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Taylor ME, Jaishankar D, Ho JW, Alam HB, Bharat A, Nadig SN. Mitochondrial responses to brain death in solid organ transplant. FRONTIERS IN TRANSPLANTATION 2023; 2:1082227. [PMID: 38993857 PMCID: PMC11235360 DOI: 10.3389/frtra.2023.1082227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Mitochondrial dynamics are central to the pathophysiology of cellular damage and inflammatory responses. In the context of solid organ transplantation, mitochondria are implicated in immune activation in donor organs that occurs after brain death, as they are critical to the regulation of cellular stress response, cell death, and display energetic adaptations through the adjustment of respiratory capacity depending on the cellular milieu. Mitochondrial damage activates mitochondrial systems of fission, fusion, biogenesis, and mitochondrial autophagy, or mitophagy. The mechanistic pathways as well as therapies targeting mitochondrial physiology have been studied as plausible ways to mitigate the negative effects of brain death on donor organs, though there is no summative evaluation of the multiple efforts across the field. This mini-review aims to discuss the interplay of donor brain death, mitochondrial dynamics, and impact on allograft function as it pertains to heart, lung, liver, and kidney transplants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith E Taylor
- Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Division of Organ Transplant and Comprehensive Transplant Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Dinesh Jaishankar
- Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Division of Organ Transplant and Comprehensive Transplant Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jessie W Ho
- Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Hasan B Alam
- Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Ankit Bharat
- Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Division of Thoracic Surgery and Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Satish N Nadig
- Department of Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Division of Organ Transplant and Comprehensive Transplant Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, and Pediatrics, Comprehensive Transplant Center, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
- Simpson Querrey Institute, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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Cazuza RA, Batallé G, Bai X, Leite-Panissi CRA, Pol O. Effects of treatment with a carbon monoxide donor and an activator of heme oxygenase 1 on the nociceptive, apoptotic and/or oxidative alterations induced by persistent inflammatory pain in the central nervous system of mice. Brain Res Bull 2022; 188:169-178. [PMID: 35952846 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2022.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The activation of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1)/carbon monoxide (CO) inhibits chronic inflammatory pain, but its role in the central nervous system (CNS) is not entirely known. We evaluated whether the treatment with an HO-1 inducer, cobalt protoporphyrin IX (CoPP), or a CO-releasing molecule, tricarbonyldichlororuthenium(II)dimer (CORM-2), modulates the nociceptive, apoptotic and/or oxidative responses provoked by persistent inflammatory pain in the CNS. In C57BL/6 male mice with peripheral inflammation caused by complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), we assessed the effects of CORM-2 and CoPP on the expression of protein kinase B (Akt), the apoptotic protein BAX, and the antioxidant enzymes HO-1 and NADPH quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) in the periaqueductal gray matter (PAG), amygdala (AMG), ventral hippocampus (VHPC) and medial septal area (MSA). Our results showed that the increased expression of p-Akt caused by peripheral inflammation in the four analyzed brain areas was reversed by CORM-2 and CoPP therapies. Both treatments also normalized the upregulation of BAX induced by CFA on the VHPC and MSA. Oxidative stress, demonstrated with the decreased expression of HO-1 on the PAG and AMG, was normalized in CORM-2 and CoPP treated animals. CoPP also increased the expression of HO-1 on VHPC, and both treatments up-regulated the NQO1 levels on the PAG of CFA-injected animals. In conclusion, both CORM-2 and CoPP treatments inhibited the nociceptive and apoptotic responses generated by peripheral inflammation and/or potentiated the antioxidant responses in several brain areas revealing the new modulatory effects of these treatments in the CNS of animals with chronic inflammatory pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael A Cazuza
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy Science and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil
| | - Gerard Batallé
- Grup de Neurofarmacologia Molecular, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), Sant Quintí 77-79, 08041 Barcelona, Spain; Grup de Neurofarmacologia Molecular, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xue Bai
- Grup de Neurofarmacologia Molecular, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), Sant Quintí 77-79, 08041 Barcelona, Spain; Grup de Neurofarmacologia Molecular, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Christie R A Leite-Panissi
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy Science and Letters of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14040-901, SP, Brazil.
| | - Olga Pol
- Grup de Neurofarmacologia Molecular, Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau (IIB SANT PAU), Sant Quintí 77-79, 08041 Barcelona, Spain; Grup de Neurofarmacologia Molecular, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain.
