Research progress on triptolide functionalized nanoparticulate drug delivery systems for tumor treatment / 中国中药杂志

Nowadays,the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) for treatment of tumors are increasingly prominent.Triptolide shows wide-spectrum and highly effective anti-tumor activity. Moreover,nano-carrier-based triptolide drug delivery system is more powerful in improving water solubility and pharmacokinetic behavior of the drug,but it is easy to cause toxic and side effects that should not be neglected on human body. Because of tumor vascular heterogeneity and PEGylation dilemma,nanoparticulate drug delivery systems need to overcome multiple physiological and pathological barriers from drug administration to functioning. It is difficult for traditional triptolide nanoparticulate drug delivery systems to achieve active accumulation of nano-drug in tumor tissues and specific drug release in tumor target site solely relying on enhanced permeability and retention effect of solid tumor,limiting their application and clinical transformation in treatment of tumors. Based on the traditional nano-preparation system,the new functionalized nano-drug delivery system further enhances the nano-drug enrichment,penetration and controlled release at the tumor sites,which is of great significance in improving bioavailability,anti-tumor efficacy and reducing the side effects of drugs. In this paper,we summarized and analyzed the researches on new triptolide functionalized nano-drug delivery system from four perspectives,including tumor active targeting,tumor microenvironment response,polymer-drug conjugates,and multidrug co-delivery for tumor treatment,expecting to provide ideas for in-depth research and clinical application of triptolide and some other active anti-tumor TCM ingredients.

Sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate depresses angiotensin II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy through MEK/ERK pathway

Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aim of this study is to determine the effects of sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate (STS) on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by angiotensin II (Ang II) in vivo and in vitro. In long-term treatment, adult Wistar rats were infused with Ang II for three weeks via osmotic mini-pumps and some of them were given intragastrically of STS. Left ventricle was isolated; the ratio of left ventricular weight to body weight and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were determined and heart morphometry was assessed after hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results indicated STS inhibited Ang II-induced increases in myocyte diameter and decreased the LVW/BW ratio independent of decreasing systolic blood pressure. In vitro, treatment of cultured cardiomyocytes with STS inhibited Ang II-induced increase in cell size, protein synthesis, ANP expression, activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and ERK kinase (MEK). Then we reexamined the mechanism of STS-induced anti-hypertrophic effects. Results revealed MEK inhibitor U0126 (20 microM) markedly enhanced STS-induced depressions in [3H]leucine incorporation and ANP expression. In conclusion, MEK/ERK pathway plays a significant role in the anti-hypertrophic effects of STS.

Cryptotanshinone but not tanshinone IIA inhibits angiogenesisin vitro

In the course of screening of angiogenesis inhibitor from natural products, cryptotanshinone from Salvia miltiorrhiza was isolated as a potent small molecule inhibitor of angiogenesis. Cryptotanshinone inhibits bFGF-induced angiogenesis of BAECs at ten micromolar ranges in vitro without cytotoxicity. Tanshinone IIA, another tanshinone isolated from S. miltiorrhiza, which is structurally very similar to cryptotanshinone except C-15 position of dihydrofuran ring does not inhibit angiogenesis induced by bFGF. These results demonstrate that cryptotanshinone is a new anti-angiogenic agent and double bond at C-15 position of the dihydrofuran ring plays a crucial role in the activity.

Tanshinone IIA, an ingredient of Salvia miltiorrhiza BUNGE, induces apoptosis in human leukemia cell lines through the activation of caspase-3

Tanshinone II-A is a derivative of phenanthrene-quinone isolated from Salvia miltiorrhiza BUNGE, a traditional herbal medicine that is known to induce antiinflammatory, anti-oxidative and cytotoxic activity. We have examined cellular effects of Tanshione II-A on HL60 human promyelocytic leukemic cells and K562 human erythroleukemic cells. Tanshione II-A induced a dose- and time-dependent DNA fragmentation into the multiples of 180 bp and specific proteolytic cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase in both cell lines. PI-staining and flow cytometry analysis of K562 cells following Tanshione II-A treatment showed an increase of the cells possessing hypodiploid DNA indicative of apoptotic state of cells. Caspase-3 activity was significantly increased during Tanshinone II-A treatment of both HL60 and K562 cells, whereas caspase-1 activity was not changed. These results suggest that Tanshione II-A induced HL60 and K562 cellular apoptosis that may be associated with the selective members of caspase family. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.