A systems pharmacology approach to decipher the mechanism of danggui-shaoyao-san decoction for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases

Calcium Modulating Effect of Polycyclic Cages: A Suitable Therapeutic Approach Against Excitotoxic-induced Neurodegeneration

Neurodegenerative disorders pose a significant challenge to global healthcare systems due to their progressive nature and the resulting loss of neuronal cells and functions. Excitotoxicity, characterized by calcium overload, plays a critical role in the pathophysiology of these disorders. In this review article, we explore the involvement of calcium dysregulation in neurodegeneration and neurodegenerative disorders. A promising therapeutic strategy to counter calcium dysregulation involves the use of calcium modulators, particularly polycyclic cage compounds. These compounds, structurally related to amantadine and memantine, exhibit neuroprotective properties by attenuating calcium influx into neuronal cells. Notably, the pentacycloundecylamine NGP1-01, a cage-like structure, has shown efficacy in inhibiting both N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors and voltage- gated calcium channels (VGCCs), making it a potential candidate for neuroprotection against excitotoxic-induced neurodegenerative disorders. The structure-activity relationship of polycyclic cage compounds is discussed in detail, highlighting their calcium-inhibitory activities. Various closed, open, and rearranged cage compounds have demonstrated inhibitory effects on calcium influx through NMDA receptors and VGCCs. Additionally, these compounds have exhibited neuroprotective properties, including free radical scavenging, attenuation of neurotoxicities, and reduction of neuroinflammation. Although the calcium modulatory activities of polycyclic cage compounds have been extensively studied, apart from amantadine and memantine, none have undergone clinical trials. Further in vitro and in vivo studies and subsequent clinical trials are required to establish the efficacy and safety of these compounds. The development of polycyclic cages as potential multifunctional agents for treating complex neurodegenerative diseases holds great promise.

Potential of alisols as cancer therapeutic agents: Investigating molecular mechanisms, pharmacokinetics and metabolism

Albeit remarkable achievements in anti-cancer endeavors, the prevention and treatment of cancer remain unresolved challenges. Hence, there is an urgent need to explore new and efficacious natural compounds with potential anti-cancer therapeutic agents. One such group of compounds is alisols, tetracyclic triterpene alcohols extracted from alisma orientale. Alisols play a significant role in cancer therapy as they can suppress cancer cell proliferation and migration by regulating signaling pathways such as mTOR, Bax/Bcl-2, CHOP, caspase, NF-kB and IRE1. Pharmacokinetic studies showed that alisols can be absorbed entirely, rapidly, and evenly distributed in vivo. Moreover, alisols are low in toxicity and relatively safe to take. Remarkably, each alisol can be converted into many compounds with different pathways to their anti-cancer effects in the body. Thus, alisols are regarded as promising anti-cancer agents with minimal side effects and low drug resistance. This review will examine and discuss alisols' anti-cancer molecular mechanism, pharmacokinetics and metabolism. Based on a comprehensive analysis of nearly 20 years of research, we evaluate the therapeutic potential of alisols for various types of cancer and offer insights and strategies for developing new cancer treatments.

Role of corn silk for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease: A mechanism research based on network pharmacology combined with molecular docking and experimental validation

This study aimed to research the possible mechanism and effect of active ingredients of corn silk on Alzheimer's disease (AD) by the method of network pharmacology, molecular docking, and animal experiments. The active ingredients of Corn silk were obtained by searching the TCMSP database and the targets corresponding to the active ingredients of Corn silk were obtained through the TCMSP and SwissTargetPrediction platforms, and the AD targets were obtained in the GeneCards, OMIM, and DisgeNET databases. Cytoscape was employed for creating the "active ingredient-target" relationship network; STRING and Cytoscape for creating the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Besides, Meta scape was used for Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of the intersecting targets; AutoDockTools and Pymol for molecular docking and visualization of core ingredients and core targets; and animal experiments for verifying the anti-AD effect of luteolin. A total of 12 active ingredients of corn silk were screened, including 465 targets and 209 intersected targets. Moreover, GO functional analysis results showed that the anti-AD effect of corn silk was mainly reflected in phosphotransferase activity, response to hormone, membrane raft, etc.; KEGG results indicated the main pathways involving cancer, Alzheimer disease, etc.; and the molecular docking results revealed excellent binding of the core ingredients (α-tocopheryl quinone, luteolin, etc.) to the core targets. Besides, the outcomes of animal experiments exhibited that luteolin not only reduced the expression of inflammatory factors TNF-α and IL-1β in mice but also attenuated inflammation. With the help of network pharmacology and experimental validation, the material basis and mechanism of the anti-AD of corn silk have been explored in this study. Briefly speaking, luteolin from corn silk plays an anti-AD role by inhibiting inflammation.