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Fang H, Yuan Z, Zhu Y, Tang H, Pang C, Li J, Shi J, Guo W, Zhang S. Blocking protease-activated receptor 4 alleviates liver injury induced by brain death. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2022; 595:47-53. [PMID: 35093640 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2022.01.074] [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: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Brain death (BD) induces a systemic inflammatory response that influences donor liver quality. Protease-activated receptor 4 (PAR4) is a thrombin receptor that mediates platelet activation and is involved in inflammatory and apoptotic processes. Therefore, we investigated the role of PAR4 blockade in liver injury induced by BD and its associated mechanisms. In this study, we constructed a BD rat model and treated rats with TcY-NH2, a selective PAR4 antagonist, to block PAR4 signaling at the onset of BD induction. Our results revealed that PAR4 protein expression increased in the livers of rats with BD. PAR4 blockade alleviated liver injury induced by BD, as indicated by lower serum ALT/AST levels and an improvement in histomorphology. Blood platelet activation and hepatic platelet accumulation in BD rats were reduced by PAR4 blockade. Additionally, PAR4 blockade attenuated the inflammatory response and apoptosis in the livers of BD rats. Moreover, the activation of NF-κB and MAPK pathways induced by BD was inhibited by PAR4 blockade. Thus, our results suggest that PAR4 contributes to liver injury induced by BD by regulating inflammation and apoptosis through the NF-κB and MAPK pathways. Thus, PAR4 blockade may provide a feasible approach to improve the quality of organs from BD donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbo Fang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China
| | - Zibo Yuan
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China
| | - Yaohua Zhu
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China
| | - Hongwei Tang
- Henan Key Laboratory for Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China; Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases and Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China
| | - Chun Pang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China
| | - Jie Li
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China
| | - Jihua Shi
- Henan Key Laboratory for Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China; Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases and Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China
| | - Wenzhi Guo
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China; Henan Key Laboratory for Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China; Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases and Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China
| | - Shuijun Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China; Henan Key Laboratory for Digestive Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China; Zhengzhou Key Laboratory for Hepatobiliary & Pancreatic Diseases and Organ Transplantation, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, China.
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Dugbartey GJ. Carbon Monoxide in Pancreatic Islet Transplantation: A New Therapeutic Alternative to Patients With Severe Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:750816. [PMID: 34707503 PMCID: PMC8542862 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.750816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic islet transplantation is a minimally invasive procedure to replace β-cells in a subset of patients with autoimmune type 1 diabetic mellitus, who are extremely sensitive to insulin and lack counter-regulatory measures, and thereby increasing their risk of neuroglycopenia and hypoglycemia unawareness. Thus, pancreatic islet transplantation restores normoglycemia and insulin independence, and prevents long-term surgical complications associated with whole-organ pancreas transplantation. Nonetheless, relative inefficiency of islet isolation and storage process as well as progressive loss of islet function after transplantation due to unvoidable islet inflammation and apoptosis, hinder a successful islet transplantation. Carbon monoxide (CO), a gas which was once feared for its toxicity and death at high concentrations, has recently emerged as a medical gas that seems to overcome the challenges in islet transplantation. This minireview discusses recent findings about CO in preclinical pancreatic islet transplantation and the underlying molecular mechanisms that ensure islet protection during isolation, islet culture, transplantation and post-transplant periods in type 1 diabetic transplant recipients. In addition, the review also discusses clinical translation of these promising experimental findings that serve to lay the foundation for CO in islet transplantation to replace the role of insulin therapy, and thus acting as a cure for type 1 diabetes mellitus and preventing long-term diabetic complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- George J Dugbartey
- Department of Surgery, Division of Urology, London Health Sciences Center, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Matthew Mailing Center for Translational Transplant Studies, London Health Sciences Center, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Multi-Organ Transplant Program, London Health Sciences Center, Western University, London, ON, Canada.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
