Calycosin attenuatesAngiostrongylus cantonensis-induced parasitic meningitis through modulation of HO-1 and NF-κB activation

Abstract

Angiostrongylus cantonensis causes a form of parasitic meningitis in humans. Albendazole (ABZ) kills nematode larvae in the brain. However, dead larvae can trigger a severe inflammatory response, resulting in brain damage. Accumulating evidence suggests that calycosin represents a potential anti-inflammatory therapeutic candidate. In this study, we investigated the combined effects of ABZ and calycosin in angiostrongyliasis caused by A. cantonensis in BALB/c mice. Inflammatory mediators (such as phospho-nuclear factor-κB, cyclooxygenase-2, matrix metalloproteinase-9, tumour necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β) are associated with the development of meningitis and immune inflammatory reactions. We found that A. cantonensis significantly induces inflammatory mediator production and increases the blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability. However, co-administration of both ABZ and calycosin markedly suppressed meningitis and inflammatory mediator production and decreased the BBB permeability compared to treatment with a single drug. Furthermore, calycosin and ABZ plus calycosin treatment facilitated production of the antioxidant haem oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Moreover, co-therapy with ABZ and calycosin failed to mitigate angiostrongyliasis in the presence of tin-protoporphyrin IX, an HO-1-specific inhibitor. This finding suggests that the beneficial effects of ABZ plus calycosin treatment on the regulation of inflammation are mediated by the modulation of HO-1 activation. The present results provide new insights into the treatment of human angiostrongyliasis using co-therapy with ABZ and calycosin.

High-Throughput Phytochemical Unscrambling of Flowers Originating from Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. var. mongholicus (Bge.) P. K. Hsiao and Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bug. by Applying the Intagretive Plant Metabolomics Method Using UHPLC−Q−TOF−MS/MS

“…In recent years, modern pharmacological studies of Calycosin have been conducted in depth. Many articles have demonstrated that Calycosin possesses multiple activities, such as anti-tumor [ 29 ], anti-oxidant [ 30 , 31 ], heart and angiocarpy protection [ 32 , 33 ], lung protection [ 34 ], neuroprotection [ 35 , 36 ], anti-liver fibrosis [ 37 ], anti-hepatic steatosis [ 38 ], anti-inflammatory [ 39 , 40 ] and anti-diabetic kidney disease [ 41 , 42 ] activities, hinting that Calycosin may be a bio-active constituent in MOF and MEF. Moreover, Prim-O-glucosylcimifugin is a characteristic benzopyran compound identified in MOF and MEF with multifold activities.…”

Ohwia caudata extract relieves the IL‐17A‐induced inflammatory response of synoviocytes through modulation of SOCS3 and JAK2/STAT3 activation

“…Then, used enhanced chemiluminescence from Merck Millipore to detect all bands and used LAS‐3000 Luminescent Image Analyzer to analyze (Fujifilm, Tokyo, Japan) the results. Finally, protein expression were normalized by β‐actin and the band intensities were quantified by scanning and processed using the Image J 36–38 …”

“…Finally, protein expression were normalized by β-actin and the band intensities were quantified by scanning and processed using the Image J. [36][37][38] 2.7 | Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay IL-1β and IL-6 levels were detected by ELISA kits from Abcam (ab273237 and ab277389, respectively) according to instructions given by the manufacturer. TNFα levels were also detected through an ELISA kit from R&D Systems (DY5670).…”

Consumption of invasive apple snails (Pomacea spp.): a public health concern for neuroangiostrongyliasis in Taiwan

“…In Taiwan, research is currently being conducted in order to protect the brain from the harmful inflammatory effects of albendazole being administered in the later infection stages. In BALB/c mouse models, Chen et al (2023b) investigated the combined effects of benzaldehyde with albendazole; Lu et al (2023) explored the efficacy of an active compound, calycosin, extracted from a herb commonly used in Chinese medicine known for its anti-inflammatory effects. Therapeutic use of Tanshinone IIA (TSIIA) to reverse cell damage to mouse astrocytes are being investigated using the excretory-secretory products of A. cantonensis as an effective way to induce host immune responses to the infection (Chen et al, 2023a).…”