The antidepressant-like effects of Danzhi Xiaoyao San and its active ingredients

BACKGROUND

Depression is a severe mental illness that endangers human health. Depressed individuals are prone to sleep less and to the loss of appetite for food; their thinking and cognition processes, as well as mood, may even be affected. Danzhi Xiaoyao San (DXS), documented in the Internal Medicine Summary, has been used for hundreds of years in China and is widely applied traditionally to treat liver qi stagnation, liver and spleen blood deficiency, menstrual disorders, and spontaneous and night sweating. DXS can also clear heat and drain the liver. Presently, it is used frequently in the treatment of depression based on its ability to clear the liver and alleviate depression.

PURPOSE

To summarize clinical and preclinical studies on the antidepressant-like effects of DXS, understand the material basis and mechanisms of these effects, and offer new suggestions and methods for the clinical treatment of depression.

METHODS

"Danzhi Xiaoyao", "Danzhixiaoyao", "Xiaoyao", "depression" and active ingredients were entered as keywords in PubMed, Google Scholar, CNKI and WANFANG DATA databases in the search for material on DXS and its active ingredients. The PRISMA guidelines were followed in this review process.

RESULTS

Per clinical reports, DXS has a therapeutic effect on patients with depression but few side effects. DXS and its active ingredients allegedly produce their neuroprotective antidepressant-like effects by modulating monoamine neurotransmitter levels, inhibiting the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperfunction, reducing neuroinflammation and increasing neurotrophic factors.

CONCLUSION

Overall, DXS influences multiple potential mechanisms to exert its antidepressant-like effects thanks to its multicomponent character. Because depression is not caused by a single mechanism, probing the antidepressant-like effects of DXS could further help understand the pathogenesis of depression and discover new antidepressant drugs.

Exploring the potential targets of Biling Weitong Granules on visceral hypersensitivity through integration of network pharmacology and in vivo analysis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Biling Weitong Granules(BLWTG) are a newly developed traditional Chinese medicine prescription based on the ancient prescription Jinlingzi San and Zuojin Wan. It is used for the treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) featured as visceral hypersensitivity(VH). However, its active ingredients and protein targets involved still remain unknown.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To explore the potential targets of BLWTG for the treatment of visceral hypersensitivity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Active components and their protein targets of BLWTG were screened from TCMSP database and the component-target network were constructed with Cytoscape software. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) was the representative disease in this study and information on its linked pathways was obtained from NCBI, Drugbank and Genecard. Target pathways of BLWTG were analyzed through KEGG to verify the correlation with IBS related pathways.Then, the VH mouse models was induced by maternal separation(MS), randomly divided into normal saline(NS),BLWTG1(low-dosage) and BLWTG2(high-dosage) group. After intervention, threshold intensity of colorectal distension (CRD) and body weight were measured to evaluate relief of IBS symptoms. Elisa was performed to evaluate 5-HT concentration changes of colon tissues. Flow cytometry was performed to assess changes of colon eosinophils and mast cells proportion. Transcriptome sequencing was employed to analyze changes of pathways and differential genes.

RESULTS

199 protein targets and 132 active components of BLWTG were identified. KEGG analysis revealed the overlap between BLWTG target pathways and IBS related pathways such as neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, tryptophan metabolism and inflammatory reaction. 34 genes were not only BLWTG target proteins but also recognized targets for treating IBS. After maternal separation(MS), the mice showed a significant decrease in threshold intensity of CRD, a progressive decrease in body weight and an increase of 5-HT concentration of colon tissue. The proportion of mast cells and eosinophils in the colon increased. Differential genes including Hp,Ido1 and Aqp7 were significantly increased in MS mice group and IBS-related pathways were upregulated. After treatment of BLWTG, threshold intensity of CRD and body weight were significantly improved and IBS related pathways were downregulated. In addition, among BLWTG protein targets, Il1b,Tnf,Adrb1 and Nos2 were found upregulated in MS + NS mice and downregulated after BLWTG intervention through combination of transcriptome sequencing.

CONCLUSIONS

In maternal separation-induced mouse models, BLWTG could alleviate visceral hypersensitivity, possibly through downregulation of 5-HT concentration and eosinophils and mast cells proportion in colon and critical pathways such as neuroactive ligand-receptor pathway. Potential targets of BLWTG including Il1b,Tnf,Adrb1 and Nos2 were found through integration of network pharmacology database and transcriptome sequencing, providing evidence for further study on mechanisms underlying visceral hypersensitivity.

