Background:In order to clarify the inmpat ofγirradiation on the chemical composition of traditional Chinese medicine,this paper carefully choosed Chuanxiong Rhizoma to carry on a demonstration study.Methods:Through a...Background:In order to clarify the inmpat ofγirradiation on the chemical composition of traditional Chinese medicine,this paper carefully choosed Chuanxiong Rhizoma to carry on a demonstration study.Methods:Through a meticulous assessment,a comprehensive comparison was made between the irradiated and unirradiated Chuanxiong Rhizoma samples.The property characteristics were investigated by colorimeter and electronic nose.The changes in chemical structures and contents was analyzed by fourier infrared spectroscopy,high performance liquid chromatography and fingerprinting.In a quest to uncover the presence of any new radiolysis products,cutting-edge techniques like ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were employed.Moreover,the difference of antioxidant activity were investigated.Results:The irradiation doses within 12 kGy had no significant effects on the content of the main chemical components,characteristics and in vitro antioxidant activity of Chuanxiong Rhizoma,while changes in some functional groups and degradation of some volatile oil components containing olefins need further study.Conclusion:This study indicates that^(60)Co-γirradiation is a stable method for sterilization of Chuanxiong Rhizoma.It’s also provide a reference for the establishment of irradiation standards for Chuanxiong Rhizoma and other aromatic medicinal plants.展开更多
Objective To explore the pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanism of action of volatile oil from Chuanxiong(Chuanxiong Rhizoma)-Suhexiang(Styrax)-Bingpian(Borneolum)(hereinafter referred to as C-S-B volatile oil)i...Objective To explore the pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanism of action of volatile oil from Chuanxiong(Chuanxiong Rhizoma)-Suhexiang(Styrax)-Bingpian(Borneolum)(hereinafter referred to as C-S-B volatile oil)in treating angina pectoris based on network pharmacology and to detect its protective effects against rat myocardial damage.Methods Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS)was used to determine the constituents of volatile oils from Chuanxiong(Chuanxiong Rhizoma),Suhexiang(Styrax),and Bingpian(Borneolum),and the targets of the three main constituents were found predicted and screened using the PharmMapper server,and Gene Cards and Coo LGe N databases.The STRING database and Cytoscape software were used to draw the protein-protein interaction(PPI)network,RStudio software was used to analyze Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genome and Genome(KEGG)pathways,and Cytoscape software was used to construct the component-target-pathwaydisease network.The rat model of myocardial injury was established by intraperitoneal injection of a large dose of isoprenaline hydrochloride.After continuous intervention with C-S-B volatile oil for 14 d,the ejection fraction(EF)and short axis shortening rate(FS)of the left ventricle were detected.The indices of myocardial damage were detected after hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining.Results Fifteen volatile oil components from the C-S-B formula were identified.There are 470 targets of these volatile oil components and 401 angina-related genes.There are 28 core targets,including CHRM4,ADRA1 A,FGFR1,CHRM2,CYP2 A6,CHRM5,CHRM1,CHRM3,HDAC2,and MPO,etc..The results of the KEGG analysis indicated that the C-S-B formula probably interferes with the following pathways:neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions,calcium signaling,cytochrome P450 metabolism of heteropoietin,among others.The results of animal experiments showed that the C-S-B formula essential oil could significantly improve the following myocardial indices in rats with myocardial injury:EF,FS,left ventricular end-systolic diameter(LVIDs),left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVIDd),and stroke volume(SV),and all the differences were statistically significant(P<0.01).Conclusion The mechanism of action of volatile oil components in the C-S-B formula in treating angina pectoris was analyzed using multi-component,multi-target and multi-pathway systems,which has laid a foundation for further revealing its mechanism of action.Animal experiments have shown that the volatile oil of the C-S-B formula can improve EF,FS,and other indices of myocardial damage in a rat model,thus relieving myocardial damage caused by heart hyperactivity,improving cardiac function,and protecting against myocardial damage.展开更多
Chuanxiong Rhizoma is the dry rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong in the umbelliferae family.Chuanxiong Rhizoma pungent,warm,go to liver,gallbladder and pericardium.Effective in promoting blood circulation,promoting Qi,d...Chuanxiong Rhizoma is the dry rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong in the umbelliferae family.Chuanxiong Rhizoma pungent,warm,go to liver,gallbladder and pericardium.Effective in promoting blood circulation,promoting Qi,dispelling wind and relieving pain,it could treat chest pain,tingling pain in chest and flank,lump,irregular menstruation,amenorrhea,symptomatic abdominal pain,headache and rheumatic pain.Neurovascular headache is a primary disease caused by dysregulation of intracranial vascular movement and nerve function.It has the characteristics of long course,intermittent recurrent attacks,lingering and difficult to heal.Attacks are often accompanied by many plant nervous system symptoms,such as rapid breathing,accelerated heart rate,vomiting,and gastrointestinal dysfunction.Vascular nerve headache is a common clinical disease,frequently bidity.Studies have shown that Chuanxiong Rhizoma has good pharmacological effects in the treatment of vascular neuropathic headache.①The action of Qi and blood circulation:vascular and neurovascular headache is caused by the evil of external wind and cold and damp heat,which leads to the disconnection of the veins,the disorder of Qi and blood,the obstruction of Qi and blood channels,the loss of brain collateral,and finally causes migraine.Modern Chinese medicine points out that"wind,blood stasis,deficiency,phlegm"are the key factors of the disease.Chuanxiong Rhizoma is the medicine of Qi in the blood.It is pungent and warm.It is good at activating blood and promoting Qi,dispelling wind,relieving pain and dispelling cold,so as to achieve the effect of treating vascular headaches.②Improve brain circulation:angioneurotic headache is caused by dysfunction of the central nervous system related to the regulation of vascular movement,which causes vasospasm or extreme vasodilation,and the decrease of intracranial blood flow causes cerebral ischemia and hypoxia.Sodium ferulate is a chemical component in Chuanxiong Rhizoma.It has a relatively good inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation and the release of 5-HT from platelets.It can ensure the normal contraction of intracranial and extracranial blood vessels,improve the patient′s brain circulation and nerve function,so as to achieve the effect of treating angioneurotic headaches.③Sedative and analgesic effect:the volatile oil and water decoction of Chuanxiong Rhizoma have sedative and analgesic effects,and the water decoction can counteract the excitatory effect of caffeine.Studies have shown that the ATP activation current of rat dorsal root ganglion neurons can be inhibited by ligustrazine in a non-competitive way,which also indicates that Chuanxiong Rhizoma has a good analgesic effect.In this study,the effects of Chuanxiong Rhizoma on angoneeurotic headache were reviewed,and the pharmacological effects of Chuanxiong Rhizoma were further elucidated,providing basis for clinical application and new drug development of Chuanxiong Rhizoma in the treatment of angoneeurotic headache.展开更多
Backgroud:Parkinson’s disease(PD)is a neurodegenerative disorder with an increasing global prevalence.However,the development of drugs for PD treatment has not kept pace with the continuously growing number of patien...Backgroud:Parkinson’s disease(PD)is a neurodegenerative disorder with an increasing global prevalence.However,the development of drugs for PD treatment has not kept pace with the continuously growing number of patients.Currently,the search for new effective substances from natural drugs is a major research direction.Two Chinese medicinal materials,Saposhnikoviae Radix(Fangfeng)and Chuanxiong Rhizoma(Chuanxiong),are commonly used in the treatment of PD in China.However,the mechanism of their combination is not clear,and further research is needed.Methods:Data were collected from publicly available databases:TCMSP,UnitProt,GeneCards OMIM,PharmGKB,Therapeutic Target Database and DrugBank.Network pharmacology and molecular docking methods was used to analyze the data to discover the possible pharmacological effects of the two drugs in the treatment of PD.Results:Beta-sitosterol,Mandenol and Wallichilide were the active components of Saposhnikoviae Radix and Chuanxiong Rhizoma(FC),and they stably bonded with PD targets,including PTGS2,CASP3,AKT1 and JUN.The target genes of FC were significantly enriched in PD-associated pathways,including calcium signaling and apoptosis pathways.Moreover,the study revealed that the active components of FC may affect cellular structures,such as membrane rafts,membrane microdomains,membrane regions,and postsynaptic membranes,which,in turn,affect a variety of molecular functions and biological processes.Conclusion:The results of this study indicate the direction for clarifying the pharmacodynamic substances of FC,the extraction method of pharmacodynamic substances,as well as the mechanism and efficacy of pharmacodynamic substances.Importantly,this study provides a strategy for developing new therapeutic drugs for PD.展开更多
