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Abstract Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), abbreviated as liver cancer, is one of the most common cancers in clinics. HCC has a wider spread and higher incidence due to its high malignancy and metastasis. In HCC, effective strategies to block cancer cell migration, invasion, and neovascularization need to be further studied. Consumption of flavonoid-rich Oroxylum indicum (OI) has been associated with multiple beneficial effects, including anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, but the potential effects on HCC have not been thoroughly investigated. Objective In this study, we aimed to reveal the effect of OI on HCC and its potential mechanism through microfluidic technology. Methods We designed microfluidic chips for cell migration, invasion, and neovascularization to evaluate the effect of OI on HepG2 cells. To further explore the mechanism of its anti-liver cancer action, the relevant signaling pathways were studied by microfluidic chips, RT‒qPCR and immunofluorescence techniques. Compared to the control group, cell migration, invasion, and angiogenesis were significantly reduced in each administration group. According to the P53 and VEGF pathways predicted by network pharmacology, RT‒qPCR and immunofluorescence staining experiments were conducted. Results The results showed that OI upregulated the expression of Bax, P53 and Caspase-3 and downregulated the expression of Bcl-2 and MDM2. It has been speculated that OI may directly or indirectly induce apoptosis of HepG2 cells by regulating apoptosis-related genes. OI blocks the VEGF signaling pathway by downregulating the expression levels of VEGF, HIF-1α and EGFR and inhibits the migration and invasion of HepG2 cells and the formation of new blood vessels. Conclusion Our findings suggest that OI may inhibit the migration, invasion, and neovascularization of HepG2 cells, and its regulatory mechanism may be related to the regulation of the P53 and VEGF pathways.

This work was performed to determine the pharmacological effects of Bufei Jianpi granules on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its metabolism in rats.Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), ranked as the third leading cause of death worldwide, is seriously endangering human health. At present, the pathogenesis of COPD is complex and unclear, and the drug treatment mainly aims to alleviate and improve symptoms; however, they cannot achieve the purpose of eradicating the disease. Bufei Jianpi granule (BJG) is a Chinese medicine developed by the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine for treating COPD. This study focuses on the pharmacological effects of BJG on COPD and its metabolism in rats, aiming to provide a scientific basis for developing BJG against COPD. A total of 72 Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats were divided into the blank group, model group, positive control group, and BJG groups (2.36, 1.18, and 0.59 g/kg). Except for the blank group, rats in other groups were administered lipopolysaccharide (LPS) combined with smoking for 6 weeks to establish the COPD model. After another 6 weeks of treatment, the therapeutic effect of BJG on COPD rats was evaluated. In the BJG (2.36 g/kg) group, the cough condition of rats was significantly relieved and the body weight was close to that of the blank group. Compared with the mortality of 16.7% in the model group, no deaths occurred in the BJG (2.36 g/kg) and (1.18 g/kg) groups. The lung tissue damage in the BJG groups was less than that in the COPD group. Compared with the model group, MV, PIF, PEF, and EF50 in the BJG groups were observably increased in a dose-dependent manner, while sRaw, Raw, and FRC were obviously decreased. Also, the contents of IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α, PGE2, MMP-9, and NO in the serum and BALF were lowered dramatically in all BJG groups. All indicators present an obvious dose–effect relationship. On this basis, the UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS technology was used to analyze characteristic metabolites in rats under physiological and pathological conditions. A total of 17 prototype and 7 metabolite components were detected, and the concentration of most components was increased in the COPD pathologic state. It is suggested that BJG has a pharmacological effect in the treatment of COPD and the absorption and metabolism of chemical components of BJG in rats exhibited significant differences under physiological and pathological conditions.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) refers to one of the top 10 cancers in terms of morbidity and mortality globally, seriously influencing people’s lives. First recorded in Compendium of Materia Medica, liquidambaris fructus (LF) generates definite anti-liver tumor effect. However, its effective substances and mechanism remain to be elucidated.Methods: Serum pharmacochemistry and UPLC-QTOF-MS technologies were employed to explore the plasma of rats after intragastric administration of liquidambaris fructus extract (LFE) in order to find the active ingredients. Subsequently, DEN-induced rat liver cancer model was established with the purpose of investigating the anti-tumor activity of LFE from physiological, pathological and biochemical aspects. Finally, non-target metabonomics combined with q-PCR and Western blot methods were adopted for revealing the mechanism.Results: Totally 11 prototype blood transfused ingredients, including imperatorin and phellopterin were detected. LFE presents excellent impact on enhancing the quality of life, prolonging the life cycle, reducing inflammatory reaction, protecting hepatocytes, improving body immunity and killing liver tumor cells. Altogether 82 endogenous differential metabolites were found in metabonomics, suggesting that LFE can treat HCC by acting on key targets of PTEN/PI3K/Akt pathway and fatty acid metabolism. Further research also verified that LFE can upregulate the relative expression levels of PTEN, PDCD4, Caspase 9, Caspase 3, Bax and Bad as well as lower the relative expression levels of PI3K, AKT, VEGFA and Bcl-2.Conclusion: This study revealed the pharmacodynamic material basis of LFE in the treatment of HCC, and from the perspective of metabolomics proved that the effects of inhibiting the growth of tumor cells, promoting tumor cell apoptosis, reducing inflammatory reaction, protecting hepatocytes, improving the survival state of tumor rats, and prolonging the life cycle are related to its impact on PTEN/PI3K/Akt, fatty acid metabolism and other key signal pathways.

Fructus Aurantii (FA) is a traditional herbal medicine that has been widely used for thousands of years in China and possesses a variety of pharmacological effects. FA is full of flavonoids. Several natural bioactive compounds of FA are involved in the treatment of various types of cancers, however, the beneficial effects of FA in hepatocarcinoma and the potential mechanisms of its therapeutic effects have not been fully explored. The present study investigates the anticancer role of flavonoids extracted from FA on human hepatoblastoma cell, HepG2. Eriocitrin, neoeriocitrin, narirutin, naringin, hesperidin, neohesperidin, hesperitin, poncirin, meranzin, nobiletin and tangeretin were identified in FAE. The FAE inhibit the proliferation of HepG2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Metabolic alteration was detected by cell metabolomics and quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. Flavonoids decreased the level of glycolysis rate-limiting enzymes gene expression in HepG2 cells. It was also observed that the PD-1 and PD-L1 gene expression level were decreased in FAE-treated cells. Collectively, these results suggest that flavonoid extracted from FA inhibits HepG2 cell proliferation by glycolysis and its downstream of PD-1/PD-L1 pathway. These findings suggest that the possible mechanism by which FA exerts its activities in the treatment of hepatocarcinoma and lays a foundation for further experiments and the development of a rational clinical application of FA, which still needs further in vivo investigation in animals and human beings.