Mechanism of Danggui Sini underlying the treatment of peripheral nerve injury based on network pharmacology and molecular docking: A review

Danggui Sini is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription for treating peripheral nerve injury (PNI). We studied the mechanisms of this decoction through network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking. Using R language and Perl software, the active components and predicted targets of Danggui Sini, as well as the related gene targets of PNI, were mined through TCMSP, GeneCards, OMIM, TTD, and DrugBank. The network diagram of active components and intersection targets was constructed using Cytoscape software and the STRING database. The CytoNCA plug-in was used to screen out the core compounds and key targets. The genes were analyzed for Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment. AutoDock was used to analyze the molecular docking of key targets and core compounds of diseases. The drug component disease target regulatory network showed that the key components included quercetin, kaempferol, naringenin, and licochalcone A, which play key roles in the whole network and may be the primary compounds associated with the action of Danggui Sini against PNI. PPI network topology analysis showed high degree values for RELA, JUN, MAPK1, RB1, and FOS. Enrichment analysis showed that the core targets of Danggui Sini participated in pathways associated with neurogenesis-multiple diseases. Molecular docking showed that the active ingredients in Danggui Sini had a good binding ability with key targets. We conclude that many active components of Danggui Sini play therapeutic roles in PNI treatment by regulating RELA, JUN, MAPK1, RB1, and FOS, and multiple other targets in inflammation, immunity, and lipid metabolism.

Network Pharmacology Approach to Investigate the Mechanism of Danggui-Shaoyao-San against Diabetic Kidney Disease

Background

Danggui-Shaoyao-San (DSS) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula that has been widely used to treat a variety of disorders, including renal diseases. Despite being well-established in clinical practice, the mechanisms behind the therapeutic effects of DSS on diabetic nephropathy (DN) remain elusive.

Methods

To explore the therapeutic mechanism, we explored the action mechanism of DSS on DN using network pharmacology strategies. All ingredients were selected from the relevant databases, and active ingredients were chosen on the basis of their oral bioavailability prediction and drug-likeness evaluation. The putative proteins of DSS were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database, whereas the potential genes of DN were obtained from the GeneCards and OMIM databases. Enrichment analysis using gene ontology (GO) and the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) was performed to discover possible hub targets and gene-related pathways. Afterwards, the underlying molecular mechanisms of DSS against DN were validated experimentally in vivo against db/db mice.

Results

We identified 91 phytochemicals using the comprehensive network pharmacology technique, 51 of which were chosen as bioactive components. There were 40 proteins and 20 pathways in the target-pathway network. The experimental validation results demonstrated that DSS may reduce the expression of TNF-α, IL-6, and ICAM-1, as well as extracellular matrix deposition, by blocking the JNK pathway activation, which protects against kidney injury.

Conclusion

This study discovered the putative molecular mechanisms of action of DSS against diabetic kidney damage through a network pharmacology approach and experimental validation.

East Wind, West Wind: Toward the modernization of traditional Chinese medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has used herbal remedies for more than 2,000 years. The use of complimentary therapies has increased dramatically during the last years, especially in the West, and the incorporation and modernization of TCM in current medical practice is gaining momentum. We reflect on the main bottlenecks in the modernization of arcane Chinese herbal medicine: lack of standardization, safety concerns and poor quality of clinical trials, as well as the ways these are being overcome. Progress in these areas will facilitate the implementation of an efficacy approach, in which only successful clinical trials lead to the molecular characterization of active compounds and their mechanism of action. Traditional pharmacological methodologies will produce novel leads and drugs, and we describe TCM successes such as the discovery of artemisinin as well as many others still in the pipeline. Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, cancer and cardiovascular disease are the main cause of mortality in the Western world and, with an increasing old population in South East Asia, this trend will also increase in the Far East. TCM has been used for long time for treating these diseases in China and other East Asian countries. However, the holistic nature of TCM requires a paradigm shift. By changing our way of thinking, from "one-target, one-drug" to "network-target, multiple-component-therapeutics," network pharmacology, together with other system biology methodologies, will pave the way toward TCM modernization.

Atractylenolide III ameliorates spinal cord injury in rats by modulating microglial/macrophage polarization

Background

Inflammatory reactions induced by spinal cord injury (SCI) are essential for recovery after SCI. Atractylenolide III (ATL‐III) is a natural monomeric herbal bioactive compound that is mainly derived in Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz and has anti‐inflammatory and neuroprotective effects.

Objective

Here, we speculated that ATL‐III may ameliorate SCI by modulating microglial/macrophage polarization. In the present research, we focused on investigating the role of ATL‐III on SCI in rats and explored the potential mechanism.

Methods

The protective and anti‐inflammatory effects of ATL‐III on neuronal cells were examined in a rat SCI model and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated BV2 microglial line. The spinal cord lesion area, myelin integrity, and surviving neurons were assessed by specific staining. Locomotor function was evaluated by the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scale, grid walk test, and footprint test. The activation and polarization of microglia/macrophages were assessed by immunohistofluorescence and flow cytometry. The expression of corresponding inflammatory factors from M1/M2 and the activation of relevant signaling pathways were assessed by Western blotting.

