PMID: 

Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2019 ;2019:8639618. Epub 2019 Feb 24. PMID: 30918581

Abstract Title: 

Honokiol-Mediated Mitophagy Ameliorates Postoperative Cognitive Impairment Induced by Surgery/Sevoflurane via Inhibiting the Activation of NLRP3 Inflammasome in the Hippocampus.

Abstract: 

Background: The potential mechanism of postoperative cognitive impairment is still largely unclear. The activation of NLRP3 inflammasome had been reported to be involved in neurodegenerative diseases, including postoperative cognitive change, and is closely related to mitochondrial ROS and mitophagy. Honokiol (HNK) owns multiple organic protective effects. This study is aimed at observing the neuroprotective effect of HNK in postoperative cognitive change and examining the role of HNK in the regulation of mitophagy and the relationship between these effects and NLRP3 inflammasome activation in mice induced by surgery/anesthesia.Methods: In this study, mice were divided into several groups: control group, surgery group, surgery+HNK group, and surgery+HNK+3-methyladenine (3-MA) group. Hippocampal tissue samples were harvested and used for proinflammatory cytokines, mitochondrial ROS, and malondialdehyde (MDA) assay. The process of mitophagy and the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome were observed by Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and transmission electron microscopy.Results: The results showed that HNK treatment obviously recovered the postoperative decline and enhanced the expressions of LC3-II, Beclin-1, Parkin, and PINK1 at protein levels after surgery/sevoflurane treatment, which are both an autophagy marker and a mitophagy marker. In addition, HNK attenuated mitochondrial structure damage and reduced mtROS and MDA generation, which are closely associated with NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Honokiol-mediated mitophagy inhibited the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and neuroinflammation in the hippocampus. Using 3-MA, an autophagy inhibitor, the neuroprotective effects of HNK on mitophagy and NLRP3 inflammasome activation were eliminated.Conclusion: These results indicated that HNK-mediated mitophagy ameliorates postoperative cognitive impairment induced by surgery/sevoflurane. This neuroprotective effect may be involved in inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and suppressing inflammatory responses in the hippocampus.

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PMID: 

Exp Ther Med. 2019 May ;17(5):4213-4222. Epub 2019 Mar 20. PMID: 30988795

Abstract Title: 

Honokiol induces apoptotic cell death by oxidative burst and mitochondrial hyperpolarization of bladder cancer cells.

Abstract: 

Bladder cancer is one of the most common types of malignant tumor worldwide. Current treatments, including chemo-/radiotherapy, only have limited efficacy on bladder cancer progression. Honokiol is an active component ofwith multiple biological effects that may provide promising health benefits. In the present study, the anti-cancer properties of honokiol against bladder cancer cells were investigated by flow cytometric analysis. The results revealed that honokiol exhibited significant anti-proliferative effects on bladder cancer cell lines, particularly on BFTC-905 human transitional cell carcinoma cells. Furthermore, honokiol at low doses (≤25 µM) induced cell cycle arrest in G/Gphase, while it induced significant apoptotic cell death at high doses (≥50 µM; P

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PMID: 

Pharmacol Res. 2019 Jun ;144:192-209. Epub 2019 Apr 17. PMID: 31002949

Abstract Title: 

Honokiol for cancer therapeutics: A traditional medicine that can modulate multiple oncogenic targets.

Abstract: 

In spite of billions of dollars expended on cancer research every year, the incidence rate and the mortality rate due to this widespread disease has increased drastically over the last few decades. Recent reports from the World Health Organization advocate that overall global cancer burden and deaths due to cancer are expected to double by the next decade. Synthetic drugs developed as chemotherapeutics have repeatedly shown adverse side effects and development of chemoresistance. Cancer is basically a multifactorial disease that necessitates the modulation of multiple targets and oncogenic signaling pathways. Honokiol (CHO) is a biphenolic natural compound isolated from the leaves and barks of Magnolia plant species and has been extensively studied for its beneficial effects against several chronic diseases. Honokiol is capable of efficiently preventing the growth of wide variety of tumors such as those of brain, breast, cervical, colon, liver, lung, prostate, skin, and hematological malignancies. Recent work has shown that this phytochemical can modulate various molecular targets such as activation of pro-apoptotic factors, suppression of anti-apoptotic proteins and different transcription factors, downregulation of various enzymes, chemokines, cell surface adhesion molecules, and cell cycle proteins, and inhibition of activity of protein tyrosine kinases and serine/threonine kinases. Because of its pharmacological safety, honokiol can either be used alone or in combination with other chemotherapeutic drugs for the prevention and treatment of cancer. The current review describes in detail the various reports supporting these anti-cancer studies documented with this promising agent.

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PMID: 

Chem Biol Interact. 2019 Jul 1 ;307:82-90. Epub 2019 Apr 29. PMID: 31047918

Abstract Title: 

Honokiol post-treatment ameliorates myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by enhancing autophagic flux and reducing intracellular ROS production.