Based on network pharmacology,this study predicted the potential molecular mechanism and related pathways of the protective effect of traditional Chuanxiong Rhizoma,a traditional Chinese herb,on glaucomatous optic ner...Based on network pharmacology,this study predicted the potential molecular mechanism and related pathways of the protective effect of traditional Chuanxiong Rhizoma,a traditional Chinese herb,on glaucomatous optic nerve injury,and conducted in vitro experimental verification of the predicted results of network analysis.We analyzed the molecular mechanism of Chuanxiong Rhizoma in the potential treatment of glaucoma by revealing its main active ingredients and predicting its targets,so as to provide reference for subsequent basic research.Network pharmacological research results showed that the potential hub targets and key signaling pathways of Chuanxiong Rhizoma in the treatment of glaucoma were closely related to biological processes such as apoptosis,autophagy,inflammation,oxidative stress and angiogenesis.Molecular docking showed that many active ingredients,such as chrysophanol(CHR),myricanone and retinol,could combine well with their target proteins by intermolecular forces,especially CHR had strong binding ability with each target.We speculated that the main active component of Chuanxiong Rhizoma might be involved in the regulation of PI3K-Akt,Nod-like receptor,IL-4 and IL-13,MAPK,AGE-RAGE and neurotrophin signaling pathway by regulating of PI3K,Akt,TLR4,RAGE,NTRK2 and other key targets.Furthermore,it may achieve multi-directional intervention on apoptosis/autophagy,inflammation/immunity,oxidative stress and nutrient metabolism of axoplasma flow,and then delay the degeneration of optic nerve injury.In vitro experiments showed that the active component CHR of Chuanxiong Rhizoma could reverse the M1-type polarization and autophagy/apoptosis of mouse microglia(BV2)induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS)at the transcriptional level.Meanwhile,the expression of inflammatory mediators IL-1βand TNF-αwas inhibited,and the mRNA level of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 was significantly increased.In addition,CHR down-regulates activation of the RAGE-NOX4 pathway mediated by LPS in reducing oxidative stress.In this study,network pharmacology and molecular docking technology were integrated for the first time to explore the potential molecular mechanism of traditional Chinese herb“Chuanxiong Rhizoma”in the treatment on glaucoma,and CHR was innovatively proposed as an important ingredient in Chuanxiong Rhizoma that plays a protective role in the damage of optic nerve.Preliminary verification was conducted through in vitro experiments.The results suggest that Chuanxiong Rhizoma may interfere with autophagy and apoptosis,inhibit immune inflammation,as well as reduce oxidative stress in the treatment of glaucoma through the active components represented by CHR,so as to resist progressive optic nerve injury.Our study provides theoretical basis for the clinical use of Chinese herbal medicine or its extract in glaucoma,and also lays a solid foundation for the research of Chinese medicine in the field of optic nerve protection.展开更多
Objective:Using network pharmacology to explore the target and mechanism of Chuanxiong Rhizoma and Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma in the treatment of vascular dementia(VaD),so as to provide a reference for treating VaD thr...Objective:Using network pharmacology to explore the target and mechanism of Chuanxiong Rhizoma and Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma in the treatment of vascular dementia(VaD),so as to provide a reference for treating VaD through them.Methods:Traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform were used to screen the main active ingredients and targets of Chuanxiong Rhizoma and Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma.By means of Gene Cards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM),targets of VaD were collected.The intersecting targets were obtained by using the Venn map.The String online database was used to build a protein-protein interactions Network and the Metascape database was used to perform GO function enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis.A“drug-ingredient-target-pathway”network was constructed by Cytoscape software.Autodock vina software was used to conduct molecular docking between targets.Results:A total of 7 active ingredients in Chuanxiong Rhizoma and 4 active ingredients in Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma were screened.There were 42 active targets of Chuanxiong Rhizoma and 70 active targets of Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma and 1152 disease targets.After deleting the repeat value,51 drugs targets were obtained.After the intersection,with a total of 25 targets.According to GO and KEGG enrichment analysis,the main biological processes involved include cellular response to lipid,negative regulation of apoptotic signaling pathway,blood circulation,response to a steroid hormone,etc.The main pathways include pathways in cancer,PI3K-Akt signaling pathway,and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications,etc.Molecular docking showed that the most active docking combinations were AKT1 and Perlolyrine,RELA and FA,MAPK14 and FA,respectively.Conclusion:Chuanxiong Rhizoma and Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma play an important role in the treatment of VaD mainly by anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptosis.展开更多
Objective:Hepatic fibrosis has been widely considered as a conjoint consequence of almost all chronic liver diseases.Chuanxiong Rhizoma(Chuanxiong in Chinese,CX)is a traditional Chinese herbal product to prevent cereb...Objective:Hepatic fibrosis has been widely considered as a conjoint consequence of almost all chronic liver diseases.Chuanxiong Rhizoma(Chuanxiong in Chinese,CX)is a traditional Chinese herbal product to prevent cerebrovascular,gynecologic and hepatic diseases.Our previous study found that CX extracts significantly reduced collagen contraction force of hepatic stellate cells(HSCs).Here,this study aimed to compare the protection of different CX extracts on bile duct ligation(BDL)-induced liver fibrosis and investigate plausible underlying mechanisms.Methods:The active compounds of CX extracts were identified by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).Network pharmacology was used to determine potential targets of CX against hepatic fibrosis.Bile duct hyperplasia and liver fibrosis were evaluated by serologic testing and histopathological evaluation.The expression of targets of interest was determined by quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR)and Western blot.Results:Different CX extracts were identified by tetramethylpyrazine,ferulic acid and senkyunolide A.Based on the network pharmacological analysis,42 overlap targets were obtained via merging the candidates targets of CX and liver fibrosis.Different aqueous,alkaloid and phthalide extracts of CX(CX_(AE),CX_(AL) and CXP_(HL))significantly inhibited diffuse severe bile duct hyperplasia and thus suppressed hepatic fibrosis by decreasing CCCTC binding factor(CTCF)-c-MYC-long non-coding RNA H19(H19)pathway in the BDL-induced mouse model.Meanwhile,CX extracts,especially CX_(AL) and CX_(PHL) also suppressed CTCF-c-MYC-H19 pathway and inhibited ductular reaction in cholangiocytes stimulated with taurocholate acid(TCA),lithocholic acid(LCA)and transforming growth factor beta(TGF-β),as illustrated by decreased bile duct proliferation markers.Conclusion:Our data supported that different CX extracts,especially CX_(AL) and CX_(PHL) significantly alleviated hepatic fibrosis and bile duct hyperplasia via inhibiting CTCF-c-MYC-H19 pathway,providing novel insights into the anti-fibrotic mechanism of CX.展开更多
Background:Acute lung injury(ALI)is a high-fatality respiratory disease,and the development of new therapeutic agents is ongoing.Chuanxiong Rhizoma has been prescribed for the therapy of ALI in traditional Chinese med...Background:Acute lung injury(ALI)is a high-fatality respiratory disease,and the development of new therapeutic agents is ongoing.Chuanxiong Rhizoma has been prescribed for the therapy of ALI in traditional Chinese medicine.Objective:The purpose of this article is to explore the effective ingredients,targets,and mechanisms in the treatment of Chuanxiong Rhizoma on ALI.Methods:The active ingredients of Chuanxiong Rhizoma were obtained in the TCMSP,and their potential targets and ALI targets were predicted in TCMSP,Swiss target prediction,and Genecards database.A PPI network was constructed in the string online platform,and KEGG and GO enrichment analysis were conducted in the metascape online platform.Phytochemical investigation of Chuanxiong Rhizoma was performed with chemical separation methods and structural elucidation techniques,and their pharmacological effects were evaluated using LPS-induced mouse ALI model and cell-based assays.Results:Network pharmacology analyses indicated that the treatment of Chuanxiong Rhizoma on ALI was associated with its antiinflammatory effect.The key genes mainly include TNF,STAT3,EGFR,AKT1,BCL2,CASP3,and SRC,and the active compounds are its signature component,phthalides.Phytochemical investigation led to the elucidation of 23 phthalides,which demonstrated an anti-inflammatory effect in vitro and in vivo.Of which,chuanxiongdiolide A,levistilide A,butylphthalide,and senkyunolide A were indeed effective in mitigating ALI in an LPS-induced mouse model.Conclusions:The combined network pharmacological,phytochemical,and pharmacological investigations revealed that the therapeutical effect of Chuanxiong Rhizoma against ALI was associated with inhibition of the inflammatory response by phthalides.展开更多