Results

ATL‐III effectively improved histological and functional recovery in SCI rats. Furthermore, ATL‐III promoted the transformation of M1 into M2 and attenuated the activation of microglia/macrophages, further suppressing the expression of corresponding inflammatory mediators. This effect may be partly mediated by inhibition of neuroinflammation through the NF‐κB, JNK MAPK, p38 MAPK, and Akt pathways.

Conclusion

This study reveals a novel effect of ATL‐III in the regulation of microglial/macrophage polarization and provides initial evidence that ATL‐III has potential therapeutic benefits in SCI rats.

Deciphering the Underlying Mechanisms of Formula Le-Cao-Shi Against Liver Injuries by Integrating Network Pharmacology, Metabonomics, and Experimental Validation

Le-Cao-Shi (LCS) has long been used as a folk traditional Chinese medicine formula against liver injuries, whereas its pharmacological mechanisms remain elusive. Our study aims to investigate the underlying mechanism of LCS in treating liver injuries via integrated network pharmacology, metabonomics, and experimental validation. By network pharmacology, 57 compounds were screened as candidate compounds based on ADME parameters from the LCS compound bank (213 compounds collected from the literature of three single herbs). According to online compound–target databases, the aforementioned candidate compounds were predicted to target 87 potential targets related to liver injuries. More than 15 pathways connected with these potential targets were considered vital pathways in collectively modulating liver injuries, which were found to be relevant to cancer, xenobiotic metabolism by cytochrome P450 enzymes, bile secretion, inflammation, and antioxidation. Metabonomics analysis by using the supernatant of the rat liver homogenate with UPLC-Q-TOF/MS demonstrated that 18 potential biomarkers could be regulated by LCS, which was closely related to linoleic acid metabolism, glutathione metabolism, cysteine and methionine metabolism, and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways. Linoleic acid metabolism and glutathione metabolism pathways were two key common pathways in both network pharmacology and metabonomics analysis. In ELISA experiments with the CCl₄-induced rat liver injury model, LCS was found to significantly reduce the levels of inflammatory parameters, decrease liver malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and enhance the activities of hepatic antioxidant enzymes, which validated that LCS could inhibit liver injuries through anti-inflammatory property and by suppressing lipid peroxidation and improving the antioxidant defense system. Our work could provide new insights into the underlying pharmacological mechanisms of LCS against liver injuries, which is beneficial for its further investigation and modernization.

Bu-shen-zhu-yun decoction inhibits granulosa cell apoptosis in rat polycystic ovary syndrome through estrogen receptor α-mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Bu-shen-zhu-yun decoction (BSZYD) is a traditional chinese herbal prescription is widely used in the treatment of infertility.

AIM OF THE STUDY

We aimed to elucidate the impact of a traditional herbal prescription BSZYD on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The candidate active compounds in BSZYD and their putative targets were investigated by bioinformatics analysis. A deydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)-induced PCOS rat model was then constructed using female Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Serum hormone levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Pathological changes in ovarian tissues were analyzed with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The expressions of estrogen receptor α (ER α)-mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway were measured by immunofluorescence and western blotting.

RESULTS

Bioinformatics analysis showed that the putative targets of active compound candidates in BSZYD were enriched in PI3K/AKT and estrogen signaling pathways related to regulating ovarian ovulation. Animal experiments showed that BSZYD significantly alleviated pathological changes in the ovary, altered hormone levels of serum and reduced apoptosis rate of granulosa cells. In addition, BSZYD treatment notably upregulated the expressions of proteins in ER α-mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and downregulated apoptosis-related proteins in PCOS rats.

CONCLUSION

BSZYD can restore ovary lesions and ameliorate apoptosis through ER α-mediated PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, which might partly contribute to the treatment of PCOS.

Danggui-Shaoyao-San improves cognitive impairment through inhibiting O-GlcNAc-modification of estrogen α receptor in female db/db mice

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The traditional Chinese medicine formula Danggui-Shaoyao-San (DSS) has been reported to show therapeutic effect on dementia.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The present study aims to investigate whether DSS treatment could alleviate diabetes-induced cognitive dysfunction, and explores its neuroprotective mechanism on db/db mice.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The female db/db mice were randomly divided into model group, DSS low-dose group and DSS high-dose group. Homologous female db/m mice were used as the control group. DSS was intragastric administrated for 15 weeks. Glucose tolerance, insulin tolerance, blood glucose and blood lipid levels were measured. Morris water maze was used to measure spatial learning and memory ability in mice. Nissl staining and Tunel staining were used to measure the changes of brain neurons, and ELISA kits were used to measure levels of inflammatory mediators (PGE2, TXB2 and LTB4). The kits detected oxidative stress (MDA, SOD, CAT, GSH-PX), nitrosative stress (NO, iNOS, TNOS) and glucose metabolism (LDH, PK, HK) levels. Western blot and immunofluorescence detected neurotrophic factors (PSD95, BDNF, NGF and SYN), apoptosis (Bcl-2, Bax, Bcl-xl, Caspase-3) and changes of ERα, O-GlcNAc, OGT, OGA levels.

