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Background Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a unique complication of diabetes, could contribute to an increase in mortality. In this study, we predicted and proved the molecular pharmacological mechanism concerning the protective effects of Astragali Radix on DN. Methods The same potential target genes from Astragali Radix and DN were analyzed and constructed the protein interaction network. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment-related major targets and signal pathways were performed. The drug-ingredients-target-disease network was visually built using Cytoscape 3.6.1. The beneficial pharmacological activities of quercetin from Astragali Radix were confirmed by CCK-8 assay, determination of antioxidant parameters and Western blotting analysis. Results There are 12 bioactive components from Astragali Radix and 56 same targets between Astragali Radix and DN. The GO analysis results showed that the biological processes mainly included protein homodimerization activity. KEGG analysis indicate that the screened targets were most closely linked to the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. The drug-ingredients-target-disease network results revealed that the therapeutic effects of Astragali Radix mainly included oxidative stress, inflammatory reaction and apoptosis. During the verification process, quercetin from Astragali Radix could attenuate cytotoxicity, enhance catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and suppress MAPK signaling pathway. Conclusions In the current study, network pharmacology with experimental analysis predicted and proved the therapeutic function of Astragali Radix by improving antioxidant capacity and suppressing MAPK signaling pathway, these investigations could provide a new perspective for further exploration of Astragali Radix on DN treatment.

The aim of this paper was to study the effect and mechanism of alcohol extract from Polygonum cuspidatum(PCE) on acute gouty arthritis in C57 BL/6 mice through NLRP3/ASC/caspase-1 axis. The model mice which injected with ankle joint injection of sodium urate crystals(MSU) were orally administrated with three different concentration of PCE, with colchicine as positive control. HE staining was used for observing the morphological changes of synovial tissue; concentration of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α secreted by synovial tissue of the ankle joint were detected by ELISA; mRNA and protein expression of NLRP3, ASC and caspase-1 in synovial tissue were detected by RT-PCR and Western blot respectively. The results showed that the swelling degree of ankle joint in model mice were significantly elevated; expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were significantly increased; mRNA and protein expression of NLRP3, ASC and caspase-1 also significant increase, compared with normal control group. The swelling degree of ankle joint significantly relief; expression of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α in joint synovium significantly decrease; mRNA and protein expression of NLRP3, ASC and caspase-1 were significantly decrease in PCE treatment group compared with model group. Our research implied that alcohol extract from P. cuspidatum had positive effect on acute gouty arthritis in mice, and the regulation of NLRP3/ASC/caspase-1 axis may be its mechanism.

Hepatoprotective agents could prevent tissue damage and reduce morbidity and mortality rates; such agents may include folkloric or alternative treatments. The present study evaluated the protective effects of the flavonoid-rich fraction from rhizomes of Smilax glabra Roxb. (SGF) on carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Sprague-Dawley male rats were orally treated with SGF daily and received CCl₄ intraperitoneally twice a week for 4 weeks. Our results showed that SGF at doses of 100, 300 and 500 mg/kg significantly reduced the elevated activities of serum aminotransferases (ALT and AST), alkaline phosphatase and lactate dehydrogenase and the level of hepatic thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances compared to the CCl₄-treated group. Moreover, SGF treatment was also found to significantly increase the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase and glutathione compared with CCl₄-induced intoxicated liver. Histopathologic examination revealed that CCl₄-induced hepatic damage was markedly reversed by SGF. The results suggest that SGF has hepatoprotective and antioxidant properties in CCl₄-induced liver injury in rats.

To investigate the anti-obesity and hypolipidemic effects of Alpinia officinarum ethanolic extract (AOE) for the first time, anti-obesity models in vivo were used. Ten male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed normal control diet (NC); other groups of rats were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) with or without different proportions of AOE (AOE-1, 3%; AOE-2, 5%) for 6 weeks to examine feed intake, body and adipose tissue weight, serum total cholesterol (Total-C), triacylglycerol (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and leptin levels, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotranferase activities, hepatic Total-C and TG levels, and the pathological changes in liver and epididymal adipose tissues. Interestingly, feed intakes among the experimental groups were not significantly different. Body weight gains were significantly lowered in the AOE-1 and AOE-2 groups compared with the HFD group (P < .05) and near to the level of the NC group. AOE also improved the lipid profile in serum and the pathological changes in liver and adipose tissue and decreased the relative weights of epididymal and perirenal white adipose tissues. They improved lipid profile by lowering serum Total-C, TG, and LDL-C concentrations, leptin content, and the atherogenic index compared with the HFD group. The HDL-C concentration and the ratio of HDL-C/Total-C significantly increased compared with those of the HFD group. The serum ALT activity of the AOE-2 group was notably lower than that of the HFD group. Our data suggest that AOE can be considered as an anti-obesity agent that is effective for suppressing body weight gain and decreasing lipid profile.