Angelicae Sinensis Radix(Danggui)and Ligusticum Chuanxiong Rhizoma(Chuan Xiong)herb-pair(DC)have been frequently used in Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)prescriptions for hundreds of years to prevent vascular disease...Angelicae Sinensis Radix(Danggui)and Ligusticum Chuanxiong Rhizoma(Chuan Xiong)herb-pair(DC)have been frequently used in Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)prescriptions for hundreds of years to prevent vascular diseases and alleviate pain.However,the mechanism of DC herb-pair in the prevention of liver fibrosis development was still unclear.In the present study,the effects and mechanisms of DC herb-pair on liver fibrosis were examined using network pharmacology and mouse fibrotic model.Based on the network pharmacological analysis of 13 bioactive ingredients found in DC,a total of 46 targets and 71 pathways related to anti-fibrosis effects were obtained,which was associated with mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)signal pathway,hepatic inflammation and fibrotic response.Furthermore,this hypothesis was verified using carbon tetrachloride(CCl_4)-induced fibrosis model.Measurement of liver functional enzyme activities and histopathological examination showed that DC dramatically reduced bile acid levels,inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen deposition caused by CCl_4.The increased expression of liver fibrosis markers,such as collagen 1,fibronectin,α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)and transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β),and inflammatory factors,such as chemokine(C-C motif)ligand 2(MCP-1),interleukin-1β(IL-1β),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and IL-6 in fibrotic mice were significantly downregulated by DC herb-pair through regulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2(ERK1/2)-protein kinase B(AKT)signaling pathways.Collectively,these results suggest that DC prevents the development of liver fibrosis by inhibiting collagen deposition,decreasing inflammatory reactions and bile acid accumulation,which provides insights into the mechanisms of herbpair in improving liver fibrosis.展开更多
Chuanxiong Rhizoma is a widely used Chinese herbal medicine in the past 2000 years.Chuanxiong Rhizoma is composed of volatile oils,phthalide lactones,phenolic acids,polysaccharides and other compounds.To date,more tha...Chuanxiong Rhizoma is a widely used Chinese herbal medicine in the past 2000 years.Chuanxiong Rhizoma is composed of volatile oils,phthalide lactones,phenolic acids,polysaccharides and other compounds.To date,more than 149 compounds in Chuanxiong Rhizoma have been isolated and identified,and some of them have been reported to possess promising biological properties on cardiovascular and central nervous system disorders besides their anti-cancer and antioxidant effects.Modulation of inflammatory mediators and apoptotic factors are believed to contribute to its bioactivities.Analytical methods,such as HPLC,GC and UPLC,are employed for qualitative evaluation of Chuanxiong Rhizoma.In this work,harvest period,growing habitat,processing method and storage,which can affect the quality of Chuanxiong Rhizoma,were also discussed.Comprehensive quality control methods should be developed to ensure the safety,quality and efficacy use of Chuanxiong Rhizoma.Herein,we collected and analyzed the literature of Chuanxiong Rhizoma published on CNKI,ScienceDirect,Springer link,Wiley and PubMed in past two decades,and up-to-date information of Chuanxiong Rhizoma was provided in this paper.We suggested ligustilide,butylidenephthalide and total senkyunolides as the chemical markers to evaluate the quality of Chuanxiong Rhizoma.Additionally,the influences of soil conditions and processing methods on Chuanxiong Rhizoma as future research perspectives should also be further assessed.展开更多
Objective:Most of the studies on the herb Chuanxiong Rhizoma(CR)have focused on the L-arginine-nitric oxide(NO)pathway,but the nitrate-nitrite-NO(NO_(3)^(-)–NO_(2)^(-)–NO)pathway was rarely investigated.Therefore,th...Objective:Most of the studies on the herb Chuanxiong Rhizoma(CR)have focused on the L-arginine-nitric oxide(NO)pathway,but the nitrate-nitrite-NO(NO_(3)^(-)–NO_(2)^(-)–NO)pathway was rarely investigated.Therefore,the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects and mechanisms of action of CR in coronary artery disease(CAD).Methods:The NO_(3)^(-),NO_(2)^(-)and NO levels were examined in the NO_(3)^(-)–NO_(2)^(-)–NO pathway.High-performance ion chromatography was used to quantify NO_(3)^(-)and NO_(2)^(-)levels.Then,NO was quantified using a multifunctional enzyme marker with a fluorescent probe.The tension of aortic rings was measured using a multi myograph system.Results:High content of NO_(3)^(-)and low content of NO_(2)^(-)was found in CR,and which could potently convert NO_(3)^(-)to NO_(2)^(-)in the presence of endogenous reductase enzyme.Incubating human coronary artery endothelial cells(HCAECs)with CR-containing serum showed that CR significantly decreased the NO_(3)^(-)content and increased the levels of NO_(2)^(-)and NO in the cells under hypoxic conditions.In addition,CR significantly relaxed isolated aortic rings when the L-arginine–NO pathway was blocked.The optimal concentration of CR for relaxation was 200 mg/m L.Conclusion:CR supplements large amounts of NO in cells and vessels to achieve relaxation via the NO_(3)^(-)–NO_(2)^(-)–NO pathway,thereby making up for the deficiency caused by the lack of NO after the L-arginine-NO pathway is suppressed.This study also supports the potential use of a traditional Chinese herb for future drug development.展开更多
Objective:Chuanxiong Rhizoma(CR,the dried rhizomes of Ligusticum chuanxiong)is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine that promotes qi to activate blood,dispels wind,and relieves pain.To date,more than 118 constitu...Objective:Chuanxiong Rhizoma(CR,the dried rhizomes of Ligusticum chuanxiong)is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine that promotes qi to activate blood,dispels wind,and relieves pain.To date,more than 118 constituents of CR have been isolated and identified.However,the in vivo mechanism of CR decoction is unclear and needs further investigation.In addition,to clarify the effective forms of CR,it is essential to reveal the absorbed constituents and metabolites of CR.Materials and Methods:The absorbed constituents and metabolites in urine and plasma samples of rats orally administered with CR decoction were screened and characterized using a high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector and combined with electrospray ionization ion trap time-of-flight multistage mass spectrometry technique.Results:In total,102 compounds,including 11 absorbed constituents(eight phthalides and three phthalic acids)and 91 metabolites(71 phthalide-related and 20 phenolic acid-related),were detected in drug-containing rat urine and plasma samples,among which 33 were new metabolites of either CR or its constituents.Based on the structures of these metabolites,six phthalides(ligustilide,senkyunolide I/H,senkyunolide J/N,and butylidenephthalide)and three phenolic acids(ferulic acid,isoferulic acid,and caffeic acid)were proposed as their precursors.They were also deduced to be the main absorbed constituents of CR decoction,which should have closer relationships with its pharmacological effects than other constituents.Phthalide-related metabolites were formed through the metabolic reactions of hydration,hydroxylation,cysteine conjugation,acetylcysteine conjugation,methanethiol conjugation,mercaptomethanol conjugation,glucuronidation,and sulfation,whereas the phenolic acid-related metabolites were mainly formed by glucuronidation and sulfation.Conclusions:Six phthalides and three phenolic acids were shown to be the main precursors of the metabolites of CR,and 33 compounds were new metabolites of either CR or its constituents.These results are helpful for further understanding of the in vivo mechanism and effective forms of CR.展开更多
