Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology

OBJECTIVES: Engelhardia roxburghiana Wall is a plant of the Juglandaceae family, and its leaves is the main part used as a medicine. It is used to relieve heat and pain, gasification, and dampness. The purpose of this review is to provide a systematic review about the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of this plant. KEY FINDINGS: Many compounds have been isolated and identified from the plant, including flavonoids, triterpenoids, steroids, quinones, essential oils, and other types of chemical constituents...

PURPOSE: Although resveratrol (RES) is an efficacious molecule, its therapeutic activity is impeded by significant limitations, such as rapid oral absorption, poor oral bioavailability, and low water solubility. Therefore, the preparation of RES in different pharmaceutical carriers represents an important tool to enhance its therapeutic applications. This study aims to potentiate the anti-cancer activity of RES by formulating it into a novel nanocarrier called Smart Lipid. METHODS: RES-loaded Smart Lipids were prepared by high-shear hot homogenization method utilizing a 21 × 32 factorial design with three factors at different levels: the total lipid concentration, the concentration of surfactant, and the type of surfactant...

Statins, also known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, are widely prescribed drugs for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In addition to their lipid-lowering effects, these compounds have been found to possess immune-modulating properties. Macrophages, which are crucial phagocytic cells in the body, can be divided into two main subsets: M1 (proinflammatory) and M2 (anti-inflammatory). While there is evidence suggesting that statins exert an anti-inflammatory action on macrophages and promote their polarization towards the M2 subset, recent studies have identified the proinflammatory impact of statins on macrophages, leading to polarization towards the M1 subset...

OBJECTIVES: In our study, we aimed to examine how δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) administration to hyperinsulinemia (HI) model rats would change endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), apoptosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress in cardiac tissue. METHODS: Rats were divided into four groups (n = 32): Control (C), THC, HI, and Treatment (Tre). Fructose (10%) in the drinking water was given to HI and Tre rats for 12 weeks. 1.5 mg/kg/d THC was given intraperitoneally to THC and Tre rats in the last 4 weeks of the experiment...

OBJECTIVES: Improving response rates in colorectal cancer (CRC) is an urgent clinical need. This study aimed to explore the synergistic action of Lebanese rosemary essential oil (REO) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in HCT116 CRC cells. METHODS: We tested the cell viability of monotherapy and combination therapy. The combination index was calculated using CompuSyn software to evaluate drug-drug interactions and the level of synergistic cytotoxicity. We also evaluated cell migration and cytopathology...

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OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of neuropeptide W (NPW) on ovarian ischemia-reperfusion-induced oxidative injury and ovarian steroid metabolism. METHODS: Rats were randomly divided into control and ischemia groups that received either saline or NPW (0.1 or 5 μg/kg/day). Bilateral ovarian ischemia was performed for 3 h followed by a 72-h reperfusion. Blood, ovary, and uterus samples were collected for biochemical and histological assessments...

OBJECTIVES: Prolonged exposure to chronic hypertension places the heart under excessive strain, resulting in myocardial remodeling. Phillyrin, derived from the natural plant Forsythia suspensa, has been found to possess cardioprotective properties. The objective of this study is to investigate the role and mechanism of phillyrin in hypertension-induced myocardial remodeling in mice. METHODS: We constructed a mouse model of salt-sensitive hypertension. The mice were treated with varying doses of phillyrin, and their blood pressure, cardiac function, cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, inflammation, and other conditions were assessed...

BACKGROUND: We administered Bushen Huoxue Huazhuo Formula (BSHXHZF) and transplanted bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) into mice with Wilson's disease (WD)-related liver fibrosis to evaluate the liver-protecting mechanism of this prescription. METHODS: Mice, randomly divided into different treatment groups, showed histopathological changes and degree of hepatocyte apoptosis. For hepatic hydroxyproline (Hyp) determination, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) mRNA and protein were measured...

OBJECTIVES: Schisandrin B (Sch B) has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, however, its antirheumatoid arthritis properties and potential mechanism remain unexplored. This study evaluated the potential of Sch B in adjuvant-induced arthritic (AIA) rats. METHODS: AIA was induced by injecting 0.1 ml of CFA into the paw of rats and the animals were administered with Sch B (50 mg/kg) for 28 days. The effects of Sch B were evaluated using arthritis severity, serum levels of oxido-inflammatory, and metabolic index parameters...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to systematize the Zhuang medicinal herbs of Ardisia (ZMHA) in China, to clarify the traditional use in Zhuang medicine and the dynamics of international research on phytochemistry, pharmacology, clinical application, and toxicity. KEY FINDINGS: There are 25 species of ZMHA, approximately 938 compounds from the different part, including triterpenoids, phenolics, volatile oils, etc. Pharmacological activity studies have also shown that this genus has anti-tumour, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, etc...

