Anti-inflammatory effect of Celastrol in the ocular tissues of mice with exper-imental autoimmune uveitis and its impact on microglia polarization / 眼科新进展

Objective To investigate the anti-inflammatory action of Celastrol in the ocular tissues of mice with ex-perimental autoimmune uveitis(EAU)and its effect on microglia polarization.Methods A total of 36 healthy B10.RⅢmice at 6-8 weeks of age were selected and randomly divided into the normal control group,EAU solvent control group and Celastrol intervention group,with 12 mice in each group.The interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein(IRBP)161-180 and Freund's complete adjuvant were mixed by thorough emulsification and injected subcutaneously into the bilateral thighs and tails of mice in the EAU solvent control group and the Celastrol intervention group with a total volume of 200 μL and 50 μg IRBP 161-180 in each mouse.On 7-14 days after immunization,mice in the Celastrol intervention group received a daily intraperitoneal injection of 0.5 mg·kg-1 Celastrol,and mice in the EAU solvent control group were injected with an equivalent dose of sterile Phosphate Buffered Saline solution.On the 14th day after immunization,the anterior segment of mice in each group was observed by slit-lamp microscope and Hematoxylin and Eosin(HE)staining of tissue sections was performed;the clinical and histopathological scores of mice in each group were obtained by reference to the Caspi grading standards;immunofluorescence staining was used to observe the activation of microglia in the eyes of mice;Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS)and arginase-1(Argl)in the reti-na;quantitative real-time PCR was used to detect the relative mRNA expression of inflammatory factors in the retina,such as tumor necrosis factor(TNF)-α,interleukin(IL)-1β and IL-6.GraphPad Prism 9.0 was used for data analysis.Results On the 14th day after immunization,it was observed by the slit-lamp microscope that the anterior segment of mice in the EAU solvent control group was markedly congested with dilated iris blood vessels,corneal edema,and anterior chamber exudation;the inflammation in the anterior segment of mice in the Celastrol intervention group was markedly at-tenuated,and the iris blood vessels were seen to be mildly congested.Compared with the normal control group,the clini-cal scores of mice in the EAU solvent control group and the Celastrol intervention group were significantly elevated(both P＜0.05);the clinical scores of mice in the Celastrol intervention group were lower than those in the EAU solvent control group(P＜0.05).HE staining results showed that on the 14th day after immunization,mice in the EAU solvent control group showed severe retinal folds and detachment with diffuse infiltration of inflammatory cells,while mice in the Celastrol intervention group showed slight structural damage to the retina and a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration.Com-pared with the normal control group,the histopathological scores of mice in the EAU solvent control group and the Celas-trol intervention group were significantly elevated(both P＜0.05);the histopathological scores of mice in the Celastrol in-tervention group were lower than those in the EAU solvent control group(P＜0.05).The intraocular Iba1+cell densities of mice in the normal control,EAU solvent control and Celastrol intervention groups were(1.00±0.12)％,(36.07± 4.57)％,and(1.83±0.36)％,respectively.Compared with the normal control group,the number of Iba1+cells in the eyes of mice in the EAU solvent control group and the Celastrol intervention group significantly increased(both P＜0.05);compared with the EAU solvent control group,the number of Iba1+cells in the eyes of mice in the Celastrol intervention group was significantly reduced(P＜0.05).Compared with the normal control group,the expression levels of iNOS and Arg1 proteins in the retinas of mice in the EAU solvent control group were significantly elevated(both P＜0.01);compared with the EAU solvent control group,the expression of iNOS protein in the retinas of mice in the Celastrol intervention group was significantly reduced(P＜0.01).Compared with the normal control group,the relative mRNA expressions of TNF-α.IL-1β,and IL-6 in the retinas of mice in the EAU solvent control group was significantly elevated(all P＜0.05);compared with the EAU solvent control group,the relative mRNA expressions of TNF-α,IL-1 β,and IL-6 in the retinas of mice in the Celastrol intervention group significantly decreased(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Celastrol inhibits Ml microglia activation and reduces the production of retinal inflammatory factors TNF-α,IL-1 β and IL-6 in EAU mice,thereby attenuating the in-flammatory reaction.