Chuanxiong Rhizoma(CX,the dried rhizome of Ligusticum wallichii Franch.),a well-known traditional Chinese medicine,is clinically used for treating cardiovascular,cerebrovascular and hepatobiliary diseases.Cholestatic ...Chuanxiong Rhizoma(CX,the dried rhizome of Ligusticum wallichii Franch.),a well-known traditional Chinese medicine,is clinically used for treating cardiovascular,cerebrovascular and hepatobiliary diseases.Cholestatic liver damage is one of the chronic liver diseases with limited effective therapeutic strategies.Currently,little is known about the mechanism links between CX-induced anti-cholestatic action and intercellular communication between cholangiocytes and hepatic stellate cells(HSCs).The study aimed to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of different CX extracts including the aqueous,alkaloid,phenolic acid and phthalide extracts of CX(CX_(AE),CX_(AL),CX_(PA)and CX_(PHL))and investigate the intercellular communication-related mechanisms by which the most effective extracts work on cholestatic liver injury.The active compounds of different CX extracts were identified by UPLC-MS/MS.A cholestatic liver injury mouse model induced by bile duct ligation(BDL),and transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)-treated human intrahepatic biliary epithelial cholangiocytes(HIBECs)and HSC cell line(LX-2 cells)were used for in vivo and in vitro studies.Histological and other biological techniques were also applied.The results indicated that CX_(AE),CX_(AL)and CX_(PHL)significantly reduced ductular reaction(DR)and improved liver fibrosis in the BDL mice.Meanwhile,both CX_(AE)and CX_(PHL)suppressed DR in injured HIBECs and reduced collagen contraction force and the expression of fibrosis biomarkers in LX-2 cells treated with TGF-β.CX_(PHL)suppressed the transcription and transfer of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1(PAI-1)and fibronectin(FN)from the‘DR-like’cholangiocytes to activated HSCs.Mechanistically,the inhibition of PAI-1 and FN by CX_(PHL)was attributed to the untight combination of the acetyltransferase KAT2A and SMAD3,followdd by the suppression of histone 3 lysine 9 acetylation(H3K9ac)-mediated transcription in cholangiocytes.In conclusion,CX_(PHL)exerts stronger anti-cholestatic activity in vivo and in vitro than other CX extracts,and its protective effect on the intracellular communication between cholangiocytes and HSCs is achieved by reducing KAT2A/H3K9ac-mediated transcription and release of PAI-1 and FN.展开更多
Objective:The objective was to study the potential substance basis and action mechanism of Chuanxiong Rhizoma(CX)and Angelicae Dahuricae Radix(AD)on analgesia through network pharmacology and molecular docking.Materia...Objective:The objective was to study the potential substance basis and action mechanism of Chuanxiong Rhizoma(CX)and Angelicae Dahuricae Radix(AD)on analgesia through network pharmacology and molecular docking.Materials and Methods:The active components and targets of CX and AD and pain-related genes were retrieved through Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP)and GeneCards database.Then,the co-action targets were found,protein–protein interaction network was constructed by the String database.The Cytoscape 3.7.1 was used to construct"CX-AD-active components-pain"network.Further enrichment analysis of Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)was carried out to predict its mechanism of action,the top four active components in the network were docked with the targets.Results:There are 26 compounds,45 targets in the network.Among them,(Z)-ligustilide and beta-sitosterol,respectively,have more potential targets in CX and AD,and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase(PTGS2),PTGS1 have more ligands.GO analysis shows that molecular functions of CX and AD mainly performed through the G protein-coupled amine receptor activity,adrenergic receptor activity,and catecholamine binding.KEGG analysis indicates that they could exert analgesic effect on the pathways of regulating neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction,serotonergic synapse,and cGMP-PKG signaling pathway.Molecular docking results show that the active compounds are highly compatible with the structure of the protein receptor,and they interact through the hydrogen bond andπ–πbond between the ligand and the active site residues.Conclusions:Through network pharmacology and molecular docking,this study preliminarily revealed the main active components,targets,and potential regulation network of CX and AD,providing a reference for the subsequent experimental research.展开更多
A high-performance capillary electrophoresis with amperometric detection(CE-AD) method has been developed for the analysis of seven bioactive ingredients,namely ferulic acid(FA),vanillin,vanillic acid,p-hydroxybenzoic...A high-performance capillary electrophoresis with amperometric detection(CE-AD) method has been developed for the analysis of seven bioactive ingredients,namely ferulic acid(FA),vanillin,vanillic acid,p-hydroxybenzoic acid,caffeic acid,gallic acid and protocatechuic acid,in Rhizoma Chuanxiong.The effects of several factors such as the acidity and concentration of running buffer,the separation voltage,the applied potential to working electrode and the injection time were investigated.Under the optimum condit...展开更多
BACKGROUND： Vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） acts as ＂molecular bridge＂ following ischemic stroke to improve and restore blood supply and reduce infarction volume. Clinical studies have demonstrated the ...BACKGROUND： Vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） acts as ＂molecular bridge＂ following ischemic stroke to improve and restore blood supply and reduce infarction volume. Clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of Rhizoma Chuanxiong （Chuanxiong） in the treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases. However, whether it promotes endogenous VEGF expression in ischemic stroke remains unknown. OBJECTIVE： To investigate the influence of Rhizoma Chuanxiong on VEGF production in vitro cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells and on VEGF expression in ischemic cerebral tissues to explore its role in angiogenesis. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： In vitro basic comparison of traditional Chinese drug-containing serum pharmacology; in vivo randomized, controlled, animal experiment. This study was performed at the Medical Laboratory of West China Hospital, Sichuan University between December 2002 and April 2004. MATERIALS： Two Chinese rabbits were selected. One was intragastrically perfused with 5.8 g/kg Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract twice per day for three consecutive days to prepare Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract-containing serum. The remaining rabbit was intragastrically perfused with the same volume of normal saline twice per day for three consecutive days. Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract was provided by Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute, predominantly composed of ligustrazine, ligustilide, and ferulic acid. ChemiKineTM human VEGF Kit was purchased from Chemicon, USA; mouse anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody and biotin-goat anti-mouse IgG were purchased from Santa Cruz Biotechnology. Inc., USA. METHODS： （1） In vitro experiment： in vitro cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells were separately incubated in rabbit serum with 10% Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract, normal medium without rabbit serum, and rabbit serum without Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract （blank control）. In addition, cells from the three groups were incubated under normoxia （5% CO2, 95% air） and hypoxia （1% 02, 5% CO2, 94% N2）, respectively, for 24 hours. （2） In vivo experiment： a total of 4/44 Sprague Dawley rats were selected for the sham-operated group （no occlusion）, and the remaining rats were used to establish a cerebral ischemiaJreperfusion model by suture occlusion. 32 animals with ischemia/reperfusion injury were randomly divided into treatment and model groups, with 16 rats in each group. Both groups were intraperitoneally infused with 0.58 g/kg Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract and normal saline two hours following reperfusion. The sham-operated group was administrated normal saline. Animals were treated with saline or Chuanxiong extracts （0.58 g/kg） twice per day for three consecutive days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： In vitro experiment： VEGF concentration was detected in each group by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In vivo experiment： behavioral alterations of rats were evaluated by neurological function scale; infarct volume was assessed by hematoxylin-eosin staining; VEGF protein expression in the infarct regions was determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS： （1） VEGF levels were similar between the three groups under normexic condition （P 〉 0.05）; while hypoxia induced VEGF production （P 〈 0.01 ）. VEGF levels in the drug-containing serum group were particularly higher compared with the other groups （P 〈 0.01）. （2） Compared with normal saline treatment, Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract significantly improved the neurological scale and reduced cerebral infarct volumes （P〈 0.05）. The percent of VEGF-positive cells was significantly greater than the model group （P 〈 0.05）. The sham-operated group exhibited normal neurological function, with no infarct focus. CONCLUSION： Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract-containing rabbit serum effectively promoted cultured VEGF production under hypoxia. Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract upregulated VEGF expression in the infarct region, improved neurological function, and reduced infarct size.展开更多
基金This work was financially supported by Nationalities Introduces Talented Research Startup Project of Southwest Minzu University(RQD2021055)Sichuan Science and Technology Program(R22ZYZF0005)Innovative Scientific Research Project for Postgraduates of Southwest Minzu University(ZD2022798).