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Li B, Nasser M, Masood M, Adlat S, Huang Y, Yang B, Luo C, Jiang N. Efficiency of Traditional Chinese medicine targeting the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. Biomed Pharmacother 2020; 126:110074. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2020] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
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Microarray Analysis For Expression Profiles of lncRNAs and circRNAs in Rat Liver after Brain-Dead Donor Liver Transplantation. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 2019:5604843. [PMID: 31828106 PMCID: PMC6881575 DOI: 10.1155/2019/5604843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2019] [Revised: 06/01/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying severe liver injury after brain-dead (BD) donor liver transplantation (BDDLT) remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to explore the roles of lncRNAs and circRNAs in liver injury after BDDLT. Rat liver injury was detected in the sham, BD, control, and BDDLT groups. We examined the expression profiles of lncRNAs and circRNAs in the livers of the BDDLT and control group using microarray analysis. The main functions of the differentially expressed genes were analyzed by gene ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. In addition, we used bioinformatic analyses to construct related expression networks. Liver injury was aggravated in the BD and BDDLT groups. We found various mRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs that were differentially expressed in the BDDLT group compared with those in the control group. Coding-noncoding gene co-expression (CNC) network analysis showed that expression of the lncRNA LOC102553657 was associated with that of the apoptosis-related genes including HMOX1 and ATF3. Furthermore, competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) network analysis revealed that the lncRNA LOC103692832 and rno_circRNA_007609 were ceRNAs of rno-miR-135a-5p targeting Atf3, Per2, and Mras. These results suggest that lncRNAs and circRNAs play important roles in the pathogenesis and development of liver injury during BDDLT.
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Tang H, Zhang J, Cao S, Yan B, Fang H, Zhang H, Guo W, Zhang S. Inhibition of Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Alleviates Lung Injury Induced by Brain Death. Inflammation 2017; 40:1664-1671. [PMID: 28752363 DOI: 10.1007/s10753-017-0606-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Brain death (BD) can induce inflammation and injury of organs. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is associated with a variety of diseases. However, little is known about how ER stress is implicated in brain death (BD)-induced lung injury. In this study, a stable BD rat model was constructed to investigate the role of ER stress on BD-induced lung injury. H&E staining demonstrated that BD can induce lung injury in rats. The results of Western blot and immunohistochemistry showed that apoptosis was observed in the lung tissues of BD rats. And the level of GRP78, p-PERK, p-eIF2α, CHOP, and Caspase-12 was highly expressed in BD rats compared with the control group. Inhibition of ER stress with salubrinal reduced the BD-induced lung inflammation. Moreover, BD-induced increase of NF-κB activity was lowered by inhibition of ER stress. These results suggested that inhibition of ER stress alleviates BD-induced lung inflammation by regulating NF-κB signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongwei Tang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1, East Jian She Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450052, China.,Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, No.1, East Jian She Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450052, China
| | - Jiakai Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1, East Jian She Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450052, China
| | - Shengli Cao
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1, East Jian She Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450052, China
| | - Bing Yan
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1, East Jian She Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450052, China.,Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, No.1, East Jian She Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450052, China
| | - Hongbo Fang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1, East Jian She Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450052, China
| | - Huapeng Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1, East Jian She Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450052, China.,Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, No.1, East Jian She Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450052, China
| | - Wenzhi Guo
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1, East Jian She Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450052, China.
| | - Shuijun Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, No.1, East Jian She Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450052, China. .,Henan Key Laboratory of Digestive Organ Transplantation, No.1, East Jian She Road, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, 450052, China.