Neuroprotective effect and mechanism of celastrol and its derivatives in vitro / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To explore the neuroprotective effect and possible mechanism of celastrol （Cel） and its derivatives （Cel-1， Cel-2） in terms of neuroinflammation and oxidative damage. METHODS Neuroinflammation model of microglial BV2 cells was induced by 1 μg/mL lipopolysaccharide （LPS）； oxidative damage model of human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells was induced by 200 μmol/L hydrogen peroxide （H2O2）. The toxicity of different concentrations of Cel， Cel-1 and Cel-2 （0.625-20 μmol/L） to the two types of cells was investigated. The levels of nitric oxide （NO）， tumor necrosis factor α （TNF-α）， interleukin 1β （IL-1β）， and IL-6 in BV2 cells induced by LPS at safe concentrations （0.039-0.625 μmol/L） were all detected. The survival rate of SH-SY5Y cells induced by H2O2 was also determined. The expression levels of phosphoinositide 3-kinase （PI3K）， p-PI3K， protein kinase B （Akt）， p-Akt， cystatinase 3 （caspase-3）， B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2） and Bcl-2-related X protein （Bax） in SH- SY5Y cells induced by H2O2 at 0.156， 0.313， 0.625 μmol/L of active compound 2 were all detected. RESULTS In the concentration gradient range between 0.039 and 0.625 μmol/L， the results of neuroinflammation model experiments showed that Cel， Cel-1 and Cel-2 could reduce the contents of NO， TNF-α， IL-1β， and IL-6 in culture medium of BV2 cells （P＜0.05 or P＜ 0.01）； their IC50 values for neuroinflammation were （0.25±0.04）， （0.61±0.14） and （0.11±0.02） μmol/L respectively. Meanwhile， all of them could reverse the phenomenon of decreased cell survival rate after H2O2 treatment in the oxidative damage experiments at a certain concentration （P＜ 0.05 or P＜0.01）， with neuroprotective EC50 values of （0.43± XJC2023009） 0.08）， （0.45±0.04） and （0.28±0.03） μmol/L， respectively.Induced by H2O2， the phosphorylation of PI3K and Akt protein， protein expressions of Bcl-2 and Bcl-2/Bax ratio were all increased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）， while the protein expressions of caspase-3 and Bax were decreased significantly （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS Cel， Cel-1， and Cel-2 all have significant neuroprotective activities at certain concentrations， and Cel-2 shows the most significant protective effect. The mechanism of action of Cel-2 may be related to regulating the PI3K/Akt and caspase-3/Bcl-2/Bax signaling pathways， reducing the inflammatory response， oxidative stress damage and inhibiting neuronal apoptosis.

Construction of folate receptors and mitochondria targeting celastrol-loaded PAMAM nano-drug delivery system and its in vitro anti-inflammatory effect / 药学学报

Pro-inflammatory macrophages play key regulatory role in the occurrence and development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In this study, we constructed a celastrol (Cel)-loaded polyamide-amine dendrimer (PAMAM) drug delivery system, which could target folate receptor and mitochondria. It could target inflammatory macrophages and realize chemo-photothermal synergistic therapy. Using PAMAM as the nano-carrier, folate receptor-targeting group folic acid (FA) and mitochondria-targeting group IR808 (also known as the photothermal agent) were conjugated with PAMAM through amide reaction, and then complexed with anti-inflammatory drug Cel to prepare the FA-PAMAM-IR808/Cel nanocomplex. In vitro characterization results showed that the drug loading efficiency of the nanocomplex was 50.90%, particle size was between 130 and 160 nm, average potential was between 1.0 and 3.5 mV, the drug release showed pH sensitivity, temperature reached to 42.5 ℃ after near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation for 10 min. In vitro cellular uptake experiments showed that the nanocomplex had obvious folate receptor-targeting and mitochondria-targeting ability. Following irradiation with NIR light, the cytotoxicity and cellular apoptosis enhanced. The secretion of pro-inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and nitric oxide (NO) decreased in a concentration-dependent manner. This study provided insights for the development of novel anti-RA nanomedicines.

