Metallothionein-2 is associated with the amelioration of asthmatic pulmonary function by acupuncture through protein phosphorylation

Network pharmacology and experimental validation of inflammation inhibition by ChuanKeZhi Injection in treating asthma

BACKGROUND

Chuankezhi injection (CKZ), derived from the traditional Chinese herbs Ying-Yang-Huo (Epimedium brevicornu Maxim) and Ba-Ji-Tian (Morinda officinalis F.C. How), has demonstrated remarkable clinical effects in the treatment of asthma. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

PURPOSE

This study aims to explore the mechanisms and molecular targets of CKZ in the treatment of asthma, utilizing network pharmacology and molecular biology experiments.

STUDY DESIGN

A combination of network pharmacology and experimental validation was used to identify the specific targets and pathways through which CKZ exerts its effects on asthma. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to further verify the findings.

METHODS

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry were employed to identify the components of CKZ. GeneCards was used to gather asthma-related targets, and the STRING online database was utilized to construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Hub genes were identified from the PPI network and analyzed through Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to validate the network pharmacology predictions.

RESULTS

LC/MS and MALDI-TOF analysis revealed that CKZ is rich in flavonoid compounds. Network pharmacological analysis identified TNF, AKT1, IL-6, GAPDH, and SRC as the top five hub genes. GO and KEGG pathway analyses suggested that CKZ's effect on asthma is closely associated with mitochondrial function and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. In vivo and in vitro experiments showed that CKZ treatment alleviated airway inflammation and collagen deposition in asthma mouse models, as demonstrated by HE, PAS, and Masson staining. CKZ also reduced the levels of inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and TNF-α) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) and serum. Furthermore, CKZ improved mitochondrial damage and inhibited the activation of the MAPK signaling pathway, as confirmed by Western blotting analysis.

CONCLUSION

CKZ effectively alleviates airway inflammation and improves airway damage in asthma by inhibiting the MAPK signaling pathway. These findings suggest that CKZ is a promising therapeutic option for asthma treatment.

Yangke powder alleviates OVA-induced allergic asthma by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory airway disease that remains inadequately controlled by existing conventional treatments. A traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula of Yangke powder (yǎng ké sǎn-YKS) has demonstrated potential in alleviating asthma symptoms and reducing its acute exacerbation. Despite clinical evidence supporting its benefit, there is still insufficient understanding of the active compounds in YKS and their underlying mechanisms, which limits its broader clinical application.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to identify the key active ingredients in YKS and explore their mechanisms, particularly through the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathways, to provide a scientific basis for its application in asthma treatment.

METHODS

We employed UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS to analyze YKS constituents, identified key ingredients, and explored asthma treatment mechanisms through bioinformatics, network pharmacology, Mendelian randomization, and molecular docking. The asthma model was evaluated using ovalbumin (OVA) and pulmonary function tests, while pathological examination was conducted using hematoxylin and eosin (HE), periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), and Masson trichrome stains. Concentrations of IgE, IL-4, and IL-5 were measured by ELISA, and protein and mRNA expressions were confirmed via qPCR, immunohistochemistry, and Western blot analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 174 compounds were identified in YKS by UPLC-MS, with 49 detected in the bloodstream, indicating their role as active ingredients. Bioinformatics analysis revealed 353 asthma-related targets and 972 potential targets for YKS. Key targets such as AKT1, TNF, and IL1B were validated by molecular docking. Our studies indicated that YKS modulates asthma primarily through the PI3K/Akt and NF-κB pathways, improving airway resistance, reducing inflammation, mucus production, and airway remodeling, and decreasing Th2 cytokines and IgE levels.

CONCLUSION

This investigation identifies Kaempferol, Norephedrine, Cynaroside, Genistein, and Rutin as critical active ingredients in YKS, impacting key biomarkers such as AKT1, TNF, and IL1B. These substances effectively modulate the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway, enhancing the management of allergic asthma.