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Li L, Li N, He C, Huang W, Fan X, Zhong Z, Wang Y, Ye Q. Proteomic analysis of differentially expressed proteins in kidneys of brain dead rabbits. Mol Med Rep 2017; 16:215-223. [PMID: 28534953 PMCID: PMC5482134 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2017.6609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
A large number of previous clinical studies have reported a delayed graft function for brain dead donors, when compared with living relatives or cadaveric organ transplantations. However, there is no accurate method for the quality evaluation of kidneys from brain-dead donors. In the present study, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and MALDI-TOF MS-based comparative proteomic analysis were conducted to profile the differentially-expressed proteins between brain death and the control group renal tissues. A total of 40 age- and sex-matched rabbits were randomly divided into donation following brain death (DBD) and control groups. Following the induction of brain death via intracranial progressive pressure, the renal function and the morphological alterations were measured 2, 6 and 8 h afterwards. The differentially expressed proteins were detected from renal histological evidence at 6 h following brain death. Although 904±19 protein spots in control groups and 916±25 in DBD groups were identified in the two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, >2-fold alterations were identified by MALDI-TOF MS and searched by NCBI database. The authors successfully acquired five downregulated proteins, these were: Prohibitin (isoform CRA_b), beta-1,3-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase 1, Annexin A5, superoxide dismutase (mitochondrial) and cytochrome b-c1 complex subunit 1 (mitochondrial precursor). Conversely, the other five upregulated proteins were: PRP38 pre-mRNA processing factor 38 (yeast) domain containing A, calcineurin subunit B type 1, V-type proton ATPase subunit G 1, NADH dehydrogenase [ubiquinone] 1 beta subcomplex subunit 10 and peroxiredoxin-3 (mitochondrial). Immunohistochemical results revealed that the expressions of prohibitin (PHB) were gradually increased in a time-dependent manner. The results indicated that there were alterations in levels of several proteins in the kidneys of those with brain death, even if the primary function and the morphological changes were not obvious. PHB may therefore be a novel biomarker for primary quality evaluation of kidneys from brain-dead donors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Li
- Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, P.R. China
| | - Ning Li
- Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, P.R. China
| | - Chongxiang He
- Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, P.R. China
| | - Wei Huang
- Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoli Fan
- Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, P.R. China
| | - Zibiao Zhong
- Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, P.R. China
| | - Yanfeng Wang
- Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, P.R. China
| | - Qifa Ye
- Institute of Hepatobiliary Diseases of Wuhan University, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Hubei Key Laboratory of Medical Technology on Transplantation, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, P.R. China
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A Network-Based Pharmacology Study of the Herb-Induced Liver Injury Potential of Traditional Hepatoprotective Chinese Herbal Medicines. Molecules 2017; 22:molecules22040632. [PMID: 28420096 PMCID: PMC6154655 DOI: 10.3390/molecules22040632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Revised: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Herbal medicines are widely used for treating liver diseases and generally regarded as safe due to their extensive use in Traditional Chinese Medicine practice for thousands of years. However, in recent years, there have been increased concerns regarding the long-term risk of Herb-Induced Liver Injury (HILI) in patients with liver dysfunction. Herein, two representative Chinese herbal medicines: one—Xiao-Chai-Hu-Tang (XCHT)—a composite formula, and the other—Radix Polygoni Multiflori (Heshouwu)—a single herb, were analyzed by network pharmacology study. Based on the network pharmacology framework, we exploited the potential HILI effects of XCHT and Heshouwu by predicting the molecular mechanisms of HILI and identified the potential hepatotoxic ingredients in XCHT and Heshouwu. According to our network results, kaempferol and thymol in XCHT and rhein in Heshouwu exhibit the largest number of liver injury target connections, whereby CASP3, PPARG and MCL1 may be potential liver injury targets for these herbal medicines. This network pharmacology assay might serve as a useful tool to explore the underlying molecular mechanism of HILI. Based on the theoretical predictions, further experimental verification should be performed to validate the accuracy of the predicted interactions between herbal ingredients and protein targets in the future.
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