Abstract NLRP3 inflammasome is a cytosolic multi-protein complex that plays a crucial role in the immune system, responding to various exogenous and endogenous stimuli by triggering protective inflammatory responses. However, aberrant NLRP3 inflammasome activation is implicated in numerous inflammatory diseases. Therefore, the NLRP3 inflammasome is an important pharmacological target for the treatment of multiple diseases. In this context, we screened various US-FDA-approved drugs for NLRP3 inflammasome inhibition. We found that among various drugs, minoxidil hydrochloride (MXL) effectively inhibits NLRP3 inflammasome, evidenced by reduced secretion of IL-1β and IL-18 in J774A.1 cells treated with MXL. The IC50 values of MXL for inhibition of IL-1β and IL-18 were calculated to be 1.2 and 1.06 µM, respectively. MXL was found to prevent ASC oligomerization, thereby inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome and leading to CASP1 cleavage. Further investigation revealed that MXL also utilizes AMPK-mediated autophagy to modulate NLRP3 inflammasome activity. Using siAMPK and bafilomycin A1, an end-stage autophagy inhibitor, we elucidated crosstalk between the NLRP3 inflammasome and autophagic pathways, which was modulated by MXL. Furthermore, we demonstrated the efficacy of MXL in two different mouse models of inflammation, involving the NLRP3 inflammasome. MXL at doses of 10 and 20 mg/kg effectively inhibited the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome by monosodium urate in the air pouch model and by ATP in the peritoneal inflammation model, as evidenced by reduced secretion of 1β and IL-18 in the lavage. Our study identifies MXL as a potent NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor, warranting further investigation as a potential therapeutic agent for inflammatory diseases.

Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology is accompanied by increased senescence and reduced levels of autophagy in the brain. We investigated whether pharmacologically inducing autophagy could alter the senescent phenotype and ameliorate AD pathology. We discovered that Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), a natural compound found in Curcuma longa, stimulates autophagy in primary astrocytes. We found that autophagy and senescence exhibit an inverse relationship in aging astrocytes, with increased expression of senescent proteins and downregulation of autophagic proteins. However, treatment of aged astrocytes with BDMC reversed the senescent phenotype by ameliorating the impaired autophagy. Interestingly, the senescent phenotype persisted when autophagy was downregulated by knockdown of AMPK. Additionally, BDMC-induced autophagy aided in the removal of amyloid beta (Aβ) that was administered externally to the astrocytes. Further, to validate these results in a mouse model of AD, we confirmed that BDMC significantly penetrates the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in mice. Therefore, we administered 50 and 100 mg/kg b.w. of BDMC to transgenic 3xTg-AD mice for two months. In their hippocampus, the Control 3xTg-AD animals showed more senescent cells and lower autophagy levels. In contrast, autophagic proteins were significantly upregulated while senescence indicators, such as senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) proteins, were sharply downregulated in the brain of treated animals. We discovered that the hippocampus of treated mice had a significantly lower Aβ load. These molecular changes in the brain were ultimately reflected in the improved working memory and neuromuscular coordination behavior of mice treated with BDMC. This study warrants further evaluation of BDMC for the management of AD.

The tribal communities residing in rural areas of Mysuru rely on medicinal plants for addressing health issues. The study aimed to document and analyze the folklore knowledge of medicinal plants among different tribal groups in Mysuru District. It also sought to compare its findings with those of previous studies across India to identify plants that had not been previously reported for their medicinal uses. Ethnomedicinal data were collected from 112 respondents through semi-structured interviews and field surveys. The information was analyzed quantitatively, considering use reports and the informant consensus factor. Tribal people reported using 109 medicinal plant species across 95 genera and 46 families to treat 67 ailments spanning 20 disease categories. Fabaceae (16 species) was the most frequently used family in the area. The most commonly used species included Zingiber officinale Roscoe (Zingiberaceae) and Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f., Asphodelaceae, Euphorbia tirucalli L., Euphorbiaceae, and Rauvolfia serpentina Benth. ex Kurz, Apocynaceae. Disorders related to the genital area, fertility, and blood had the highest informant consensus factor of 1. The study reported new medicinal uses for 45 plant species. This highlights the wealth of shared knowledge about traditional medicine among the tribal communities of Mysuru. A comprehensive review of all available literature supports many of these traditional claims; however, some plant species, such as Alternanthera sessilis (L.) DC., Amaranthaceae, Annona reticulata L., Annonaceae, Argyreia elliptica (Roth) Choisy, Convolvulaceae, Bauhinia racemosa Lam., Fabaceae, Breynia androgyna (L.) Chakrab. N.P.Balakr., Phyllanthaceae, Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. ex J.C.Wendl., Poaceae, Careya arborea Roxb., Lecythidaceae, Celosia argentea L., Amaranthaceae, and Cinnamomum verum J.Presl., Lauraceae, still lack scientific validation. We recommend further scientific studies on these species.