The target of celastrol acting on HSP60 against pulmonary fibrosis / 药学学报

Celastrol, extracted from Tripterygium wilfordii, is a natural pentacyclic triterpene compound, which has an anti-pulmonary fibrosis effect. However, its effect, binding targets and regulatory mechanism in pulmonary fibroblasts remain unclear. In this study, we found that celastrol could prevent fibroblast-myofibroblast transformation (FMT) by significantly inhibiting transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1)-induced α-smooth muscle actin and type I collagen expression. Previous studies suggested that heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) may be the target of celastrol. This study confirmed the direct interaction between celastrol and HSP60 through cellular thermal shift assay and surface plasmon resonance experiment, and demonstrated that the KD value of celastrol binding to HSP60 was 8.59 μmol·L-1. Further studies showed that knockdown of HSP60 promoted TGFβ1-induced FMT, especially in the medium and low dose TGFβ1 treatment group, and that the anti-FMT effect of celastrol was significantly weakened after HSP60 knockdown. These results indicated that HSP60 was involved in maintaining the resting state of fibroblasts, and the anti-FMT effect of celastrol was dependent on HSP60. Furthermore, the autophagy promotion and antioxidant effects of celastrol were also weakened after HSP60 knockdown. In conclusion, celastrol inhibits FMT by targeting HSP60, thus exerting anti-pulmonary fibrosis function.

Celastrol targeting Nedd4 reduces Nrf2-mediated oxidative stress in astrocytes after ischemic stroke / 药物分析学报

Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide,and oxidative stress plays a crucial role.Celastrol exhibits strong antioxidant properties in several diseases;however,whether it can affect oxidation in cerebral ischemic-reperfusion injury(CIRI)remains unclear.This study aimed to determine whether celastrol could reduce oxidative damage during CIRI and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.Here,we found that celastrol attenuated oxidative injury in CIRI by upregulating nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(Nrf2).Using alkynyl-tagged celastrol and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry,we showed that celastrol directly bound to neuronally expressed developmentally downregulated 4(Nedd4)and then released Nrf2 from Nedd4 in astrocytes.Nedd4 promoted the degradation of Nrf2 through K48-linked ubiquitination and thus contributed to astrocytic reactive oxygen species production in CIRI,which was significantly blocked by celastrol.Furthermore,by inhibiting oxidative stress and astrocyte activation,celastrol effectively rescued neurons from axon damage and apoptosis.Our study uncovered Nedd4 as a direct target of celastrol,and that celastrol exerts an antioxidative effect on as-trocytes by inhibiting the interaction between Nedd4 and Nrf2 and reducing Nrf2 degradation in CIRI.

Effect of Celastrol Based on IRAK4/ERK/p38 Signaling Pathway on Proliferation and Apoptosis of Multiple Myeloma Cells / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the effect of celastrol on the proliferation and apoptosis of human multiple myeloma (MM) cell lines, reveal the relationship between IRAK4/ERK/p38 signaling pathway and celastrol regulating the proliferation and apoptosis of H929 and ARP-1 cells, and explore whether celastrol combined with bortezomib has synergistic effect. @*METHODS@#CCK-8 method was used to detect the viability of MM cell lines H929 and ARP-1 treated by different concentrations of celastrol, bortezomib, and their combination, and the synergistic effect was determined by Kim's formula. The apoptosis rate of H929 cells and necrosis rate of ARP-1 were detected by Annexin V/PI method. The expression of key proteins and apoptosis proteins in IRAK4/ERK/p38 signaling pathway were detected by Western blot. @*RESULTS@#Celastrol could significantly inhibit the proliferation of H929 and ARP-1 cells (r=0.9018, r=0.9244) and induce apoptosis in a time-dependent manner. Compared with the control group, celastrol could significantly up-regulate the expression of PARP and cleaved caspase-3 while down-regulate the expression of p-IRAK4, p-ERK, and p-p38 in H929 and ARP-1 cells. Celastrol and bortezomib alone inhibited the proliferation of H929 and ARP-1 cells. Compared with celastrol and bortezomib alone, their combination had lower cell survival rate and higher apoptosis rate (P<0.05). @*CONCLUSION@#Celastrol can inhibit the proliferation and promote the apoptosis of H929 and ARP-1 cells, which may be related to inhibiting the phosphorylation of IRAK4 and blocking the activation of IRAK4/ERK/p38 signaling pathway. Celastrol combined with bortezomib has synergistic effect, which can more effectively inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of H929 and ARP-1 cells.