RESULTS

Morris water maze results showed that DSS could improve the learning and memory abilities of female db/db mice. Nissl staining showed that DSS could relieve hippocampal neurons damage of db/db mice. In addition, the serological tests showed that DSS could improve the impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance, while reduce hyperlipemia in db/db mice. Besides, DSS treatment increased the activities of SOD, GSH-PX, and CAT, and reduced MDA, NO, iNOs, tNOS, PGE2, TXB2 and LTB4 levels. Western blot and immunofluorescence results of PSD95, BDNF, NGF, and SYN showed that DSS could improve the expressions of neurotrophic factors. Meanwhile, Tunel staning and Western blot (Bcl-2, Bax, Bcl-xl, Caspase-3) results indicated that DSS could reduce neuronal apoptosis. Finally, Western blot (ERα, O-GlcNAc, OGA, and OGT) and immunofluorescence (ERα and O-GlcNAc) results indicated that DSS could increase the levels of ERα and OGA, decrease the levels of O-GlcNAc and OGT.

CONCLUSION

DSS alleviate DE might be related to improve the abnormal O-GlcNAc-modification of ERα.

Atractylenolide-III suppresses lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation via downregulation of toll-like receptor 4 in mouse microglia

Atractylenolide-III (AIII), a sesquiterpene compound isolated from the rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala, has been reported to have anti-inflammatory effects in the peripheral organs. However, its effects on brain inflammation remain elusive. The present study investigated the effects of AIII on the response to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in mouse microglia and clarified the underlying mechanism. In this study, treatment of MG6 cells with AIII (100 μM) significantly decreased the mRNA expression and protein levels of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). In addition, pretreatment of MG6 cells and primary cultured microglia cells with AIII (100 μM) significantly decreased the mRNA expression and protein levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and cyclooxygenase-2 induced by LPS (5 ng/mL) without cytotoxicity. Subsequently, pretreatment with AIII significantly suppressed the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) and c-Jun NH₂-terminal kinase (JNK) after LPS stimulation in MG6 cells. These results showed that AIII downregulated TLR4 expression, leading to suppression of the p38 MAPK and JNK pathways, which in turn inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and enzymes in LPS-stimulated microglia. Our findings, therefore, suggest the potential for AIII as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of brain inflammation, particularly in microglia-associated inflammation.

Poria cocos could ameliorate cognitive dysfunction in APP/PS1 mice by restoring imbalance of Aβ production and clearance and gut microbiota dysbiosis

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder. Amyloid beta-protein (Aβ) plaques, which are the hallmark of AD, are formed from the imbalance of Aβ production and clearance accompanied by neuroinflammation, gut dysbiosis, and metabolite dysfunction. All of these processes give rise to neurochemical deficiencies and synaptic dysfunction, which ultimately contribute to recognition dysfunction. Poria cocos (PC), which contains multiple active ingredients, plays a significant role in the treatment of multiple-pathogenesis senile diseases such as AD. Nevertheless, there are only very few investigations on the intricate action mechanism of PC for the treatment of AD. In this study, we evaluate the multi-target cure effect of PC on APP/PS1 mice by behavioral, immunohistochemical (IHC), targeted metabolomics, and 16S rRNA sequencing experiments. Mice treated with PC showed significant improvements in cognitive function as evaluated by the behavioral experiment. IHC revealed that PC treatment relieved Aβ deposition by reducing the formation of Aβ and increasing its clearance. Moreover, PC treatment improved gut dysbiosis, which reversed the metabolite dysfunction of bile acid. These findings reveal that PC is a promising therapeutic agent, which might ameliorate the cognitive function of AD by restoring the imbalance of Aβ production and clearance and gut microbiota dysbiosis.

Comparative pharmacokinetics of Ding-Zhi-Xiao-Wan preparation and its single herbs in rats by using a putative multiple-reaction monitoring UPLC-MS/MS method

INTRODUCTION

The formula of Chinese medicine, Ding-Zhi-Xiao-Wan (DZXW), has the distinct feature of compatibility therapy, which is attributed to the interactions of multi-herbs. However, the quantification problem caused by the absence of pure reference standards is a bottleneck to clarify the compatibility advantages from the perspective of pharmacokinetics (PKs).

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop a putative multiple-reaction monitor (PMRM) strategy for exploring the comparative PKs of DZXW and its single herbs.

METHODS

First, precursor ion and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) chromatograms were obtained via ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight MS (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) under different collision energy (CE) values. Then, the two most abundance ions in the MS/MS chromatograms were chosen as product ions, and CE values were selected according to the abundance of the product ion peaks. Next, a PMRM strategy consisting of optimal MRM parameters was constructed. Finally, the established PMRM parameters were imported to UHPLC coupled with triple quadrupole MS (UHPLC-TQ-MS) for quantification.