Background and AimAlzheimer’s disease (AD) progresses with Aβ plaque deposition and neuroinflammation. Given the complexity of AD pathology, single-target therapies have frequently failed in clinical trials. We hypothesized that a multitarget approach could yield better therapeutic outcomes. To this end, we identified isobavachalcone (IBC), a natural compound with dual pharmacological activity in reducing Aβ plaques and neuroinflammation.Experimental ProcedurePrimary astrocytes were isolated from 3 to 4 days old C57BL/6J mice pups for in-vitro assays, while in-vivo studies were conducted on 5x-FAD mice. Protein alterations were evaluated using ELISA, western blotting, immunocytochemistry, and immunohistochemistry. Behavioral analyses included the radial arm maze, open field, and rotarod tests. Data from all in vitro and in vivo experiments were analyzed by using one-way ANOVA and post-hoc Bonferroni tests.ResultsIn-vitro analyses in astrocytes demonstrated that IBC at 5 and 10 μM concentrations induce AMPK phosphorylation through CAMKK2, promoting autophagy and inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome in primary astrocytes. IBC-treated astrocytes exhibited significant clearance of extracellular amyloid beta. Mechanistic studies highlighted autophagy as a key factor in reducing both NLRP3 inflammasome activity and Aβ levels. Two months of treatment of 5x-FAD mice with IBC at 25 and 50 mg/kg significantly improved cognitive functions, as evidenced by enhanced memory and motor performance in behavioral tests. Subsequent brain tissue analysis revealed that IBC upregulated autophagic proteins to reduce the brain’s amyloid beta levels, resulting in decreased expression of neuroinflammation markers.ConclusionIBC effectively ameliorates AD pathology through autophagy-mediated clearance of Aβ and suppressing neuroinflammation in 5x-FAD mice.

We report a silicon-incorporated tacrine and assess its cholinesterase inhibitory activity, in vitro metabolic stability, and brain/plasma pharmacokinetic profile.

AD pathology is accompanied by increased senescence and reduced levels of autophagy in the brain. We investigated whether pharmacologically inducing autophagy could alter the senescent phenotype and help ameliorate AD pathology. We discovered that Bisdemethoxycurcumin (BDMC), a natural compound found in Curcuma longa, stimulates autophagy in primary astrocytes. We found that autophagy and senescence exhibit an inverse relationship in aging astrocytes, with increased expression of senescent proteins and downregulation of autophagic proteins. However, treatment of aged astrocytes with BDMC reversed the senescent phenotype by ameliorating the impaired autophagy. Interestingly, the senescent phenotype persisted when autophagy was downregulated by knockdown of AMPK. Additionally, BDMC-induced autophagy aided in the removal of amyloid beta that was administered externally to the astrocytes. Further, to validate these results in a mouse model of AD, we confirmed that BDMC can significantly penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in mice. Therefore, we administered 50 and 100 mg/kg b.w. of BDMC to transgenic 3xTg-AD mice for two months. In their hippocampus, the Control 3xTg-AD animals showed more senescent cells and lower autophagy levels. In contrast, autophagic proteins were significantly upregulated while senescence indicators, such as senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) proteins, were sharply downregulated in the brain of treated animals. Additionally, we discovered that the treated mice's hippocampus had a significantly lower amyloid beta load. These molecular changes in the brain were ultimately reflected in the improved working memory and neuromuscular coordination behavior of mice treated with BDMC. This study warrants further evaluation of BDMC for the management of AD.

