Effects Of Oleanolic Acid Research Articles

Effects of oleanolic acid on the insulin signaling pathway in skeletal muscle of streptozotocin‐induced diabetic male Sprague‐Dawley rats

The pant-derived triterpene oleanolic acid (OA) has been shown to have antidiabetic effects, but its action on the insulin signaling cascade has not been fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of OA on aspects of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt insulin signaling cascade in skeletal muscle of streptozotocin-induced type 1 diabetic male Sprague-Dawley rats. Diabetic and non-diabetic rats were treated with insulin (4 IU/kg), OA (80 mg/kg), and the combination of OA + insulin in acute 60-min and sub-chronic 14-day studies. Single and daily doses were administered in the acute and sub-chronic studies, respectively. In acute studies, phosphorylated (p-) Akt and p-glycogen synthase (GS) expression was evaluated. In sub-chronic studies, GS and glycogen phosphorylase (GP) expression and activity were evaluated, as were glycogen levels. The findings show that OA enhances insulin-stimulated hypoglycemic effects in diabetic rats. In the acute study, OA increased levels of p-Akt and decreased levels of p-GS. In the sub-chronic study, OA increased both GS and GP activity, whereas OA + insulin increased GS and decreased GP activity. Treatment of rats with OA and OA + insulin increased GS expression in the skeletal muscle of diabetic rats and decreased GP expression. Glycogen levels were increased by OA but decreased OA + insulin treatment. Oleanolic acid in synergy with insulin can enhance activation of the insulin signaling pathway. Furthermore, the present study provides evidence of OA activation of insulin signaling enzymes independent of insulin.

Oleanolic acid: a promising neuroprotective agent for cerebral ischemia.

Oleanolic acid: a promising neuroprotective agent for cerebral ischemia.

Study of oleanolic acid on the estrodiol production and the fat production of mouse preadipocyte 3T3-L1 in vitro.

The women during the menopause period have an increased tendency for the obesity, which represents the more fat production than during the premenopausal period. Although this is not beneficial overall, it could provide a compensatory source for the estrogen production for the menopausal women. So it would be meaningful to find an agent that could inhibit the fat production while does not disturb the total estrogen production by fat tissues. In the present study, the effect of oleanolic acid (OA) on the fat production and the total estrogen production of the differentiating mouse preadipocyte 3T3-L1 as well as the mechanisms behind those effects were preliminarily investigated. The cell line 3T3-L1 was chosen as the model cell because it is usually used for the research about the obesity. During the induced differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells, cells were intervened continuously with OA. The fat production was determined with the oil red staining assay and the total estrogen production was measured with the ELISA assay. Finally, the expression patterns for important genes of the fat production and the estrogen production were studied, respectively with the real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR). The results showed that for the differentiating 3T3-L1 cells, OA could significantly inhibit the fat production and did not disturb the total estrogen production significantly. In the mechanism studies, OA was found to significantly down-regulate ACC, the key gene for fat synthesis, which could explain the inhibitory effect of OA on the fat production; OA was also found to significantly up-regulate CYP11A1, CYP17, CYP19, the key genes for the estrogen synthesis and significantly down-regulate CYP1A1, the key gene for the estrogen decomposition, which preliminarily explained the lack of the effect of OA on the total estrogen production. In conclusion, OA was found able to inhibit the fat production while maintaining the total estrogen level and the mechanisms for the above findings were preliminarily clarified, which suggests that OA may be useful to treat the menopausal obesity.

Oleanolic acid improves pulmonary morphofunctional parameters in experimental sepsis by modulating oxidative and apoptotic processes

We compared the effects of oleanolic acid (OA) vs. dexamethasone on lung mechanics and histology, inflammation, and apoptosis in lung and distal organs in experimental sepsis. Seventy-eight BALB/c mice were randomly divided into two groups. Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture, while the control group underwent sham surgery. 1h after surgery, all animals were further randomized to receive saline (SAL), OA and dexamethasone (DEXA) intraperitoneally. Both OA and DEXA improved lung mechanics and histology, which were associated with fewer lung neutrophils and less cell apoptosis in lung, liver, and kidney than SAL. However, only animals in the DEXA group had lower levels of interleukin (IL)-6 and KC (murine analog of IL-8) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid than SAL animals. Conversely, OA was associated with lower inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and higher superoxide dismutase than DEXA. In the experimental sepsis model employed herein, OA and DEXA reduced lung damage and distal organ apoptosis through distinct anti-inflammatory mechanisms.

