Effects Of Evodiamine Research Articles

Improved delivery of natural alkaloids into lung cancer through woody oil-based emulsive nanosystems

Most antitumor ingredients found in nature have poor solubility. These ingredients are expected to have much better absorption and higher bioavailability than synthetic antitumor agents. Woody oil emulsive nanosystems carrying poorly soluble natural alkaloids were fabricated (evodiamine (EA) carried by fructus bruceae oil-based emulsive nanosystems, or EFEN). Fructus bruceae oil has two excipient-like properties (oil phase and stabilizer) that contribute to the formulation and one drug-like property (antitumor effects) that synergizes with the antitumor effect of EA. The properties of EFEN were compared with free EA, a blank nanoemulsion, an EA-loaded emulsive nanosystem, and a fructus bruceae oil-loaded emulsive nanosystem. For the first time, this suggests that increases in the sensitivity of lung cancer cells to poorly soluble natural alkaloids can be achieved by delivering drugs using woody oil-based emulsive nanosystems. In this study, woody oil-based emulsive nanosystems efficiently deliver poorly soluble natural alkaloids.

Evodiamine ameliorates liver fibrosis in rats via TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway.

Liver fibrosis is considered to be a result of chronic liver pathological changes, and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) play an important role during this process. Evodiamine, an indole alkaloid derived from Evodia rutaecarpa, exhibits pharmacological activities. This study focused on the effects of evodiamine on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver fibrosis in rats and HSCs in vitro via the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway. A liver fibrosis rat model was established by the intraperitoneal injection of CCl4 (3ml/kg, 30% in olive oil). Evodiamine (15 and 25mg/kg) was administered orally for 8weeks. HSCs were treated with different evodiamine concentrations. The results indicated that evodiamine could improve the histopathological abnormalities in liver tissues and decrease the level of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hydroxyproline, and total bilirubin (TBIL). Concentrations of IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), collagen-I (COL-I), and collagen-III (COL-III) were reduced by evodiamine. Western blotting and real-time PCR showed that protein expression of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β1), p-Smad 2/3 (phosphorylation of Smad 2/3), and smooth muscle alpha-actin (α-SMA) as well as mRNA expression of TGF-β1 and α-SMA in liver tissues were downregulated by evodiamine. The cell proliferation, production of hydroxyproline, and the protein expression of TGF-β1, p-Smad 2/3, and α-SMA in HSCs were dose-dependently reduced by evodiamine. Collectively, evodiamine had an antifibrosis effect in CCl4-induced liver fibrosis, and reduced HSCs proliferation and collagen metabolism in vitro. The major mechanism was downregulation of relative expression of TGF-β1, p-Smad2/3, and α-SMA.

Evodiamine Inhibits Angiotensin II-Induced Rat Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy.

To investigate the effects of evodiamine (Evo), a component of Evodiaminedia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth, on cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by angiotensin II (Ang II) and further explore the potential mechanisms. Cardiomyocytes from neonatal Sprague Dawley rats were isolated and characterized, and then the cadiomyocyte cultures were randomly divided into control, model (Ang II 0.1 μmol/L), and Evo (0.03, 0.3, 3 μmol/L) groups. The cardiomyocyte surface area, protein level, intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) concentration, activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and content of nitric oxide (NO) were measured, respectively. The mRNA expressions of atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), calcineurin (CaN), extracellular signal-regulated kinase-2 (ERK-2), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) of cardiomyocytes were analyzed by real-time reverse transcriptionpolymerase chain reaction. The protein expressions of calcineurin catalytic subunit (CnA) and mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP-1) were detected by Western blot analysis. Compared with the control group, Ang II induced cardiomyocytes hypertrophy, as evidenced by increased cardiomyocyte surface area, protein content, and ANF mRNA expression; increased intracellular free calcium ([Ca2+]i) concentration and expressions of CaN mRNA, CnA protein, and ERK-2 mRNA, but decreased MKP-1 protein expression (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Compared with Ang II, Evo (0.3, 3 μmol/L) significantly attenuated Ang II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, decreased the [Ca2+]i concentration and expressions of CaN mRNA, CnA protein, and ERK-2 mRNA, but increased MKP-1 protein expression (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Most interestingly, Evo increased the NOS activity and NO production, and upregulated the eNOS mRNA expression (P<0.05). Evo signifificantly attenuated Ang II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, and this effect was partly due to promotion of NO production, reduction of [Ca2+]i concentration, and inhibition of CaN and ERK-2 signal transduction pathways.