文摘Background:In order to clarify the inmpat ofγirradiation on the chemical composition of traditional Chinese medicine,this paper carefully choosed Chuanxiong Rhizoma to carry on a demonstration study.Methods:Through a meticulous assessment,a comprehensive comparison was made between the irradiated and unirradiated Chuanxiong Rhizoma samples.The property characteristics were investigated by colorimeter and electronic nose.The changes in chemical structures and contents was analyzed by fourier infrared spectroscopy,high performance liquid chromatography and fingerprinting.In a quest to uncover the presence of any new radiolysis products,cutting-edge techniques like ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry were employed.Moreover,the difference of antioxidant activity were investigated.Results:The irradiation doses within 12 kGy had no significant effects on the content of the main chemical components,characteristics and in vitro antioxidant activity of Chuanxiong Rhizoma,while changes in some functional groups and degradation of some volatile oil components containing olefins need further study.Conclusion:This study indicates that^(60)Co-γirradiation is a stable method for sterilization of Chuanxiong Rhizoma.It’s also provide a reference for the establishment of irradiation standards for Chuanxiong Rhizoma and other aromatic medicinal plants.
基金funding support from the Major Science and Technology Research and Development Special Project of Jiangxi Science and Technology Department(No.20194ABC28009)National Key Research and Development Plan(No.2018YFC1706404)。
文摘Objective To explore the pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanism of action of volatile oil from Chuanxiong(Chuanxiong Rhizoma)-Suhexiang(Styrax)-Bingpian(Borneolum)(hereinafter referred to as C-S-B volatile oil)in treating angina pectoris based on network pharmacology and to detect its protective effects against rat myocardial damage.Methods Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS)was used to determine the constituents of volatile oils from Chuanxiong(Chuanxiong Rhizoma),Suhexiang(Styrax),and Bingpian(Borneolum),and the targets of the three main constituents were found predicted and screened using the PharmMapper server,and Gene Cards and Coo LGe N databases.The STRING database and Cytoscape software were used to draw the protein-protein interaction(PPI)network,RStudio software was used to analyze Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genome and Genome(KEGG)pathways,and Cytoscape software was used to construct the component-target-pathwaydisease network.The rat model of myocardial injury was established by intraperitoneal injection of a large dose of isoprenaline hydrochloride.After continuous intervention with C-S-B volatile oil for 14 d,the ejection fraction(EF)and short axis shortening rate(FS)of the left ventricle were detected.The indices of myocardial damage were detected after hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining.Results Fifteen volatile oil components from the C-S-B formula were identified.There are 470 targets of these volatile oil components and 401 angina-related genes.There are 28 core targets,including CHRM4,ADRA1 A,FGFR1,CHRM2,CYP2 A6,CHRM5,CHRM1,CHRM3,HDAC2,and MPO,etc..The results of the KEGG analysis indicated that the C-S-B formula probably interferes with the following pathways:neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions,calcium signaling,cytochrome P450 metabolism of heteropoietin,among others.The results of animal experiments showed that the C-S-B formula essential oil could significantly improve the following myocardial indices in rats with myocardial injury:EF,FS,left ventricular end-systolic diameter(LVIDs),left ventricular end-diastolic diameter(LVIDd),and stroke volume(SV),and all the differences were statistically significant(P<0.01).Conclusion The mechanism of action of volatile oil components in the C-S-B formula in treating angina pectoris was analyzed using multi-component,multi-target and multi-pathway systems,which has laid a foundation for further revealing its mechanism of action.Animal experiments have shown that the volatile oil of the C-S-B formula can improve EF,FS,and other indices of myocardial damage in a rat model,thus relieving myocardial damage caused by heart hyperactivity,improving cardiac function,and protecting against myocardial damage.
文摘Chuanxiong Rhizoma is the dry rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong in the umbelliferae family.Chuanxiong Rhizoma pungent,warm,go to liver,gallbladder and pericardium.Effective in promoting blood circulation,promoting Qi,dispelling wind and relieving pain,it could treat chest pain,tingling pain in chest and flank,lump,irregular menstruation,amenorrhea,symptomatic abdominal pain,headache and rheumatic pain.Neurovascular headache is a primary disease caused by dysregulation of intracranial vascular movement and nerve function.It has the characteristics of long course,intermittent recurrent attacks,lingering and difficult to heal.Attacks are often accompanied by many plant nervous system symptoms,such as rapid breathing,accelerated heart rate,vomiting,and gastrointestinal dysfunction.Vascular nerve headache is a common clinical disease,frequently bidity.Studies have shown that Chuanxiong Rhizoma has good pharmacological effects in the treatment of vascular neuropathic headache.①The action of Qi and blood circulation:vascular and neurovascular headache is caused by the evil of external wind and cold and damp heat,which leads to the disconnection of the veins,the disorder of Qi and blood,the obstruction of Qi and blood channels,the loss of brain collateral,and finally causes migraine.Modern Chinese medicine points out that"wind,blood stasis,deficiency,phlegm"are the key factors of the disease.Chuanxiong Rhizoma is the medicine of Qi in the blood.It is pungent and warm.It is good at activating blood and promoting Qi,dispelling wind,relieving pain and dispelling cold,so as to achieve the effect of treating vascular headaches.②Improve brain circulation:angioneurotic headache is caused by dysfunction of the central nervous system related to the regulation of vascular movement,which causes vasospasm or extreme vasodilation,and the decrease of intracranial blood flow causes cerebral ischemia and hypoxia.Sodium ferulate is a chemical component in Chuanxiong Rhizoma.It has a relatively good inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation and the release of 5-HT from platelets.It can ensure the normal contraction of intracranial and extracranial blood vessels,improve the patient′s brain circulation and nerve function,so as to achieve the effect of treating angioneurotic headaches.③Sedative and analgesic effect:the volatile oil and water decoction of Chuanxiong Rhizoma have sedative and analgesic effects,and the water decoction can counteract the excitatory effect of caffeine.Studies have shown that the ATP activation current of rat dorsal root ganglion neurons can be inhibited by ligustrazine in a non-competitive way,which also indicates that Chuanxiong Rhizoma has a good analgesic effect.In this study,the effects of Chuanxiong Rhizoma on angoneeurotic headache were reviewed,and the pharmacological effects of Chuanxiong Rhizoma were further elucidated,providing basis for clinical application and new drug development of Chuanxiong Rhizoma in the treatment of angoneeurotic headache.
文摘Backgroud:Parkinson’s disease(PD)is a neurodegenerative disorder with an increasing global prevalence.However,the development of drugs for PD treatment has not kept pace with the continuously growing number of patients.Currently,the search for new effective substances from natural drugs is a major research direction.Two Chinese medicinal materials,Saposhnikoviae Radix(Fangfeng)and Chuanxiong Rhizoma(Chuanxiong),are commonly used in the treatment of PD in China.However,the mechanism of their combination is not clear,and further research is needed.Methods:Data were collected from publicly available databases:TCMSP,UnitProt,GeneCards OMIM,PharmGKB,Therapeutic Target Database and DrugBank.Network pharmacology and molecular docking methods was used to analyze the data to discover the possible pharmacological effects of the two drugs in the treatment of PD.Results:Beta-sitosterol,Mandenol and Wallichilide were the active components of Saposhnikoviae Radix and Chuanxiong Rhizoma(FC),and they stably bonded with PD targets,including PTGS2,CASP3,AKT1 and JUN.The target genes of FC were significantly enriched in PD-associated pathways,including calcium signaling and apoptosis pathways.Moreover,the study revealed that the active components of FC may affect cellular structures,such as membrane rafts,membrane microdomains,membrane regions,and postsynaptic membranes,which,in turn,affect a variety of molecular functions and biological processes.Conclusion:The results of this study indicate the direction for clarifying the pharmacodynamic substances of FC,the extraction method of pharmacodynamic substances,as well as the mechanism and efficacy of pharmacodynamic substances.Importantly,this study provides a strategy for developing new therapeutic drugs for PD.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81704123)Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou(No.2023A03J0774).
