosystem based on co-assembly of plant and food-derived natural products for synergistic HCC immunotherapy

Nanotechnology has emerged as an ideal approach for achieving the efficient chemo agent delivery. However, the potential toxicity and unclear internal metabolism of most nano-carriers was still a major obstacle for the clinical application. Herein, a novel "core‒shell" co-assembly carrier-free nanosystem was constructed based on natural sources of ursolic acid (UA) and polyphenol (EGCG) with the EpCAM-aptamer modification for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) synergistic treatment. As the nature products derived from food-plant, UA and EGCG had good anticancer activities and low toxicity. With the simple and "green" method, the nanodrugs had the advantages of good stability, pH-responsive and strong penetration of tumor tissues, which was expected to increase tumor cellular uptake, long circulation and effectively avoid the potential defects of traditional carriers. The nanocomplex exhibited the low cytotoxicity in the normal cells

Mechanism of ursolic acid in regulating colorectal cancer cell HCT116 autophagy through hedgehog signaling pathway / 中国中药杂志

To prove that ursolic acid(UA)could activate the autophagy of colorectal cancer HCT116 cells by inhibiting hedgehog signaling pathway. The effect of UA on the viability of HCT116 cells was determined by MTT assay. The effect of UA on the proliferation and migration of HCT116 cells was detected by crystal violet staining and scratch test. In the study on autophagy, the time points were screened out first: the autophagy fluorescence intensity of UA acting on HCT116 at different time points were detected by Cell Meter~(TM) Autophagy Assay Kit; Western blot was used to detect the expression of autophagy protein P62 at different time points. Then, Cell Meter~(TM) Autophagy Assay Kit was used to detect the effect of UA on autophagy fluorescence intensity of HCT116 cells. The effect of different doses of UA on the expressions of LC3Ⅱ and P62 proteins in HCT116 cells were detected by Western blot. Further, AdPlus-mCherry-GFP-LC3 B adenovirus transfection was used to detect the effects of UA on autophagy flux of HCT116 cells; UA combined with autophagy inhibitor chloroquine(CQ) was used to detect the expression of LC3Ⅱ by Western blot. In terms of mechanism, the effect of UA on hedgehog signaling pathway-related proteins in HCT116 cells was detected by Western blot. The results showed that UA inhibited the activity, proliferation and migration of HCT116 cells. UA enhanced the fluorescence intensity of autophagy in HCT116 cells, while promoting the expression of LC3Ⅱ and inhibiting the expression of P62, in a time and dose dependent manner. UA activated the autophagy in HCT116 cells, which manifested that UA resulted in the accumulation of fluorescence spots and strengthened the fluorescence intensity of autophagosomes; compared with UA alone, UA combined with autophagy inhibitor CQ promoted the expression of LC3Ⅱ. UA reduced the expressions of PTCH1, GLI1, SMO, SHH and c-Myc in hedgehog signaling pathway, while increased the expression of Sufu. In conclusion, our study showed that UA activated autophagy in colorectal cancer HCT116 cells, which was related to the mechanism in inhibiting hedgehog signaling pathway activity.

