Inflammation plays a pivotal role in the etiology and progression of various diseases. In traditional Chinese medicine, the whole plants of Thesium chinense Turcz. and its preparations (e.g. Bairui Granules) have been employed to manage inflammatory conditions. While flavonoids were previously considered the primary anti-inflammatory components, other potentially active constituents have been largely overlooked and not thoroughly investigated. This study presents a novel finding that the total alkaloids of T. chinense (BC-Alk) are potent active substances underlying the traditional and clinical applications of T. chinense and Bairui Granules as anti-inflammatory agents. UPLC-MS/MS analysis identified the composition of BC-Alk as quinolizidine alkaloids. The anti-inflammatory efficacy of BC-Alk was evaluated using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced lung inflammation model in mice. Results demonstrated that BC-Alk significantly mitigated LPS-induced lung inflammation, attenuated the overproduction of IL-1β and the overproduction of inflammatory factors (TNF-α), and ameliorated lung tissue hyperplasia in mice in vivo. Mechanistic studies in vitro revealed that BC-Alk upregulated the expression of Nrf2 and its downstream proteins NQO1 and glutamate-cystine ligase and modifier subunit (GCLM), inhibited NF-κB phosphorylation, and suppressed NLRP3 activation. Collectively, these findings indicate that BC-Alk exerts potent inhibitory effects against lung inflammation by modulating Nrf2, NF-κB, and NLRP3 pathways. This study provides new insights into the anti-inflammatory constituents of T. chinense and Bairui Granules.
Animals ; Lipopolysaccharides/adverse effects* ; Alkaloids/pharmacology* ; NF-kappa B/metabolism* ; NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism* ; NLR Family, Pyrin Domain-Containing 3 Protein/metabolism* ; Mice ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents/pharmacology* ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage* ; Pneumonia/genetics*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of yizhi jiannao granule concentration fluid (YCF) on the expression of peptidyl-prolyl-cis-trans isomerase A (Pin1) and high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) mRNA in the hippocampus of senescence accelerated mice Senile-Prone8(SAMP8). METHODS: Six-month old SAMP8 mice were randomly divided into a YCF group and a model group. Six-month old SAMP8 mice were served as a normal control group. The YCF group was ravaged, while the model group and the normal control group were gavaged with double-distilled water for 8 weeks. The hippocampus was taken out for examination. The expression of Pin1 and HMGB1 mRNA was measured by RT-PCR. RESULTS: In the YCF group, the level of Pin1 mRNA increased, and the level of HMGB1 mRNA decreased compared with that of the model group. CONCLUSION Yizhi jiannao granules can prevent Alzheimer's disease by increasing the Pin1 level and decreasing the HMGB1 level.
Aging ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Alzheimer Disease ; metabolism ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; HMGB1 Protein ; genetics ; metabolism ; Hippocampus ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; NIMA-Interacting Peptidylprolyl Isomerase ; Peptidylprolyl Isomerase ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; metabolism