Adaptogens in chemobrain (Part I): Plant extracts attenuate cancer chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment – Transcriptome-wide microarray profiles of neuroglia cells
Abstract Background Cancer chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairments are presumably associated with undesirable effects of chemotherapy on physiological functions of brain cells. Adaptogens are natural compounds or plant extracts increasing an organism's adaptability and survival in stress. They exhibited neuroprotective effects and increased cognitive functions in clinical studies in human beings. Hypothesis We hypothesized that selected adaptogenic plant extracts attenuate or prevent cancer chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairments. Aim We assessed the effects of selected adaptogenic herbal extracts on FEC (fixed combination 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide) induced chang…
Network Pharmacology of Red Ginseng (Part I): Effects of Ginsenoside Rg5 at Physiological and Sub-Physiological Concentrations
Numerous in vitro studies on isolated cells have been conducted to uncover the molecular mechanisms of action of Panax ginseng Meyer root extracts and purified ginsenosides. However, the concentrations of ginsenosides and the extracts used in these studies were much higher than those detected in pharmacokinetic studies in humans and animals orally administered with ginseng preparations at therapeutic doses. Our study aimed to assess: (a) the effects of ginsenoside Rg5, the major “rare” ginsenoside of Red Ginseng, on gene expression in the murine neuronal cell line HT22 in a wide range of concentrations, from 10−4 to 10−18 M, and (b) the effects of differentially expressed genes on cellular …
Curcumin downregulates expression of opioid-related nociceptin receptor gene (OPRL1) in isolated neuroglia cells.
Abstract Background: Curcumin (CC) exerts polyvalent pharmacological actions and multi-target effects, including pain relief and anti-nociceptive activity. In combination with Boswellia serrata extract (BS), curcumin shows greater efficacy in knee osteoarthritis management, presumably due to synergistic interaction of the ingredients. Aim: To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the analgesic activity of curcumin and its synergistic interaction with BS. Methods: We performed gene expression profiling by transcriptome-wide mRNA sequencing in human T98G neuroglia cells treated with CC (Curamed), BS, and the combination of CC and BS (CC-BS; Curamin), followed by interactive pathways a…
Synergy assessment of fixed combinations of Herba Andrographidis and Radix Eleutherococci extracts by transcriptome-wide microarray profiling
Abstract Background Generally accepted, but insufficiently proved, the concept of synergy is based on an assumption that combining of two biologically active substances is justified because the combination is more active and less harmful than the ingredients. Hypothesis Analysis of RNA microarray of isolated neuroglia cells and the comparison the number of genes deregulated by plant extracts and their fixed herbal formulation might be a useful tool/method for assessment of synergistic and antagonistic interactions of herbal extracts in human organism. Aim The primary aim of this study was to extend a new method of assessment of synergistic and antagonistic interactions of herbal extracts in…
Evolution of the adaptogenic concept from traditional use to medical systems: Pharmacology of stress‐ and aging‐related diseases
Abstract Adaptogens comprise a category of herbal medicinal and nutritional products promoting adaptability, resilience, and survival of living organisms in stress. The aim of this review was to summarize the growing knowledge about common adaptogenic plants used in various traditional medical systems (TMS) and conventional medicine and to provide a modern rationale for their use in the treatment of stress‐induced and aging‐related disorders. Adaptogens have pharmacologically pleiotropic effects on the neuroendocrine‐immune system, which explain their traditional use for the treatment of a wide range of conditions. They exhibit a biphasic dose‐effect response: at low doses they function as …
Adaptogens in chemobrain (Part III): Antitoxic effects of plant extracts towards cancer chemotherapy-induced toxicity - transcriptome-wide microarray analysis of neuroglia cells.
Abstract Background Toxicity of chemotherapeutics is a serious problem in cancer therapy. Adaptogens are known to increase adaptability and survival organisms. Aim The aim of this study was to assess the effects of selected adaptogenic herbal extracts on FEC (fixed combination of 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide) induced changes in transcriptome-wide microarray profiles of neuroglia cells. Another task of the study was to identify those genes, which are associated with FEC-induced hepato-, cardio– and nephrotoxicity to predict potential effects of andrographolide (AND), Andrographis herb, Eleutherococcus roots genuine extracts (ES), their fixed combination (AE) and the combin…
Adaptogens in chemobrain (Part II): Effect of plant extracts on chemotherapy-induced cytotoxicity in neuroglia cells
Abstract Background Cancer chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairments are apparently associated with harmful effects on physiological functions of brain cells. Adaptogens, are known to exhibit neuroprotective effects and to increase cognitive functions in clinical studies. In our previous study (Seo et al., 2018), we demonstrated that selected adaptogenic extracts significantly attenuate cytostatic-induced regulation of more than 100 genes involved in the activation of neuronal death and inhibiting neurogenesis. Neuroprotective and cytoprotective activities of adaptogens rise the question about their possible impact on cytostatic effects of a chemotherapeutic combination of 5-fluorouracil, …
Novel molecular mechanisms for the adaptogenic effects of herbal extracts on isolated brain cells using systems biology.
