Identifying cancer-related molecular targets of Nandina domestica Thunb. by network pharmacology-based analysis in combination with chemical profiling and molecular docking studies

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The fruits of Nandina domestica Thunb. have served as folk medicines in Chinese and Japanese tradition for treatment of several tumors including pharynx tumor and tooth abscess for many years, yet its exact mechanism of action is not yet known.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The study targets the identification of the main constituents of the fruits extracts and investigation of their mode of action in cancer therapy via pharmacology-based analysis and molecular docking.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The different extracts of N. domestica Thunb. were analyzed via UPLC-MS/MS for identification of their active constituents. STITCH, DAVID, KEGG and STRING database were utilized for construction of compound-target and compound-target-pathway networks using Cytoscape 3.2.1. Molecular docking analysis of the top hit compounds was performed against the identified top hit molecular targets in the constructed networks. In vitro-testing of Nandina domestica Thunb. against colorectal cancer cell lines was carried out and correlated to the chemical profile of the extract to identify important biomarkers. The ADME properties of the active compounds were also evaluated.

RESULTS

22 compounds were identified by UPLC-MS/MS analysis and were forwarded to network pharmacology-based analysis. Results showed the enrichment of 5 compounds and 4 molecular targets in the network namely; AKT1, CASP3, MAPK1 and TP53. The pathway analysis of the identified targets revealed that 15 cancer-related pathways were enriched including colorectal cancer, endometrial cancer and small-cell lung cancer. In-vitro testing of the extracts against colo-rectal cancer cell lines revealed the fractions enriched in the identified hit compounds were indeed the most active as revealed from the HCA-heat-map. ADME results showed that all compounds were drug-like candidates showing acceptable values according to Lipinski's rule.

CONCLUSIONS

Network pharmacology analysis revealed that the compounds isoquercitrin, quercitrin, berberine, chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid showed strong synergistic interactions with the cancer-related targets and pathways. It could be concluded that N. domestica Thunb. constituents affect both apoptosis and Akt-signaling pathways during the stages of early and intermediate adenoma through interaction with the targets CASP3 and MAPK1 (ErC2) while during the stages of late adenoma and carcinoma, the compounds acts through the p53 and ErbB signaling pathways.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis: comparative analysis in cancer patients with underlying haematologic malignancies versus solid tumours

BACKGROUND

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is commonly associated with haematologic malignancies but also occurs with solid tumours.

AIM

To compare the diagnostic approaches and therapeutic outcomes for IPA between patients with haematologic malignancies and solid cancers.

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted evaluating consecutive cases of proven and probable IPA from 2004 to 2016. Patients >18 years of age with an underlying solid tumour, haematologic malignancy, or haematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) within one year of IPA diagnosis were included.

FINDINGS

Of the 311 patients analysed, 225 had haematologic malignancies and 86 had solid tumours. Patients with solid tumours were more likely to have had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or other pulmonary diseases, have Aspergillus fumigatus infections, and have received radiotherapy before IPA occurrence than were those with haematologic malignancies (all P<0.01). Antifungal monotherapy and voriconazole-based therapy were more often prescribed in the solid group (87% vs 56%, P<0.0001, and 77% vs 53%, P=0.0002, respectively). The median duration of primary antifungal therapy was longer in the solid group (64 days vs 20 days, P<0.0001). Complete or partial response to antifungal therapy was recorded in 66% of the solid group and 40% of the haematologic group (P=0.0001). At 12 weeks, overall mortality was similar in both groups, but IPA-attributable mortality was higher in the haematologic group (30% vs 18%, P=0.04).

CONCLUSIONS

Monotherapy was more often prescribed in patients with solid tumours than in patients with haematologic malignancies. Patients with solid tumours had better antifungal therapy response and lower 12-week IPA-attributable mortality than did those with haematologic malignancies.

Kappa free light chains is a valid tool in the diagnostics of MS: A large multicenter study

OBJECTIVE

To validate kappa free light chain (KFLC) and lambda free light chain (LFLC) indices as a diagnostic biomarker in multiple sclerosis (MS).

METHODS

We performed a multicenter study including 745 patients from 18 centers (219 controls and 526 clinically isolated syndrome (CIS)/MS patients) with a known oligoclonal IgG band (OCB) status. KFLC and LFLC were measured in paired cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum samples. Gaussian mixture modeling was used to define a cut-off for KFLC and LFLC indexes.

