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Hu F, Xiong L, Li Z, Li L, Wang L, Wang X, Zhou X, Zheng Y. Deciphering the shared mechanisms of Gegen Qinlian Decoction in treating type 2 diabetes and ulcerative colitis via bioinformatics and machine learning. Front Med (Lausanne) 2024; 11:1406149. [PMID: 38962743 PMCID: PMC11220276 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1406149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Although previous clinical studies and animal experiments have demonstrated the efficacy of Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GQD) in treating Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and Ulcerative Colitis (UC), the underlying mechanisms of its therapeutic effects remain elusive. Purpose This study aims to investigate the shared pathogenic mechanisms between T2DM and UC and elucidate the mechanisms through which GQD modulates these diseases using bioinformatics approaches. Methods Data for this study were sourced from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Targets of GQD were identified using PharmMapper and SwissTargetPrediction, while targets associated with T2DM and UC were compiled from the DrugBank, GeneCards, Therapeutic Target Database (TTD), DisGeNET databases, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Our analysis encompassed six approaches: weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), immune infiltration analysis, single-cell sequencing analysis, machine learning, DEG analysis, and network pharmacology. Results Through GO and KEGG analysis of weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) modular genes and DEGs intersection, we found that the co-morbidity between T2DM and UC is primarily associated with immune-inflammatory pathways, including IL-17, TNF, chemokine, and toll-like receptor signaling pathways. Immune infiltration analysis supported these findings. Three distinct machine learning studies identified IGFBP3 as a biomarker for GQD in treating T2DM, while BACE2, EPHB4, and EPHA2 emerged as biomarkers for GQD in UC treatment. Network pharmacology revealed that GQD treatment for T2DM and UC mainly targets immune-inflammatory pathways like Toll-like receptor, IL-17, TNF, MAPK, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. Conclusion This study provides insights into the shared pathogenesis of T2DM and UC and clarifies the regulatory mechanisms of GQD on these conditions. It also proposes novel targets and therapeutic strategies for individuals suffering from T2DM and UC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Xuemei Zhou
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
| | - Yujiao Zheng
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China
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Gao F, Zhu F, Shuai B, Wu M, Wei C, Yuan Y, Gui Y, Tian Y, Fan H, Wu H. Quercetin ameliorates ulcerative colitis by restoring the balance of M2/M1 and repairing the intestinal barrier via downregulating cGAS‒STING pathway. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1351538. [PMID: 38774206 PMCID: PMC11106451 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1351538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Macrophage polarization is closely associated with the pathogenesis of ulcerative colitis (UC). Quercetin, a flavonoid, has shown promise as a treatment for inflammatory diseases, but its specific mechanism of action remains unclear. This study investigates whether quercetin can regulate intestinal macrophage polarization and promote intestinal tissue repair via the cGAS-STING pathway for the treatment of UC. In vivo, mice with 3% DSS-induced UC were intraperitoneally injected with quercetin and RU.521 for 7 days, following which their general conditions and corresponding therapeutic effects were assessed. The impact of interferon-stimulated DNA (ISD) and quercetin on macrophage polarization and the cGAS-STING pathway was investigated using RAW264.7 cells and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) in vitro. The results demonstrated that ISD induced M1 macrophage polarization and activated the cGAS-STING pathway in vitro, while quercetin reversed ISD's inflammatory effects. In vivo, quercetin suppressed the cGAS-STING pathway in the intestinal macrophages of DSS-induced UC mice, which reduced M1 macrophage polarization, increased M2 polarization, and facilitated intestinal barrier repair in UC. Taken together, these findings provide new insights into the mechanisms via which quercetin could be used to treat UC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Gao
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Feng Zhu
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Bo Shuai
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Meng Wu
- Department of Orthopedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chunzhu Wei
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yuyi Yuan
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yang Gui
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yushi Tian
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Heng Fan
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hui Wu
- Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