Enhanced uptake and anti-maturation effect of celastrol-loaded mannosylated liposomes on dendritic cells for psoriasis treatment

Psoriasis is an autoimmune skin disease in which dendritic cells (DCs) trigger the progression of psoriasis by complex interactions with keratinocytes and other immune cells. In the present study, we aimed to load celastrol, an anti-inflammatory ingredient isolated from Chinese herbs, on mannosylated liposomes to enhance DC uptake as well as to induce DC tolerance in an imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like mouse model. Mannose was grafted onto liposomes to target mannose receptors on DCs. The results demonstrated that compared with unmodified liposomes, DCs preferred to take up more fluorescence-labeled mannosylated liposomes. After loading celastrol into mannose-modified liposomes, they effectively inhibited the expression of maturation markers, including CD80, CD86 and MHC-II, on DCs both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, after intradermal injection with a microneedle, celastrol-loaded mannose-modified liposomes (CEL-MAN-LPs) achieved a superior therapeutic effect compared with free drug and celastrol-loaded unmodified liposomes in the psoriasis mouse model in terms of the psoriasis area and severity index, histology evaluation, spleen weight, and expression of inflammatory cytokines. In conclusion, our results clearly revealed that CEL-MAN-LPs was an effective formulation for psoriasis treatment and suggested that this treatment has the potential to be applied to other inflammatory diseases triggered by activated DCs.

Celastrol exerts anti-colorectal cancer effect via STAT3 inhibition / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the anti-tumor effect of celastrol(CEL)on colorectal cancer and the possible targets/mechanisms. Methods The cytotoxic activities of CEL were evaluated against A549, HCT-116, HepG2 by CCK-8 method. Western blotting was used to detect the expression level of STAT3 and its upstream and downstream proteins(JAK2, Survivin, MCL-1)in HCT-116 cells before and after CEL treatment Flow cytometry was applied to assess CEL's apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest effect in HCT-116 cells. SPR detection and molecular docking analysis were performed to further assess the binding ability between CEL and STAT3 protein. Lastly, human colorectal cancer organoid culture was constructed to verify the anti-tumor effect of CEL. Results CEL showed significant cytotoxicity to A549(IC50 = 2.37±0.02 μmol·L-1), HCT-116(IC50 = 1.40±0.21 μmol·L-1)and HepG2(IC50 = 2.52±0.02 μmol·L-1). Additionally, CEL could effectively decrease the level of p-STAT3 and the downstream gene expression of STAT3(Survivin and MCL-1)in a concentration-dependent manner; however, CEL did not affect the total level of STAT3 and upstream kinases JAK2. Moreover, CEL could induce apoptosis of HCT-116 cells concentration-dependently and arrest the cell cycle. According to the SPR analysis, CEL showed a strong binding affinity with the KD value(the equilibrium dissociation constant)of 60.38 μmol·L-1. Molecular docking analysis also suggested that CEL bound to the SH2 domain of STAT3. Lastly, CEL showed much better activity than the positive drug oxaliplatin(L-OHP)on all the colorectal cancer organoids. Conclusions CEL shows a significant anti-colorectal cancer effect, potentially caused by a direct target inhibiting STAT3, inducing apoptosis, and blocking the cell cycle.

Celastrol induced hepatocellular carcinoma cell death via ROS-mediated DNA damage / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the role of eelastrol in reactive oxygen species ( ROS) accumulation and DNA damage in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, and further investigate its effect on apoptosis induction in cancer cells.Methods Human liver cancer HepG2 and Huh7 cells were cultured with celastrol, then the morphological changes of cells were observed under microscope.MTT assay was employed to detect the proliferation of hepatocellular carcinoma cells, CM-H2DCFDA probe to detect intracellular ROS levels, and immunofluorescence to detect the expression level of -y-H2AX in celastrol-treated cells.Hoechst 33258 staining was used to observe nuclear condensation and fragmentation; Flow cytometry was used to evaluate cell death.J J Western blot was applied to measure the expression levels of -y-H2 AX, caspase-3, PARP and other proteins.Results Celastrol had a significant inhibitory effect on the proliferation of liver cancer cells in dose-dependent manner.Comparer] with the eontrol group, the eell viability was reduced and intracellular ROS level also increased significantly after celastrol treatment in a dose-dependent manner ( P < 0.05 ).With Hoechst staining, typical apoptotic characteristics such as nuclear chromatin condensation and fragmentation were observed in celastrol-treated cells.Western blot results showed that pro-form of caspase-3 significantly decreased, and the cleavage of PARP markedly increased by celastrol.After pretreatment with ROS inhibitor NAC, celastrol-mediated caspase-3 activation and PARP cleavage were significantly reversed ( P < 0.05 ).Conclusions Celastrol can induce apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma cells, and its anti-cancer effect is dependent on ROS-mediated DNA damage.