Evodiamine Exerts an Anti-Hepatocellular Carcinoma Activity through a WWOX-Dependent Pathway.

Evodiamine is one of the main components isolated from Evodia rutaecarpa, and it has been reported to exert inhibitory effects on cancers by anti-proliferative and apoptosis-inducing activities. Although the anti-cancer activity of evodiamine has been identified, the precise mechanisms of this action remain obscure. While previous studies indicated that evodiamine exerts anti-tumor effects through inhibiting β-catenin activity, and WW domain-containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) regulates β-catenin accumulation in cytoplasm, the effects of evodiamine on the expression of WWOX are still unknown. In this study, we provide evidence that evodiamine dose- and time-dependently inhibits both Mus musculus and Homo sapiens hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, as well as Hepa1-6 and HepG2 cell proliferation. We further tested the therapeutic effects of evodiamine in Hepa1-6 hepatoma-bearing mice, and we found that treatment of evodiamine by oral gavage significantly decreased the tumor size of the mice. Moreover, the expressions of WWOX were dose-dependently increased in HCC cell lines as well as in Hepa1-6 hepatoma-bearing mice after the treatment with evodiamine. Knockdown of WWOX in HepG2 and Hepa1-6 cells diminished the effects of evodiamine on the inhibitory effect of cancer cell growth, indicating that evodiamine induced anti-cancer activity through a WWOX-dependent pathway. As such, evodiamine activated WWOX to exert an anti-HCC activity, and might be a potential therapeutic or preventive candidate for HCC treatment.

Evaluation of the Cardiotoxicity of Evodiamine In Vitro and In Vivo.

Evodiamine is a bioactive alkaloid that is specified as a biomarker for the quality assessment of Evodia rutaecarpa (E. rutaecarpa) and for traditional Chinese medicines containing this plant. We previously reported that quantitative structure–activity modeling indicated that evodiamine may cause cardiotoxicity. However, previous investigations have indicated that evodiamine has beneficial effects in patients with cardiovascular diseases and there are no previous in vitro or in vivo reports of evodiamine-induced cardiotoxicity. The present study investigated the effects of evodiamine on primary cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes in vitro, and on zebrafish in vivo. Cell viability was reduced in vitro, where evodiamine had a 24 h 50% inhibitory concentration of 28.44 µg/mL. Cells exposed to evodiamine also showed increased lactate dehydrogenase release and maleic dialdehyde levels, and reduced superoxide dismutase activity. In vivo, evodiamine had a 10% lethal concentration of 354 ng/mL and induced cardiac malfunction, as evidenced by changes in heart rate and circulation, and pericardial malformations. This study indicated that evodiamine could cause cardiovascular side effects involving oxidative stress. These findings suggest that cardiac function should be monitored in patients receiving preparations containing evodiamine.

Co-delivery of evodiamine and rutaecarpine in a microemulsion-based hyaluronic acid hydrogel for enhanced analgesic effects on mouse pain models

The aim of this study was to improve the analgesic effect of evodiamine and rutaecarpine, using a microemulsion-based hydrogel (ME-Gel) as the transdermal co-delivery vehicle, and to assess hyaluronic acid as a hydrogel matrix for microemulsion entrapment. A microemulsion was formulated with ethyl oleate as the oil core to improve the solubility of the alkaloids and was loaded into a hyaluronic acid-structured hydrogel. Permeation-enhancing effects of the microemulsion enabled evodiamine and rutaecarpine in ME-Gel to achieve 2.60- and 2.59-fold higher transdermal fluxes compared with hydrogel control (p<0.01). The hyaluronic acid hydrogel-containing microemulsion exhibited good skin biocompatibility, whereas effective ME-Gel co-delivery of evodiamine and rutaecarpine through the skin enhanced the analgesic effect in mouse pain models compared with hydrogel. Notably, evodiamine and rutaecarpine administered using ME-Gel effectively down-regulated serum levels of prostaglandin E2, interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor α in formaldehyde-induced mouse pain models, possibly reflecting the improved transdermal permeability of ME-Gel co-delivered evodiamine and rutaecarpine, particularly with hyaluronic acid as the hydrogel matrix.