Zinc and its binding proteins: essential roles and therapeutic potential

Zinc is an essential micronutrient that participates in a multitude of cellular and biochemical processes. It is indispensable for normal growth and the maintenance of physiological functions. As one of the most significant trace elements in the body, zinc fulfills three primary biological roles: catalytic, structural, and regulatory. It serves as a cofactor in over 300 enzymes, and more than 3000 proteins require zinc, underscoring its crucial role in numerous physiological processes such as cell division and growth, immune function, tissue maintenance, as well as synthesis protein and collagen synthesis. Zinc deficiency has been linked to increased oxidative stress and inflammation, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of a multitude of diseases, like neurological disorders and cancer. In addition, zinc is a key constituent of zinc-binding proteins, which play a pivotal role in maintaining cellular zinc homeostasis. This review aims to update and expand upon the understanding of zinc biology, highlighting the fundamental roles of zinc in biological processes and the health implications of zinc deficiency. This work also explores the diverse functions of zinc in immune regulation, cellular growth, and neurological health, emphasizing the need for further research to fully elucidate the therapeutic potential of zinc supplementation in disease prevention and management.

Acupuncture: An Overview on Its Functions, Meridian Pathways and Molecular Mechanisms

Recent research has extensively explored the intricate mechanisms that underlie the effectiveness of acupuncture, highlighting the importance of stimulating acupoints, the role of acupuncture techniques in managing diseases, and the interaction between meridian pathways and molecular processes. Studies have underscored the crucial role of acupuncture in activating neurons, modulating the immune system, and influencing vascular activity, all of which contribute significantly to its therapeutic benefits across a wide range of symptoms and conditions. Utilization of imaging modalities enables the identification of changes in cerebral blood flow, brain function, and regional glucose metabolism following acupuncture sessions. The interstitial fluid circulation network within meridians adheres to specific laws that facilitate the transportation of materials. Acupuncture initiates the release of neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and immune factors, impacting pain perception, inflammation, and physiological functions. It influences the complex neuro-endocrine-immune network by activating pathways involving the nervous system, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and immune responses. Moreover, acupuncture induces molecular modifications such as phosphorylation, methylation, and histone modification, leading to key molecular changes that ultimately result in anti-inflammatory effects and the regulation of immune responses.

Yiqi Kaimi prescription regulates protein phosphorylation to promote intestinal motility in slow transit constipation

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The clinical efficacy of the Yiqi Kaimi prescription has been confirmed in slow transit constipation. However, the effects and biological mechanism of Yiqi Kaimi prescription are still unclear.

AIMS OF THE STUDY

To identify the effects of Yiqi Kaimi prescription on intestinal motility; To reveal the potential key targets and pathways of Yiqi Kaimi prescription for the treatment of slow transit constipation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The effects of Yiqi Kaimi prescription on slow transit constipation were investigated in a mouse model. The terminal ink propulsion experiment and fecal indocyanine green imaging was used to measure the intestinal transit time. Protein phosphorylation changes in colon tissues treated with Yiqi Kaimi prescription were detected using a Phospho Explorer antibody microarray. Bioinformatic analyses were performed using the Database for Annotation Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) and the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING). Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry confirmed the observed changes in phosphorylation.

RESULT

s: Yiqi Kaimi prescription significantly increased the intestinal transit rate (P < 0.05 vs. model) and reduced the time to first discharge of feces containing fecal indocyanine green imaging in mice (P < 0.05 vs. model). The administration of Yiqi Kaimi prescription induced phosphorylation changes in 41 proteins, with 9 upregulated proteins and 32 downregulated proteins. Functional classification of the phosphorylated proteins with DAVID revealed that the critical biological processes included tyrosine protein kinases, positive regulation of calcium-mediated signaling and response to muscle stretch. The phosphorylation of the spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) at Tyr348 increased 2.19-fold, which was the most significant change. The phosphorylation level of the transcription factor p65 (RELA) at Thr505 was decreased 0.57-fold. SYK was a hub protein in the protein-protein interaction network and SYK and RELA formed the core of the secondary subnetwork. The key protein phosphorylation after treatment with Yiqi Kaimi prescription were verified by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry.

CONCLUSION

Yiqi Kaimi prescription significantly enhanced intestinal motility. This effect was attributed to alterations in the phosphorylation levels of various target proteins. The observed changes in protein phosphorylation, including SYK and RELA, may serve as crucial factors in the treatment of slow transit constipation.