The abnormal physiology of the tumor microenvironment poses a challenge to the drug delivery in the tumor tissues. The dense tumor stroma hinders the movement of nanomedicine through the interstitium and negatively impacts their efficacy. In this study, hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) was investigated for its impact on alleviating the hindrance offered to the nanomedicine by extracellular matrix (ECM) components such as collagen and hyaluronan. In the current study, the effect of the antifibrotic activity of HCQ on bio-distribution and anticancer efficacy of systemically as well as locally (with the aid of injectable alginate hydrogel) administered liposomal doxorubicin was evaluated. In the in vitro model system, the HCQ treatment showed its antifibrotic potential by reverting the α-SMA+ phenotype and reducing the collagen levels in the TGF-β1 stimulated NIH/3T3 cells and also showed parallel reduction in the autophagy. In the 4T1 tumor models, HCQ treatment mediated autophagy inhibition resulted in the ECM synthesis inhibition, represented by reduced levels of TGF-β1, collagen and hyaluronan content in the tumor tissues. The reduction in the ECM components, in-turn, improved the bio-distribution of the intravenously (i.v.) and intratumorally (i.t.) injected liposomal doxorubicin. The anticancer efficacy studies showed consequential improvement in the effectiveness of the i.v. and i.t. injected liposomal doxorubicin. The study unveils the potential of stromal normalization using HCQ in improving the bio-distribution as well as efficacy of the nanotherapeutics.

Crocetin is a promising phyto-based molecule to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD). The chemical structure of crocetin is incongruent with various standard structural features of CNS drugs. As poor pharmacokinetic behavior is the major hurdle for any candidate to become a drug, we elucidated its druggable characteristics by implementing in silico, in vitro, and in vivo approaches, as limited ADME/PK information is available. Results demonstrate several attributes of crocetin based on rules of drug-likeness, lipophilicity, pK a, P-gp inhibitory activity, plasma stability, RBC partitioning, metabolic stability, CYP inhibitory action, blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability, oral bioavailability, and pharmacokinetic interaction with marketed anti-Alzheimer's drugs (memantine, donepezil, galantamine, and rivastigmine). However, aqueous solubility, chemical stability, plasma protein binding, and P-gp induction are some concerns associated with this molecule that should be taken into consideration during its further development. Overall results indicate favorable ADME/PK behavior and potential druggable candidature of crocetin.

IntroductionAlzheimer pathology (AD) is characterized by the deposition of amyloid beta (Aβ) and chronic neuroinflammation, with the NLRP3 inflammasome playing a significant role. This study demonstrated that the OCD drug fluvoxamine maleate (FXN) can potently ameliorate AD pathology in 5XFAD mice by promoting autophagy-mediated clearance of Aβ and inhibiting the NLRP3 inflammasome. MethodsWe used mice primary astrocytes to establish the mechanism of action of FXN against NLRP3 inflammasome by using various techniques like ELISA, Western blotting, confocal microscopy, Immunofluorescence, etc. The anti-AD activity of FXN was validated in transgenic 5XFAD mice following two months of treatment. This was followed by behavior analysis, examination of inflammatory and autophagy proteins and immunohistochemistry analysis for Aβ load in the hippocampi.ResultsOur data showed that FXN, at a low concentration of 78 nM, induces autophagy to inhibit NF-κB and the NLRP3 inflammasome, apart from directly inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome in primary astrocytes. FXN activated the PRKAA2 pathway through CAMKK2 signaling, leading to autophagy induction. It inhibited the ATP-mediated NLRP3 inflammasome activation by promoting the autophagic degradation of NF-κB, resulting in the downregulation of pro-IL-1β and NLRP3. The anti-NLRP3 inflammasome effect of FXN was reversed when autophagy was inhibited by either genetic knockdown of the PRKAA2 pathway or pharmacological inhibition with bafilomycin A1. Furthermore, FXN treatment led to improved AD pathology in 5XFAD mice, resulting in significant improvements in various behavioral parameters such as working memory and neuromuscular coordination, making their behavior more similar to that of wild-type animals. FXN improved behavior in 5XFAD mice by clearing the Aβ deposits from the hippocampi and significantly reducing multiple inflammatory proteins, including NF-κB, GFAP, IBA1, IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6, which are associated with NF-κB and NLRP3 inflammasome in the brain. Moreover, these changes were accompanied by increased expression of autophagic proteins.DiscussionOur data suggest that FXN ameliorates AD pathology, by simultaneously targeting two key pathological features: Aβ deposits and neuroinflammation. As an already approved drug, FXN holds potential as a candidate for human studies against AD.