Evodiamine Inhibits Zymosan-Induced Inflammation In Vitro and In Vivo: Inactivation of NF-κB by Inhibiting IκBα Phosphorylation.

Evodiamine (EVO), an important alkaloidal component extracted from the fruit of Evodiae fructus, has been known to possess anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and other therapeutic capabilities. In the present study, the effects of EVO on zymosan-induced inflammation and its underlying mechanism were investigated both in vitro and in vivo. Our results showed that EVO effectively suppressed both protein and mRNA expression of interleukin-1β, interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in vitro. Zymosan-induced DNA-binding activity of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) was attenuated by EVO, which was achieved through inhibitory effects on the phosphorylation of inhibitory κB α and p65 nuclear translocation, but there was very little association with mitogen-activated protein kinase activation. In vivo, treatment with EVO markedly decreased TNF-α and IL-6 levels in plasma. EVO also repressed inflammatory cytokine expression and ameliorated the abnormal state in both lung and intestine tissues by inactivation of NF-κB. Furthermore, EVO significantly reduced the mortality caused by zymosan. In summary, these results suggested that EVO could effectively suppress inflammatory responses in vitro and in vivo, and may be a potential therapeutic agent against inflammatory disorders.

Evodiamine Induces Cell Growth Arrest, Apoptosis and Suppresses Tumorigenesis in Human Urothelial Cell Carcinoma Cells.

Evodiamine, an indole alkaloid derived from Evodia rutaecarpa, exhibits pharmacological activities including vasodilatation, analgesia, anti-cardiovascular disease, anti-Alzheimer's disease, anti-inflammation, and anti-tumor activity. This study analyzes the anti-tumor effects of evodiamine on cellular growth, tumorigenesis, cell cycle and apoptosis induction of human urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) cells. The present study showed that evodiamine significantly inhibited the proliferation of UCC cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Also, evodiamine suppressed the tumorigenesis of UCC cells in vitro. Moreover, evodiamine caused G2/M cell-cycle arrest and induced caspase-dependent apoptosis in UCC cells. Finally, we demonstrated that evodiamine exhibits better cytotoxic than 5-fluorouracil, a clinical chemotherapeutic drug, for UCC cells. Evodiamine induces growth inhibition, tumorigenesis suppression, cell-cycle arrest, and apoptosis induction in human UCC cells. Therefore, this agent displays a therapeutic potential for treating human UCC cells and is worthy for further investigation.

Evodiamine attenuates TGF-β1-induced fibroblast activation and endothelial to mesenchymal transition.

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of evodiamine on fibroblast activation in cardiac fibroblasts and endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts were stimulated with transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) to induce fibroblast activation. After co-cultured with evodiamine (5, 10μM), the proliferation and pro-fibrotic proteins expression of cardiac fibroblasts were evaluated. HUVECs were also stimulated with TGF-β1 to induce EndMT and treated with evodiamine (5, 10μM) at the same time. The EndMT response in the HUVECs was evaluated as well as the capacity of the transitioned endothelial cells migrating to surrounding tissue. As a result, Evodiamine-blunted TGF-β1 induced activation of cardiac fibroblast into myofibroblast as assessed by the decreased expressions of α-SMA. Furthermore, evodiamine reduced the increased protein expression of fibrosis markers in neonatal and adult rat cardiac fibroblasts induced by TGF-β1. HUVECs stimulated with TGF-β1 exhibited lower expression levels of CD31, CD34, and higher levels of α-SMA, vimentin than the control cells. This phenotype was eliminated in the HUVECs treated with both 5 and 10μM evodiamine. Evodiamine significantly reduced the increase in migration ability that occurred in response to TGF-β1 in HUVECs. In addition, the activation of Smad2, Smad3, ERK1/2, and Akt, and the nuclear translocation of Smad4 in both cardiac fibroblasts and HUVEC were blocked by evodiamine treatment. Thus, evodiamine could prevent cardiac fibroblasts from activation into myofibroblast and protect HUVEC against EndMT. These effects may be mediated by inhibition of the TGFβ pathway in both cardiac fibroblasts and HUVECs.