Research on the Mechanism and Application of Acupuncture Therapy for Asthma: A Review

Asthma is a high-risk disease based on airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR). In this review, we found that there are many studies on clinical therapy for asthma that focus on the efficacy of acupuncture therapy and its mechanisms, including the functional connectivity of different brain regions, with the aid of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), immune responses/cell recognition (innate lymphoid cells and balance of Th1/Th2 and Treg/Th17), intracellular mechanism (autophagy, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and epigenetic alteration), and ligand-receptor/chemical signaling pathway (neurotransmitter, hormone, and small molecules). In this review, we summarized the clinical and experimental evidence for the mechanisms of acupuncture therapy in asthma to offer insights into drug discovery and clinical therapy. Given the paucity of clinical studies on the mechanisms of acupuncture in the treatment of asthma, this review notably included studies based on animal models to investigate the mechanisms of acupuncture in the treatment of asthma.

Metallothionein-2: An emerging target in inflammatory diseases and cancers

Metallothionein-2 (MT-2) was originally discovered as a mediator of zinc homeostasis and cadmium detoxification. However, MT-2 has recently received increased attention because altered expression of MT-2 is closely related to various diseases such as asthma and cancers. Several pharmacological strategies have been developed to inhibit or modify MT-2, revealing its potential as drug target in diseases. Therefore, a better understanding of the mechanisms of MT-2 action is warranted to improve drug development for potential clinical applications. In this review, we highlight recent advances in determining the protein structure, regulation, binding partners, and new functions of MT-2 in inflammatory diseases and cancers.

Effect of acupuncture for disorders of consciousness in patients with stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Disorder of consciousness (DOC) is frequent in patients with stroke, which is the second most common cause of death and a leading cause of disability. Acupuncture has been used as a curative method for DOC treatment in China. Nevertheless, no critical systematic review of acupuncture's effect on DOC has been published. This review aims to evaluate the present evidence regarding the efficacy of acupuncture for DOC after stroke.

Methods

Seven databases were searched from their inception to November 1, 2021, containing three English databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) and four Chinese databases (CNKI, CBM, VIP, and Wanfang Database). The primary outcomes comprise the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) before and after treatment. Secondary outcomes involve resuscitation rate, resuscitation time, and adverse events. Data synthesis was calculated by RevMan (V.5.4.1) software. According to the Cochrane Handbook, methodological quality was assessed with the risk of bias tool 2.0 (RoB2).

Results

Seventeen studies containing 1,208 patients were eventually included in our review. Overall, most trials were rated as high or had some concerns regarding the risk of bias. GCS was reported in 16 trials, and a meta-analysis showed that GCS improvement in the acupuncture group was greater than in the non-acupuncture group (MD 1.45, 95% CI 0.94-1.97, P < 0.0001). One trial reported that GOS improvement in the acupuncture plus medication group was greater than in the medication group (MD 0.58, 95% CI 0.11-1.05, P = 0.01). Another study reported that acupuncture plus medication was statistically more effective in shortening resuscitation time than medication alone (MD-0.89, 95% CI -1.53 to -0.25, P = 0.006). Four trials reported that the resuscitation rate in the acupuncture group was higher than without acupuncture intervention (RR 1.68, 95% CI 1.30-2.18, I 2 0%, P = 0.39). Adverse events were reported in two studies, with one case in the acupuncture group suffering from subcutaneous hematoma.

Conclusion

Acupuncture may improve consciousness level, increase the resuscitation rate, and shorten resuscitation time for post-stroke patients with DOC. Adverse events from acupuncture were rare, tolerable, and recoverable. However, the results should be interpreted cautiously, and more rigorous RCTs with better methodology are warranted.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=289802, identifier 289802.

