Eryptosis of non-parasitized erythrocytes is related to anemia in Plasmodium berghei low parasitema malaria of Wistar rats

Eryptosis as a New Insight in Malaria Pathogenesis

Eryptosis is a programmed cell death-like process that occurs in red blood cells. Although the red blood cells are anucleated, there are similarities between eryptosis and apoptosis, such as increased calcium efflux, calpain activation, phosphatidylserine exposure, cell blebbing and cell shrinkage. Eryptosis occurs physiologically in red blood cells, as a consequence of the natural senescence process of these cells, but it can also be stimulated in pathological situations such as metabolic syndromes, uremic syndromes, polycythemia vera, anemias such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia, and infectious processes including Plasmodium infection. Infection-induced eryptosis is believed to contribute to damage caused by Plasmodium, but it’s still a topic of debate in the literature. In this review, we provided an overview of eryptosis mechanisms and its possible pathogenic role in malaria.

Uncovering the mechanism of the effects of Paeoniae Radix Alba on iron-deficiency anaemia through a network pharmacology-based strategy

BACKGROUND

Paeoniae Radix Alba, the root of the plant Paeonia lactiflora Pall, is a common blood-enriching drug in traditional Chinese medicine. Its effectiveness in the clinical treatment of anaemia is remarkable, but its potential pharmacologic mechanism has not been clarified.

METHODS

In this study, the potential pharmacologic mechanism of Paeoniae Radix Alba in the treatment of iron-deficiency anaemia was preliminarily elucidated through systematic and comprehensive network pharmacology.

RESULTS

Specifically, we obtained 15 candidate active ingredients from among 146 chemical components in Paeoniae Radix Alba. The ingredients were predicted to target 77 genes associated with iron-deficiency anaemia. In-depth analyses of these targets revealed that they were mostly associated with energy metabolism, cell proliferation, and stress responses, suggesting that Paeoniae Radix Alba helps alleviate iron-deficiency anaemia by affecting these processes. In addition, we conducted a core target analysis and a cluster analysis of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. The results showed that four pathways, the p53 signalling pathway, the IL-17 signalling pathway, the TNF signalling pathway and the AGE-RAGE signalling pathway in diabetic complications, may be major pathways associated with the ameliorative effects of Paeoniae Radix Alba on iron-deficiency anaemia. Moreover, molecular docking verified the credibility of the network for molecular target prediction.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, this study predicted the functional ingredients in Paeoniae Radix Alba and their targets and uncovered the mechanism of action of this drug, providing new insights for advanced research on Paeoniae Radix Alba and other traditional Chinese medicines.