Anti-tumor effect of evodiamine by inducing Akt-mediated apoptosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

BackgroundEvodiamine is an alkaloid extracted from Euodia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth. There is little information about the mechanisms of evodiamine on the apoptosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and methodsA xenograft model and CCK8 assay were used to investigate the anti-HCC effect of evodiamine. The effect of evodiamine on apoptosis was evaluated by DAPI staining and flow cytometry. Western blot analyses and immunohistochemistry were processed to assess the protein expressions of Akt and apoptotic proteins. ResultsEvodiamine suppressed tumor growth, improved the expression of cleaved-caspase3 and decreased tumor specific growth factor (TSGF) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) activities. Furthermore, evodiamine inhibited cell viability and induced cell cycle arrest. DAPI staining revealed nuclear condensation in evodiamine-treated groups. Meanwhile, evodiamine increased the number of apoptotic cells. Furthermore, evodiamine suppressed Akt and regulated apoptotic proteins in HepG2 cells. Evodiamine decreased p-Akt levels activated by SC79, which led to the increase of bax/bcl-2 and cleaved-caspase3. ConclusionsOur findings suggested that evodiamine could exert anti-HCC effect through inducing Akt-mediated apoptosis. Evodiamine has the potential to be a therapeutic medicine for HCCs.

Effect of evodiamine and berberine on the interaction between DNMTs and target microRNAs during malignant transformation of the colon by TGF-β1.

The tissue microenvironment functions as a crucial player in carcinogenesis, and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) within the microenvironment stimulates the formation of neoplasms. Using an invitro model of malignancy induced by TGF-β1, we assessed the effect of evodiamine and berberine on the interaction between DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and target microRNAs (miRNAs) in the model. Colon tissues from neonatal rats 7days of age were cultured and malignancy was induced by TGF-β1 invitro for 48h, and then the tissues were respectively treated with evodiamine and berberine for 24h. Morphological alteration of tissues was observed by an inverted microscope, histological structures were observed using hematoxylin and eosin staining, and the expression levels of DNMTs and targeted miRNAs screened by bioinformatics software combined with Gene chip analysis in our previous study were detected by immunohistochemistry and quantified by real-time PCR. Twenty-four hours after treatment with TGF-β1, expression levels of DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B and miR-152 (target DNMT1), miR-429 (target DNMT3A) and miR-29a (target DNMT3A/3B) were markedly decreased; however, after 48h, the expression levels of DNMT1 and DNMT3A were significantly increased, but their target miRNAs were still decreased. After treatment with a DNMT inhibitor (5-Aza-dC), expression levels of the miRNAs were increased to a larger extent, but did not reach normal levels. After treatment with berberine and evodiamine for 24h, respectively, increased expression of DNMT1, DNMT3A, DNMT3B and miR-152, miR-429, miR-29a was noted. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that miRNAs can also be post-transcriptionally regulated by their corresponding DNMTs and that berberine and evodiamine regulate the expression of these genes, which provides early epigenetic evidence for the prevention and therapy of colorectal cancer.