The protective effects of puerarin on liver damage were evaluated by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Male rats were orally treated with puerarin daily, and received CCl4 intraperitoneally twice a week for 4 weeks. Our results showed that puerarin at doses of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg b.w. significantly reduced the elevated activities of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase at least 15%, 17%, 14% and 18%, respectively. In addition, puerarin at different doses significantly decreased (p < 0.05) the level of hepatic thiobarbituric acid reactive substances compared to the CCl4-treated group. Furthermore, the treatment of puerarin was also found to significantly increase the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase, and glutathione content at least 40%, 12%, 25%, 52%, 17% and 44% in the liver of CCl4-treated rats, respectively. Liver histopathology also showed that puerarin reduced the incidence of liver lesions induced by CCl4. The results suggest that puerarin exhibits potent hepatoprotective effects on CCl4-induced liver damages in rats, and that the hepatoprotective effects of puerarin may be due to both the inhibition of lipid peroxidation and to increase of antioxidant enzymes activity.

The total phenolic and flavonoid, antioxidant and antibacterial activities of six Sonchus wild vegetables (Sonchus oleraceus L., Sonchus arvensis L., Sonchus asper (L.) Hill., Sonchus uliginosus M.B., Sonchus brachyotus DC. and Sonchus lingianus Shih) in China were investigated. The results revealed that S. arvensis extract and S. oleraceus extract contained the highest amount of phenolic and flavonoid, respectively. Among the methanol extracts of six Sonchus species, S. arvensis extract exhibited the highest radical (DPPH and ABTS+ scavenging power and lipid peroxidation inhibitory power. It also exhibited the highest reducing power at 500 µg mL⁻¹ by A (700) = 0.80. The results of antibacterial test indicated that the S. oleraceus extract showed higher activity than the other five Sonchus wild vegetables extracts, both in Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica and Vibrio parahaemolyticus) and in a Gram-positive bacterium (Staphylococcus aureus). These results indicate that Sonchus wild food plants might be applicable in natural medicine and healthy food.

To investigate the influence of traditional Chinese herbal formula with Smilax glabra on lead expelling and oxidative damage in lead-poisoned mice.Mice were received intraperitoneal injections of lead acetate to establish lead-poisoned models. The concentration of lead, zinc and copper in blood, brain, liver, kidney and bone were determined. The lipid peroxidation of liver was systematically evaluated.The traditional Chinese herbal formula had no influence on body weight and organ weight/body weight ratio of lead-poisoned mice. The traditional Chinese herbal formula might significantly reduce the concentration of lead in blood, rain, liver, kidney and bone, and the rate were 74%, 48%, 56%, 51% and 44%, but had no influence on zinc's and copper' s concentration. The decreasing rate of MDA levels in liver by the traditional Chinese herbal formula was 31%. In addition, the increase rate of GSH levels and the activities of GSH-Px and SOD in liver by traditional Chinese herbal formula were 63% ,76% and 66%, respectively.The traditional Chinese herbal formula with Smilax glabra can significantly advance the excretion of lead and protect liver against oxidative damage induced by lead.

To investigate antagonism effects of total flavonoids from Chrysanthemum morifolium. (TFCM) against lead induced oxidative injury.Ninety male mice were randomly divided into 9 groups. Mice except normal control group inject lead acetate every other day for 20 days. In the next 10 d, drugs were orally administrated to mice once a day. After the last aministration, mice were sacrificed and immediately subjected to necropsy. The concentration of lead, zinc and copper in blood, brain, liver and kidney were determined. The body weight, relative organ weight, antioxidant enzyme levels (GSH, GSH-Px, SOD and CAT) and lipid peroxidation products (MDA) were performed.TFCM might antagonize the decrease of body weight and the increase of organ weight/body weight ratio. The combined treatment with TFCM and DMSA can significantly lower the lead levels in blood, brain, liver and kidney. In contrast, lead concentration in mice treated with TFCM alone did not show significant change in these organs. The other trace elements such as zinc and copper had no significant decrease after TFCM or DMSA treatment. Middle and high-dose TFCM was more effective than DMSA in increasing the activity of GSH, GSH-Px, SOD, CAT and decreasing the concentration of MDA in mice brain. In addition, high-dose TFCM was more effective than DMSA in increasing the activity of GSH-Px, CAT and decreasing the concentration of MDA in mice liver and kidney. The combined treatment with TFCM and DMSA also can reverse lipid peroxidation and increase antioxidant enzyme levels in lead poisoning mice dose-dependently, and it had more beneficial effects than treatment with DMSA alone.TFCM might improve antioxidant defense system, reverse lipid peroxidation and protect brain, liver and kidney against lead induced oxidative damage in mice significantly.