Abstract Introduction Adaptogens are natural compounds or plant extracts that increase adaptability and survival of organisms under stress. Adaptogens stimulate cellular and organismal defense systems by activating intracellular and extracellular signaling pathways and expression of stress-activated proteins and neuropeptides. The effects adaptogens on mediators of adaptive stress response and longevity signaling pathways have been reported, but their stress-protective mechanisms are still not fully understood. Aim of the study The aim of this study was to identify key molecular mechanisms of adaptogenic plants traditionally used to treat stress and aging-related disorders, i.e., Rhodiola r…
Mechanism of action of Rhodiola, salidroside, tyrosol and triandrin in isolated neuroglial cells: An interactive pathway analysis of the downstream effects using RNA microarray data
Abstract Aim The aim of this study was to identify the targets (genes, interactive signaling pathways, and molecular networks) of Rhodiola rosea extract in isolated neuroglia cells and to predict the effects of Rhodiola extract on cellular functions and diseases. In addition, the potential mechanism of action of Rhodiola rosea extract was elucidated, and the “active principle” among the three isolated constituents (salidroside, triandrin, and tyrosol) was identified. Methods Gene expression profiling was performed using the T98G human neuroglia cell line after treatment with the Rhodiola rosea SHR-5 extract and several of its individual constituents (salidroside, triandrin and tyrosol). An …
Network Pharmacology of Ginseng (Part II): The Differential Effects of Red Ginseng and Ginsenoside Rg5 in Cancer and Heart Diseases as Determined by Transcriptomics
Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. is an adaptogenic plant traditionally used to enhance mental and physical capacities in cases of weakness, exhaustion, tiredness, or loss of concentration, and during recovery. According to ancient records, red ginseng root preparations enhance longevity with long-term intake. Recent pharmacokinetic studies of ginsenosides in humans and our in vitro study in neuronal cells suggest that ginsenosides are effective when their levels in blood is low—at concentrations from 10−6 to 10−18 M. In the present study, we compared the effects of red ginseng root preparation HRG80TM(HRG) at concentrations from 0.01 to 10,000 ng/mL with effects of white ginseng (WG) and purified gin…
Synergy and Antagonism of Active Constituents of ADAPT-232 on Transcriptional Level of Metabolic Regulation of Isolated Neuroglial Cells
Gene expression profiling was performed on the human neuroglial cell line T98G after treatment with adaptogen ADAPT-232 and its constituents - extracts of Eleutherococcus senticosus root, Schisandra chinensis berry, and Rhodiola rosea root as well as several constituents individually, namely, eleutheroside E, schizandrin B, salidroside, triandrin, and tyrosol. A common feature for all tested adaptogens was their effect on G-protein-coupled receptor signaling pathways, i.e., cAMP, phospholipase C (PLC), and phosphatidylinositol signal transduction pathways. Adaptogens may reduce the cAMP level in brain cells by down-regulation of adenylate cyclase gene ADC2Y and up-regulation of phosphodiest…
Effects of anti-inflammatory and adaptogenic herbal extracts on gene expression of eicosanoids signaling pathways in isolated brain cells.
Abstract Introduction The adaptogens modulate expression of genes playing key roles in development of aging-related disorders, which are considered as low-grade systemic inflammatory conditions characterized by an imbalance between pro-and anti-inflammatory eicosanoids. Aim of the Study We compared the effects of anti-inflammatory and adaptogenic plant extracts on the expression of genes involved in biosynthesis of eicosanoids with the purpose to find those plants, which selectively upregulated the expression of anti-inflammatory lipoxins signaling pathways and inhibited pro-inflammatory signaling pathways associated with biosynthesis of leukotrienes, prostaglandins and thromboxanes. Materi…