吴茱萸碱抑制Wnt/β-catenin信号通路诱导骨肉瘤MG-63细胞凋亡

Objective To investigate the effects and mechanism of evodiamine on the proliferation and apoptosis of osteosarcoma MG-63 cells. Methods MG-63 cells were cultured with evodiamine for 24 hours, and the cell proliferation was evaluated by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay. Cell cycle arrest, apoptosis and intracellular Ca2+ accumulation were evaluated by flow cytometry. BALB/C mice model of osteosarcoma was established to investigate the tumor inhibitory effect of evodiamine on human osteosarcoma. Wnt/β-catenin signaling protein expressions in osteosarcoma cells were detected by Western blotting. Results As concentration of evodiamine increasing (0.25 μmol/L, 0.5 μmol/L, 1.0 μmol/L, 2.0 μmol/L and 4.0 μmol/L), the inhibition rate of MG-63 cells increased [(4.18±1.26)%, (15.49±2.26)%, (40.55±6.57)%, (49.87±7.69)% and (60.42±8.29)%]. The difference was statistically significant between 2.0 μmol/L group and the control group (t=-2.66, P<0.05). MG-63 cells were cultured with 2.0 μmol/L evodiamine for 24 hours, and the apoptotic rate was (64.67±8.63)%, the proportion of S phase cells was (85.33±9.31)%, the fluorescence of Ca2+ was 97.33±21.31. The corresponding data of the control group were (4.94±0.81)%, (43.67±8.92)% and 28.67±8.92, the differences were statistically significant (t=-11.90, P<0.05; t=-7.22, P<0.05; t=-6.65, P<0.05). On mice model, the tumor weight of evodiamine group and the control group was (2.15±0.35)g and (4.29±0.49)g respectively, the difference was statistically significant (t=7.95, P<0.05). Comparing with the control group (1.00±0.00), evodiamine decreased the expression of β-catenin protein (0.72±0.36) and increased the expressions of Bax (1.15±0.27) and Caspase-3 (1.46±0.18) protein, and the differences were statistically significant (t=-3.05, P<0.05; t=-6.42, P<0.05; t=-5.85, P<0.05). Conclusion Evodiamine inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis of human osteosarcoma MG-63 cells by blocking Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Key words: Evodiamine; Osteosarcoma; Cell proliferation; Apoptosis; Wnt/β-catenin

Evodiamine Prevents Isoproterenol-Induced Cardiac Fibrosis by Regulating Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition.

Evodiamine, a major component of Evodia rutaecarpa, can protect the myocardium against injury induced by atherosclerosis and ischemia-reperfusion. However, the effect of evodiamine against cardiac fibrosis remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the possible effect and mechanism involved in the function of evodiamine on isoproterenol-induced cardiac fibrosis and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Isoproterenol was used to induce cardiac fibrosis in mice, and evodiamine was gavaged simultaneously. After 14 days, cardiac function was accessed by echocardiography. The extent of cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy was evaluated by pathological and molecular analyses. The extent of endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition was evaluated by the expression levels of CD31, CD34, α-smooth muscle actin, and vimentin by immunofluorescence staining and Western blot analysis. After 14 days, the heart weight/body weight ratio and heart weight/tibia length ratio revealed no significant difference between the isoproterenol group and the isoproterenol/evodiamine-treated groups, whereas the increased heart weight was reduced in the isoproterenol/evodiamine-treated groups. Echocardiography revealed that interventricular septal thickness and left ventricular posterior wall thickness at the end diastole decreased in the evodiamine-treated groups. Evodiamine reduced isoproterenol-induced cardiac fibrosis as accessed by normalization in collagen deposition and gene expression of hypertrophic and fibrotic markers. Evodiamine also prevented endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition as evidenced by the increased expression levels of CD31 and CD34, decreased expression levels of α-smooth muscle actin and vimentin, and increased microvascular density in the isoproterenol/evodiamine-treated mice hearts. Furthermore, isoproterenol-induced activation of transforming growth factor-β1/Smad signal was also blunted by evodiamine. Therefore, evodiamine may prevent isoproterenol-induced cardiac fibrosis by regulating endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition, which is probably mediated by the blockage of the transforming growth factor-β1/Smad pathway.

Effect of evodiamine on the proliferation and apoptosis of A549 human lung cancer cells.

Evodiarutaecarpa is a plant, which has antitumor activity. Evodiamine is an alkaloid with antitumor activity present in E.rutaecarpa and has potential to be developed into a therapeutic antitumor agent. The present study investigated the effect of evodiamine on the proliferation of A549 human lung cancer cells and the mechanism underlying these effects. The results indicated that evodiamine significantly inhibited proliferation, induced apoptosis and the expression of reactive oxygen species, arrested the cell cycle, regulated the expression of Survivin, Bcl-2 and Cyclin B1, regulated the activity of caspase-3/8 and glutathione in tumor cells, and decreased the activity of AKT/nuclear factor‑κB (NF‑κB) and Sonic hedgehog/GLI family zinc finger1 (SHH/GLI1) signaling pathways in A549 cells. In conclusion, the evodiamine-induced inhibition of the proliferation of A549 lung cancer cells may be attributable to its ability to promote oxidative injury in the cells, induce apoptosis, arrest the cell cycle and regulate the AKT/NF‑κB and SHH/GLI1 signaling pathways, subsequently controlling the expression of tumor‑associated genes.