The degradation of engine oil (EO) directly affects the functional properties and service life of the engine. Thus, there is an immense need for EOs that are suitable for robust and stringent operating conditions. The goal of this study was to develop a nano-induced EO that is sustainable, energy-efficient, and was tested in a diesel-engine forklift. The performance properties such as chemical degradation, wear metal content, and total acidity/base numbers were analyzed using an FTIR spectrometer, an inductively coupled plasma spectrometer, and potentiometric titration techniques, respectively. According to the findings, nano-fluids now have a significantly longer service life than conventional EO.

Being present in substantial numbers, astrocytes play an indispensable role in maintaining homeostasis in the brain. However, their positive or negative involvement in pathological conditions in the brain has not been explored much. In recent years, an emerging thought of targeting astrocytes for the resolution of neurodegenerative diseases has gained momentum. In this study, we have attempted to explore the likelihood of targeting astrocytes by using a natural compound, gentiacaulein (GENT), for clearance of amyloid-β (Aβ) through autophagy and amelioration of neuroinflammation associated with Aβ. We found that GENT treatment of astrocytes hampered the transport of glucose across the cell membrane, which resulted in a reduction in ATP production. With increased treatment time, AMP: ATP ratio was increased significantly, which caused the induction of PRKAA1-mediated autophagy. We further show that increased autophagy considerably enhanced the clearance of amyloid-β by astrocytes. GENT reduced the Aβ mediated inflammation by inhibiting the nuclear translocation of NF-κB and decreased the release of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6. The role of PRKAA1 in GENT-induced autophagy and anti-inflammatory activity was confirmed when its knockdown reversed these effects. Our data suggest that targeting astrocytes can be a good strategy to prevent/treat Alzheimer’s disease.

Aging is usually accompanied by mitochondrial dysfunction, reduced energy levels, and cell death in the brain and other tissues. Mitochondria play a crucial role in maintaining cellular energy through oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS). However, OXPHOS is impaired as the mitochondrial oxygen supply decreases with age. We explored whether pharmacologically increased oxygen diffusion by crocetin can restore OXPHOS and help delay the aging of the brain and other vital organs. We found that aged mice treated with crocetin for four months displayed significantly improved memory behavior, neuromuscular coordination, and ATP and NAD+ levels in the brain and other vital organs, leading to an increased median life span. The transcriptomic analysis of hippocampi from crocetin-treated mice revealed that enhanced brain energy level was caused by the upregulation of genes linked to OXPHOS, and their expression was close to that in young mice. The chronic treatment of aged astrocytes also showed improved mitochondrial membrane potential and energy state of the cells. Moreover, chronic treatment with crocetin did not cause any oxidative stress. Our data suggest that restoring OXPHOS and the normal energy state of the cell can delay aging and enhance longevity. Therefore, molecules such as crocetin should be further explored to treat age-related diseases.

Cannabidiol (CBD 1) is a nonpsychotic cannabinoid-based drug approved by the U.S. FDA for treating refractory epilepsy, namely, Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndrome. However, its low aqueous solubility and oral bioavailability are compensated by administering high doses, and there is an increased demand for conjugates with improved properties. In this direction, the present work is focused on synthesizing CBD-based prodrugs to address the issue of poor solubility and oral bioavailability. Several CBD-based prodrugs were synthesized and studied in a battery of assays: viz, release kinetic (ex vivo), solubility (in vitro), chemical stability (in vitro), plasma stability (ex vivo), pharmacokinetics (in vivo), and efficacy studies (in vivo). Among the synthesized prodrugs, the morpholinyl CBD-based prodrugs 3a and 3aa showed good release behavior, stability, better solubility, and a plasma profile. Moreover, prodrug candidate 3aa showed better therapeutic efficacy. The present study identifies CBD-based prodrugs with improved physiochemical properties and oral exposure.