Preparation and characterization of biomimetic liposomes coated with erythrocyte membrane co-loading triptolide and celastrol / 药学学报

Drug combination can effectively enhance the anti-tumor effect, reduce the drug dose, and improve medication safety. The use of nano-carrier for drug co-delivery can effectively avoid the differences in drug delivery behavior in vivo. Triptolide and celastrol are the main anti-tumor active components of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook f. Modern studies have shown that the combination of triptolide and celastrol can significantly enhance the antitumor effect, but they are limited by poor water solubility and low tumor tissue delivery rate. In this study, a biomimetic erythrocyte membrane liposome co-loaded with triptolide and celastrol was prepared to characterize the morphology, particle size, potential, drug release, serum stability, and other properties. The immunogenicity, uptake behavior, and anti-cell proliferation ability of the biomimetic liposome was compared. All the animal experiments were carried out in accordance with protocol evaluated and approved by the Ethics Committee of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Chengdu, China). The results showed that the biomimetic erythrocyte membrane liposome co-loaded with triptolide and celastrol (C+T/RBCm@Lip) in this study had an average particle size of 119.12 ± 2.78 nm and a spherical "core-shell" structure. The zeta potential value was -16.9 ± 1.2 mV, and the drug release behavior in vitro was slow. In addition, the process of coating the cell membrane maintained the characteristics of erythrocyte membrane protein, had good stability in serum, and could effectively avoid the recognition and clearance of macrophages, without causing immunogenicity in vivo. The uptake effect of co-loaded biomimetic liposomes on HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells was enhanced compared with that of uncoated cell membrane liposomes, and the inhibitory effect on proliferation of HepG2 cells was enhanced. In conclusion, the biomimetic liposomes coated with erythrocyte membrane prepared in this study is beneficial to the anti-tumor delivery of triptolide and celastrol, and could enhance the inhibitory effect on the growth of HepG2 liver cancer cells, providing a new idea for the anti-tumor application of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook f.

Celastrol alleviates sepsis-induced acute lung injury in rats by inhibiting the Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-κB inflammatory pathway / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To investigate the protective effect and mechanism of celastrol in acute lung injury (ALI) of septic rats.Methods:According to random number table, 24 male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided into control group (Con group), Sham operation group (Sham group), sepsis-induced ALI group by cecal ligation and perforation (CLP group) and celastrol intervention group (CLP+celastrol group, 2 mg/kg intraperitoneal administration 1 hour before surgery), 6 rats in each group. The abdominal aortic blood of the rats was collected for blood gas analysis 24 hours after the surgery, and then the rats were sacrificed and the lung tissues were taken to calculate the lung wet/dry weight ratio (W/D). The pathological characteristics of lung tissues were observed under light microscope and calculated the lung injury score. The protein levels of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), interleukins (IL-6, IL-10), and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) of cytoplasm and nucleus in lung tissues were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results:The partial arterial oxygen pressure (PaO 2), lung W/D ratio, lung injury score and the protein levels of inflammatory factor in lung tissues had no differences between Con group and Sham group. Compared with the Con group, PaO 2 in the CLP group was significantly decreased [mmHg (1 mmHg = 0.133 kPa): 60.33±2.01 vs. 109.20±2.99], the lung W/D ratio and lung injury score were significantly increased (lung W/D ratio: 4.44±0.05 vs. 3.27±0.04, lung injury score: 10.67±0.42 vs. 0.50±0.22), and the protein levels of TLR4, IL-6, IL-10 and the nucleus NF-κB in the lung tissues were significantly increased [TLR4 (pg/L): 21.87±0.66 vs. 3.27±0.09, IL-6 (ng/L): 861.10±8.28 vs. 120.30±3.91, IL-10 (ng/L): 212.40±2.57 vs. 41.73±1.02, nuclear NF-κB (ng/L): 707.70±16.82 vs. 403.30±7.46], but the protein level of cytoplasm NF-κB was significantly decreased (ng/L: 213.70±8.67 vs. 408.30±8.71), with statistically significant differences (all P < 0.05). Compared with the CLP group, PaO 2 in CLP+celastrol group was significantly increased (mmHg: 76.83±3.21 vs. 60.33±2.01), the lung W/D ratio and lung injury score were significantly decreased (lung W/D ratio: 3.82±0.03 vs. 4.44±0.05, lung injury score: 5.00±0.37 vs. 10.67±0.42), and the protein levels of TLR4, IL-6, IL-10 and nucleus NF-κB in the lung tissue were significantly decreased [TLR4 (pg/L): 7.57±0.21 vs. 21.87±0.66, IL-6 (ng/L): 380.90±6.55 vs. 861.10±8.28, nuclear NF-κB (ng/L): 533.80±9.42 vs. 707.70±16.82], and the protein level of cytoplasm NF-κB was significantly increased (ng/L: 342.70±14.96 vs. 213.70±8.67), with statistically significant differences (all P < 0.05), while the protein level of IL-10 in lung tissues had no significant difference (ng/L: 210.50±3.16 vs. 212.40±2.57, P > 0.05). Conclusion:Celastrol may regulate the expression and release of inflammatory factors by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB pathway, thereby alleviating the ALI induced by sepsis in rats.