Ursolic acid ameliorates azoxymethane/dextran sulfate sodium-caused colorectal cancer by inhibition of Wnt signaling cascade / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE To investigate the pharmacological effect of ursolic acid (UA) on colitis-associated colorec?tal cancer (CAC) and its underlying mechanism based on the Wnt signaling pathway. METHODS The CAC model in mice was established by azoxymethane (AOM) combined and dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS), accompanied by treat?ment with various dosages of UA and concomitant appraisal of body weight, stool and physical state of the mice. After the sacrifice of the mice, the tumor and length of the colorectum were measured, followed by retrieval of the liver, spleen, thymus and tumor tissue for downstream assays. The levels of inflammatory factors interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1βand C-reactive protein (CRP) in the tumor and serum were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The pathological changes of colorectal tissues were observed by HE staining. The levels in tumors of Wnt/β-catenin sig?naling pathway-related proteins Wnt4, GSK-3β, β-catenin, TCF4, LEF1, c-Myc, cyclin D1 and apoptosis-related protein Bcl-2 were assayed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The mRNA expressions of Wnt4, GSK-3β,β-catenin, TCF4, LEF1, c-Myc, cyclin D1, Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-9 and caspase-3 in tumors were detected by real-time quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR). The protein levels of Wnt4, GSK-3β, β-catenin, TCF4, LEF1, c-Myc, cyclin D1, phospho-β-catenin, phospho-GSK-3β, Bcl-2 and Bax in tumors were probed by analyzed by Western blotting (WB). Also, RNA-seq was employed to assess the gut microbiota in the mice. RESULTS UA significantly ameliorated the symptoms of AOM/DSS-induced mouse CAC, evidenced by improved physical state, body weight, survival rate, colorectal length, the mass of liver, thy?mus, spleen, and decreased CAC load and colorectal mass. UA attenuated the levels of IL-6, IL-1β and CRP in the mouse serum and colorectal tumor in a dose-dependent manner. HE staining showed that UA lessened carcinogenesis in the colorectum, with lower infiltration of lymphocytes, versus the control. IHC indicated that UA mitigated the expres?sion of Wnt4,β-catenin, TCF4, LEF1, c-Myc, cyclin D1, Bcl-2, and promoted the GSK-3βexpression, compared with the control. Furthermore, UA diminished the mRNA expressions of Wnt4, β-catenin, TCF4, LEF1, c-Myc, cyclin D1, Bcl-2, and heightened the mRNA levels of GSK-3β, caspase-3, capase-9 and Bax in CAC. The results of mRNA expressions were verified by WB analysis, which revealed that UA impeded the protein expression of Wnt4,β-catenin, c-Myc, cyclin D1, Bcl-2, TCF4, LEF1, and elevated the protein levels of GSK-3βand Bax, phospho-β-catenin in mouse CAC. In addi?tion, UA substantially ameliorated the gut microbiota to store the metabolic function in the mice with CAC. CONCLU?SION Ursolic acid may protect against CAC, potentially by downregulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway activity and restoration of gut microbiota.

Inhibition of colorectal cancer by ursolic acid via noncanonical Hedgehog signaling pathway / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE To identify the inhibitory effect of ursolic acid on the colorectal cancer HCT116 cells in vitro and in vivo, and to explore the underlying mechanism. METHODS The smoothened (SMO) gene-silenced human colorectal cancer HCT116hSMO- cell line was established by transfection with the lentivirus carrying SMO shRNA. The cytotoxic effect of ursolic acid on HCT116hSMO-cells was determined by MTT assay. The effect of ursolic acid on the migration of HCT116hSMO- cells was studied by wound healing assay. The effect of ursolic acid on apoptosis of HCT116hSMO-cells was explored by Hoechst33342/PI double staining and flow cytometry. The effects of ursolic acid on the expressions of apoptotic marker gene Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-3 and caspase-9 were measured by real-time quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) and Western blotting (WB) analysis. RT-qPCR and WB were used to examine the relationship between GLI1, c-Myc expression and PI3K/Akt pathway to further investigate the mechanism of GLI1 activation in HCT116hSMO- cells. The effects of ursolic acid on the expressions of GLI1, p-Akt, Akt, c-Myc, SHH and SUFU of nonca?nonical Hedgehog pathway were evaluated by RT-qPCR and WB assays. Xenograft nude mouse model bearing HCT116hSMO- cells was established and intraperitoneally treated with ursolic acid to investigate the effect on tumor growth in vivo. The body weight and tumor size of mice were assessed regularly every 2 d. The effect of ursolic acid on the apoptosis of tumor tissue was determined by TUNEL assay. The expressions of Bcl-2, Bax, GLI1, p-Akt, Akt, c-Myc, SHH, SUFU mRNA and proteins were measured by RT-qPCR and WB. The levels of Bcl-2, Bax, GLI1, p-Akt, c-Myc and SHH proteins in tumor tissues were also evaluated by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Ursolic acid significantly inhibited the growth and migration of HCT116hSMO-cells in vitro, compared with the control (P<0.05). Meanwhile, ursolic acid also induced apoptosis of HCT116hSMO- cells in vitro (P<0.05). Furthermore, SC79 (Akt activator) enhanced the expressions of p-Akt, GLI1 and c-Myc, which could be abolished by ursolic acid, and the effect was equal to Akt inhibitor LY294002. The expressions of Bcl-2, GLI1, p-Akt, c-Myc, SHH mRNA and proteins were reduced by ursolic acid, while the levels of Bax and SUFU were increased. Ursolic acid could inhibit the growth and induce the apoptosis of colorectal cancer xeno?graft in vivo. Similarly, lower levels of Bcl-2, GLI1, p-Akt, c-Myc and SHH, and higher expression of Bax and SUFU were noted in ursolic acid-treated mice. CONCLUSION Ursolic acid can inhibit the growth and induce apoptosis of HCT116hSMO- cells both in vitro and in vivo. And the mechanism is related to the suppression of PI3K/Akt-mediated noncanonical Hedgehog signaling pathway.

