The anticancer traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), plumbagin (PLN), was isolated from Plumbago Zeylanica. Reaction of plumbagin with Cu(II) salt, afforded [Cu(PLN)(2)].2H(2)O (1). With 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy) as a co-ligand, PLN reacts with Cu(II) to give [Cu(PLN)(bipy)(H(2)O)](2)(NO(3))(2).4H(2)O (2). 1 and 2 were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, ESI-MS spectra. Their crystal structures were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction methods. The in vitro cytotoxicity of PLN, 1 and 2 against seven human tumour cell lines was assayed. The metal-based compounds exhibit enhanced cytotoxicity vs. that of free PLN, suggesting that these compounds display synergy in the combination of metal ions with PLN. The binding properties of PLN, 1 and 2 to DNA were investigated through UV-vis, fluorescence, CD spectra, and gel mobility shift assay, which indicated that 1 and 2 were non-covalent binding and mainly intercalated the neighboring base pairs of DNA. PLN, 1 and 2 exhibit inhibition activity to topoisomerase I (TOPO I), but 1 and 2 were more effective than PLN.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. Paeoniflorin, a natural product and active ingredient of Paeonia lactiflora, has been demonstrated to have many pharmacological effects including antiinflammatory and antihyperglycemic activity. We investigated the effects of paeoniflorin on NAFLD in mice and its underlying mechanisms. We examined this hypothesis using a well-established animal model of NAFLD. The effects of paeoniflorin on inflammation and glucolipid metabolism disorder were evaluated. The corresponding signaling pathways were measured using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We demonstrated that the mice developed obesity, dyslipidemia, and fatty liver, which formed the NAFLD model. Paeoniflorin attenuated NAFLD and exhibited potential cardiovascular protective effects in vivo by lowering body weight, hyperlipidemia, and insulin resistance; blocking inflammation; and inhibiting lipid ectopic deposition. Further investigation revealed that the antagonistic effect on hyperlipidemia and lipid ectopic deposition was related to lowering the lipid synthesis pathway (de novo pathway, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMG-CoAR)), promoting fatty acid oxidation [peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARα), carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1, etc.] and increasing cholesterol output (PPARγ-liver X receptor-α-ATP-binding cassette transporter-1); the inhibitory effects on inflammation and hyperglycemia were mediated by blocking inflammatory genes activation and reducing gluconeogenic genes expression (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and G6Pase). These results suggest that paeoniflorin prevents the development of NAFLD and reduces the risks of atherosclerosis through multiple intracellular signaling pathways. It may therefore be a potential therapeutic compound for NAFLD.
Liriodenine (L), a natural alkaloid, was isolated as an active component from the anticancer traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Zanthoxylum nitidum. It reacted with Mn(II), Fe(II), Co(II) and Zn(II) to afford four metal complexes: [MnCl(2)(L)(2)] (1), [FeCl(2)(L)(2)] (2), [Co(L)(2)(H(2)O)(2).Co(L)(2)(CH(3)CH(2)OH)(2)](ClO(4))(4) (3), and [Zn(2)(L)(2)(mu(2)-Cl)(2)Cl(2)] (4), which were characterized by elemental analysis, IR, ESI-MS. Their crystal structures were determined by the single crystal X-ray diffraction method. The in vitro cytotoxicity of L and complexes 1-4 against 10 human tumour cell lines was assayed. Some of these metal-based compounds exhibited enhanced cytotoxicity vs. free L to selected tumour cell lines. The binding properties of L and its complexes 1-4 to ct-DNA were investigated by spectroscopic methods and viscosity measurements. Agarose gel electrophoresis experiments were also carried out to evaluate their unwinding ability towards plasmid DNA and their inhibition towards Topoisomerase I. All the results indicate that complexes 1-4 may bind more intensively to the DNA helix than does L, and intercalative binding for complexes 1-4 and electrostatic interactions for complexes 3-4 to DNA should be considered. For complex 4, covalent binding to DNA may exist. Of special note, all these metal complexes effectively inhibit Topoisomerase I even at low concentration (< or = 10 microM).
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