[Phenotypic drug discovery promotes research and development of innovative drugs based on traditional Chinese medicine].

Traditional Chinese medicine with rich resources in China and definite therapeutic effects on complex diseases demonstrates great development potential. However, the complex composition, the unclear pharmacodynamic substances and mechanisms of action, and the lack of reasonable methods for evaluating clinical safety and efficacy have limited the research and development of innovative drugs based on traditional Chinese medicine. The progress in cutting-edge disciplines such as artificial intelligence and biomimetics, especially the emergence of cell painting and organ-on-a-chip, helps to identify and characterize the active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine based on the changes in model characteristics, thus providing more accurate guidance for the development and application of traditional Chinese medicine.

Undesirable ER stress induced by bavachin contributed to follicular atresia in zebrafish ovary.

Fructus psoraleae (FP) is a commonly used herb with potential reproductive toxicity. Bavachin (BV), one of essential active ingredients of FP, was found to exhibit estrogenic activity, but its effect on female reproductive system remains unknown. In this study, the impact of BV on the female zebrafish reproductive system and underlying molecular mechanism were determined in vivo and ex vivo.

A -mediated metabolic alteration participates in liver responses to low-dose bavachin.

Hepatotoxicity induced by bioactive constituents in traditional Chinese medicines or herbs, such as bavachin (BV) in has a prolonged latency to overt drug-induced liver injury in the clinic. Several studies have described BV-induced liver damage and underlying toxicity mechanisms, but little attention has been paid to the deciphering of organisms or cellular responses to BV at no-observed-adverse-effect level, and the underlying molecular mechanisms and specific indicators are also lacking during the asymptomatic phase, making it much harder for early recognition of hepatotoxicity. Here, we treated mice with BV for 7 days and did not detect any abnormalities in biochemical tests, but found subtle steatosis in BV-treated hepatocytes.

alleviated acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide suppressing endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome.

(PR), one kind of commonly-used Chinese herbs, is generally prescribed to treat various respiratory diseases, including acute lung injury (ALI). However, the accurate bioactive ingredients of PR and the underlying pharmacological mechanism have both not been fully elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the bioactive ingredients that could alleviate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced ALI and explore the possible mechanism involved.

Ginsenoside Rb1 Ameliorated Bavachin-Induced Renal Fibrosis via Suppressing Bip/eIF2α/CHOP Signaling-Mediated EMT.

The nephrotoxicity of , an effective traditional Chinese medicine for vitiligo treatment, has been reported. As one of the main toxic components in , bavachin (BV) was considered to be related to -caused adverse outcomes, but the direct evidence and molecular mechanism underlying BV-induced nephrotoxicity are not well elucidated. Therefore, this study was designed to confirm whether BV would cause toxic effects on the kidney and explore the possible mode of action.

Low-dose radiation-induced demethylation of 3β-HSD participated in the regulation of testosterone content.

The effects of low-dose radiation (LDR, ≤0.1 Gy) on living organisms have been the hot areas of radiation biology but do not reach a definitive conclusion yet. So far, few studies have adequately accounted for the male reproductive system responses to LDR, particularly the regulation of testosterone content.

Emodin-Induced Oxidative Inhibition of Mitochondrial Function Assists BiP/IRE1/CHOP Signaling-Mediated ER-Related Apoptosis.

Cassiae Semen is a widely used herbal medicine and a popular edible variety in many dietary or health beverage. Emerging evidence disclosed that improper administration of Cassiae Semen could induce obvious liver injury, which is possibly attributed to emodin, one of the bioactive anthraquinone compounds in Cassiae Semen, which caused hepatotoxicity, but the underlying mechanisms are not completely understood. Hence, the present study firstly explored the possible role of oxidative stress-mediated mitochondrial dysfunction and ER stress in emodin-cause apoptosis of L02 cells, aiming to elaborate possible toxic mechanisms involved in emodin-induced hepatotoxicity.

Mitochondrial Iron Overload-Mediated Inhibition of Nrf2-HO-1/GPX4 Assisted ALI-Induced Nephrotoxicity.

Aristolactam I (ALI) is an active component derived from some Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs), and also the important metabolite of aristolochic acid. Long-term administration of medicine-containing ALI was reported to be related to aristolochic acid nephropathy (AAN), which was attributed to ALI-induced nephrotoxicity. However, the toxic mechanism of action involved is still unclear.

Global metabolomic and lipidomic analysis reveals the potential mechanisms of hemolysis effect of Ophiopogonin D and Ophiopogonin D' in vivo.

Background: OPD and OPD' are the two main active components of Ophiopogon japonicas in Shenmai injection (SMI). Being isomers of each other, they are supposed to have similar pharmacological activities, but the actual situation is complicated. The difference of hemolytic behavior between OPD and OPD' in vivo and in vitro was discovered and reported by our group for the first time.