RESULTS

The strategy was exemplified by the comparative PK study of DZXW and its single herbs. This strategy could extend the PK scopes of multi-components. The quantitative results displayed substantial variations in PK parameters between DZXW and its single herbs.

CONCLUSION

The PK parameters indicated that the DZXW formula could increase the exposure levels of most ingredients and reduce the maximum concentration (C_max ) of Radix Polygala, indicating that herb compatibility could produce synergistic effects and diminish possible toxic effects. This study provides a viable orientation for the compatibility investigation of traditional Chinese medicine.

Exploring the Oxidative Stress Mechanism of Buyang Huanwu Decoction in Intervention of Vascular Dementia Based on Systems Biology Strategy

OBJECTIVE

To explore the oxidative stress mechanism of modified Buyang Huanwu decoction (MBHD) in intervention of vascular dementia (VD) based on systems biology strategy.

METHODS

In this study, through the reverse virtual target prediction technology and transcriptomics integration strategy, the active ingredients and potential targets of MBHD treatment of VD were analyzed, and the drug-disease protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed. Then, bioinformatics analysis methods are used for Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and pathway enrichment analysis, and finally find the core biological process. After that, in animal models, low-throughput technology is used to detect gene expression and protein expression of key molecular targets in oxidative stress-mediated inflammation and apoptosis signaling pathways to verify the mechanism of MBHD treatment of VD rats. Finally, the potential interaction relationship between MBHD and VD-related molecules is further explored through molecular docking technology.

RESULTS

There are a total of 54 MBHD components, 252 potential targets, and 360 VD genes. The results of GO enrichment analysis and pathway enrichment analysis showed that MBHD may regulate neuronal apoptosis, nitric oxide synthesis and metabolism, platelet activation, NF-κB signaling pathway-mediated inflammation, oxidative stress, angiogenesis, etc. Among them, SIRT1, NF-κB, BAX, BCL-2, CASP3, and APP may be important targets for MBHD to treat VD. Low-throughput technology (qRT-PCR/WB/immunohistochemical technology) detects oxidative stress-mediated inflammation and apoptosis-related signaling pathway molecules. The molecular docking results showed that 64474-51-7, cycloartenol, ferulic acid, formononetin, kaempferol, liquiritigenin, senkyunone, wallichilide, xanthinin, and other molecules can directly interact with NF-κB p65, BAX, BCL-2, and CASP3.

CONCLUSION

The active compounds of MBHD interact with multiple targets and multiple pathways in a synergistic manner, and have important therapeutic effects on VD mainly by balancing oxidative stress/anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic, enhancing metabolism, and enhancing the immune system.

Astragalus protects PC12 cells from 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neuronal damage: A serum pharmacological study

Accumulating evidence has already indicated that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) possesses tremendous potential for treating neurodegenerative diseases. Astragalus, also named Huangqi, is a famous traditional medical herb that can be applied to treat cerebral ischemia and prevent neuronal degeneration. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. In the present study, Astragalus-containing serum (ASMES) was prepared and added into the culture medium of PC12 cells to explore its neuroprotective effect on 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-caused neuronal toxicity. Our data showed that ASMES significantly ameliorated the cellular viability of cultured PC12 cells against the neurotoxicity induced by 6-OHDA (P < 0.05). Moreover, ASMES significantly decreased the cell apoptosis triggered by 6-OHDA (P < 0.01). Furthermore, 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate assay was performed to detect the changes in oxidative stress, and we showed that 6-OHDA elevated the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), whereas ASMES significantly reversed these changes (P < 0.01). Besides, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) assay showed that ASMES could restore 6-OHDA-damaged MMP in cultured PC12 cells (P < 0.05). In conclusion, Astragalus could protect PC12 cells from 6-OHDA-caused neuronal toxicity, and possibly, the ROS-mediated apoptotic pathway participated in this process. Collectively, our findings provided valuable insights into the potential in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Protective Effects of Traditional Polyherbs on Cisplatin-Induced Acute Kidney Injury Cell Model by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress and MAPK Signaling Pathway

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a disease caused by sudden renal dysfunction, which is an important risk factor for chronic renal failure. However, there is no effective treatment for renal impairment. Although some traditional polyherbs are commercially available for renal diseases, their effectiveness has not been reported. Therefore, we examined the nephroprotective effects of polyherbs and their relevant mechanisms in a cisplatin-induced cell injury model. Rat NRK-52E and human HK-2 subjected to cisplatin-induced AKI were treated with four polyherbs, Injinhotang (IJ), Ucha-Shinki-Hwan (US), Yukmijihwang-tang (YJ), and Urofen^TM (Uro) similar with Yondansagan-tang, for three days. All polyherbs showed strong free radical scavenging activities, and the treatments prevented cisplatin-induced cell death in both models, especially at 1.2 mg/mL. The protective effects involved antioxidant effects by reducing reactive oxygen species and increasing the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase. The polyherbs also reduced the number of annexin V-positive apoptotic cells and the expression of cleaved caspase-3, along with inhibited expression of mitogen-activated protein kinase-related proteins. These findings provide evidence for promoting the development of herbal formulas as an alternative therapy for treating AKI.