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Zhao Y, Ma Y, Pei J, Zhao X, Jiang Y, Liu Q. Exploring Pyroptosis-related Signature Genes and Potential Drugs in Ulcerative Colitis by Transcriptome Data and Animal Experimental Validation. Inflammation 2024:10.1007/s10753-024-02025-2. [PMID: 38656456 DOI: 10.1007/s10753-024-02025-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic, relapsing inflammatory disorder of the colonic mucosa. Pyroptosis contributes significantly to UC. However, the molecular mechanisms of UC remain unexplained. Herein, using transcriptome data and animal experimental validation, we sought to explore pyroptosis-related molecular mechanisms, signature genes, and potential drugs in UC. Gene profiles (GSE48959, GSE59071, GSE53306, and GSE94648) were selected from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, which contained samples derived from patients with active and inactive UC, as well as health controls. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed on microarrays to unravel the association between UC and pyroptosis. Then, differential expressed genes (DEGs) and pyroptosis-related DEGs were obtained by differential expression analyses and the public database. Subsequently, pyroptosis-related DEGs and their association with the immune infiltration landscape were analyzed using the CIBERSORT method. Besides, potential signature genes were selected by machine learning (ML) algorithms, and then validated by testing datasets which included samples of colonic mucosal tissue and peripheral blood. More importantly, the potential drug was screened based on this. And these signature genes and the drug effect were finally observed in the animal experiment. GSEA and KEGG enrichment analyses on key module genes derived from WGCNA revealed a close association between UC and pyroptosis. Then, a total of 20 pyroptosis-related DEGs of UC and 27 pyroptosis-related DEGs of active UC were screened. Next, 6 candidate genes (ZBP1, AIM2, IL1β, CASP1, TLR4, CASP11) in UC and 2 candidate genes (TLR4, CASP11) in active UC were respectively identified using the binary logistic regression (BLR), least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), random forest (RF) analysis and artificial neural network (ANN), and these genes also showed high diagnostic specificity for UC in testing sets. Specially, TLR4 was elevated in UC and further elevated in active UC. The results of the drug screen revealed that six compounds (quercetin, cyclosporine, resveratrol, cisplatin, paclitaxel, rosiglitazone) could target TLR4, among which the effect of quercetin on intestinal pathology, pyroptosis and the expression of TLR4 in UC and active UC was further determined by the murine model. These findings demonstrated that pyroptosis may promote UC, and especially contributes to the activation of UC. Pyroptosis-related DEGs offer new ideas for the diagnosis of UC. Besides, quercetin was verified as an effective treatment for pyroptosis and intestinal inflammation. This study might enhance our comprehension on the pathogenic mechanism and diagnosis of UC and offer a treatment option for UC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Zhao
- The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Yiming Ma
- Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, 999078, China
| | - Jianing Pei
- The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210029, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Zhao
- Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Gynecology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310007, China
| | - Yuepeng Jiang
- College of Pharmaceutical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310053, China
| | - Qingsheng Liu
- Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310007, China.
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Wang C, Fu Y, Wang R, Wang Q, Yu H, Zhang J. Quercetin Attenuates the Combined Effects of Zearalenone and Lipopolysaccharide on IPEC-J2 Cell Injury through Activating the Nrf2 Signaling Pathway. Toxins (Basel) 2023; 15:679. [PMID: 38133183 PMCID: PMC10748267 DOI: 10.3390/toxins15120679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Zearalenone (ZEA) is a mycotoxin with an estrogen-like effect that is widely found in feed. Lipopolysaccharides (LPS) derived from Gram-negative bacteria are a common endotoxin, and both toxins have effects on human and livestock health. During animal feeding, ZEA as an exotoxin and LPS as an endotoxin have the potential to co-exist in organisms. At present, other studies have only focused on the hazards of single toxins, but there are fewer studies on the coexistence and interaction between ZEA and LPS. Therefore, a further study to investigate the combined toxic effects of different concentrations of ZEA and LPS is warranted. Quercetin (QUE) is a natural flavonoid compound with strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is unclear whether QUE can mitigate the combined effects of ZEA and LPS. IPEC-J2, isolated from the jejunum of non-breastfed neonatal piglets, is an ideal model for the study of epithelial cell transport, intestinal bacterial interactions, and the nutrient modulation of intestinal function. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to demonstrate the effect of QUE in alleviating the combined toxic effect of ZEA and LPS on IPEC-J2 cell damage. Cell viability was measured after treating IPEC-J2 cells sequentially with 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, and 100 μM ZEA, 1, 10, 50, and 100 μg/mL LPS, and 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, and 200 μM QUE for 24 h. Based on the cell viability results, 20 μM ZEA and 1 μg/mL LPS were selected as the most suitable concentrations for further analysis. For QUE, 20 μM increased the cell viability, while 40-200 μM QUE decreased the cell viability. Therefore, for the subsequent study, 20 μM QUE was selected in combination with 20 μM ZEA and 1 μg/mL LPS. The results showed that QUE increased the cellular viability and decreased the LDH content more compared to the effects of the ZEA+LPS group. At the gene level, QUE addition up-regulated the expression of Nrf2, HO-1, SOD2, and NQO1 at the gene or protein level compared to those of the ZEA+LPS group. The measurement of tight junction-related genes and proteins showed QUE up-regulated the expression of Claudin, ZO-1, and Occludin genes and proteins more than in the ZEA+LPS group. QUE addition reduced the rate of apoptosis more than that in the ZEA+LPS group. The expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax were examined at the gene level, and QUE addition significantly reduced the Bax gene expression level compared to that of the ZEA+LPS group, but there was no apparent variation in the expression level of Bcl-2. In summary, QUE can alleviate the combined toxic effects of ZEA and LPS on IPEC-J2 cells via modulating the Nrf2 signaling pathway, up-regulating the expression of antioxidative genes, and enhancing the intestinal barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanqi Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Feed and Feeding in the Northeastern Frigid Area, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China; (C.W.); (R.W.); (Q.W.); (H.Y.)
| | - Yurong Fu
- Institute of Cereal and Oil Crops, Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Hebei Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation Physiology and Green Production, Shijiazhuang 050035, China;
| | - Ruqi Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Feed and Feeding in the Northeastern Frigid Area, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China; (C.W.); (R.W.); (Q.W.); (H.Y.)
| | - Qiyuan Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Feed and Feeding in the Northeastern Frigid Area, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China; (C.W.); (R.W.); (Q.W.); (H.Y.)
| | - Hao Yu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Feed and Feeding in the Northeastern Frigid Area, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China; (C.W.); (R.W.); (Q.W.); (H.Y.)
| | - Jing Zhang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Livestock and Poultry Feed and Feeding in the Northeastern Frigid Area, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China; (C.W.); (R.W.); (Q.W.); (H.Y.)
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Li M, Weigmann B. Effect of a Flavonoid Combination of Apigenin and Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate on Alleviating Intestinal Inflammation in Experimental Colitis Models. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16031. [PMID: 38003220 PMCID: PMC10671077 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an autoimmune disease that leads to severe bowel symptoms and complications. Currently, there is no effective treatment, and the exact cause of IBD remains unclear. In the last decades, numerous studies have confirmed that flavonoids can have a positive impact on the treatment of IBD. Therefore, this study investigated the protective effect of a flavonoid combination of apigenin and epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) on IBD. In vitro studies in which Caco-2 cell monolayers were incubated with different concentrations of flavonoids found that the flavonoid-treated group exhibited increased transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) at high concentrations, indicating a protective effect on the barrier function of the intestinal epithelium. In vivo studies showed that flavonoids significantly attenuated inflammatory levels in both chronic and acute hapten-mediated experimental colitis models in a time- and dose-dependent manner. In addition, the activity of myeloperoxidase (MPO) and the level of proinflammatory cytokines in the colon tissue were significantly reduced. Interestingly, the levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines were also dramatically increased. Finally, flavonoids were found to positively modulate the composition of the gut microbiota in the colon. Therefore, a combination of flavonoids could be a promising therapeutic agent for the future adjunctive treatment of IBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingrui Li
- Department of Medicine 1, Kussmaul Campus for Medical Research, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91052 Erlangen, Germany;
| | - Benno Weigmann
- Department of Medicine 1, Kussmaul Campus for Medical Research, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91052 Erlangen, Germany;
- Medical Immunology Campus Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91052 Erlangen, Germany
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