文摘Based on network pharmacology,this study predicted the potential molecular mechanism and related pathways of the protective effect of traditional Chuanxiong Rhizoma,a traditional Chinese herb,on glaucomatous optic nerve injury,and conducted in vitro experimental verification of the predicted results of network analysis.We analyzed the molecular mechanism of Chuanxiong Rhizoma in the potential treatment of glaucoma by revealing its main active ingredients and predicting its targets,so as to provide reference for subsequent basic research.Network pharmacological research results showed that the potential hub targets and key signaling pathways of Chuanxiong Rhizoma in the treatment of glaucoma were closely related to biological processes such as apoptosis,autophagy,inflammation,oxidative stress and angiogenesis.Molecular docking showed that many active ingredients,such as chrysophanol(CHR),myricanone and retinol,could combine well with their target proteins by intermolecular forces,especially CHR had strong binding ability with each target.We speculated that the main active component of Chuanxiong Rhizoma might be involved in the regulation of PI3K-Akt,Nod-like receptor,IL-4 and IL-13,MAPK,AGE-RAGE and neurotrophin signaling pathway by regulating of PI3K,Akt,TLR4,RAGE,NTRK2 and other key targets.Furthermore,it may achieve multi-directional intervention on apoptosis/autophagy,inflammation/immunity,oxidative stress and nutrient metabolism of axoplasma flow,and then delay the degeneration of optic nerve injury.In vitro experiments showed that the active component CHR of Chuanxiong Rhizoma could reverse the M1-type polarization and autophagy/apoptosis of mouse microglia(BV2)induced by lipopolysaccharide(LPS)at the transcriptional level.Meanwhile,the expression of inflammatory mediators IL-1βand TNF-αwas inhibited,and the mRNA level of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 was significantly increased.In addition,CHR down-regulates activation of the RAGE-NOX4 pathway mediated by LPS in reducing oxidative stress.In this study,network pharmacology and molecular docking technology were integrated for the first time to explore the potential molecular mechanism of traditional Chinese herb“Chuanxiong Rhizoma”in the treatment on glaucoma,and CHR was innovatively proposed as an important ingredient in Chuanxiong Rhizoma that plays a protective role in the damage of optic nerve.Preliminary verification was conducted through in vitro experiments.The results suggest that Chuanxiong Rhizoma may interfere with autophagy and apoptosis,inhibit immune inflammation,as well as reduce oxidative stress in the treatment of glaucoma through the active components represented by CHR,so as to resist progressive optic nerve injury.Our study provides theoretical basis for the clinical use of Chinese herbal medicine or its extract in glaucoma,and also lays a solid foundation for the research of Chinese medicine in the field of optic nerve protection.
基金supported by National Key R&D Program of(China2019YFC1708502).
文摘Objective:Using network pharmacology to explore the target and mechanism of Chuanxiong Rhizoma and Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma in the treatment of vascular dementia(VaD),so as to provide a reference for treating VaD through them.Methods:Traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform were used to screen the main active ingredients and targets of Chuanxiong Rhizoma and Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma.By means of Gene Cards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM),targets of VaD were collected.The intersecting targets were obtained by using the Venn map.The String online database was used to build a protein-protein interactions Network and the Metascape database was used to perform GO function enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis.A“drug-ingredient-target-pathway”network was constructed by Cytoscape software.Autodock vina software was used to conduct molecular docking between targets.Results:A total of 7 active ingredients in Chuanxiong Rhizoma and 4 active ingredients in Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma were screened.There were 42 active targets of Chuanxiong Rhizoma and 70 active targets of Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma and 1152 disease targets.After deleting the repeat value,51 drugs targets were obtained.After the intersection,with a total of 25 targets.According to GO and KEGG enrichment analysis,the main biological processes involved include cellular response to lipid,negative regulation of apoptotic signaling pathway,blood circulation,response to a steroid hormone,etc.The main pathways include pathways in cancer,PI3K-Akt signaling pathway,and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications,etc.Molecular docking showed that the most active docking combinations were AKT1 and Perlolyrine,RELA and FA,MAPK14 and FA,respectively.Conclusion:Chuanxiong Rhizoma and Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma play an important role in the treatment of VaD mainly by anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptosis.
基金supported by the Beijing Municipal Science&Technology Commission(No.7212174)the National High-Level Talents Special Support Program to XL+1 种基金National Key Research and Development Program on Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine(No.2022YFC3502100)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.82004045 and No.82274186).
文摘Objective:Hepatic fibrosis has been widely considered as a conjoint consequence of almost all chronic liver diseases.Chuanxiong Rhizoma(Chuanxiong in Chinese,CX)is a traditional Chinese herbal product to prevent cerebrovascular,gynecologic and hepatic diseases.Our previous study found that CX extracts significantly reduced collagen contraction force of hepatic stellate cells(HSCs).Here,this study aimed to compare the protection of different CX extracts on bile duct ligation(BDL)-induced liver fibrosis and investigate plausible underlying mechanisms.Methods:The active compounds of CX extracts were identified by high performance liquid chromatography(HPLC).Network pharmacology was used to determine potential targets of CX against hepatic fibrosis.Bile duct hyperplasia and liver fibrosis were evaluated by serologic testing and histopathological evaluation.The expression of targets of interest was determined by quantitative real-time PCR(qPCR)and Western blot.Results:Different CX extracts were identified by tetramethylpyrazine,ferulic acid and senkyunolide A.Based on the network pharmacological analysis,42 overlap targets were obtained via merging the candidates targets of CX and liver fibrosis.Different aqueous,alkaloid and phthalide extracts of CX(CX_(AE),CX_(AL) and CXP_(HL))significantly inhibited diffuse severe bile duct hyperplasia and thus suppressed hepatic fibrosis by decreasing CCCTC binding factor(CTCF)-c-MYC-long non-coding RNA H19(H19)pathway in the BDL-induced mouse model.Meanwhile,CX extracts,especially CX_(AL) and CX_(PHL) also suppressed CTCF-c-MYC-H19 pathway and inhibited ductular reaction in cholangiocytes stimulated with taurocholate acid(TCA),lithocholic acid(LCA)and transforming growth factor beta(TGF-β),as illustrated by decreased bile duct proliferation markers.Conclusion:Our data supported that different CX extracts,especially CX_(AL) and CX_(PHL) significantly alleviated hepatic fibrosis and bile duct hyperplasia via inhibiting CTCF-c-MYC-H19 pathway,providing novel insights into the anti-fibrotic mechanism of CX.
基金supported by NNSF of China(81673558 and 81874341)Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation(ZR2023LZY003)+1 种基金Multidisciplinary Research and Innovation Program of Shandong University(No.2020QNQT007)Outstanding Young Scholars Program of Shandong University.