Atractylenolides, essential components of Atractylodes-based traditional herbal medicines: Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties

The rhizome of the plant Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz is the major constituent of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Baizhu, frequently used to treat gastro-intestinal diseases. Many traditional medicine prescriptions based on Baizhu and the similar preparation Cangzhu are used in China, Korea and Japan as Qi-booster. These preparations contain atractylenolides, a small group of sesquiterpenoids endowed with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Atractylenolides I, II and III also display significant anticancer properties, reviewed here. The capacity of AT-I/II/IIII to inhibit cell proliferation and to induce cancer cell death have been analyzed, together with their effects of angiogenesis, metastasis, cell differentiation and stemness. The immune-modulatory properties of ATs are discussed. AT-I has been tested clinically for the treatment of cancer-induced cachexia with encouraging results. ATs, alone or combined with cytotoxic drugs, could be useful to treat cancers or to reduce side effects of radio and chemotherapy. Several signaling pathways have been implicated in their multi-targeted mechanisms of action, in particular those involving the central regulators TLR4, NFκB and Nrf2. A drug-induced reduction of inflammatory cytokines production (TNFα, IL-6) also characterizes these molecules which are generally weakly cytotoxic and well tolerated in vivo. Inhibition of Janus kinases (notably JAK2 and JAK3 targeted by AT-I and AT-III, respectively) has been postulated. Information about their metabolism and toxicity are limited but the long-established traditional use of the Atractylodes and the diversity of anticancer effects reported with AT-I and AT-III should encourage further studies with these molecules and structurally related natural products.

Protective Effects of Traditional Herbal Formulas on Cisplatin-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Renal Epithelial Cells via Antioxidant and Antiapoptotic Properties

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is characterized by a rapid loss of renal function. Drug-induced AKI accounts for up to 60% of all cases, resulting in a severe threat particularly to hospitalized patients, but there are no effective treatments. Four polyherbal formulas, Bojungikki-tang (BJ), Palmijihwang-tang (PJ), Oryeong-san (OR), and Wiryeong-tang (WR), have long been used for treatments of symptoms of kidney disease in traditional Korean medicine. Even though they are commercially available, evidences supporting the efficacy on AKI are still lacking. Therefore, the effectiveness of polyherbs on AKI and the underlying mechanisms were examined. Renal cell damage was induced by cisplatin at 20 μM and 16 μM in proximal tubular epithelial cell lines of rat NRK-52E and human HK-2, respectively. The cells were treated with the polyherbal formals for 3 days, and the cell viability, antioxidant activities, and apoptosis were examined. In addition, the proliferative effects were assessed under serum-free conditions. The results were compared with those of the vehicle-treated cells as a control. Three polyherbs BJ, PJ, and WR but not OR showed strong free radical scavenging activities in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The treatments of BJ, PJ, OR, and WR significantly increased the cell viabilities under cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity. Consistent with the results of the DPPH assay, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities were increased in the cisplatin-induced cell model treated with BJ, PJ, and WR but not with OR. However, annexin-V-positive cells and cleaved caspase 3 expression were significantly reduced in the cell model treated with all of the polyherbs. Cell proliferation was observed in treatment with all of the polyherbs, which was particularly evident in the OR-treated cells. This provides effective complementary evidences to promote the development of traditional herbal formulas to treat AKI.

Network pharmacology-based study on the mechanism of Schisandra chinensis for treating Alzheimer's disease

BACKGROUND:

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a mental illness that poses a serious threat to human health worldwide. Schisandra chinensis is a natural herb that can treat the effects of AD, but its specific mechanism is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential components and pharmacological pathways of S. chinensis in the treatment of AD.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

In this study, we investigated the compound of S. chinensis and the effects of it on AD by network pharmacology. Meanwhile, the potential mechanism was proved in vitro.

RESULTS:

The results showed that S. chinensis contained 173 compounds. Compound-target network confirmed that (E)-9-Isopropyl-6-Methyl-5,9-Decadiene-2-One, 1-Phenyl-1,3-Butanedion, nootkatone and phenyl-2-Propanone were the main chemical constituents which highly aimed at APOE, CACNA1D, GRIN2A, and PTGS2. KEGG and GO enrichment analysis indicated that the main pathways involved neural-related signaling pathways and functions, such as nicotine addiction, GABAergic synapse, Ca²⁺ signaling pathway, AD, and so on. Validation experiments showed that nootkatone was able to exert anti-apoptotic effects related to Ca²⁺ signaling pathway by inhibiting nitric oxide production, enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes, upregulating the expression of anti-oxidation and anti-apoptotic proteins in vitro.

