Systematic evaluation of the mechanisms of zoledronic acid based on network pharmacology

Ginsenoside CK, rather than Rb1, possesses potential chemopreventive activities in human gastric cancer via regulating PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signal pathway

Ginsenoside Rb1, a main component of ginseng, is often transformed into ginsenoside CK by intestinal flora to exert various pharmacological activity. However, it remains unclear whether ginsenoside CK is responsible for the anti-gastric cancer effect of ginsenoside Rb1 in vivo. In this study, network pharmacology was applied to predict the key signal pathways of ginsenoside Rb1 and ginsenoside CK when treating gastric cancer. The anti-proliferative effects of ginsenoside Rb1 and ginsenoside CK and the underlying mechanism in gastric cancer cells were explored by MTT, Hoechst3328 staining, ELISA, RT-qPCR and Western blotting. The results showed that PI3K-AKT/NF-κB signal pathway was the common important pathway of ginsenoside Rb1 and CK in the treatment of gastric cancer. The results of MTT assay showed that ginsenoside Rb1 could hardly inhibit the proliferation of HGC-27 cells, whereas ginsenoside CK could inhibit the proliferation of HGC-27 cells. Hoechst3328 staining showed that cells in the ginsenoside CK group were densely stained bright blue and nuclear fragmented, indicating that apoptosis occurred. ELISA results showed that ginsenoside CK could effectively downregulate the levels of cyclin CyclinB1 and CyclinD1, but ginsenoside Rb1 had no significant effect. Also, the results of Western blot and RT-qPCR showed that ginsenoside CK inhibited the expressions of anti-apoptosis-related protein Bcl-2 and apoptosis-related pathway PI3K/AKT/NF-κB, and promoted the expression of pro-apoptosis proteins Bax and Caspase 3, whereas ginsenoside Rb1 exerted no effect. In short, ginsenoside Rb1 had no anti-gastric cancer cell activity in vitro, but ginsenoside CK could effectively inhibit cell proliferation and induce cell apoptosis in HGC-27 cells. The mechanism might relate to the inhibitory effect of ginsenoside CK on the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway. These results suggest that ginsenoside CK might be the in vivo material basis for the anti-gastric cancer activity of ginsenosides.

Network Pharmacology-Based Prediction and Verification of Shikonin for the mechanism treating colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Shikonin (SKN), a naturally occurring naphthoquinone, is a major active chemical component isolated from Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb Zucc, Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Johnst, or Arnebia guttata Bunge, and commonly used to treat viral infection, inflammation, and cancer. However, the underlying mechanism has not been elucidated.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the antitumor mechanism of SKN in colorectal cancer (CRC) through network pharmacology and cell experiments.

METHODS

Using SymMap database and Genecards to predict the potential targets of SKN and CRC, while the cotargets were obtained by Venn diagram. The cotargets were imported into website of String and DA DAVID, constructing the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, performing Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses, the Compound-Target-Pathway (C-T-P) network was generated by connecting potential pathways with the corresponding targets.

RESULTS

According to the results of network pharmacological analysis, the cell experiments were used to verify the key signal pathway. The most relevant target of SKN for the treatment of CRC was PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. SKN inhibited CRC cells (HT29 and HCT116) proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis by targeting IL6 and inhibiting the IL6R/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. SKN promotes apoptosis and suppresses CRC cells (HT29 and HCT116) activity through the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

This research not only provides a theoretical and experimental basis for more in-depth studies but also offers an efficient method for the rational utilization of a series of Traditional Chinese medicines as anti-CRC drugs.

Systematic Evaluation of the Mechanisms of Mulberry Leaf (Morus alba Linne) Acting on Diabetes Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common endocrine metabolic disorder- related diseases. The application of herbal medicine to control glucose levels and improve insulin action might be a useful approach in the treatment of diabetes. Mulberry leaves (ML) have been reported to exert important activities of anti-diabetic.

OBJECTIVE

In this work, we aimed to explore the multi-targets and multi-pathways regulatory molecular mechanism of Mulberry leaves (ML, Morus alba Linne) acting on diabetes.

METHODS

Identification of active compounds of Mulberry leaves using Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database was carried out. Bioactive components were screened by FAF-Drugs4 website (Free ADME-Tox Filtering Tool). The targets of bioactive components were predicted from SwissTargetPrediction website, and the diabetes related targets were screened from GeneCards database. The common targets of ML and diabetes were used for Gene Ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analysis. The visualization networks were constructed by Cytoscape 3.7.1 software. The biological networks were constructed to analyze the mechanisms as follows: (1) compound-target network; (2) common target-compound network; (3) common targets protein interaction network; (4) compound-diabetes protein-protein interactions (ppi) network; (5) target-pathway network; and (6) compound-target-pathway network. At last, the prediction results of network pharmacology were verified by molecular docking method.

RESULTS

17 active components were obtained by TCMSP database and FAF-Drugs4 website. 51 potential targets (11 common targets and 40 associated indirect targets) were obtained and used to build the PPI network by the String database. Furthermore, the potential targets were used for GO and pathway enrichment analysis. Eight key active compounds (quercetin, Iristectorigenin A, 4- Prenylresveratrol, Moracin H, Moracin C, Isoramanone, Moracin E and Moracin D) and 8 key targets (AKT1, IGF1R, EIF2AK3, PPARG, AGTR1, PPARA, PTPN1 and PIK3R1) were obtained to play major roles in Mulberry leaf acting on diabetes. And the signal pathways involved in the mechanisms mainly include AMPK signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, mTOR signaling pathway, insulin signaling pathway and insulin resistance. The molecular docking results show that the 8 key active compounds have good affinity with the key target of AKT1, and the 5 key targets (IGF1R, EIF2AK3, PPARG, PPARA and PTPN1) have better affinity than AKT1 with the key compound of quercetin.

CONCLUSION

Based on network pharmacology and molecular docking, this study provided an important systematic and visualized basis for further understanding of the synergy mechanism of ML acting on diabetes.