文摘Background:Acute lung injury(ALI)is a high-fatality respiratory disease,and the development of new therapeutic agents is ongoing.Chuanxiong Rhizoma has been prescribed for the therapy of ALI in traditional Chinese medicine.Objective:The purpose of this article is to explore the effective ingredients,targets,and mechanisms in the treatment of Chuanxiong Rhizoma on ALI.Methods:The active ingredients of Chuanxiong Rhizoma were obtained in the TCMSP,and their potential targets and ALI targets were predicted in TCMSP,Swiss target prediction,and Genecards database.A PPI network was constructed in the string online platform,and KEGG and GO enrichment analysis were conducted in the metascape online platform.Phytochemical investigation of Chuanxiong Rhizoma was performed with chemical separation methods and structural elucidation techniques,and their pharmacological effects were evaluated using LPS-induced mouse ALI model and cell-based assays.Results:Network pharmacology analyses indicated that the treatment of Chuanxiong Rhizoma on ALI was associated with its antiinflammatory effect.The key genes mainly include TNF,STAT3,EGFR,AKT1,BCL2,CASP3,and SRC,and the active compounds are its signature component,phthalides.Phytochemical investigation led to the elucidation of 23 phthalides,which demonstrated an anti-inflammatory effect in vitro and in vivo.Of which,chuanxiongdiolide A,levistilide A,butylphthalide,and senkyunolide A were indeed effective in mitigating ALI in an LPS-induced mouse model.Conclusions:The combined network pharmacological,phytochemical,and pharmacological investigations revealed that the therapeutical effect of Chuanxiong Rhizoma against ALI was associated with inhibition of the inflammatory response by phthalides.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.82004045)the Beijing Nova Program of Science and Technology(No.Z191100001119088)the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Specific Grant for“Double Top Construction”(No.1000041510168)。
文摘Angelicae Sinensis Radix(Danggui)and Ligusticum Chuanxiong Rhizoma(Chuan Xiong)herb-pair(DC)have been frequently used in Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)prescriptions for hundreds of years to prevent vascular diseases and alleviate pain.However,the mechanism of DC herb-pair in the prevention of liver fibrosis development was still unclear.In the present study,the effects and mechanisms of DC herb-pair on liver fibrosis were examined using network pharmacology and mouse fibrotic model.Based on the network pharmacological analysis of 13 bioactive ingredients found in DC,a total of 46 targets and 71 pathways related to anti-fibrosis effects were obtained,which was associated with mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)signal pathway,hepatic inflammation and fibrotic response.Furthermore,this hypothesis was verified using carbon tetrachloride(CCl_4)-induced fibrosis model.Measurement of liver functional enzyme activities and histopathological examination showed that DC dramatically reduced bile acid levels,inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen deposition caused by CCl_4.The increased expression of liver fibrosis markers,such as collagen 1,fibronectin,α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA)and transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β),and inflammatory factors,such as chemokine(C-C motif)ligand 2(MCP-1),interleukin-1β(IL-1β),tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α)and IL-6 in fibrotic mice were significantly downregulated by DC herb-pair through regulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2(ERK1/2)-protein kinase B(AKT)signaling pathways.Collectively,these results suggest that DC prevents the development of liver fibrosis by inhibiting collagen deposition,decreasing inflammatory reactions and bile acid accumulation,which provides insights into the mechanisms of herbpair in improving liver fibrosis.
基金The 12thinnovation activity plan-of undergraduates in the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine(Grant No.2019SHUTCM060)the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai(Grant No.19ZR1457700)+1 种基金2020 New Agricultural Science Research and Reform Practice Project of the Ministry of Education2020 Key Undergraduate Education Reform Project of Shanghai Colleges。
文摘Chuanxiong Rhizoma is a widely used Chinese herbal medicine in the past 2000 years.Chuanxiong Rhizoma is composed of volatile oils,phthalide lactones,phenolic acids,polysaccharides and other compounds.To date,more than 149 compounds in Chuanxiong Rhizoma have been isolated and identified,and some of them have been reported to possess promising biological properties on cardiovascular and central nervous system disorders besides their anti-cancer and antioxidant effects.Modulation of inflammatory mediators and apoptotic factors are believed to contribute to its bioactivities.Analytical methods,such as HPLC,GC and UPLC,are employed for qualitative evaluation of Chuanxiong Rhizoma.In this work,harvest period,growing habitat,processing method and storage,which can affect the quality of Chuanxiong Rhizoma,were also discussed.Comprehensive quality control methods should be developed to ensure the safety,quality and efficacy use of Chuanxiong Rhizoma.Herein,we collected and analyzed the literature of Chuanxiong Rhizoma published on CNKI,ScienceDirect,Springer link,Wiley and PubMed in past two decades,and up-to-date information of Chuanxiong Rhizoma was provided in this paper.We suggested ligustilide,butylidenephthalide and total senkyunolides as the chemical markers to evaluate the quality of Chuanxiong Rhizoma.Additionally,the influences of soil conditions and processing methods on Chuanxiong Rhizoma as future research perspectives should also be further assessed.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China[grant No.81774115,2018]National Natural Science Foundation of China[grant No.81460721,2015]And Guangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Key Master’s Research and Innovation Project of China[grant No.XYJ20080,2020]。
文摘Objective:Most of the studies on the herb Chuanxiong Rhizoma(CR)have focused on the L-arginine-nitric oxide(NO)pathway,but the nitrate-nitrite-NO(NO_(3)^(-)–NO_(2)^(-)–NO)pathway was rarely investigated.Therefore,the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects and mechanisms of action of CR in coronary artery disease(CAD).Methods:The NO_(3)^(-),NO_(2)^(-)and NO levels were examined in the NO_(3)^(-)–NO_(2)^(-)–NO pathway.High-performance ion chromatography was used to quantify NO_(3)^(-)and NO_(2)^(-)levels.Then,NO was quantified using a multifunctional enzyme marker with a fluorescent probe.The tension of aortic rings was measured using a multi myograph system.Results:High content of NO_(3)^(-)and low content of NO_(2)^(-)was found in CR,and which could potently convert NO_(3)^(-)to NO_(2)^(-)in the presence of endogenous reductase enzyme.Incubating human coronary artery endothelial cells(HCAECs)with CR-containing serum showed that CR significantly decreased the NO_(3)^(-)content and increased the levels of NO_(2)^(-)and NO in the cells under hypoxic conditions.In addition,CR significantly relaxed isolated aortic rings when the L-arginine–NO pathway was blocked.The optimal concentration of CR for relaxation was 200 mg/m L.Conclusion:CR supplements large amounts of NO in cells and vessels to achieve relaxation via the NO_(3)^(-)–NO_(2)^(-)–NO pathway,thereby making up for the deficiency caused by the lack of NO after the L-arginine-NO pathway is suppressed.This study also supports the potential use of a traditional Chinese herb for future drug development.
基金financially supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project for Major New Drugs Innovation and Development of China(No.2009ZX09502-006,No.2009ZX09301-010,No.2019ZX09201004-001-023)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.30830120,81473321)。
文摘Objective:Chuanxiong Rhizoma(CR,the dried rhizomes of Ligusticum chuanxiong)is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine that promotes qi to activate blood,dispels wind,and relieves pain.To date,more than 118 constituents of CR have been isolated and identified.However,the in vivo mechanism of CR decoction is unclear and needs further investigation.In addition,to clarify the effective forms of CR,it is essential to reveal the absorbed constituents and metabolites of CR.Materials and Methods:The absorbed constituents and metabolites in urine and plasma samples of rats orally administered with CR decoction were screened and characterized using a high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector and combined with electrospray ionization ion trap time-of-flight multistage mass spectrometry technique.Results:In total,102 compounds,including 11 absorbed constituents(eight phthalides and three phthalic acids)and 91 metabolites(71 phthalide-related and 20 phenolic acid-related),were detected in drug-containing rat urine and plasma samples,among which 33 were new metabolites of either CR or its constituents.Based on the structures of these metabolites,six phthalides(ligustilide,senkyunolide I/H,senkyunolide J/N,and butylidenephthalide)and three phenolic acids(ferulic acid,isoferulic acid,and caffeic acid)were proposed as their precursors.They were also deduced to be the main absorbed constituents of CR decoction,which should have closer relationships with its pharmacological effects than other constituents.Phthalide-related metabolites were formed through the metabolic reactions of hydration,hydroxylation,cysteine conjugation,acetylcysteine conjugation,methanethiol conjugation,mercaptomethanol conjugation,glucuronidation,and sulfation,whereas the phenolic acid-related metabolites were mainly formed by glucuronidation and sulfation.Conclusions:Six phthalides and three phenolic acids were shown to be the main precursors of the metabolites of CR,and 33 compounds were new metabolites of either CR or its constituents.These results are helpful for further understanding of the in vivo mechanism and effective forms of CR.
