Tetrandrine inhibits migration and invasion of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes through down-regulating the expressions of Rac1, Cdc42, and RhoA GTPases and activation of the PI3K/Akt and JNK signaling pathways / 中国天然药物

Tetrandrine (Tet), the main active constituent of Stephania tetrandra root, has been demonstrated to alleviate adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of Tet on the migration and invasion of rheumatoid arthritis fibroblast-like synoviocytes (RA-FLS) and explore the underlying mechanisms. By using cultures of primary FLS isolated from synoviums of RA patients and cell line MH7A, Tet (0.3, 1 μmol·L(-1)) was proven to significantly impede migration and invasion of RA-FLS, but not cell proliferation. Tet also greatly reduced the activation and expressions of matrix degrading enzymes MMP-2/9, the expression of F-actin and the activation of FAK, which controlled the morphologic changes in migration process of FLS. To identify the key signaling pathways by which Tet exerts anti-migration effect, the specific inhibitors of multiple signaling pathways LY294002, Triciribine, SP600125, U0126, SB203580, and PDTC (against PI3K, Akt, JNK, ERK, p38 MAPK and NF-κB-p65, respectively) were used. Among them, LY294002, Triciribine, and SP600125 were shown to obviously inhibit the migration of MH7A cells. Consistently, Tet was able to down-regulate the activation of Akt and JNK as demonstrated by Western blotting assay. Moreover, Tet could reduce the expressions of migration-related proteins Rho GTPases Rac1, Cdc42, and RhoA in MH7A cells. In conclusion, Tet can impede the migration and invasion of RA-FLS, which provides a plausible explanation for its protective effect on RA. The underlying mechanisms involve the reduction of the expressions of Rac1, Cdc42, and RhoA, inhibition of the activation of Akt and JNK, and subsequent down-regulation of activation and/or expressions of MMP-2/9, F-actin, and FAK.

Crebanine inhibits voltage-dependent Na+ current in guinea-pig ventricular myocytes / 中国天然药物

AIM@#To study the effects of crebanine on voltage-gated Na(+) channels in cardiac tissues.@*METHODS@#Single ventricular myocytes were enzymatically dissociated from adult guinea-pig heart. Voltage-dependent Na(+) current was recorded using the whole cell voltage-clamp technique.@*RESULTS@#Crebanine reversibly inhibited Na(+) current with an IC50 value of 0.283 mmol·L(-1) (95% confidence range: 0.248-0.318 mmol·L(-1)). Crebanine at 0.262 mmol·L(-1) caused a negative shift (about 12 mV) in the voltage-dependence of steady-state inactivation of Na(+) current, and retarded its recovery from inactivation, but did not affect its activation curve.@*CONCLUSION@#In addition to blocking other voltage-gated ion channels, crebanine blocked Na(+) channels in guinea-pig ventricular myocytes. Crebanine acted as an inactivation stabilizer of Na(+) channels in cardiac tissues.

Hernsubanine E, a new hasubanan alkaloid from Stephania hernandifolia / 中国中药杂志

A new hasubanan alkaloid, hernsubanine E (1), as well as two known compounds p-hydroxybenzaldehyde (2) and (-)-syringaresinol (3) have been isolated from the whole plants of Stephania hernandifolia by various column chromatographic methods. Their structures were identified by physicochemical properties and spectral analyses. Compounds 2 and 3 were isolated from the genus of Stephania for the first time.

Akaloids from roots of Stephania dentifolia / 中国中药杂志

Eight alkaloids were isolated from the thin sulfuric acid extracts of the fresh roots of Stephania dentifolia by aluminum oxide, silica and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography methods. Based on the spectroscopic analysis and chemical evidence, the structures of these alkaloids were identified as sinoacutine (1), sinomenine (2), cephamonine (3), tetrahydropalmatine (4), capaurine (5), stepharanine (6), (+)-stepharine (7) and palmatine (8). All compounds were obtained from this plant for the first time.

