Baicalin
Information on nutritional supplements people with ALS have been taking
Effects on ALS
Increases VEGF expression through the activation of the ERRα/PGC-1α pathway. [1] Inhibits NF-κB p65. [2]
Discussion threads on the ALSTDI forum
References
[1] <bibtex> @article{Zhang2011, abstract = {AIMS: Baicalin is the major component found in Scutellaria baicalensis root, a widely used herb in traditional Chinese medicine. Although it has been used for thousands of years to treat stroke, the mechanisms of action of S. baicalensis have not been clearly elucidated. In this report, we studied the modulation of angiogenesis as one possible mechanism by investigating the effects of these agents on expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a critical factor for angiogenesis.
METHODS AND RESULTS: The effects of baicalin and an extract of S. baicalensis on VEGF expression were tested in several cell lines. Both agents induced VEGF expression in all cells without increasing expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1$\alpha$ (HIF-1$\alpha$). The expression of reporter genes was also activated under the control of the VEGF promoter containing either a functional or a defective HIF response element (HRE). Only minimal effects were observed on reporter activation under the HRE promoter. Instead, both agents significantly induced oestrogen-related receptor (ERR$\alpha$) expression as well as the activity of reporter genes under the control of ERR$\alpha$-binding element. Their ability to induce VEGF expression was suppressed once ERR$\alpha$ expression was knocked down by siRNA or ERR$\alpha$-binding sites were deleted in the VEGF promoter. We also found that both agents stimulated cell migration and vessel sprout formation from the aorta.
CONCLUSION: Our results implicate baicalin and S. baicalensis in angiogenesis by inducing VEGF expression through the activation of the ERR$\alpha$ pathway. These data may facilitate a better understanding of the potential health benefits of these agents in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.}, author = {Zhang, Keqiang and Lu, Jianming and Mori, Taisuke and Smith-Powell, Leslie and Synold, Timothy W and Chen, Shiuan and Wen, Wei}, doi = {10.1093/cvr/cvq296}, file = {:C$\backslash$:/Users/riku/AppData/Local/Mendeley Ltd./Mendeley Desktop/Downloaded/Zhang et al. - 2011 - Baicalin increases VEGF expression and angiogenesis by activating the ERR\{alpha\}PGC-1\{alpha\} pathway.pdf:pdf}, issn = {1755-3245}, journal = {Cardiovascular research}, keywords = {Angiogenesis Inducing Agents,Angiogenesis Inducing Agents: pharmacology,Animals,Aorta, Thoracic,Aorta, Thoracic: drug effects,Aorta, Thoracic: embryology,Binding Sites,Cell Line, Tumor,Cell Movement,Cell Movement: drug effects,Cells, Cultured,Chick Embryo,Dose-Response Relationship, Drug,Endothelial Cells,Endothelial Cells: drug effects,Endothelial Cells: metabolism,Flavonoids,Flavonoids: pharmacology,Genes, Reporter,Heat-Shock Proteins,Heat-Shock Proteins: drug effects,Heat-Shock Proteins: metabolism,Humans,Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit,Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit: metabol,Neovascularization, Physiologic,Neovascularization, Physiologic: drug effects,Plant Extracts,Plant Extracts: pharmacology,Plant Roots,Promoter Regions, Genetic,Promoter Regions, Genetic: drug effects,RNA Interference,Receptors, Estrogen,Receptors, Estrogen: drug effects,Receptors, Estrogen: genetics,Receptors, Estrogen: metabolism,Scutellaria baicalensis,Signal Transduction,Signal Transduction: drug effects,Tissue Culture Techniques,Transcription Factors,Transcription Factors: drug effects,Transcription Factors: metabolism,Transcription, Genetic,Transcription, Genetic: drug effects,Transfection,Up-Regulation,Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A,Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A: genetics,Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A: metabolism}, mendeley-groups = {vegf,baicalin}, month = feb, number = {2}, pages = {426--35}, pmid = {20851810}, title = {{Baicalin increases VEGF expression and angiogenesis by activating the ERR\{alpha\}/PGC-1\{alpha\} pathway.}}, url = {http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=3020130\&tool=pmcentrez\&rendertype=abstract}, volume = {89}, year = {2011} } </bibtex>
[2] <bibtex> @article{Xue2010, abstract = {Baicalin is a flavonoid compound purified from plant Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. We aimed to evaluate the neuroprotective effects of baicalin against cerebral ischemic reperfusion injury. Male Wistar rats were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 2 h followed by reperfusion for 24 h. Baicalin at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg was intravenously injected after ischemia onset. Twenty-four hours after reperfusion, the neurological deficit was scored and infarct volume was measured. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was performed to analyze the histopathological changes of cortex and hippocampus neurons. We examined the levels of NF-$\kappa$B p65 in ischemic cortexes by Western blot analysis and RT-PCR assay. The results showed that the neurological deficit scores were significantly decreased from 2.0 ± 0.7 to 1.2 ± 0.4 and the volume of infarction was reduced by 25\% after baicalin injection. Histopathological examination showed that the increase of neurons with pycnotic shape and condensed nuclear in cortex and hippocampus were not observed in baicalin treated animals. Further examination showed that NF-$\kappa$B p65 in cortex was increased after ischemia reperfusion injury, indicating the molecular mechanism of ischemia reperfusion injury. The level of NF-$\kappa$B p65 was decreased by 73\% after baicalin treatment. These results suggest that baicalin might be useful as a potential neuroprotective agent in stroke therapy. The neuroprotective effects of baicalin may relate to inhibition of NF-$\kappa$B p65.}, author = {Xue, Xia and Qu, Xian-Jun and Yang, Ying and Sheng, Xie-Huang and Cheng, Fang and Jiang, E-Nang and Wang, Jian-hua and Bu, Wen and Liu, Zhao-Ping}, doi = {10.1016/j.bbrc.2010.11.042}, issn = {0006291X}, journal = {Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications}, keywords = {Animals,Brain Ischemia,Brain Ischemia: drug therapy,Brain Ischemia: etiology,Brain Ischemia: pathology,Disease Models, Animal,Flavonoids,Flavonoids: therapeutic use,Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery,Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery: complications,Male,Neuroprotective Agents,Neuroprotective Agents: therapeutic use,Rats,Rats, Wistar,Reperfusion Injury,Reperfusion Injury: drug therapy,Reperfusion Injury: etiology,Reperfusion Injury: pathology,Transcription Factor RelA,Transcription Factor RelA: antagonists \& inhibitor,Transcription Factor RelA: biosynthesis}, mendeley-groups = {baicalin}, month = dec, number = {3-4}, pages = {398--404}, pmid = {21093411}, title = Template:Baicalin attenuates focal cerebral ischemic reperfusion injury through inhibition of nuclear factor $\kappa$B p65 activation, url = {http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21093411}, volume = {403}, year = {2010} } </bibtex>