Terpenoids from aerial parts of Gendarussa vulgaris / 中草药

Objective: To isolate and identify the terpenoids from the aerial parts of Gendarussa vulgaris. Methods: The 95% EtOH extract of the aerial parts of G. vulgaris were isolated and purified by silica gel, Sephadex LH-20, reversed-phase ODS, macroporous adsorption resin AB-8 and semi-preparative high performance liquid chromatography. The compound structures were identified by physicochemical properties and spectroscopic data. Results: Ten terpenoids were identified as gvterpennoid A (1), 4,4,14α- trimethylpregn-8-en-3β,20α-diol (2), betulone (3), ergosterol endoperoxide (4), ursolic acid (5), oleanolic acid (6), 3β-hydroxyl- 11α,12α-epoxy olean-28,13β-lactone (7), sweroside (8), loganin (9), and dehydromorroniaglycone (10). Conclusion: Compound 1 is a new triterpene, named gvterpennoid A. Compound 2 is a new natural product, and its 13C- and 1H-NMR chemical shifts were first completely assigned on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic evidence. Compounds 3-5, 7-10 are isolated from Gendarussa genus for the first time.

Chemical constituents of Melaleuca alternifolia and its antitumor activities / 中草药

Objective: To investigate the chemical constituents of the barks and stems of Melaleuca alternifolia and its antitumor activities. Methods: The chemical constituents were separated and purified consecutively by silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography, recrystallization as well as preparative HPLC. Their structures were determined by physicochemical properties and spectral analyses. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity of some compounds against PC-9 (human non-small cell lung cancer cell line), HT29 (human colon cancer cell line) and MCF-7 (human breast cancer cell line) were tested by CCK8 method. Results: Eleven compounds were isolated and identified as ursolic acid 3-O-β-cis-caffeate (1), ursolic acid 3-O-β-trans-caffeate (2), tricontyl ferulates (3), 3-O-acetyl-11(12)-en-urs-28,13β-olide (4), 3-O-acetyl-ursolic acid (5), tricontyl caffeate (6), ursolic acid (7), n-nonacosanol (8), urs-12(13)-en-3-one-28-oic acid (9), 3β-O-acetyl-11α,12α-epoxy-oleanane-28,13β-olide (10), and betulin (11). Conclusion: Compound 1 and 2 are cis-trans isomers. Compound 1 is isolated from natural product for the first time, all the compounds are isolated from this plant for the first time except for compound 11. Compound 1 exhibited moderate inhibited effect on the proliferation of three human cancer cell lines.