Abstract: 

Honokiol (HKL) is a natural low-molecular-weight biphenolic compound derived from the bark of magnolia trees. Previous studies indicate that HKL exerts potent cardioprotective effects on ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury; however, evidence of the further relationship between HKL posttreatment and myocardial I/R injury has not been clearly found. In our study, we explored the protective effect of HKL post treatment on myocardial I/R injury in C57BL/6 mice. We also demonstrated that HKL significantly reduced cellular reactive oxygen species production and attenuated mitochondrial damage in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes exposed to hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R). In addition, HKL was found to enhance autophagy during I/R or H/R; these effects could be partially blocked by the autophagic flux inhibitor chloroquine. Moreover, our results suggested that enhanced autophagic flux is associated with the Akt signaling pathway. Collectively, our results indicate that HKL posttreatment alleviates myocardial I/R injury and suggest a critical cardioprotective role of HKL in promoting autophagic flux.

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PMID: 

Int J Mol Sci. 2019 May 9 ;20(9). Epub 2019 May 9. PMID: 31075962

Abstract Title: 

Honokiol Improves Insulin Resistance, Hepatic Steatosis, and Inflammation in Type 2 Diabetic/Mice.

Abstract: 

This study focuses on the effect of honokiol (HON) on glucose homeostasis, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation in type 2 diabetic/mice. Male C57BL/KsJ-/mice were fed a normal diet with or without HON (0.02%,/) or pioglitazone (PIO, anti-diabetic agent, 0.01%,/) for 5 weeks. Blood biomarker, tissue morphology and enzymatic and genetic parameters were determined. PIO significantly decreased food intake, fasting blood glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, but markedly increased body weight, adipose tissue weight, and plasma leptin levels. HON did not significantly affect food intake, body weight, or levels of plasma leptin and blood glucose. However, HON led to significant decreases in adipose tissue weight, plasma insulin, blood HbA1c and HOMA-IR levels and improved glucose tolerance. The anti-diabetic and anti-adiposity effects of HON were partially related to the inhibition of gluconeogenic enzymes and their mRNA expression in the liver; and the inhibition of lipogenic enzymes in adipose tissue, respectively. Unlike PIO, HON did not affect dyslipidemia, but ameliorated hepatic steatosis by inhibiting hepatic lipogenic enzymes activity. Moreover, HON exhibited anti-inflammatory effects similar to PIO. These results suggest that HON can protect against type 2 diabetes by improving insulin resistance, glucose and lipid metabolism, and inflammation.

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PMID: 

Am J Chin Med. 2019 ;47(4):895-912. Epub 2019 May 15. PMID: 31091975

Abstract Title: 

Honokiol Induces Autophagic Apoptosis in Neuroblastoma Cells through a P53-Dependent Pathway.

Abstract: 

In children, neuroblastomas are the most common and deadly solid tumor. Our previous studies showed that honokiol can cross the blood-brain barrier and kill neuroblastoma cells. In this study, we further evaluated if exposure to honokiol for short periods could induce autophagy and subsequent apoptosis of neuroblastoma cells and possible mechanisms. Exposure of neuroblastoma neuro-2a cells to honokiol for 24h induced morphological shrinkage and cell death. As to the mechanisms, honokiol consecutively induced cytochrome c release from mitochondria, caspase-3 activation, DNA fragmentation and cell apoptosis. Separately, honokiol time-dependently augmented the proportion of autophagic cells and the ratio of light chain 3 (LC3)-II/LC3-I. Pretreatment of neuro-2a cells with 3-methyladenine, an inhibitor of autophagy, attenuated honokiol-induced cell autophagy, caspase-3 activation, DNA damage and cell apoptosis. In contrast, stimulation of autophagy by rapamycin, an inducer of autophagy, significantly enhanced honokiol-induced cell apoptosis. Furthermore, honokiol-induced autophagic apoptosis was confirmed in neuroblastoma NB41A3 cells. Knocking down translation of p53 using RNA interference attenuated honokiol-induced autophagy and apoptosis in neuro-2a and NB41A3 cells. Taken together, this study showed that at early periods, honokiol can induce autophagic apoptosis of neuroblastoma cells through activating a p53-dependent mechanism. Consequently, honokiol has the potential to be a therapeutic option for neuroblastomas.

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PMID: 

Life Sci. 2019 Aug 1 ;230:97-103. Epub 2019 May 24. PMID: 31129139

Abstract Title: 

Honokiol alleviates acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity via decreasing generation of acetaminophen-protein adducts in liver.