An injectable micelle-hydrogel hybrid for localized and prolonged drug delivery in the management of renal fibrosis

Localized delivery, comparing to systemic drug administration, offers a unique alternative to enhance efficacy, lower dosage, and minimize systemic tissue toxicity by releasing therapeutics locally and specifically to the site of interests. Herein, a localized drug delivery platform ("plum‒pudding" structure) with controlled release and long-acting features is developed through an injectable hydrogel ("pudding") crosslinked

Celastrol targets adenylyl cyclase-associated protein 1 to reduce macrophages-mediated inflammation and ameliorates high fat diet-induced metabolic syndrome in mice

Metabolic syndrome is a clustering of metabolic disorder with unclear molecular mechanism. Increasing studies have found that the pathogenesis and progression of metabolic syndrome are closely related to inflammation. Here, we report celastrol, a traditional Chinese medicine, can improve high fat diet-induced metabolic syndrome through suppressing resistin-induced inflammation. Mechanistically, celastrol binds to adenylyl cyclase associated protein 1 (CAP1) and inhibits the interaction between CAP1 and resistin, which restrains the cyclic adenylate monophosphate (cAMP)-protein kinase A (PKA)-nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-

Intervention Effect and Mechanism of Celastrol on NASH Induced by Methionine-choline Deficiency Diet in Mice / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To study the intervention eff ects and pot ential m echanism of celastrol on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis （NASH）induced by methionine-choline deficiency （MCD）diet. METHODS ：Male C 57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into normal control group ，model group ，celastrol low-dose and high-dose groups [ 0.5，1 mg/（kg·d）]，with 7 mice in each group. The normal control group was given a methionine-choline sufficient diet ，while the model group and administration groups were fed an MCD diet to induce NASH model. At the same time ，normal control group and model group were given polyoxyethylene castor oil intragastrically；administration groups were given relevant drugs intragastrically ；the volume of gavage was 0.1 mL/g，once a day ， for consecutive 4 weeks. The liver morphology was observed ，and the pathological changes of liver tissue were observed by HE staining and oil red O staining. The levels of serum liver enzymes （AST，ALT），and the levels of lipid indexes （TC，TG）in serum and liver tissue were detected by enzyme method. The protein expression of NF-κB p65，TNF-α and IL-6 in liver tissue were determined by Western blotting assay. RESULTS ：Compared with normal control group ，the volume of the liver was reduced and the color was yellow ，and the surface was rough in model group ；inflammatory cell infiltration ，fat vacuoles and lipid droplets aggregation were found in the liver tissue ；the serum levels of TC and TG were significantly decreased ，the levels of serum liver enzymes and protein expression of NF-κB p65，TNF-α and IL-6 in liver tissue were significantly increased （P＜0.01）. Compared with model group ，the liver surface of each administration group was ruddy and smooth without brown spots ，the inflammatory cells and fat vacuoles in liver tissue were reduced ，and the coverage area of lipid droplets was reduced ；the levels of serum TC and TG were significantly increased ，the levels of serum liver enzymes ，the levels of TG and protein expression of NF-κB，TNF-α and IL-6（except for celastrol low-dose group ）in liver tissue were significantly decreased （P＜0.05 or P＜0.01）. CONCLUSIONS ： Celastrol can improve the liver injury of NASH model mice induced by MCD diet ，which is related to the reduction of TG accumulation in liver tissue and inhibition of the expression of inflammatory related factors.