The Effects of a Transgelin-2 Agonist Administered at Different Times in a Mouse Model of Airway Hyperresponsiveness

Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) is one of the most important features of asthma. Our previous study showed that inhaled transgelin-2 agonist, TSG12, effectively reduced pulmonary resistance in a mouse model of asthma in a dose-dependent manner. However, the optimal administration time of TSG12 to reduce AHR and the pharmacological effects are still unclear. In this study, the effects of TSG12 inhalation before and during AHR occurrence were examined. The results showed that the pulmonary resistance was reduced by 57% and the dynamic compliance was increased by 46% in the TSG12 Mch group (atomize TSG12 10 min before methacholine, p &lt; 0.05 vs. model). The pulmonary resistance was reduced by 61% and the dynamic compliance was increased by 47% in the TSG12 + Mch group (atomize TSG12 and methacholine together, p &lt; 0.05 vs. model). Quantitative real-time PCR showed that the gene expression levels of transgelin-2, myosin phosphatase target subunit-1, and myosin light chain were up-regulated by 6.4-, 1.9-, and 2.8-fold, respectively, in the TSG12 Mch group. The gene expression levels of transgelin-2, myosin phosphatase target subunit-1, and myosin light chain were up-regulated by 3.2-, 1.4-, and 1.9-fold, respectively, in the TSG12 + Mch group. The results suggested that TSG12 effectively reduces pulmonary resistance when TSG12 inhalation occurred both before and during AHR occurrence. Gene expression levels of transgelin-2 and myosin light chain were significantly up-regulated when TSG12 inhalation occurred before AHR occurrence. This study may provide a basis for the administration time of TSG12 for asthma treatment in the future.

Traditional Medicinal Plants Conferring Protection Against Ovalbumin-Induced Asthma in Experimental Animals: A Review

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the respiratory tract in which the numerous immune cells, including eosinophils, neutrophils, macrophages, T-lymphocytes, mast cells and epithelial lining play key roles. The numerous anti-asthmatic drugs are available in modern medicine to treat asthma, but they have several disadvantages, including side effects and the cost variations, which compromise treatment compliance. The literature review reveals that traditional herbal medicines have good potential as alternative treatment and management for asthma. However, communities hesitated to use the traditional herbal medicines due to lack of established mechanism of action about their anti-asthmatic potential. The present review aimed to summarise the information stated in the literature about the potential effect of traditional medicinal plants (TMPs) conferring protection against ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma model. The literature search was conducted in database like PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and ScienceDirect. After screening through the literature from 2011 to date, a total of 27 medicinal plants and two polyherbal extracts have been reported to be used as traditional herbal medicines and also utilised to be tested against OVA-induced asthma, were included. We found them to be an important alternative source of treatment for asthma, since some have comparable efficacies with drugs commonly used in the modern system against asthma. All the reported medicinal plants confirmed their traditional use against asthma or its related inflammation. The present review provides faith in traditional information and also offers new insight into the potential of natural products against asthma.

Sanfu herbal patch applied at acupoints in patients with bronchial asthma: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background

Bronchial asthma is one of the most common inflammatory airway disorders. As one of the main non-drug therapies, the Sanfu herbal patch (SHP) has been widely used to treat bronchial asthma, although the evidence for its efficacy and associated mechanism are inconclusive. The objective of this trial is to clarify the clinical efficacy and safety of the SHP in the treatment of bronchial asthma in the chronic persistent or clinical remission stage and to provide high-quality data for further research.

Methods

We propose a multicentre, double-blinded, parallel, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 4 study hospitals in China. A total of 72 eligible participants will be randomized into an SHP group and a placebo group. They will receive an SHP for 3 treatment sessions. The primary outcome will be changes in forced expiratory volume in 1 s after 3 treatment sessions. Secondary outcomes will include the following: (1) the Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire, Asthma Control Test, and Asthma Long-term Follow-up Scale; (2) levels of Metallothionein-2 and Transgelin-2 in blood and urine; and (3) levels of IL-5, IL-13, IL-23, IL-25, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin in blood. Analysis of the data will be performed at baseline, at the end of the 2nd and 3rd treatment sessions, and at the 24-week follow-up. The safety of the SHP will be evaluated at each treatment session.

Discussion

The aims of this trial are to determine whether the SHP is more effective than placebo in the treatment of patients with bronchial asthma, as well as whether the SHP works by reducing airway inflammation and reversing bronchoconstriction.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (http://www.chictr.org.cn), ChiCTR1900024616. Registered on 19 July 2019.