Curative Effects of Oleanolic Acid on Formed Hypertrophic Scars in the Rabbit Ear Model

Hypertrophic scarring is a common proliferative disorder of dermal fibroblasts characterized by collagen overproduction and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM). There is no consensus about the best therapeutics to produce complete and permanent improvement of scars with few side effects. To investigate the therapeutic effects of oleanolic acid (OA) on hypertrophic scars and explore the possible mechanism of action involved, a rabbit ear model with hypertrophic scars was established. OA (2.5%, 5%, and 10%) was given once daily to the scars for 28 consecutive days. As a result, OA significantly alleviated formed hypertrophic scars on rabbit ears. The levels of TGF-β 1, MMP-1, TIMP-1, and collagens I and III were notably decreased, and the number of apoptosis cells and mRNA expression of MMP-2, caspase-3, and caspase-9 were markedly increased in the scar tissue. The scar elevation index (SEI) was also evidently reduced. Histological findings exhibited significant amelioration of the collagen tissue. These results suggest that OA has the favorable curative effects on formed hypertrophic scars in the rabbit ear model, and the possible mechanism of action is that OA decreases HSFs proliferation and increases HSFs apoptosis by reduction of P311 gene expression and TGF-β 1 production, inhibition of TIMP-1 secretion, enhancement of MMP-2 activity, and subsequently facilitation of degradation of collagen types I and III.

Effect of oleanolic acid on complement in adjuvant- and carrageenan-induced inflammation in rats.

The present work was aimed at evaluating the influence of oleanolic acid on complement-related inflammation. In adjuvant-induced arthritis and carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats, oleanolic acid was found to possess significant anti-inflammatory and complement-inhibitory activities. The intraperitoneal injection of oleanolic acid (60 mg kg-1, twice a day), before and after Freund's Complete Adjuvant challenge and thereafter repeated for several days, significantly reduced foot-pad thickness of experimental animal models and simultaneously reduced complement activity. Oleanolic acid also produced marked reduction in complement levels and inflammatory effects on carrageenan-induced paw oedema in rats when injected intraperitoneally (60 mg kg-1, twice a day).

Oleanolic Acid and Ursolic Acid Derived fromCornus officinalisSieb. et Zucc. Suppress Epidermal Growth Factor- and Phorbol Ester-induced MUC5AC Mucin Production and Gene Expression from Human Airway Epithelial Cells

In this study, the effects of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid on MUC5AC mucin production and gene expression induced by epidermal growth factor (EGF) and phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) from human airway epithelial cells were investigated. Confluent NCI-H292 cells were pretreated with each agent for 30 min and then stimulated with EGF and PMA for 24 h, respectively. MUC5AC mucin gene expression and mucin protein production were measured by RT-PCR and ELISA. Oleanolic acid and ursolic acid were found to inhibit the production of MUC5AC mucin protein induced by EGF and PMA, and both compounds also inhibited the expression of MUC5AC mucin gene induced by EGF and PMA. These results suggest that oleanolic acid and ursolic acid can regulate mucin gene expression, and production of mucin protein, by directly acting on airway epithelial cells.

Inhibiting Effect of Oleanolic Acid on Ovarian Carcinomas IGROV1 and Breast Cancer Cell Line MDA-MB-231

The inhibitory activity of oleanolic acid (OA) at various concentrations on ovarian carcinomas IGROV1 and breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 were evaluated by restricting cell proliferation, and MTT was used to measure cell viability. The results showed that OA could signifi cantly inhibit the viability of the ovarian carcinoma cells IGROV1 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line, comparing with the control group. IC50 values of tumor cells were 36.58 μg/mL and 38.8 μg/mL (P0.01). Therefore, oleanolic acid could inhibit the two malignant tumor cells viability, and the inhibitory activity of OA to ovarian carcinomas IGROV1 was higher than that to breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231. Fig 2, Tab 4, Ref 15

