Mechanism of Buyang Huanwu Decoction glycosides against atherosclerotic inflammation through NF-κB signaling pathway / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to explore the effect of Buyang Huanwu Decoction glycosides on the inflammatory response of apolipoprotein E~(-/-)(ApoE~(-/-)) mice and RAW264.7 cells through nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB) signaling pathway. In the in vivo experiment, ApoE~(-/-) mice were fed with high-fat diets for 12 weeks to induce the animal model of atherosclerosis, and 75 μg·mL~(-1) oxidized low-density lipoprotein(Ox-LDL) incubated RAW264.7 cells for 24 h to establish the atherosclerosis cell model. Automatic biochemical analyzer, hematoxylin-eosin(HE) staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), Western blot, and droplet digital polymerase chain reaction(PCR) were used to determine the blood lipid levels, aortic intimal thickness, inflammatory factor content, NF-κB pathway-related proteins, and mRNA expression levels, and evaluate arterial atherosclerotic lesions and anti-atherosclerotic mechanisms of the drug. The model of atherosclerosis was successfully established in ApoE~(-/-) mice after 12 weeks of feeding with high-fat diets. In the model group, the plasma levels of total cholesterol(TC), triglyceride(TG), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C) were increased(P<0.01), the intima of the blood vessels was thickened, the levels of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and interleukin-6(IL-6) were increased, and the protein and mRNA expressions of NF-κB and inhibitor of NF-κB(IκBα) were significantly increased as compared with the control group. Compared with the model group, the high-dose Buyang Huanwu Decoction glycoside group decreased the plasma levels of TC, TG, and LDL-C, reduced the plaque area and thickness and the content of inflammatory factor TNF-α, and inhibited the protein and mRNA expressions of NF-κB and IκBα, with the effect same as Buyang Huanwu Decoction. In the in vivo experiment, 75 μg·mL~(-1) Ox-LDL stimulated RAW264.7 cells for 24 h to successfully establish a foam cell model. As compared with the control group, the nuclear amount of NF-κB and the protein and mRNA expressions of IκBα in the model group increased. Compared with the model group, the middle-dose and high-dose Buyang Huanwu Decoction glycoside groups decreased the nuclear amount of NF-κB and the protein and mRNA expressions of IκBα. The above results show that the glycosides are the main effective substances of Buyang Huanwu Decoction against atherosclerosis, which inhibit the NF-κB pathway and reduce the inflammatory response, thus playing the role against atherosclerotic inflammation same as Buyang Huanwu Decoction.

Regulatory Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Promoting Angiogenesis After Cerebral Infarction Based on STAT3/miRNA Feedback Loop / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Cerebral infarction is a clinical disease with corresponding neurological symptoms caused by cerebral ischemia and hypoxia caused by cerebral blood supply disorder. It is one of the most common cerebrovascular diseases and a serious threat to human health. The prevention and treatment of cerebral infarction has an important social significance. Angiogenesis is the key starting point for medical treatment of cerebral infarction, and signal transduction and transcriptional activators (STAT)/hypoxia inducing factor-1(HIF-1)/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway are important pathways to mediate angiogenesis after cerebral infarction. This paper took the angiogenesis as the starting point and the upstream molecules of STAT/HIF-1/VEGF signal pathway STAT3 and miRNA as the main study objects, and comprehensively discussed the results of chip sequencing, experimental research, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) pathogenesis and TCM treatment. Based on the regulatory mode of "TF-miRNA" and the idea of "micro-whole", it is suggested that under the guidance of the basic theory of TCM, cubic compound prescriptions of TCM and its active components might activate the STAT/HIF-1/VEGF signal pathway through STAT3/miRNA feedback loop to promote angiogenesis after cerebral infarction, which puts forward a deep molecular mechanism and new direction for the treatment of cerebral infarction with TCM.