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The flavonoid compound scutellarin (Scu) is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat a variety of diseases; however, the use of scutellarein (Scue), the hydrolysate of Scu, and its mechanisms of action in Alzheimer's disease (AD) have not been fully elucidated. In the present study, the effects of Scue on amyloid β (Aβ)-induced AD-like pathology were investigated. An in vitro model of inflammation and an aged rat model were used to confirm the effects of Scue. In vitro MTT assays and flow cytometry were used to assess the effects of Scue on cell viability and apoptosis, respectively. A Morris water maze was used to evaluate spatial learning and memory, and the levels of Aβ deposition, superoxide dismutase, malondialdehyde, apoptosis, neuro-inflammatory factors and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation in hippocampal tissues in vivo were measured to determine the effect of Scue in AD. Scue may be protective, as it decreased the apoptosis of hippocampal cells in vitro , inhibited Aβ-induced cognitive impairment, suppressed hippocampal neuro-inflammation and suppressed activation of NF-κB in vivo . Therefore, Scue may be a useful agent for the treatment of Aβ-associated pathology in the central nervous system through inhibition of the protein kinase B/NF-κB signaling pathway and thus, future studies are required to investigate the efficacy of Scue in patients with AD.

Background/Aims:Deoxyschizandrin as one of the most important component of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill plays an immunomodulatory role in a variety of diseases, yet its role in ulcerative colitis remains to be elucidated. We aimed to investigate the role of deoxyschizandrin in DSS-induced ulcerative colitis in mice.Patients and Methods:In the present study, an inflammation model of cells was constructed to confirm the anti-inflammatory effect of deoxyschizandrin. Then a mouse model with Dextran sulfate sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced ulcerative colitis was constructed, and the effects of deoxyschizandrin on mouse colon inflammation, apoptosis, and CD4 T lymphocyte infiltration in ulcerative colitis were examined.Result:Deoxyschizandrin could improve the symptoms of ulcerative colitis, determined by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and histopathological scores. Moreover, deoxyschizandrin reduced the levels of inflammatory cytokines, suppressed CD4 T cell infiltration, and effectively inhibited apoptosis in the colon of DSS-induced ulcerative colitis mice.Conclusion:In summary, deoxyschizandrin can effectively rescue the symptoms of DSS-induced ulcerative colitis in mice by inhibiting inflammation. T cell infiltration and apoptosis in the colon, suggesting that deoxyschizandrin could be a potential drug in treating ulcerative colitis.

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Rotundic acid (RA) is a kind of pentacyclic triterpene saponins, which widely exists in holly and other plants. It has anti-tumor and lipid-lowering effects, and has been widely used in the prevention and treatment of vascular diseases. Succinyl RA (SRA) is a kind of circular acid derivative with strong water solubility. However, SRA’s effect and mechanism about the therapy of cervical cancer is still not clarified. The inhibitory effect of SRA on Hela cells and its molecular mechanism were investigated in this study. Hela cell line was used to establish an in vitro model to study the effect of SRA. The effects of SRA on cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis were analyzed by flow cytometry and detected by 3-(4,5-dimethyl thiazole-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazole bromide. The experimental results show that SRA can inhibit the growth of Hela and diffusion, inducing cell apoptosis. SRA can also reduce the expression of CyclinD 1 and p21. It was also decreased the expression of apoptosis inhibitor B cell lymphoma (Bcl-2), and increased the expression of Bcl-2-related X-protein and Caspase-3. This study provides evidence for the progress of SRA in inhibiting Hela cells and presents potential applications of SRA as an alternative therapy for cervical cancer.