Prevention and treatment of inflammatory arthritis with traditional Chinese medicine: Underlying mechanisms based on cell and molecular targets

Stroke, as a neurological disorder with a poor overall prognosis, has long plagued the patients. Current stroke therapy lacks effective treatments. Ferroptosis has emerged as a prominent subject of discourse across various maladies in recent years. As an emerging therapeutic target, notwithstanding its initial identification in tumor cells associated with brain diseases, it has lately been recognized as a pivotal factor in the pathological progression of stroke. Acyl-CoA synthetase long-chain family member 4 (ACSL4) is a potential target and biomarker of catalytic unsaturated fatty acids mediating ferroptosis in stroke. Specifically, the upregulation of ACSL4 leads to heightened accumulation of lipid peroxidation products and reactive oxygen species (ROS), thereby exacerbating the progression of ferroptosis in neuronal cells. ACSL4 is present in various tissues and involved in multiple pathways of ferroptosis. At present, the pharmacological mechanisms of targeting ACSL4 to inhibit ferroptosis have been found in many drugs, but the molecular mechanisms of targeting ACSL4 are still in the exploratory stage. This paper introduces the physiopathological mechanism of ACSL4 and the current status of the research involved in ferroptosis crosstalk and epigenetics, and summarizes the application status of ACSL4 in modern pharmacology research, and discusses the potential application value of ACSL4 in the field of stroke. 

The role of ACSL4 in stroke: mechanisms and potential therapeutic target

Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common degenerative joint disease, can eventually lead to disability. However, no safe or effective intervention is currently available. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop effective drugs that reduce cartilage damage and treat OA. 

Panaxatriol exerts anti-senescence effects and alleviates osteoarthritis and cartilage repair fibrosis by targeting UFL1

Abstract Astragalus glycyphyllos L. is widely used in Bulgarian folk medicine. Extracts from this plant have antiproliferative, antitumor and immune stimulating effects in vitro and in vivo. The aim of this study was to examine the potential antiviral activity of a standardized extract from the aerial parts of the plant and to formulate it in a suitable dosage form. A dry extract was obtained, and its phytochemical composition was determined by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRESIMS). The extract contained flavonoids and predominantly saponins. 17(R),20(R)-3β,6α,16β-trihydroxycycloartanyl-23-carboxylic acid 16-lactone 3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside was used as a reference for quantitation. The extract had 3% saponins. The antiviral activity of the extract was tested against Simplexvirus humanalpha type 1 (acyclovir sensitive) and 2 (acyclovir resistant) in vitro. Between 60% and 70% of protection was reached against both virus strains when the extract (at the maximal non-toxic concentration of 0.6 mg/mL) was added simultaneously with and 1 h after Madine and Darby bovine kidney cell inoculation. The extract was also tested in combination with acyclovir only against Simplexvirus humanalpha type 1, in vitro. Further, the lyophilized extract was mixed with appropriate excipients aiming to prepare tablets via direct compaction. The optimized tablets fulfilled the requirements of the pharmacopoeia for disintegration and friability. Thus, the study demonstrated the possibility to formulate a standardized extract of A. glycyphyllos in tablets and their potential for adjuvant antiviral application in further trials.

Astragalus glycyphyllos L.: antiviral activity and tablet dosage formulation of a standardized dry extract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease that affects elderly populations worldwide, causing pain and disability. Alteration of the fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) phenotype leads to an imbalance in the synovial inflammatory microenvironment, which accelerates the progression of OA. Despite this knowledge, the specific molecular mechanisms of the synovium that affect OA are still unclear.Both in vitro and in vivo experiments were undertaken to explore the role of ADAM8 playing in the synovial inflammatory of OA. A small interfering RNA (siRNA) was targeting ADAM8 to intervene. High-throughput sequencing was also used.Our sequencing analysis revealed significant upregulation of the MAPK signaling cascade and ADAM8 gene expression in IL-1β-induced FLSs. The in vitro results demonstrated that ADAM8 blockade inhibited the invasion and migration of IL-1β-induced FLSs, while also suppressing the expression of related matrix metallomatrix proteinases (MMPs). Furthermore, our study revealed that inhibiting ADAM8 weakened the inflammatory protein secretion and MAPK signaling networks in FLSs. Mechanically, it revealed that inhibiting ADAM8 had a significant effect on the expression of migration-related signaling proteins, specifically FSCN1. When siADAM8 was combined with BDP-13176, a FSCN1 inhibitor, the migration and invasion of FLSs was further inhibited. These results suggest that FSCN1 is a crucial downstream factor of ADAM8 in regulating the biological phenotypes of FLSs. The in vivo experiments demonstrated that ADAM8 inhibition effectively reduced synoviocytes inflammation and alleviated the progression of OA in rats.ADAM8 could be a promising therapeutic target for treating OA by targeting synovial inflammation. 

