Syringaresinol

Oncotarget. 2015 Jan 1;6(1):43-55.

Syringaresinol protects against hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced cardiomyocytes injury and death by destabilization of HIF-1α in a FOXO3-dependent mechanism.[Pubmed: 25415049]

Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) is a master regulator of hypoxic response and has been a prime therapeutic target for ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-derived myocardial dysfunction and tissue damage. There is also increasing evidence that HIF-1 plays a central role in regulating aging, both through interactions with key longevity factors including Sirtuins and mTOR, as well as by directly promoting longevity in Caenorhabditis elegans.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
We investigated a novel function and the underlying mechanism of Syringaresinol, a lignan compound, in modulation of HIF-1 and protection against cellular damage and death in a cardiomyocyte model of I/R injury. Syringaresinol caused destabilization of HIF-1α following H/R and then protected against hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced cellular damage, apoptosis, and mitochondrial dysfunction in a dose-dependent manner. Knock-down of FOXO3 by specific siRNAs completely abolished the ability of Syringaresinol to inhibit HIF-1 stabilization and apoptosis caused by H/R. Syringaresinol stimulated the nuclear localization and activity of FOXO3 leading to increased expression of antioxidant genes and decreased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) following H/R.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our results provide a new mechanistic insight into a functional role of Syringaresinol against H/R-induced cardiomyocyte injury and death. The degradation of HIF-1α through activation of FOXO3 is a potential therapeutic strategy for ischemia-related diseases.

Int Immunopharmacol. 2008 Jul;8(7):967-73.

(-)-Syringaresinol inhibits proliferation of human promyelocytic HL-60 leukemia cells via G1 arrest and apoptosis.[Pubmed: 18486907]

METHODS AND RESULTS:
We examined the effect of (-)-Syringaresinol, a furofuran-type lignan isolated from Daphne genkwa, on cell cycle regulation in HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells in vitro. (-)-Syringaresinol decreased the viability of HL-60 cells by inducing G(1) arrest followed by apoptosis in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The G(0)/G(1) phase of the cell cycle is regulated by cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdk), cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors (Cdki). We show by western blot analysis, that the (-)-Syringaresinol-induced G(1) arrest was mediated through the increased expression of Cdki proteins (p21(cip1/waf1) and p27(kip1)) with a simultaneous decrease in cdk2, cdk4, cdk6, cyclin D(1), cyclin D(2), and cyclin E expression. The induction of apoptosis after treatment with (-)-Syringaresinol for 24 h was demonstrated by morphological changes, DNA fragmentation, altered ratio of Bax/Bcl-2, cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and flow cytometry analysis. (-)-Syringaresinol also induced cytochrome c release and activation of caspase-3 and caspase-9. To our knowledge, this is the first time that (-)-Syringaresinol has been reported to potently inhibit the proliferation of human promyelocytic HL-60 cells through G(1) arrest and induction of apoptosis.
CONCLUSIONS:
These findings suggest that (-)-Syringaresinol may be a potential chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of cancer.

Exp Mol Med. 2012 Mar 31;44(3):191-201.

Syringaresinol causes vasorelaxation by elevating nitric oxide production through the phosphorylation and dimerization of endothelial nitric oxide synthase.[Pubmed: 22170035]

Nitric oxide (NO) produced by endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) plays an important role in vascular functions, including vasorelaxation.
METHODS AND RESULTS:
We here investigated the pharmacological effect of the natural product Syringaresinol on vascular relaxation and eNOS-mediated NO production as well as its underlying biochemical mechanism in endothelial cells. Treatment of aortic rings from wild type, but not eNOS(-/-) mice, with Syringaresinol induced endothelium-dependent relaxation, which was abolished by addition of the NOS inhibitor N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine. Treatment of human endothelial cells and mouse aortic rings with Syringaresinol increased NO production, which was correlated with eNOS phosphorylation via the activation of Akt and AMP kinase (AMPK) as well as elevation of intracellular Ca(2+) levels. A phospholipase C (PLC) inhibitor blocked the increases in intracellular Ca(2+) levels, AMPK-dependent eNOS phosphorylation, and NO production, but not Akt activation, in Syringaresinol- treated endothelial cells. Syringaresinol-induced AMPK activation was inhibited by co-treatment with PLC inhibitor, Ca(2+) chelator, calmodulin antagonist, and CaMKKβ siRNA. This compound also increased eNOS dimerization, which was inhibited by a PLC inhibitor and a Ca(2+)-chelator. The chemicals that inhibit eNOS phosphorylation and dimerization attenuated vasorelaxation and cGMP production.
CONCLUSIONS:
These results suggest that Syringaresinol induces vasorelaxation by enhancing NO production in endothelial cells via two distinct mechanisms, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt- and PLC/Ca(2+)/CaMKKβ-dependent eNOS phosphorylation and Ca(2+)-dependent eNOS dimerization.

Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2015 Jan 15;25(2):307-9.

Enantioselective induction of SIRT1 gene by syringaresinol from Panax ginseng berry and Acanthopanax senticosus Harms stem.[Pubmed: 25479772]

METHODS AND RESULTS:
Syringaresinol exists either exclusively as one enantiomer or enantiomeric mixtures in plant foods. We found that (+)-Syringaresinol, but not (-)-Syringaresinol, upregulates silent information regulator two ortholog 1 (SIRT1) gene expression, and thus, Panax ginseng berry with predominantly high contents of (+)-Syringaresinol exhibits higher activity in inducing SIRT1 gene expression than Acanthopanax senticosus Harms stem with almost equal proportion of the two enantiomers.
CONCLUSIONS:
These findings highlight the importance of the absolute configuration of Syringaresinol for the biological activity.