Hasubanan type alkaloids in Stephania hernandifolia / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the hasubanan type alkaloids in Stephania hernandifolia.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The dried herbs of S. hernandifolia. were extracted with 95% ethanol. After removal of the solvent, the residue was first partitioned between acid water and petroleum ether, then the aqueous layer was basified and extracted with chloroform to obtain crude alkaloids. Column chromatograghic methods with on silica gel, Rp-18, MCI CHP 20P, Sephadex LH-20 were applied for the isolation and purification of the crude alkaloid fraction. The structures were elucidated by their physicochemical properties and spectral data.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Nine hasubanan type alkaloids were obtained and identified as aknadinine(1), longanone(2), stephasunoline (3), N-methylstephuline(4), epistephamiersine(5), prostephabyssine(6), aknadilactam(7), dihydroepistephamiersine(8), hasubanonine(9).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compounds 2-8 were isolated from this plant for the first time.</p>

Alkaloids in stems and leaves of Stephania cepharantha / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the alkaloids in the stems and leaves of Stephania cepharantha.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>The dried stems and leaves of S. cepharantha were percolated with 95% ethanol and the solvent was removed by rotary evaporation to give a concentrate, and the concentrate was extracted by petroleum ether and chloroform. Column chromatograghy on MCI CHP 20P, silica gel, Rp-18, Sephadex LH-20 and polyamide were applied for the isolation and purification of the chloroform fraction. The structures were elucidated by their physicochemical properties and spectral data.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Eleven alkaloids were obtained and identified as lysicamine (1), tetrahadropalmatine (2), palmatine (3), isocorydione (4), corydalmine (5), corypalmine (6), sinoracutine (7), sinoacutine (8), cepharamine (9), isocorydine (10) and corydine (11).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Compounds 2-7 were isolated from S. cepharantha for the first time, and compound 7 was isolated from the genus Stephania for the first time, compound 4 was isolated from the Menispermaceae family for the first time.</p>

Study on pharmacokinetics of crebanine injection in rabbits / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To develop an HPLC method for the determination of serum level of Crebanine (Cre) and study on the pharmacokinetics of Cre injection in rabbits.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>To sample blood serum from the rabbits' ears which were injected the Cre by 2.0 mg x kg(-1) at different time and use HPLC to determine the concentration of Cre in it, the pharmacokinetic parameters were accessed by the DAS software.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Cre was fitted to a two compartment open pharmacokinetic model in rabbits. There was no signifiant difference between the male and female rabbits'pharmacokinetic by t-test. The mainly pharmacokinetic parameters were: t1/2alpha = (3. 246 +/-0.222) min, t1/2beta = (36.67+/-5.52) min, Cmax = (1.401 +/- 0.062) mg x L(-1), Vd = (5.928 +/- 0.877) L x kg(-1), Cl = (0. 051 +/-0.003) L x min(-1) x kg(-1).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This experiment can objectively show the pharmacokinetics regularity of Crebanine injection in rabbits. Crebanine injection was a speeding disposition drug (t1/2 <1 h) and disposed extensively and rapidly in rabbits.</p>

Reversal of multidrug resistance in drug-resistant cell line EAC/ADR by cepharanthine hydrochloride and its mechanism / 药学学报

<p><b>AIM</b>To investigate the correlation between reversal effect of cepharanthine hydrochloride (CH) on multidrug resistance (MDR) in drug-resistant cell line EAC/ADR and the nuclear transcription factor-KB (NF-KB).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cytotoxicity was determined by the tetrazolium (MTT) assay in vitro. An EAC/ADR cell homograft model was established to investigate the effect of CH on reversing MDR in vivo. The constitutive activity and activation of NF-KB by drugs were measured by Dot-Enzyme-linked Immune Sorbent Assay (Dot-ELISA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CH was shown to potentiate the cytotoxicity of ADR, a 13- fold reversal effect of resistance was achieved in vitro. In mice bearing EAC/ADR cell homografts, CH was found to prolong the survival time of animals bearing tumor. Increase in life span over control was 75. 37%. In addition, the constitutive activity of NF-KB and activation of NF-KB by chemotherapy were lowered by CH.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The findings suggest that CH is able to reverse drug resistance and its mechanism may be related to suppressing the constitutive activity and activation of NF-KB by drugs.</p>

Alkaloids with aporphin skeleton from Stephania dielsiana Y.C.Wu of Vietnam

From the tube of Stephania dielsiana (Menispermaceae) collected in Mai Chau-Hoa Binh province, three alkaloids dehydrostesakine (LO3C), 1,2-methylendioxy- 8,9-dimethoxy-7-oxodibenzo quinoline (oxocrebanin) (LO5B), and 1,2-methylendioxy-8-methoxy-7-oxodibenzo-quinoline have been isolated and charaterized by spectroscopic analyses (mainly by 1D and 2D NMR). Among them, the 1,2-methylendioxy-8-methoxy-7-oxodiben-zoquinoline is a new compound

Discovery of the species Stephania viridiflavens H.S. Lo et M. Yang in S¬n La province

The first time the Stephania viridiflavens H.S. Lo et M. Yang has been discovered in North Vietnam (SonLa province).