Celastrol Nanoemulgel Formulation And In Vitro Penetration Test

Objective: To obtain formulations of Celastrol (Cst) nanoemulgel via transdermal route. Celastrol is classified in BCS 4 class as an anti-inflammatory drug. These routes are considered to reduce the risk of Celastrol side effects and have the same characteristics as skin morphology. Methods: Celastrol nanoemulgel was prepared by a high-pressure homogenizer (HPH) technique. To find the optimum nanoemulsion area by using the Chemix 7.00 ternary phase program. Celastrol nanoemulgel was evaluated by measuring the particle size, PDI, morphology, zeta potential, stability tests and in vitro using Franz diffusion cell Results: Results showed the ideal formula based on the ternary phase diagram using chemix 7.00 is oil: smix: water (5:45:50), with particle size 89.9±5 nm, PDI 0.1, and zeta-21 mV. The morphological shape is quite spherical ≤ 100±5 nm. The pH value of this formula is 4.5, which compatible with the pH of the skin. The highest recovery rate of Celastrol and encapsulation efficiency (EE) were formulas 3 μg/ml and 5 μg/ml, with EE 91.70% and 94.54%, respectively. In vitro test results showed that the formula 3 μg/ml and 5 μg/ml give better penetration results than the formula 2.5 μg/ml. Thus, Celastrol nanoemulgel formula has good potential to be developed as a transdermal anti-inflammatory drug. Conclusion: Transdermal nanoemulgel containing Celastrol has been successfully developed with particle size ≤ 200±2 nm.

Effect of Celastrol on Neuropathic Pain Model Mice / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of celastrol on painful and the emotional of anxiety and depression comorbidity on neuropathic pain model animal and to explore its possible mechanism．Method:Mice were randomly divided into sham group， model group， pregabalin group(25 mg·kg-1)， low， medium and high-dose celastrol groups (5，10，20 mg·kg-1). The mice model of neuropathic pain were established by the L5 spinal nerve ligation (SNL). After successful modeling， the treatment groups were given intragastric administration， the sham group and the model group were given the same volume of warm water.Mechanical pain were detected by Von Frey tests， anxiety and depression behaviors were separately detected by the open field and the tail tailing experiments， the pathological changes of microglial cells in hippocampus of mice in each group were observed by immunohistochemical staining (IHC). The inflammation of BV2 microglial cell made by 1 mg·L-1 lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). The expression levels of TNF-α protein were detected by immunofluorescence（IF） staining.Result:Compared with sham group， significant change of mechanical pain thresholds， anxiety and depression were detected in the SNL mice (P<0.05，P<0.01)， the significant decreases of the body size of hippocampal microglia (P<0.05). Compared with SNL model group， 20 mg·kg-1 celastrol significantly increased the 50% paw withdraw threshold and the time of the open feld tests (P<0.05，P<0.01)，and decreased the time of the tail tailing experiments in the SNL mice (P<0.05)， and the cell body area of hippocampal microglia in SNL mice was reduced (P<0.05). Experiment in vitro show， compared with control group， the expression of TNF-α mRNA and protein expression in LPS-induced BV2 microglia increased significantly from 2-4 h (P<0.05，P<0.01). Compared with the LPS group， after 100 nmol·L-1 celastrol administration， LPS-induced microglia inflammatory factor TNF-α mRNA and TNF-α protein expression were significantly decreased (P<0.01).Conclusion:Celastrol can relieve pain-emotion comorbidity on neuropathic pain model mice， and its mechanism may be related to the anti-inflammation in the central nerves system.