Evodiamine exerts anti-tumor effects against hepatocellular carcinoma through inhibiting β-catenin-mediated angiogenesis

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly vascular tumor with high microvessel density and high levels of circulating vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Thus, the angiogenesis pathway is an attractive therapeutic target for HCC. The anti-tumor effects of evodiamine, a quinolone alkaloid isolated from Euodia rutaecarpa (Juss.) Benth. (Rutaceae), were investigated in a mouse xenograft model using BALB/c nude mice, various HCC cell lines (HepG2, SMMC-7721, H22), and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). The effects of evodiamine on tumor volumes and weights, levels of tumor markers, angiogenesis in vivo and in vitro, cell viability, and cell migration and invasion were measured, and the mechanism through which its effects are achieved was investigated. Transcriptional regulation of VEGFa via interaction with β-catenin was established by luciferase activity assays and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. In a subcutaneous H22 xenograft model, evodiamine inhibited tumor growth and reduced serum tumor markers and the levels of β-catenin and VEGFa. It also blocked VEGF-induced angiogenesis in a Matrigel plug assay. Evodiamine suppressed cellular proliferation, invasion, and migration and inhibited tube formation of HUVECs. Moreover, in a concentration-dependent manner, evodiamine reduced the number of capillary sprouts from Matrigel-embedded rat thoracic aortic rings. Also, evodiamine suppressed various biomarkers of angiogenesis and the expression of β-catenin. Evodiamine decreased β-catenin levels activated by LiCl, which led to reduced expression of VEGFa. In addition, β-catenin interacted with VEGFa and transcriptionally regulated VEGFa, an effect inhibited by evodiamine in HCCs. Moreover, in an SMMC-7721 xenograft model, evodiamine suppressed tumor growth, various biomarkers of angiogenesis, and the levels of β-catenin and VEGFa. Evodiamine has anti-tumor effects on HCCs through inhibiting β-catenin, which interacts with and reduces VEGFa expression, thus inhibiting angiogenesis. These results indicate that evodiamine, which inhibits cellular invasion and migration and blocks angiogenesis, is a potential therapeutic agent for HCCs.

Effect of evodiamine and berberine on miR-429 as an oncogene in human colorectal cancer.

Loss of epithelial organization and deregulated microRNAs are hallmarks of malignant carcinomas, but the relationship between them has been poorly understood. This study was designed to investigate the changes in the expression of E-cadherin, Par3, and miR-429 during the development of human colorectal cancer (CRC). E-cadherin and Par3 levels were quantitatively detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. An in vitro culture of colorectal tissue was established to analyze the effect of berberine (BER) and evodiamine (EVO) on the level of miR-429. Our results suggested that E-cadherin and Par3 were remarkably decreased in tumor tissues compared with those in normal tissues, and miR-429 was upregulated in tumor tissues. After treatment of BER and EVO, the level of miR-429 was lower in tumor tissues than in normal tissues. This study investigated the potential relationship between miR-429, E-cadherin, and Par3 in CRC. The data suggested that BER and EVO can be potential therapeutic agents for CRC, as they downregulated the expression level of miR-429.

Effect of evodiamine on the gap junction intercellular communication and synthesis of collagen in keloid

Objective To investigate the effect of evodiamine on the proliferation of fibroblasts, synthesis of collagen, and gap junction protein connexin 43 (Cx43) in keloid. Methods The cultured in vitro fibroblasts from patients with keloid were harvested and divided into a control group and evodiamine-treated (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 μmol/L) groups. After treatment for 24, and 48 h, cell activity was determined by methyl thiazol tetrazolium (MTT). The expression of gap junction protein Cx43, and systhesis of collagen type Ⅰ and Ⅲ in vitro after treatment were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results At 24 h cell inhibition rate was 6.2%, 9.1%, 12.5%, and 17.6% in 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 μmol/L evodiamine-treated groups, respectively. Evodiamine could significantly inhibit the growth of fibroblasts in vitro in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. ELISA results revealed that Cx43 protein absorbance (A) values were 0.252, 0.315, 0.383 and 0.547, those of collagen type Ⅰ were 0.507, 0.412, 0.336 and 0.226, and those of Collagen type Ⅲ were 0.246, 0.228, 0.179 and 0.115 in the 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 μmol/L evodiamine-treated experimental groups, respectively. The expression of gap junction protein Cx43 was up-regulated, and the systhesis of collagen type Ⅰ and Ⅲ in vitro was decreased after evodiamine treatment. Conclusion Evodiamine can effectively promote the production of gap junction protein Cx43, increase the level of gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC), inhibit the growth of fibroblasts and the production of collagen type Ⅰ and Ⅲ of keloid in vitro. Key words: Evodiamine; Keloid; Fibroblast; Gap junction intercellular communication; Gap junction protein; Collagen type Ⅰ; Collagen type Ⅲ