Chemical composition identification and mechanism study of Tenghuang Jiangu Capsule based on UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS and network pharmacology / 中草药

Objective: To systematically study the chemical components of Tenghuang Jiangu Capsule, explore the main mechanism of action, and provide some evidences for the research of its pharmacodynamic substances. Methods: In this study, UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS was used to comprehensively analyze the main chemical components of Tenghuang Jiangu Capsule. According to the MS/MS spectrometry information of compounds, the chemical information of this herbal formula can be quickly and accurately identified by comparison with standards or references. Next, the BAT-MAN-TCM database was used to predict the targets of the identified chemical components. The KEGG pathway annotation analysis and GO enrichment analysis were further carried out through the DAVID database to screen out the main pharmacodynamic substances of Tenghuang Jiangu Capsule and explore the potential mechanisms. Results: A total of 34 chemical components were identified in Tenghuang Jiangu Capsule. The "component-target" network analysis indicated that the major components including kaempferol, isoflavoues aglycone, ursolic acid, formononetin, and stigmasterol might act on some key targets such as Bcl-2, BAX, AKt, PPARG, PTGS1, PTGS2, TNF, IL6, F7, IL1B, etc. The results indicated that osteoclast differentiation, NF-κB, PI3K-Akt, renal cell, and platelet activation might be the main action pathways of exerting the therapeutic effect of bone protection, nourishing kidney, promoting blood circulation and relieving pain of Tenghuang Jiangu Capsule. Conclusion: In this study, UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS combined with network pharmacology was used to preliminarily clarify the chemical composition and reveal potential mechanism of Tenghuang Jiangu Capsule. The results provided scientific theoretical basis for screening the effective ingredients and further clarifying the mechanism of action of Tenghuang Jiangu Capsule.

Research on molecular mechanism of Qiwei Tongbi Oral Liquid in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis via network pharmacology / 中草药

Objective: To investigate the major active components and potential molecular mechanism of Qiwei Tongbi Oral Liquid in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: After protein targets related with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were collected by mining literature, DrugBank, TTD and OMIM database, the potentional protein targets based on molecular docking were projected into KEGG databases to illustrate the molecular mechanism of Qiwei Tongbi Oral Liquid. Then RAW264.7 cells induced by LPS were employed to test the predict results. Results: Data analysis showed that 107 potential components acted on 116 RA related targets and 237 pathways. Herb-compound-target-pathway network analysis showed that triterpenoid, flavonoids, sterols and alkaloids isolated from Qiwei Tongbi Oral Liquid were the main active ingredients. These compounds could interact with a group of targets and pathways that might participate in anti-inflammatory, analgesic, immune regulation, proliferation, apoptosis, migration and invasion of synovial fibroblasts, osteoclast differentiation, migration and bone resorption. Some compounds against anti-inflammatory activity were verified by in vitro. Conclusion: The active components of Qiwei Tongbi Oral Liquid could regulate multiple biological pathways by acting with multiple target proteins, playing a role in reducing inflammation and swelling of joints, preventing and reducing the destruction of joint bones, and promoting the repair of damaged joint bones. The research results not only reveal its molecular mechanism and pharmacodynamic components, but also provide a theoretical basis for the subsequent experimental research of Qiwei Tongbi Oral Liquid.