ADAM8 silencing suppresses the migration and invasion of fibroblast-like synoviocytes via FSCN1/MAPK cascade in osteoarthritis

Astragaloside IV as a novel CXCR4 antagonist alleviates osteoarthritis in the knee of monosodium iodoacetate-induced rats.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly infectious and pathogenic disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Early in this epidemic, the herbal formulas used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) were widely used for the treatment of COVID-19 in China. According to Venn diagram analysis, we found that Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma is a frequent herb in TCM formulas against COVID-19. The extract of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma exhibits an anti-SARS-CoV-2 replication activity in vitro, but its pharmacological mechanism remains unclear. We here demonstrate that glycyrrhizin, the main active ingredient of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, prevents the coronavirus from entering cells by targeting angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Glycyrrhizin inhibited the binding of the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 to ACE2 in our Western blot-based assay. The following bulk RNA-seq analysis showed that glycyrrhizin down-regulated ACE2 expression in vitro which was further confirmed by Western blot and quantitative PCR. Together, we believe that glycyrrhizin inhibits SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells by targeting ACE2.

/pdf/glycyrrhizin-inhibits-sars-cov-2-entry-into-cells-by-15x74ru6.pdf

Glycyrrhizin Inhibits SARS-CoV-2 Entry into Cells by Targeting ACE2

The activation of innate antiviral immunity is a promising approach for combatting viral infections. In this study, we screened Chinese herbs that activated human immunity and identified coptisine as a potent inhibitor of the influenza virus with an EC50 of 10.7 μM in MDCK cells. The time of an addition assay revealed that pre-treatment with coptisine was more effective at reducing viral replication than co-treatment or post-treatment. Our bulk RNA-sequencing data showed that coptisine upregulated the p21 signaling pathway in MDCK cells, which was responsible for its antiviral effects. Specifically, coptisine increased the expression of p21 and FOXO1 in a dose-dependent manner while leaving the MELK expression unchanged. Docking analysis revealed that coptisine likely inhibited MELK activity directly by forming hydrogen bonds with ASP-150 and GLU-87 in the catalytic pocket. These findings suggest that coptisine may be a promising antiviral agent that regulates the p21 signaling pathway to inhibit viral replication.

Coptisine Inhibits Influenza Virus Replication by Upregulating p21

Spheroid culture of chondrocytes exhibits elevated levels of inflammation: a better approach for investigating the mechanisms of osteoarthritis?

ABSTRACT To establish a standard Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) bone setting technique, standardize the operation and inherit the TCM bone setting technique. This project was based on the interactive tracking of bone setting techniques with a dedicated position tracker, the motion tracking of bone setting techniques based on RGBD (Red Green Blue Depth) cameras, the digital analysis of bone setting techniques, and the design of the virtual reality platform for bone setting techniques. These key technical researches were combined to construct an interactive bone setting technique. The virtual simulation system can reproduce the implementation process of the expert’s bone setting technique. The user can observe the implementation of the manipulative technique from multiple angles; through human-computer interaction, the whole process of implementation of the bone setting technique can be simulated, and the movement and reduction of the affected bone can be observed at the same time. It can be used as a teaching and training system for assisting bone setting techniques. Students can use the system to carry out repeated self-training, and can instantly compare with the standard techniques of the expert database, breaking the traditional teaching mode of ‘expected and unspeakable’ and avoid directly using patients. Therefore, this research makes it possible to reduce teaching costs, reduce risks, improve teaching quality, and make up for the lack of teaching conditions. It is very positive for the inheritance of the traditional Chinese ‘intangible culture’ of bone setting techniques, and to promote the digitalization and standardization of bone setting techniques.

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/21655979.2023.2184546?needAccess=true&role=button

Construction of a virtual reality platform for computer-aided navigation Lingnan bone setting technique

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