RESULTS

The cut-off for the KFLC index was 6.6 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.2-138.1). The cut-off for the LFLC index was 6.9 (95% CI = 4.5-22.2). For CIS/MS patients, sensitivity of the KFLC index (0.88; 95% CI = 0.85-0.90) was higher than OCB (0.82; 95%CI = 0.79-0.85; p < 0.001), but specificity (0.83; 95% CI = 0.78-0.88) was lower (OCB = 0.92; 95% CI = 0.89-0.96; p < 0.001). Both sensitivity and specificity for the LFLC index were lower than OCB.

CONCLUSION

Compared with OCB, the KFLC index is more sensitive but less specific for diagnosing CIS/MS. Lacking an elevated KFLC index is more powerful for excluding MS compared with OCB but the latter is more important for ruling in a diagnosis of CIS/MS.

Herz und Gefäße

Herzfehler gehören zu den häufigsten angeborenen Fehlbildungen. Heute erleben fast 90% dieser Kinder das Erwachsenenalter. Dennoch sind angeborene Herzfehler weiterhin mit einer hohen Morbidität und Mortalität vergesellschaftet, insbesondere wenn ein kritischer Herzfehler vorliegt. Dem Pädiater obliegt nicht nur die rechtzeitige Erkennung eines Herzfehlers, sondern auch im zunehmenden Maße die Mitbetreuung dieser Patienten im prä-und postoperativen Stadium. Das Verständnis für die zugrundeliegende Hämodynamik der jeweiligen Herzfehler sowie die physiologischen Veränderungen der Kreislaufverhältnisse im Laufe des Lebens sind wichtig für die Diagnosestellung und die klinische Verlaufsbeurteilung. Daher wird im folgenden Kapitel besonderen Wert auf die hämodynamischen Zusammenhänge am Beispiel ausgewählter Herzfehler gelegt. Neben primär azyanotischen und zyanotischen Herzfehlern gehören entzündliche Herzerkrankungen sowie Herzrhythmusstörungen zum Spektrum der Kinderkardiologie. Diese Felder werden in Grundzügen beschrieben und sollen dem Kliniker eine Hilfestellung für das diagnostische und therapeutische Vorgehen geben.

Spatial variation for the solution to the stochastic linear wave equation driven by additive space-time white noise

We study the asymptotic behavior of the spatial quadratic variation for the solution to the stochastic wave equation driven by additive space-time white noise. We prove that the sequence of its renormalized quadratic variations satisfies a central limit theorem (CLT for short). We obtain the rate of convergence for this CLT via the Stein–Malliavin calculus and we also discuss some consequences.

Variation in the Position and Diameter of Basilar Artery in Different Ages of Bangladeshi People

Basilar artery is formed by the fusion of right and left vertebral artery and terminates as right and left posterior cerebral arteries. The aim of the study is to observe the diameter of basilar artery at three different levels (at its formation, at its midlevel and at its termination). This cross sectional descriptive study was performed on total 60 postmortem human hindbrain to find out the variation of position and diameter of the basilar artery of Bangladeshi people in relation to age. The specimens were collected from morgue in the department of Forensic Medicine, Mymensingh medical College, Mymensingh, Bangladesh by purposive sampling technique. All the specimens were grouped into four categories: Group A (20 to 29 years), Group B (30 to 39 years), Group C (40 to 49 years) and Group D (50 to 59 years). Diameter of basilar artery was measured with the help of digital slide calipers at three different levels. At the level of its formation, mean±SD diameter was 3.76±0.37 mm, 3.75±0.32 mm, 3.68±0.24 mm & 3.54±0.46 mm in Group A, B, C & D respectively. At mid-level, it was 3.49±0.36 mm, 3.48±0.30 mm, 3.45±0.21 mm & 3.36±0.44 mm in Group A, B, C & D respectively. At the termination, it was 3.55±0.35 mm, 3.51±0.30 mm, 3.48±0.22 mm & 3.38±0.38 mm in Group A, B, C & D respectively. This knowledge of variations of the diameter of basilar artery is of diagnostic importance for the neurosurgeons and radiologists for clinical investigation and surgery.