Study on Improvement of Quality Standards of Shiwei Yipi Granules / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To prov ide reference for the improvement of quality standards of Shiwei yipi granules. METHODS ： According to the general rules of 2015 edition of Chinese Pharmacopeia （part Ⅳ），microscopic identification was used to identify Massa Medicata Fermentata and Galli Gigerii Endothelium Corneum ；TLC method was used to qualitatively identify Crataegi Fructus and Semen Raphani ；the content of sinapine thiocyanate in Semen Raphani was determined by HPLC. RESULTS ：The microscopic characteristics were obvious for Massa Medicata Fermentata （palisade cells of testa and stone cells of testa ）and Galli Gigerii Endothelium Corneum （irregular fragments ）. The same fluorescent spots of Crataegi Fructus and Semen Raphani were displayed at the same position of ursolic acid ，sinapine thiocyanate control and Semen Raphani reference substance. The linear range of sinapine thiocyanate was 23.27-9 574.42 ng （r＝1.000 0）. The LOD and LOQ were of 0.50 μ g/mL and 1.68 μ g/mL， respectively. RSDs of precision ，repeatability，intermediate precision and stability tests （24 h）were all less than 1.5％. The average recoveries were 99.40％-100.89％（RSDs were 0.18％-0.49％，n＝3）. The contents of sinapine thiocyanate in 3 batches of Shiwei yipi granules were 0.086 4-0.220 6 mg/g，the average was 0.168 4 mg/g. CONCLUSIONS ：The identification method of Massa Medicata Fermentata ，Galli Gigerii Endothelium Corneum ，Crataegi Fructus and Semen Raphani in Shiwei yipi granules as well as the method for content determination of sinapine thiocyanate in Semen Raphani are established successfully. The content of Semen Raphani in the Shiwei yipi granules is no less than 0.16 mg/g calculated by sinapine thiocyanate （C16H24NO·5 SCN）.

Optimization of the Purification Technology of Total Triterpenoids of Ligustrum lucidum by Box-Behnken Re- sponse Surface Methodology / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To i mprove the transfer rate and purity of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid in total triterpenoids from Ligustrum lucidum ，so as to optimize the purification technology. METHODS ：Oleanolic acid and ursolic acid were used as representative components of total triterpenoids ，and their contents were determined by HPLC. The determination was performed on Thermo BDS Hypersil C 18 column with mobile phase consisted of methanol- 0.02％ ammonium acetate solution （80∶20，V/V）at the flow rate of 1.0 mL/min. The detection wavelength was set at 210 nm，and column temperature was 30 ℃. The sample size was 20 μ L. In single factor tests，using transfer rate of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid as index ，the effects of water precipitation temperature and time ，the amount of redissolved ethanol on the purification technology was investigated ；using transfer rate and purity of two components as indexes ，the effects of the amount of activated carbon and volume fraction of crystallization ethanol were investigated. Based on it ，using the amount of redissolved ethanol and activated carbon ，volume fraction of crystallization ethanol as factors ，Box-Behnken response surface methodology was used to optimize the purification technology ，and validation tests were performed. RESULTS ：The optimal purification technology was adding 4-fold（mL/g，the same below ）water in L. lucidum concentrated solution ，placing for 2 hours at 0 ℃（water precipitation ）；adding 1-fold ethanol to dissolve （redissolution）； adding 4％ activated carbon （edulcoration）；finally adding water to adjust the volume fraction of ethanol to 80％，placing at 4 ℃ for 12 hours（crystallization），centrifuging and drying. The results of 3 times of validation tests showed that the transfer rates of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid in total triterpenoids prepared by optimized technology were 61.11％ and 65.78％，the purities of them were 53.44％ and 19.79％，and RSDs were both lower than 3％. CONCLUSIONS ：The optimized purification technology has high extraction efficiency and simple operation ，which can be used for industrial production of purification of total triterpenoids from L. lucidum and the development of corresponding preparations.