Abstract: 

AIM: Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is the most frequent cause of drug-induced liver damage. Magnolia officinalis is a traditional hepatoprotective Chinese medicine and Honokiol (HO) is the major active constituent. The present study was to investigate the effect of HO on APAP-induced hepatotoxicity and related mechanisms.MAIN METHODS: Four groups of mice were subjected to treatment as vehicle, APAP, APAP + HO and APAP + HO + NRF2 inhibitor. The morphological and biochemical assessments were used to evaluate the hepatoprotective effects. The extent of APAP-protein adducts was determined through evaluate the hepatic content 3‑(cystein‑S‑yl)acetaminophen (APAP-Cys), the hydrolysis products of APAP-protein adducts. The activities of CYP2E1, CYP1A2 and CYP3A4 were evaluated by cocktail incubation, and the protein expression levels of NRF2, GCLC, GCLM, GS and GST were evaluated by western blot analysis.KEY FINDINGS: Morphological and biochemical assessments clearly demonstrated that HO could alleviate APAP-induced liver damage. The hepatoprotective effect of HO was positively associated with the reduction of APAP-protein adducts. Further investigation suggested that HO induced inhibition of CYP 2E1 and CYP2A1 as well as upregulation of GSH co-contributed to the reduction of APAP-protein adducts. Furthermore, HO induced activations of NRF2 and its target enzymes, such as GCLC, GCLM and GST, gave rise to the upregulation of GSH.SIGNIFICANCE: Our results suggested that HO could alleviate APAP-induced liver damage through reducing the generation of APAP-protein adducts, which might be mediated by inhibiting the activity of CYP 2E1 and CYP2A1 as well as enhancing the generation of GSH via NRF2 pathway.

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PMID: 

Biomed Pharmacother. 2019 Jun 5 ;117:109058. Epub 2019 Jun 5. PMID: 31176168

Abstract Title: 

Cytological effects of honokiol treatment and its potential mechanism of action in non-small cell lung cancer.

Abstract: 

PURPOSE: In this study, we aimed to explore key micro(mi)RNAs and their potential regulatory mechanisms induced by honokiol treatment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells.METHODS: NSCLC A549 cells were treated with 0 (control) or 45 μM honokiol. Cell proliferation and migration were determined using CCK-8 and transwell assay, respectively, and apoptosis was determined using flow cytometry. RNA-sequencing was performed to detect the transcript expression levels. The differentially expressed miRNAs (DE-miRNAs) between the honokiol group and the control group were screened and analyzed for their functions and pathways. Then, protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and miRNA-mRNA regulatory networks were constructed. In addition, survival analysis based on the key miRNAs was performed. Finally, the expression of the key miRNAs and their target genes were determined, and their effects on drug sensitivity were validated using their inhibitors.RESULTS: Cell proliferation and migration were inhibited (P 

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PMID: 

Acta Pharmacol Sin. 2019 Jun 24. Epub 2019 Jun 24. PMID: 31235819

Abstract Title: 

Honokiol inhibits breast cancer cell metastasis by blocking EMT through modulation of Snail/Slug protein translation.

Abstract: 

Honokiol (HNK), an active compound isolated from traditional Chinese medicine Magnolia officinalis, has shown potent anticancer activities. In the present study, we investigated the effects of HNK on breast cancer metastasis in vitro and in vivo, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms. We showed that HNK (10-70 μmol/L) dose-dependently inhibited the viability of human mammary epithelial tumor cell lines MCF7, MDA-MB-231, and mouse mammary tumor cell line 4T1. In the transwell and scratch migration assays, HNK (10, 20, 30 μmol/L) dose-dependently suppressed the invasion and migration of the breast cancer cells. We demonstrated that HNK (10-50 μmol/L) dose-dependently upregulated the epithelial marker E-cadherin and downregulated the mesenchymal markers such as Snail, Slug, and vimentin at the protein level in breast cancer cells. Using a puromycin incorporation assay, we showed that HNK decreased the Snail translation efficiency in the breast cancer cells. In a mouse model of tumor metastasis, administration of HNK (50 mg/kg every day, intraperitoneal (i.p.), 6 times per week for 30 days) significantly decreased the number of metastatic 4T1 cell-derived nodules and ameliorated the histological alterations in the lungs. In addition, HNK-treated mice showed decreased Snail expression and increased E-cadherin expression in metastatic nodules. In conclusion, HNK inhibits EMT in the breast cancer cells by downregulating Snail and Slug protein expression at the mRNA translation level. HNK has potential as an integrative medicine for combating breast cancer by targeting EMT.

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PMID: 

J Alzheimers Dis. 2019 Jul 16. Epub 2019 Jul 16. PMID: 31322570

Abstract Title: 

Honokiol Attenuates the Memory Impairments, Oxidative Stress, Neuroinflammation, and GSK-3β Activation in Vascular Dementia Rats.

Abstract: 

Vascular dementia (VaD) is caused by chronic decreases in brain blood flow and accounts for 15-20% of dementia cases worldwide. In contrast to Alzheimer's disease (AD), no effective drug treatments are currently available for VaD. Previous studies have suggested that oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in the brain play important roles in the pathogenesis of VaD. Honokiol (HKL) is a well-known bioactive and nutraceutical compound that can act as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecule. HKL can protect against memory impairments in AD mouse models. In this study, we explored whether the application of HKL was also protective against the insult of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) in rats. We found that HKL supplementation prevented the memory impairments in the inhibitory avoidance step-down and Morris water maze tasks in CCH rats. HKL also suppressed the levels of oxidative stress and inflammation in CCH rats. Moreover, HKL prevented dendritic spines abnormalities in CCH rats. We also found that HKL inhibited the activity of GSK-3β, which may be critical for the neuroprotective activity of HKL. Thus, our study demonstrated the protective role of HKL in VaD.

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