Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), the major and most active antioxidant from <i>Carthamus tinctorius</i> L., has been clinically prescribed in China to treat patients with cerebral ischemia, but the detailed mechanism is not known. This study examines the effect of HSYA on mitochondrial permeability transition pores (mtPTP) in the rat brain. HSYA at 10–80 µmol·l<sup>–1</sup> inhibited Ca<sup>2+</sup>- and H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>-induced swelling of mitochondria isolated from rat brains. The addition of Ca<sup>2+</sup> generated reactive oxygen species (ROS) in isolated mitochondria. HSYA (10–80 µmol·l<sup>–1</sup>) inhibited Ca<sup>2+</sup>-induced generation of ROS. At the same time, HSYA significantly improved mitochondrial energy metabolism, enhanced ATP levels and the respiratory control ratio. These results suggest that HSYA inhibits the opening of mtPTP by a free radical scavenging action in the brain, and this may contribute to the neuroprotective effect of HSYA.
Previous research has shown that salvianic acid A [2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-2-hydroxy-propanoic acid, SA] extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza BGE (Danshen) markedly inhibits lipid peroxidation of mitochondrial membrane of hepatic cells in vitro. The present study was conducted to examine protective effect of SA on liver injury induced by carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and its possible mechanism in vivo. Male Sprague-Dowley rats weighing 180—200 g were used in the experiments. Five mmol/kg CCl4 in olive oil was given to rats i.p. Spectrophotometrical method was used to measure activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in serum, activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) level in hepatic tissue and the rate of superoxide anion (O2·−) generation in hepatic submitochondrial particles. Hepatic histological structure was observed under light microscopy. CCl4 caused significant changes of activities of the enzymes, MDA level, and the rate of O2·− generation and histopathological changes of acute hepatic injury were noted. SA reversed the significant changes induced by CCl4. These results demonstrate that SA produces protective action on acute hepatic injury induced by CCl4 via an antioxidative mechanism.
The therapeutic effects of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), extracted from Carthamus tinctorius. L, on focal cerebral ischemic injury in rats and its related mechanisms have been investigated. Focal cerebral ischemia in rats were made by inserting a monofilament suture into internal carotid artery to block the origin of the middle cerebral artery and administrated by HSYA via sublingular vein injection in doses of 1.5, 3.0, 6.0 mg kg(-1) at 30 min after the onset of ischemia, in comparison with the potency of nimodipine at a dose of 0.2 mg kg(-1). Then, 24 h later, the evaluation for neurological deficit scores of the rats were recorded and postmortem infarct areas determined by quantitative image analysis. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were taken to determine plasma 6-Keto-PGF1alpha/TXB2 by radioimmunoassays and blood rheological parameters. The effects exerted by HSYA on thrombosis formation by artery vein by-pass method and ADP-induced platelet aggregation in vivo and in vitro were investigated, respectively. The results indicated that more than 30% of the area of ischemic cerebrum was observed in the ischemic model group. HSYA dose-dependently improved the neurological deficit scores and reduced the cerebral infarct area, and HSYA bore a similarity in potency of the therapeutic effects on focal cerebral ischemia to nimodipine. The inhibition rates of thrombosis formation by HSYA at the designated doses were 20.3%, 43.6% and 54.2%, respectively, compared with saline-treated group. Inhibitory activities of HSYA were observed on ADP-induced platelets aggregation in a dose-dependent manner, and the maximum inhibitory aggregation rate of HSYA was 41.8%. HSYA provided a suppressive effect on production of TXA2 without significant effect on plasma PGI2 concentrations. Blood rheological parameters were markedly improved by HSYA, such as whole blood viscosity (from 21.71 +/- 4.77 to 11.61 +/- 0.90 mPa.s), plasma viscosity (from 2.73 +/- 0.53 to 1.42 +/- 0.07 mPa.s), deformability (from 0.66 +/- 0.26 to 0.77 +/- 0.33) and aggregation of erythrocyte (from 3.24 +/- 0.41 to 2.57 +/- 0.30), but no significant effect of HSYA on homatocrit was found (from 51.38 +/- 4.68% to 49.91 +/- 2.32%). HSYA appears to be a good potential agent to treat focal cerebral ischemia, and the underlying mechanisms exerted by HSYA might be involved in its inhibitory effects on thrombosis formation and platelet aggregation as well as its beneficial action on regulation of PGI2/TXA2 and blood rheological changes in rats.
Abstract Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most prevalent form of depression and is becoming a great challenge for public health and medical practice. Although first-line antidepressants offer therapeutic benefits, about 35% of depressed patients are not adequately treated, creating a substantial unmet medical need. A multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 clinical trial was conducted in patients with MDD in China to assess the efficacy and safety of ansofaxine (LY03005), a potential triple reuptake inhibitor of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. Eligible 588 MDD patients were included and randomly assigned (1:1:1) to 8-week treatment with ansofaxine 80 mg/day( n = 187), ansofaxine 160 mg/day( n = 186), or placebo( n = 185). The primary efficacy endpoint was the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score change from baseline to the end of the study. Safety indexes included adverse events, vital signs, physical examination, laboratory tests, 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG), and evaluation of suicide tendency and sexual function. Significant differences were found in mean changes in MADRS total score at week 8 in the two ansofaxine groups (80 mg, −20.0; 160 mg, −19.9) vs. placebo (−14.6; p < 0.0001). All doses of ansofaxine were generally well-tolerated. Treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were reported by 137 (74.46%) patients in ansofaxine 80 mg group, 144 (78.26%) patients in ansofaxine 160 mg and 125 (67.93%) patients in the placebo group. The incidence of treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) was 59.2% (109 patients), 65.22% (120 patients) in the 80, 160 mg ansofaxine groups, and 45.11% (83 patients) in the placebo group. The initial results of this trial indicate that ansofaxine at both the 80 mg/day and 160 mg/day was effective and safe in adult patients with MDD. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04853407.
To study the effects of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) on the mitochondrial function of cortex mitochondrial during cerebral ischemia in rats.Rat focal cerebral ischemia model in rats was established by ligation of middle cerebral central artery. Cortex mitochondria were isolated and prepared for the measurement of membrane fluidity, swelling, respiratory function, activities of mitochondrial respiratory enzymes and superoxide dismutase (SOD), contents of phospholipid, malondial dehyde (MDA) and Ca2+ to evaluate the function of mitochondria.Focal cerebral ischemia resulted in severe neuronal mitochondrial injuries, which could be alleviated by i.v. HSYA (10, 20 mg x kg(-1)), and nimodipine (Nim, 1.0 mg x kg(-1)). The swelling of mitochondria was ameliorated, the decomposability of membrane phospholipid was decreased, the membrane fluidity of mitochondria was increased, HSYA also significantly inhibited the decrease in the activities of respiratory enzymes and SOD of mitochondria, and the increase in MDA and Ca2+ levels caused by cerebral ischemia in rats.HSYA showed a protective action against the cortex mitochondrial injuries in rats induced by cerebral ischemia. The mechanisms may be derived from reducing lipid peroxides, inhibiting Ca2+ overload, scavenging free radicals and improving the energy metabolism.