Research Progress of Celastrol in Obesity / 中国药学杂志

Obesity is a kind of metabolic disease, which is a major risk factor of heart disease, diabetes mellitus and cancer. In recent years, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a stand of drugs treatment for obesity, including sibutramine, orlistat, belviq and so on,however, side effects may occur after long-term using. Celastrol is a class of pentacyclic triterpenoids extracted from the roots of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. It has been found that celastrol has the pharmacological activities of increasing leptin sensitivity, increasing fat metabolism, inhibiting the formation of lipocyte and inhibiting chronic inflammation in obesity animals. This overview summarizes the related mechanisms of celastrol on treatment of obesity to provide enlightenments for its further study.

Bio-molecular Mechanism of Celastrol Anti-diabetes and Its Complications Based on Biological Information Database / 中国药学杂志

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the biomolecular anti-diabetes mechanism and its complications of celastrol based on bioinformatics database. METHODS: The related genes of celastrol were obtained from the bioinformatics database, the cross-related genes of celastrol and diabetes mellitus were searched by Veen diagram software, the protein-protein interaction network was constructed by STRING software, the related KEGG pathway was identified by the DAVID software and KOBAS software, and the molecular network of anti-diabetes "compound-target gene-pathway-disease" was further constructed by R program software. RESULTS: There were 50 genes related to diabetes in celastrol, and 11 related pathways (P<0.001), which mainly affected the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications. The mechanism was to regulate AGE-RAGE-NF-κB axis by inhibiting NF-κB, which reduced the production of downstream inflammatory effectors, insulin resistance and fibrotic damage. CONCLUSION: Celastrol can improve the symptoms of diabetes and its complications by regulating the AGE-RAGE-NF-κB axis-related signaling pathway, which is expected to be a potential drug for the treatment of diabetes and its complications.

Effect of celastrol combined medication on the inhibition of HepG2 cell proliferation / 中国药科大学学报

@#To study the inhibitory effect of celastrol respectively combined with glycyrrhetic acid, paclitaxel, and rhein on the proliferation of human hepatoma cell line HepG2. The MTT method was used to detect the survival rate of HepG2 cells. The cooperativity index(CI)and Jin′s formula method were used to determine the synergistic effect. Apoptosis and cell cycle arrest were detected, too. The results show that celastrol, glycyrrhetinic acid, rhein, and paclitaxel alone can inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells, respectively. Combination with glycyrrhetic acid, paclitaxel, and rhein, respectively, the inhibitory effect of celastrol on the proliferation of HepG2 cells was significantly enhanced. And the synergistic effect on the proliferation inhibition of HepG2 cells in some concentrations was displayed in the experiment. The cell apoptosis rate was improved(P< 0. 01)and more cells were arrested in G2/M phase. Celastrol respectively combined with glycyrrhetic acid, paclitaxel, and rhein displayed a synergistic inhibitory effect on the proliferation of HepG2 cells, and the effect was related to inducing cell apoptosis and increasing the cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase.

Preparation and Primary Quality Evaluation of Celastrol Oral Ulcer Film / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE：To prepar e Celastrol oral u lcer film ，and to evalute its quality primarily. METHODS ：The comprehensive scores of the appearance ，film formation and toughness of the drug film were used as indicators ，and the amount of celastrol was controlled to 0.05％. Orthogonal test was used to optimize the amount of excipients as starch ，sodium carboxymethyl cellulose，glycerol and condensed honey ，so as to optimize the formulation ；the validation test was performed. The adhesion force of the film prepared by the optimal formulation were determined. UV spectrophotometer was used to detect the content of celastrol in the film. RESULTS ：The optimal dosage of each excipient in Celastrol oral ulcer film was starch 1.0 g，sodium carboxymethyl cellulose 0.2 g，glycerin 0.4 g，condensed honey 1.5 g. In 3 times of validation tests ，the appearance of the prepared film was good. The average adhesion of the film prepared by the optimal formulation was 4.2 g，and the average content of celastrol was 0.135 3 mg/cm2（RSD＝1.90％，n＝3）. CONCLUSIONS ：In this study ，the best formulation of Celastrol oral ulcer film was optimized，and the film forming ability of the prepared film is good and the quality is stable and uniform.