Evodiamine induces extrinsic and intrinsic apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells via the mitogen-activated protein kinase/phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathways

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of evodiamine on ovarian cancer cells and the mechanisms underlying such effects. MethodsHuman ovarian cancer cells HO-8910PM were treated with evodiamine at 0, 1.25, 2.5, and 5 μM for 1-4 d. 3-(4,5-Dimethiylthiazol2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was used to detect the growth inhibition rate of evodiamine-treated HO-8910PM cells. The cell cycle was observed via propidium iodide (PI) staining. Apoptosis induction was assessed via Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide (Annexin V-FITC/PI) double staining assay. To verify the mechanism of apoptosis, caspase-dependent apoptotic pathway-related protein was detected by Western blot analysis. The expression levels of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and/or phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway-related proteins were also investigated. ResultsEvodiamine significantly inhibited the proliferation of HO-8910PM cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Evodiamine induced G2/M arrest with an increase of cyclin B1 level, and promoted cell apoptosis with a decrease of B cell lymphoma/lewkmia-2 (Bcl-2) and an increase of Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) level. In addition, evodiamine treatment led to the activation of caspase-8, caspase-9, and caspase-3 and the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose)-polymerase (PARP). Evodiamine targeted the MAPK and/or PI3K/Akt pathways by reducing the expression and activity of PI3K, Akt, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK1/2 MAPK) and the activity of p38 MAPK. ConclusionEvodiamine can inhibit the growth of ovarian cancer cells by G2/M arrest and intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis. In addition, evodiamine-induced PI3K/Akt, ERK1/2 MAPK, and p38 MAPK signaling may be involved in cell death.

Effect of Evodiamine on CYP Enzymes in Rats by a Cocktail Method

The aim of this study was to assess the influence of evodiamine on the activities of the drug-metabolizing enzymes cytochrome P450 (CYP) 1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 in rats. The activities of CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 were measured using specific probe drugs. After pretreatment for 1 week with evodiamine or physiological saline (control group) by oral administration, probe drugs phenacetin (5.0 mg/kg; CYP1A2 activity), tolbutamide (1.0 mg/kg; CYP2C9 activity), omeprazole (10 mg/kg; CYP2C19 activity), metoprolol (20 mg/kg; CYP2D6 activity) and midazolam (10 mg/kg; CYP3A4 activity) were administered to rats by oral administration. The blood was then collected at different times for ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis. The data showed that evodiamine exhibits an inhibitory effect on CYP1A2, CYP2C9 and CYP2D6 by increasing t_1/2, C_max and AUC_(0-_∞₎, and decreasing CL/F compared with those of the control group. However, no significant changes in CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 activities were observed. In conclusion, the results indicated that evodiamine could inhibit CYP1A2, CYP2C9 and CYP2D6, which may affect the disposition of medicines primarily dependent on these pathways. Our work may be the basis of related herb-drug interactions in the clinic.

The effects of evodiamine on serum total cholesterol and triglyceride levels are associated with the activation of the AMPK signaling pathway in rats with hyperlipemia

Evodiamine, a naturally occurring indole alkaloid, has been reported to have numerous biological activities, including antitumor, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects. Previous studies also suggest that evodiamine prevents obesity. In this study, we confirmed that evodiamine lowered the levels of serum total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides(TG) in rats with hyperlipemia. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway might contribute in part to the effect of evodiamine on the serum levels of TC and TG.