基金the Beijing Municipal Science&Technology Commission(No.7212174)the National High-Level Talents Special Support Program to XL,the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.82274186 and 82004045)+1 种基金National Key Research and Development Program on Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine(No.2022YFC-3502100)Innovation Team and Talents Cultivation Program of National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine(No.ZYYCXTD-C-202006).
文摘Chuanxiong Rhizoma(CX,the dried rhizome of Ligusticum wallichii Franch.),a well-known traditional Chinese medicine,is clinically used for treating cardiovascular,cerebrovascular and hepatobiliary diseases.Cholestatic liver damage is one of the chronic liver diseases with limited effective therapeutic strategies.Currently,little is known about the mechanism links between CX-induced anti-cholestatic action and intercellular communication between cholangiocytes and hepatic stellate cells(HSCs).The study aimed to evaluate the hepatoprotective activity of different CX extracts including the aqueous,alkaloid,phenolic acid and phthalide extracts of CX(CX_(AE),CX_(AL),CX_(PA)and CX_(PHL))and investigate the intercellular communication-related mechanisms by which the most effective extracts work on cholestatic liver injury.The active compounds of different CX extracts were identified by UPLC-MS/MS.A cholestatic liver injury mouse model induced by bile duct ligation(BDL),and transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)-treated human intrahepatic biliary epithelial cholangiocytes(HIBECs)and HSC cell line(LX-2 cells)were used for in vivo and in vitro studies.Histological and other biological techniques were also applied.The results indicated that CX_(AE),CX_(AL)and CX_(PHL)significantly reduced ductular reaction(DR)and improved liver fibrosis in the BDL mice.Meanwhile,both CX_(AE)and CX_(PHL)suppressed DR in injured HIBECs and reduced collagen contraction force and the expression of fibrosis biomarkers in LX-2 cells treated with TGF-β.CX_(PHL)suppressed the transcription and transfer of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1(PAI-1)and fibronectin(FN)from the‘DR-like’cholangiocytes to activated HSCs.Mechanistically,the inhibition of PAI-1 and FN by CX_(PHL)was attributed to the untight combination of the acetyltransferase KAT2A and SMAD3,followdd by the suppression of histone 3 lysine 9 acetylation(H3K9ac)-mediated transcription in cholangiocytes.In conclusion,CX_(PHL)exerts stronger anti-cholestatic activity in vivo and in vitro than other CX extracts,and its protective effect on the intracellular communication between cholangiocytes and HSCs is achieved by reducing KAT2A/H3K9ac-mediated transcription and release of PAI-1 and FN.
基金financially supported by NSFC-DFG(No.81861138042)Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81673634)+1 种基金Natural Science Foundation of Shandong,China(No.ZR2019MC004)the high-end talent team construction foundation(No.108-10000318)
文摘Objective:The objective was to study the potential substance basis and action mechanism of Chuanxiong Rhizoma(CX)and Angelicae Dahuricae Radix(AD)on analgesia through network pharmacology and molecular docking.Materials and Methods:The active components and targets of CX and AD and pain-related genes were retrieved through Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP)and GeneCards database.Then,the co-action targets were found,protein–protein interaction network was constructed by the String database.The Cytoscape 3.7.1 was used to construct"CX-AD-active components-pain"network.Further enrichment analysis of Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)was carried out to predict its mechanism of action,the top four active components in the network were docked with the targets.Results:There are 26 compounds,45 targets in the network.Among them,(Z)-ligustilide and beta-sitosterol,respectively,have more potential targets in CX and AD,and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase(PTGS2),PTGS1 have more ligands.GO analysis shows that molecular functions of CX and AD mainly performed through the G protein-coupled amine receptor activity,adrenergic receptor activity,and catecholamine binding.KEGG analysis indicates that they could exert analgesic effect on the pathways of regulating neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction,serotonergic synapse,and cGMP-PKG signaling pathway.Molecular docking results show that the active compounds are highly compatible with the structure of the protein receptor,and they interact through the hydrogen bond andπ–πbond between the ligand and the active site residues.Conclusions:Through network pharmacology and molecular docking,this study preliminarily revealed the main active components,targets,and potential regulation network of CX and AD,providing a reference for the subsequent experimental research.
基金the financial support provided by the National Science Foundation of China(No. 20875032)the Basic Research Fund of the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality(No. 09ZR1409700)
文摘A high-performance capillary electrophoresis with amperometric detection(CE-AD) method has been developed for the analysis of seven bioactive ingredients,namely ferulic acid(FA),vanillin,vanillic acid,p-hydroxybenzoic acid,caffeic acid,gallic acid and protocatechuic acid,in Rhizoma Chuanxiong.The effects of several factors such as the acidity and concentration of running buffer,the separation voltage,the applied potential to working electrode and the injection time were investigated.Under the optimum condit...
基金the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China,No.G1999054402
文摘BACKGROUND： Vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） acts as ＂molecular bridge＂ following ischemic stroke to improve and restore blood supply and reduce infarction volume. Clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of Rhizoma Chuanxiong （Chuanxiong） in the treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular diseases. However, whether it promotes endogenous VEGF expression in ischemic stroke remains unknown. OBJECTIVE： To investigate the influence of Rhizoma Chuanxiong on VEGF production in vitro cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells and on VEGF expression in ischemic cerebral tissues to explore its role in angiogenesis. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： In vitro basic comparison of traditional Chinese drug-containing serum pharmacology; in vivo randomized, controlled, animal experiment. This study was performed at the Medical Laboratory of West China Hospital, Sichuan University between December 2002 and April 2004. MATERIALS： Two Chinese rabbits were selected. One was intragastrically perfused with 5.8 g/kg Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract twice per day for three consecutive days to prepare Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract-containing serum. The remaining rabbit was intragastrically perfused with the same volume of normal saline twice per day for three consecutive days. Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract was provided by Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Institute, predominantly composed of ligustrazine, ligustilide, and ferulic acid. ChemiKineTM human VEGF Kit was purchased from Chemicon, USA; mouse anti-VEGF monoclonal antibody and biotin-goat anti-mouse IgG were purchased from Santa Cruz Biotechnology. Inc., USA. METHODS： （1） In vitro experiment： in vitro cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells were separately incubated in rabbit serum with 10% Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract, normal medium without rabbit serum, and rabbit serum without Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract （blank control）. In addition, cells from the three groups were incubated under normoxia （5% CO2, 95% air） and hypoxia （1% 02, 5% CO2, 94% N2）, respectively, for 24 hours. （2） In vivo experiment： a total of 4/44 Sprague Dawley rats were selected for the sham-operated group （no occlusion）, and the remaining rats were used to establish a cerebral ischemiaJreperfusion model by suture occlusion. 32 animals with ischemia/reperfusion injury were randomly divided into treatment and model groups, with 16 rats in each group. Both groups were intraperitoneally infused with 0.58 g/kg Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract and normal saline two hours following reperfusion. The sham-operated group was administrated normal saline. Animals were treated with saline or Chuanxiong extracts （0.58 g/kg） twice per day for three consecutive days. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： In vitro experiment： VEGF concentration was detected in each group by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. In vivo experiment： behavioral alterations of rats were evaluated by neurological function scale; infarct volume was assessed by hematoxylin-eosin staining; VEGF protein expression in the infarct regions was determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS： （1） VEGF levels were similar between the three groups under normexic condition （P 〉 0.05）; while hypoxia induced VEGF production （P 〈 0.01 ）. VEGF levels in the drug-containing serum group were particularly higher compared with the other groups （P 〈 0.01）. （2） Compared with normal saline treatment, Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract significantly improved the neurological scale and reduced cerebral infarct volumes （P〈 0.05）. The percent of VEGF-positive cells was significantly greater than the model group （P 〈 0.05）. The sham-operated group exhibited normal neurological function, with no infarct focus. CONCLUSION： Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract-containing rabbit serum effectively promoted cultured VEGF production under hypoxia. Rhizoma Chuanxiong extract upregulated VEGF expression in the infarct region, improved neurological function, and reduced infarct size.