Diuretic activity of squamate mistletoe, Viscum angulatum

Viscum angulatum Heyne ex DC (Viscaceae) is a leafless hemiparasitic shrub traditionally used in Asian countries for the treatment of hypertension. In the present study, the methanol extract of the whole plant was examined for diuretic activity in rats. The activity was evaluated using parameters such as urine volume after 5, 19, and 24 h and urine sodium, potassium, and chloride concentrations. The extract was further scrutinized for polyphenolic compounds and triterpenoids. The extract demonstrated a significant increase in and dose-dependent effect on urine excretion volume in comparison to the normal group in the tested range of 100–400 mg/kg. The extract demonstrated comparable saluretic and higher natriuretic activity (Na+/K+) compared to the furosemide treated group. However, the Cl−/Na+ + K+ ratio, which indicates carbonic anhydrase mediated activity, remained unaffected. HPLC and quantitative analysis of the extract revealed that polyphenolic compounds and the triterpenoid, oleanolic acid, are the major phytochemicals, and are proposed to be responsible for the observed diuretic effect. Oleanolic acid has been reported to possess diuretic activity with significant potassium loss in rats. In contrast to pure oleanolic acid, the extract demonstrated a valuable potassium-sparing effect. This suggests modulation of the diuretic effect of oleanolic acid by polyphenolics present in the extract. The observed dose-dependent potassium-sparing diuretic effect is a hereto unreported property of this plant.

Effects of oleanolic acid and maslinic acid on hyperlipidemia

AbstractIn the present study, we examined the therapeutic effects of pentacyclic triterpenes, oleanolic acid (OA) and maslinic acid (MA), on hyperlipidemia in a high‐cholesterol diet model. Hyperlipidemia was induced in male Sprague‐Dawley rats by feeding with a high‐cholesterol diet (HCD) for 30 days. MA and OA were supplemented (100 mg/kg body wt/day) during the last 15 days. The levels of serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol (HDL‐C), and low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol (LDL‐C) increased in hyperlipidemic rats. An apparent increase in the expression of Acyl‐CoA cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT) mRNA was seen in HCD‐fed rats. The activities of hepatic marker enzymes that serve as indices of cellular injury were also altered in HCD‐fed rats. Treatment with triterpenes modulated the abnormalities induced by hyperlipidimia. Lipid accumulation was decreased in histological findings. Elevated hepatic glycogen content (P<0.05) in triterpene groups was observed compared with HCD‐fed groups. Furthermore, ACAT gene expression was suppressed compared with hyperlipidemia‐induced groups without triterpenes. It can be concluded that triterpene treatment possesses therapeutic effects on diet‐induced hyperlipidemia by inhibiting the intestinal absorption and storage of cholesterol. Drug Dev Res 68:261–266, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Oleanolic acid, a pentacyclic triterpenoid, induces rabbit platelet aggregation through a phospholipase C-calcium dependent signaling pathway

Oleanolic acid (3beta-hydroxy-olea-12-en-28-oic), a pentacyclic triterpenoid, exists widely in the plant kingdom and has a wide variety of pharmacological effects such as antitumor, antifungal, insecticidal, hepatoprotective and anti-HIV activities. This paper reports that oleanolic acid induces the aggregation of rabbit platelets, a mechanism was also investigated. Oleanolic acid at concentrations of 25, 50, 100 and 200 microM induced the aggregation of washed rabbit platelets in a concentration-dependent manner. Pretreating the platelets with U73122, a phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor, blocked the oleanolic acid induced-aggregation, whereas acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), a cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibitor, had no effect. In addition, the effect of oleanolic acid on serotonin secretion, which is a marker for dense granule secretion, was determined. Oleanolic acid induced serotonin secretion in a similar concentration-dependent manner as observed with platelet aggregation. Pretreating the platelets with U73122 blocked the oleanolic acid-induced serotonin secretion and cytosolic calcium mobilization. Overall, these results suggest that oleanolic acid can induce platelet aggregation, which may be mediated by the stimulation of PLC-mediated cytosolic calcium mobilization.

Oleanolic acid inhibits the activity of the multidrug resistance protein ABCC1 (MRP1) but not of the ABCB1 (P-glycoprotein): Possible use in cancer chemotherapy

The effects of oleanolic acid (OA) on ABCB1 and ABCC1 activities were studied in a cell line constitutively expressing both proteins. It was observed that OA did not alter ABCB1 activity, but inhibited the activity of ABCC1 protein. This inhibition was reversible and only occurred in the presence of OA. In addition, OA did not alter the expression of ABCC1 mRNA. These results suggest that OA could be a good choice in the treatment of MDR tumours, either as a chemotherapic itself in tumours bearing ABCB1, or as an adjuvant in the chemotherapy of ABCC1 expressing tumours.