EIDD-1931 is the active form of molnupiravir, an orally effective drug approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) against COVID-19. Pharmacokinetic alteration can cause untoward drug interaction (drug-drug/disease-drug), but hardly any information is known about this recently approved drug. Therefore, we first investigated the impact of the arthritis state on the oral pharmacokinetics of EIDD-1931 using a widely accepted complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced rat model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) after ascertaining the disease occurrence by paw swelling measurement and X-ray examination. Comparative oral pharmacokinetic assessment of EIDD-1931 (normal state vs arthritis state) showed that overall plasma exposure was augmented (1.7-fold) with reduced clearance (0.54-fold), suggesting its likelihood of dose adjustment in arthritis conditions. In order to elucidate the effect of EIDD-1931 treatment at a therapeutic regime (normal state vs arthritis state) on USFDA-recommended panel of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes (CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP3A4) for drug interaction using the same disease model, we monitored protein and mRNA expressions (rat homologs) in liver tissue by western blotting (WB) and real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), respectively. Results reveal that EIDD-1931 treatment could strongly influence CYP3A4 and CYP2C8 among experimental proteins/mRNAs. Although CYP2C8 regulation upon EIDD-1931 treatment resembles similar behavior under the arthritis state, results dictate a potentially reverse phenomenon for CYP3A4. Moreover, the lack of any CYP inhibitory effect by EIDD-1931 in human/rat liver microsomes (HLM/RLM) helps to ascertain EIDD-1931 treatment-mediated disease-drug interaction and the possibility of drug-drug interaction with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) upon coadministration. As elevated proinflammatory cytokine levels are prevalent in RA and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) and nuclear receptors control CYP expressions, further studies should focus on understanding the regulation of affected CYPs to subside unexpected drug interaction.

Colchicine, one of the oldest anti-inflammatory natural products still used clinically, inhibits NF-κB signaling and NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Despite its cytotoxicity and narrow therapeutic range, colchicine continues to intrigue medicinal chemists exploring its anti-inflammatory potential. This study aimed to investigate the colchicine scaffold for its role in Alzheimer's disease by targeting neuroinflammation and cholinesterases. Molecular docking revealed that colchicine's hydrophobic trimethoxyphenyl framework can potentially bind to the peripheral anionic site of cholinesterases. Hybrid structures combining colchicine with aryl/alkyl amines were designed to bind both peripheral and catalytic sites of cholinesterases. We describe here the design, synthesis, and in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of these colchicine-aryl/alkyl amine hybrids, along with their in silico interactions with the cholinesterase active site gorge. Nontoxic analogs demonstrating strong cholinesterase binding affinity were further evaluated for their anticholinesterase and antineuroinflammatory activities. The colchicine-donepezil hybrid, SBN-284 (3x), inhibited both acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase as well as the NLRP3 inflammasome complex at low micromolar concentrations. It achieved this through noncompetitive inhibition, occupying the active site gorge and interacting with both peripheral and catalytic anionic sites of cholinesterases. Analog 3x was shown to cross the blood-brain barrier and exhibited no toxicity to neuronal cells, primary macrophages, or epithelial fR2 cells. These findings highlight the potential of this lead compound for further preclinical investigation as a promising anti-Alzheimer agent.

The shape of erythrocytes or red blood cells is altered in several pathological conditions. Therefore, identifying and quantifying different erythrocyte shapes can help diagnose various diseases and assist in designing a treatment strategy. Machine Learning (ML) can be efficiently used to identify and quantify distorted erythrocyte morphologies. In this paper, we proposed a customized deep convolutional neural network (CNN) model to classify and quantify the distorted and normal morphology of erythrocytes from the images taken from the blood samples of patients suffering from Sickle cell disease ( SCD). We chose SCD as a model disease condition due to the presence of diverse erythrocyte morphologies in the blood samples of SCD patients. For the analysis, we used 428 raw microscopic images of SCD blood samples and generated the dataset consisting of 10, 377 single-cell images. We focused on three well-defined erythrocyte shapes, including discocytes, oval, and sickle. We used 18 layered deep CNN architecture to identify and quantify these shapes with 81% accuracy, outperforming other models. We also used SHAP and LIME for further interpretability. The proposed model can be helpful for the quick and accurate analysis of SCD blood samples by the clinicians and help them make the right decision for better management of SCD.

Supplementary Figure 2. Schematic presentation of mechanism of action of SAD.