Background: Formaldehyde can induce misfolding and aggregation of Tau protein and β amyloid protein, which are characteristic pathological features of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). An increase in endogenous formaldehyde concentration in the brain is closely related to dementia in aging people. Therefore, the discovery of effective drugs to counteract the adverse impact of formaldehyde on neuronal cells is beneficial for the development of appropriate treatments for age-associated cognitive decline.Methods: In this study, we assessed the neuroprotective properties of TongLuoJiuNao (TLJN), a traditional Chinese medicine preparation, against formaldehyde stress in human neuroblastoma cells (SH-SY5Y cell line). The effect of TLJN and its main ingredients (geniposide and ginsenoside Rg1) on cell viability, apoptosis, intracellular antioxidant activity and the expression of apoptotic-related genes in the presence of formaldehyde were monitored.Results: Cell counting studies showed that in the presence of TLJN, the viability of formaldehyde-treated SH-SY5Y cells significantly recovered. Laser scanning confocal microscopy revealed that the morphology of formaldehyde-injured cells was rescued by TLJN and geniposide, an effective ingredient of TLJN. Moreover, the inhibitory effect of geniposide on formaldehyde-induced apoptosis was dose-dependent. The activity of intracellular antioxidants (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) increased, as did mRNA and protein levels of the antiapoptotic geneBcl-2after the addition of geniposide. In contrast, the expression of the apoptotic-related gene -P53, apoptotic executer -caspase 3and apoptotic initiator -caspase 9were downregulated after geniposide treatment.Conclusions: Our results indicate that geniposide can protect SH-SY5Y cells against formaldehyde stress through modulating the expression ofBcl-2,P53,caspase 3andcaspase 9,and by increasing the activity of intracellular superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase.

The incidence of liver-related complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is rapidly increasing, which affects the physical and mental health of T2DM patients. Mulberry leaf flavonoids (MLF) were confirmed to have certain effects on lowering blood glucose and anti-inflammation. In this study, the high-fat diet (HFD)+STZ method was used to establish T2DM rat model and the MLF was administered by gavage for eight weeks. During the experiment, body weight and blood glucose level were measured at different time points. The pathological changes of rat liver were observed by H&E staining. The serum glucolipid metabolic indicators of serum, fasting insulin (FINS), and inflammatory factors levels were detected by ELISA. The expression levels of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), TNF receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), inhibitor of NF-κB alpha (IκΒα), p-IκΒα, and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB)/p65 protein in liver tissue were measured by Western Blot. After 8 weeks MLF treatment, the blood glucose of rats showed a downward trend; glycolipid metabolism level and insulin resistance were improved, which suggested that MLF could improve the disorder of glucose and lipid metabolism. The pathological damage and inflammation of the liver in T2DM rats were significantly improved, the levels of related serum inflammatory factors were reduced, and the expression of liver tissue-related proteins was downregulated. Our results indicated that MLF could reduce blood glucose and inhibit the development of liver inflammation. The mechanisms may be associated with the activation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signal pathway to reduce the levels of inflammatory factors in serum.

Airway remodelling in lung diseases can be treated by inhibiting excessive smooth muscle cell proliferation. Zedoarondiol (Zed) is a natural compound isolated from the Chinese herb Curcuma longa. The caveolin-1 (CAV-1) is widely expressed in lung cells and plays a key role in platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signalling and cell proliferation. This study aims to investigate the effect of Zed on human bronchial smooth muscle cell (HBSMC) proliferation and explore its potential molecular mechanisms. We assessed the effect of Zed on the proliferation of PDGF-stimulated HBSMCs and performed proteomic analysis to identify potential molecular targets and pathways. CAV1 siRNA was used to validate our findings in vitro. In PDGF-stimulated HBSMCs, Zed significantly inhibited excessive proliferation of HBSMCs. Proteomic analysis of zedoarondiol-treated HBSMCs revealed significant enrichment of differentially expressed proteins in cell proliferation-related pathways and biological processes. Zed inhibition of HBSMC proliferation was associated with upregulation of CAV1, regulation of the CAV-1/PDGF pathway and inhibition of MAPK and PI3K/AKT signalling pathway activation. Treatment of HBSMCs with CAV1 siRNA partly reversed the inhibitory effect of Zed on HBSMC proliferation. Thus, this study reveals that zedoarondiol potently inhibits HBSMC proliferation by upregulating CAV-1 expression, highlighting its potential value in airway remodelling and related diseases.

Introduction: This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) interventions for airway remodelling in patients with asthma. Methods: A systematic search was conducted of 8 international and Chinese databases and 2 clinical trial registries from the inception of the database to March 2022. The data were analysed for the outcomes of lung function, matrix metalloproteinases-9 (MMP-9), tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1), and adverse events. The Cochrane “Risk of bias” tool and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methods were used to assess the methodological quality and the certainty of the evidence. Descriptive analysis was employed to summarize the outcomes of TCM. The PROSPERO ID is CRD42022318617. This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 82,004,167). Results: Twenty RCTs involving 1790 patients with asthma were included. The trials were at unclear or high risk of bias. The certainty of the evidence ranged from very low certainty to low certainty. The TCM used in each trial was different. Compared to those of conventional medicine, 9 trials showed greater effects of TCM alone or combined with conventional medicine on lung function, as indicated by the FEV₁, FVC, and FEV₁/FVC. Nine trials showed that TCM significantly reduced the expression of MMP-9 and TIMP-1. Five trials reported adverse events. Conclusion: TCM alone or in combination with conventional medicine alleviated airway remodelling symptoms in patients with asthma. However, additional high-quality randomized trials are still needed to confirm the beneficial effectiveness of TCM.