Oleanolic Acid Protects against Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury by Enhancing Mitochondrial Antioxidant Mechanism Mediated by Glutathione and α-Tocopherol in Rats

The effect of oleanolic acid (OA) pretreatment on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury was investigated using an ex vivo rat heart model. Pretreatment with OA at daily doses (0.6 and 1.2 mmol/kg) for 3 days significantly protected against I-R injury in isolated rat hearts, as evidenced by the decrease in the extent of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage and improvement in contractile force recovery. The cardioprotection was associated with a slight increase in mitochondrial reduced glutathione (GSH) level and a significant increase in mitochondrial alpha-tocopherol (alpha-TOC) level, when compared with the unpretreated I-R group. To further investigate the mechanism of myocardial protection, pretreatment with a single dose of OA (1.2 mmol/kg) produced a time-dependent protection against myocardial I-R injury as assessed by LDH leakage, with the maximum extent of protection occurring at 48 hour post-dosing. The maximum cardioprotection was associated with parallel increases in mitochondrial GSH and alpha-TOC levels in ischemic-reperfused hearts, with the stimulation of the alpha-TOC level being optimal. Furthermore, buthionine sulfoximine/phorone (BSO/PHO) treatment, while abolishing the enhancing effect of OA on mitochondrial GSH, did not completely abrogate the cardioprotection against I-R injury. The remnant cardioprotection was associated with an increase in mitochondrial alpha-TOC level, when compared with the unpretreated I-R group with BSO/PHO. The results suggest that the cardioprotection afforded by OA pretreatment against I-R injury may at least in part be attributed to the enhancement of mitochondrial antioxidant mechanism mediated by GSH and alpha-TOC, particularly under I-R conditions. Abbreviations. BSO:buthionine sulfoximine GSH:reduced glutathione I-R:ischemia-reperfusion alpha-LA:alpha-lipoic acid LDH:lactate dehydrogenase OA:oleanolic acid PHO:phorone alpha-TOC:alpha-tocopherol.

M.634 Beneficial vascular effects of oleanolic acid and erythrodiol

M.634 Beneficial vascular effects of oleanolic acid and erythrodiol

Photoprotective effects of oleanolic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid on the chronic ultraviolet radiation induced cutaneous damages

Photoprotective effects of oleanolic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid on the chronic ultraviolet radiation induced cutaneous damages

Inhibitory Effect of Oleanolic Acid on 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-lnduced Gene Expression in Mouse Skin

Inhibitory Effect of Oleanolic Acid on 12-O-Tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-lnduced Gene Expression in Mouse Skin

Oleanolic acid and ursolic acid stabilize liposomal membranes.

The effects of oleanolic acid (OA) and ursolic acid (UA) on the fluidity and stability of dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) liposomal membrane were monitored by measuring the fluorescence polarization of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene labeled in the liposomal membrane and the leakage of calcein from the probe-encapsulated liposomes. The experiments with the liposomes made of DPPC and OA or UA showed that OA and UA exhibited a moderate fluidity-modulating effect for the liquid-crystalline liposomal membrane, and a strong condensing effect for both crystalline and liquid-crystalline liposomal membranes. Their effects were comparable to those of cholesterol. These results suggest that their fluidity-modulating and condensing effects might have some implications in their biological functions.

Effects of oleanolic acid and ursolic acid on inhibiting tumor growth and enhancing the recovery of hematopoietic system postirradiation in mice.

Two triterpene acids, oleanolic acid (OA) and ursolic acid (UA) were examined for their ability to inhibit the tumor growth and modify hematopoiesis after irradiation in three experimental systems: (a) in vivo anti-tumor activity of implanted tumor by ascitic cells was found to be augmented by addition of OA and UA at a high concentration and inhibited in a dose-dependent manner; (b) in the sublethal whole-body irradiated mice treated with the drugs in the 30 min preirradiation period, enhanced effects of OA and UA on peripheral leukocytes were observed by a different significance, and (c) when these chemicals were administered i.p. to mice 30 min before 4 Gy irradiation, both OA and UA enhanced the postirradiation responses of splenic blastogenesis by PHA. UA was a more potent tumorigenic inhibitor than OA. Combining with the gamma-irradiation, however, there was no significant synergetic effect on their anti-tumor activity. The beneficial effects of OA and UA on hematopoiesis and immunocompetence under this study, suggested they might partially play a role in anti-cancer and, furthermore, with the ability to decrease undesirable radiation damage to the hematopoietic tissue after radiotherapy.