Screening of HDAC3/8 Small Molecule Inhibitors from Traditional Chinese Medicine Based on Molecular Docking / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To discover a small molecule active ingredient of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with the inhibitory activity of histone deacetylase (HDAC) 3/8. Method::The molecular docking technique was performed by AutoDock 4.2.6 software. Trichostatin A (TSA) was used as a reference to screen 19 small molecular components from TCM, and the default docking conformation number was set to obtain the docking binding energy, active site amino acid residues and hydrogen bonds, and the biological activity was verified. Result::The binding energies of 19 small molecule components from TCM to HDAC3 and HDAC8 were different. Among them, ursolic acid, fangchinoline and tetrandrine have low binding energies to HDAC3 and HDAC8, and their binding activities were strong. The optimal binding energy of fangchinoline and HDAC3 at the site 1 was the lowest (-26.71 kJ·mol-1), and that of HDAC8 at the site 9 was the lowest (-26.84 kJ·mol-1). The optimal binding energy of tetrandrine and HDAC3 at the site 13 was the lowest (-26.38 kJ·mol-1), and that of HDAC8 at the site 12 was the lowest (-25.41 kJ·mol-1). In addition, the binding energy of ursolic acid and HDAC3 at the site 16 was the lowest (-25.83 kJ·mol-1), and that of HDAC8 at the site 8 was the lowest (-35.62 kJ·mol-1). Three kinds of amino acids at the docking site of small molecules were rendered by PyMOL 2.3.1.When ursolic acid was combined with HDAC3/8, the active sites produced two hydrogen bonds, and the interaction was strong, and many amino acids were connected at the active site. The fangchinoline formed two hydrogen bonds with the active site of HDAC3 and one hydrogen bond with the active site of HDAC8, and hydrophobic binding with some active site amino acids. There was no hydrogen bond between tetrandrine and HDAC3/8, and all docking sites were docked by 4 active amino acids. Three small molecules (ursolic acid, fangchinoline and tetrandrine) with the best docking effect had the inhibitory activity against HDAC3/8 at the concentration of 500 μmol·L-1 and 100 μmol·L-1, and the inhibitory activity was still optimal among the 10 selected small molecules. Conclusion::Among the screened 19 small molecules, ursolic acid, tetrandrine and fangchinoline may be the new anti-inflammatory drugs of HDAC3/8 inhibitory target, which provides a reference for further exploration and discovery of new anti-inflammatory drugs.

Inhibitory effect of ursolic acid on proliferation of TPC-1 cells in thyroid carcinoma / 医学研究生学报

ObjectiveAt present, there are relatively few studies on the inhibitory effect of ursolic acid (UA) on the proliferation of thyroid cancer cells. This paper intends to explore the inhibitory effect and mechanism of ursolic acid on the proliferation of TPC-1 cells in thyroid papillary carcinoma.MethodsAfter adhering TPC-1 cells to the wall, the original medium was discarded and added ursolic acid medium without fetal bovine serum (0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 μmol/L, respectively, with 0 μmol/L as the control), and then the culture medium without cells was used as blank. The proliferation inhibition rate of TPC-1 cells was detected by CCK8 reagent at different times (24 h, 48 h); Flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis rate; JC1 kit was used to detect the changes of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) of TPC-1 cells after ursolic acid was applied; Fluorescent probe DCFH-DA was used to detect reactive oxygen species in TPC-1 cells after ursolic acid intervention; Flow cytometry was used to detect the protein expression of survivin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in cells. RT-PCR assay detected the expression of survivin and VEGF mRNA in TPC-1 cells after the intervention of ursolic acid at different concentrations.ResultsThe inhibitory rate of 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 mol/L ursolic acid on TPC-1 cells was significantly higher than that of 0 mol/L (P<0.01), and the inhibitory rate of 48 h ursolic acid on TPC-1 cells was significantly higher than that of 24 h (P<0.05). Therefore, the TPC-1 cell inhibition rate was positively correlated with ursolic acid concentration and the time (P<0.05). The apoptosis rates of 0 mol/L, 4 mol/L and 8 mol/L ursolic acid were (4.13±0.61)%, (6.53±0.65)% and (13.13±1.59)%, respectively. With the increase of the concentration, the apoptosis rate of TPC-1 cells increased gradually (P<0.05). The relative expression levels of survivin, VEGF protein and mRNA of 4 and 8 mol/L ursolic acid were significantly lower than those of 0 mol/L (P<0.05), and the expression levels of 8 mol/L ursolic acid was significantly lower than that of 4 mol/L (P<0.05).ConclusionUrsolic acid can effectively inhibit the proliferation and induce the apoptosis of TPC-1 cells, and its inhibitory induction pathway is related to the expression of survivin and VEGF in cells.