Ethnopharmocological Relevance: Cortex Eucommiae (CE), the bark of Eucommia ulmoides Oliv., has been traditionally used for its kidney-tonifying and bone- and tendon-enhancing properties in Korea, China, and Japan. CE has been historically prescribed for inflammatory conditions such as arthritis of the knee and ankle.
Aim Of The Study: Although CE has recently been shown to suppress inflammation in scientific studies, whether this effect involves modulation of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) pathway is currently unknown.
Materials And Methods: The modulatory effect of CE on the TLR-4 pathway, both myeloid differentiation primary response gene 88 (Myd88)-dependent and independent, was investigated through real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), western blotting, and a reporter gene assay in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophages.
Results: CE dose-dependently inhibited nitric oxide production without significant cytotoxicity with an IC of 356.23μg/mL. In addition, CE down-regulated both LPS-induced mRNA and protein expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in a dose-dependent manner. CE suppressed LPS-induced activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways, which together comprise the Myd88-dependent TLR-4 pathway. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway was also down-regulated by CE in a dose-dependent manner. CE additionally suppressed LPS-induced activation of interferon-β (IFN-β) and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathway, which is associated with the Myd88-independent TLR-4 pathway.
Conclusions: CE down-regulated both Myd88-dependent and independent TLR-4 pathways, thus exerting anti-inflammatory effects. These results suggest that CE may be used as a potential therapeutic agent against chronic inflammatory diseases.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2017.08.001 | DOI Listing |
PLoS One
January 2025
Chakri Naruebodindra Medical Institute, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Samut Prakan, Thailand.
Cadmium is a non-essential element and neurotoxin that causes neuroinflammation, which leads to neurodegenerative diseases and brain cancer. To date, there are no specific or effective therapeutic agents to control inflammation and alleviate cadmium-induced progressive destruction of brain cells. Fluoroquinolones (FQs), widely used antimicrobials with effective blood-brain barrier penetration, show promise in being repurposed as anti-inflammatory drugs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCell Mol Biol (Noisy-le-grand)
January 2025
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mersin University, Mersin, Türkiye.
Biology (Basel)
November 2024
Department of Food Science and Nutrition, College of Food and Agricultural Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
This study tested the ISL against renal damage induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) and explored its underlying mechanisms. Adult male rats were assigned to four groups: (1) control on a standard diet (STD), (2) ISL on STD (30 mg/kg), (3) HFD, and (4) HFD + ISL (30 mg/kg). After 12 weeks of dietary intervention, ISL treatment led to significant reductions in body weight gain, visceral fat, and glucose and insulin levels in HFD-fed rats.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFOpen Life Sci
December 2024
Department of Children's Center, Beijing Luhe Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing, 101149, China.
This study aimed to investigate the differential expression of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) signaling pathway in relation to the Toll-like receptor (TLR)/nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway in an obese rat model. A total of 200 8-week-old male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to a control group (Ctrl, = 40) and an observation group (Obs, = 160), with obesity induced through a high-fat diet. Following modeling, the Obs group was further divided into a model group, a PI3K/AKT inhibition group, a TLR/NF-κB inhibition group, and a combined PI3K/AKT + TLR/NF-κB inhibition group, with 40 rats in each.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Hazard Mater
December 2024
International Research Center for Marine Biosciences at Shanghai Ocean University, Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China; Key Laboratory of Exploration and Utilization of Aquatic Genetic Resources, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China. Electronic address:
The aggregation state of nano-TiO in the environment is altered under marine heatwaves (MHWs), thus affecting its bioavailability and toxicity to the marine organisms. Here, we investigated the toxic mechanisms and effects of nano-TiO on gut-hepatopancreas axis health of Mytilus coruscus exposed to 25 and 250 μg/L of nano-TiO under laboratory-simulated MHW. Compared with the control conditions or post-MHW cooling phase, prolonged MHW exposure significantly inhibited digestive function, decreased immune-related enzymes activities, and caused neurotoxicity in the mussels.
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