OBJECTIVES: Orientation to specific cells is an important topic in active targeting strategy for nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems. While these administered nanoparticles will be sequestrated within the liver, their cellular distribution behaviors in the liver are not clear. The aim of this study was to fabricate glycyrrhizic acid (GL) modified BSA nanoparticles and evaluate their hepatic cellular distribution. METHODS: GL-modified BSA (GL-BSA) was tailored according to the periodate oxidation method, then GL-BSA nanoparticles loaded with paclitaxel (PTX@GL-BSA NPs) were prepared through self-assembly approach...

OBJECTIVE: Brusatol (BT) is a quassinoid compound extracted from Brucea javanica that is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Brusatol possesses biological and medical activity, including antitumor, antileukemia, anti-inflammatory, antitrypanosomal, antimalarial, and antitobacco mosaic virus activity. To summarize and discuss the antitumor effects of BT and its mechanisms of actions, we compiled this review by combining the extensive relevant literature and our previous studies. METHODS: We searched and retrieved the papers that reported the pharmacological effects of BT and the mechanism of BT antitumor activity from PubMed until July 2023...

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of Rhubarb anthraquinone (RA) on a high-fat diet (HFD)-induced nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) rat model, and explore potential biomarker and metabolic pathways by using the metabolomics method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We established HFD rats as the NAFLD model. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a control group, model group, RA low-dose group, RA medium-dose group, and RA high-dose group, and evaluated the protective effect of RA on NAFLD by detecting biochemical indicators of serum and pathological changes of liver tissue...

OBJECTIVES: We examined the antirheumatoid effects of piperlongumine (PLM) on rat adjuvant-induced arthritis (AIA) and explored the underlying mechanisms involved. METHODS: PLM (2.5, 5, and 10 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally to AIA rats to assess its effectiveness. Blood, thymus, spleen, ankle joint, and synovial tissue samples were gathered for subsequent analyses, like enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, thymus/spleen index measurement, ankle joint pathological examination, immunohistochemistry assay, polymerase chain reaction, and western blot assay...

OBJECTIVES: Reportedly, ganoderic acid A (GA-A) increases the sensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma cells to cisplatin (DDP) chemotherapy. Therefore, this study aims to fathom the influence of GA-A on lung cancer cells. METHODS: After the construction of A549/DDP cells through exposure to DDP, the effects of GA-A on A549 and A549/DDP cells were revealed by cellular functional assays, western blot and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). The DDP-resistant lung cancer tumor was established in vivo, followed by further validation of the mechanism of GA-A...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether the glycosylation of chrysin (CHR) enhances its protective effects against aluminum-induced neurotoxicity. METHODS: To compare the antioxidant, anticholinesterase, and behavioral effects of CHR with its glycosylated form (CHR bonded to β-d-glucose tetraacetate, denoted as LQFM280), we employed an integrated approach using both in vitro (SH-SY5Y cells) and in vivo (aluminum-induced neurotoxicity in Swiss mice) models. KEY FINDINGS: LQFM280 demonstrated higher antioxidant activity than CHR in both models...

OBJECTIVES: Sanshimao (SSM) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study was designed to investigate the effect of SSM on HCC-induced angiogenesis and to explore the potential mechanism. METHODS: The endothelial cells were cultured with HCC cells conditioned medium in the 1% oxygen atmosphere to imitate tumor hypoxia microenvironment. EA.hy926 cells migration and tubulogenesis were detected by tube formation and scratch-wound assay...

OBJECTIVES: Doxorubicin (DOX) is a chemotherapy drug for treating malignant tumours. However, its cardiotoxicity has limited its clinical application. The Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata, also known as Fuzi, has been used for treating heart failure. Nevertheless, there is still a deficiency of claeity as to whether the Fuzi polysaccharide (FPS) may prevent the side effects of DOX. METHODS: Mice were intraperitoneally administered DOX (15 mg/kg) to establish a mouse model of DOX-induced chronic cardiotoxicity (DICC)...

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