CONCLUSIONS:

These results illustrated that S. chinensis could regulate neuronal apoptosis through the calcium signaling pathway to exert anti-AD by integrating multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway.

Danggui-Shaoyao-San for dementia: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Although memory loss and other symptoms of dementia pose tremendous burdens on patients and societies, there is currently no cure for dementia.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the anti-dementia effects of Danggui-Shaoyao-San (DSS), which is derived from natural resources. We searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from inception to June 2019. We searched PubMed, Embase, Korean databases (Research Information Service System and Oriental Medicine Advanced Searching Integrated System), Chinese databases (China Knowledge Resource Integrated Database and Wanfang Database), and Japanese databases (CiNii and J-STAGE). Studies were included if they were a RCT, investigated the efficacy of DSS or its modified form, and included participants with dementia. Use of DSS with other treatment (eg, acupuncture, anti-dementia drugs, etc) was included. Items of each trial were evaluated by 2 independent reviewers. Data were pooled by using random-effect models.

RESULTS

A total of 482 studies were identified, and 5 eligible studies for Alzheimer disease (AD) and 4 studies for vascular dementia (VD) were included in the final analysis, representing a total of 567 participants. As for AD, pooled results of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (mean differences [MD] 4.60; 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.29, 4.91) and activities of daily living (MD 11.40; 95% CI 10.94, 11.86) favored DSS. DSS had synergistic effect with acupuncture over acupuncture alone in MMSE (MD 1.69; 95% CI 1.05, 2.34), Hasegawa Dementia Scale (MD.62; 95% CI -0.20, 1.44), and activities of daily living (MD 2.38; 95% CI 1.92, 2.85). In VD, pooled results showed a significant difference in the score of dementia scales such as MMSE and Hasegawa Dementia Scale compared with nootropic drugs. DSS significantly reduced symptoms (odds ratio 5.02, 95%, CI 2.76-9.11) in patients with VD. The respective size of each RCTs was small and some included studies were of low quality due to their limited description on methodological issues.

CONCLUSION

These estimates suggest that DSS provides clinically important reductions in symptoms of AD and VD and can be a promising anti-dementia drug candidate.

A systems pharmacology approach to investigate the mechanism of Oryeong-san formula for the treatment of hypertension

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Oryeong-san (ORS) is a traditional formula that has long been used for the treatment of dysfunctions of body fluids and electrolyte homeostasis in Korea, China and Japan. Recent reports have shown that ORS may suppress hypertension by controlling the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) in the kidney, but its action mechanism has not been well defined.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The aim of this study was to decipher the ORS mechanisms in the treatment of hypertension using a systems pharmacology approach.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The compounds of ORS were obtained from the TM-MC (database of medicinal materials and chemical compounds in Northeast Asian traditional medicine), and the drug-likeness (DL) and oral bioavailability (OB) of the compounds were evaluated. The potential targets of the compounds were identified using various pharmacology databases. To analyze the mechanisms of the ORS for hypertension, a Compound-Target-Disease (C-T-D) network was established with respect to the genes related to hypertension.

RESULTS

A screening evaluation of the DL and OB of the ORS compounds identified a list of 232 active compounds. The pharmacological activity of the targets was investigated by exploring the interaction network between the compounds and the targets. Analysis of the interactions between the compounds and the hypertension-related targets revealed that 14 ORS compounds regulate the RAAS and vasoconstrictors in the kidney.

CONCLUSIONS

This study used the systems pharmacology approach to decipher the mechanisms of action of ORS for the treatment of hypertension. When hypertension drugs and ORS are used in combination for treatment, possible side effects should be considered because most hypertension drugs are related to the RAAS. The results of this study may provide clues to not only analyze the pharmacological activity of ORS for the treatment of hypertension but other diseases as well.

Deciphering the multicomponent synergy mechanisms of SiNiSan prescription on irritable bowel syndrome using a bioinformatics/network topology based strategy

BACKGROUND

SiNiSan (SNS) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription that has been widely used in the clinical treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). However, the underlying active substances and molecular mechanisms remain obscure.

PURPOSE

A bioinformatics/topology based strategy was proposed for identification of the drug targets, therapeutic agents and molecular mechanisms of SiNiSan against irritable bowel syndrome.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this work, a bioinformatics/network topology based strategy was employed by integrating ADME filtering, text mining, bioinformatics, network topology, Venn analysis and molecular docking to uncover systematically the multicomponent synergy mechanisms. In vivo experimental validation was executed in a Visceral Hypersensitivity (VHS) rat model.

RESULTS

76 protein targets and 109 active components of SNS were identified. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that 116 disease pathways associated with IBS therapy could be classified into the 19 statistically enriched functional sub-groups. The multi-functional co-synergism of SNS against IBS were predicted, including inflammatory reaction regulation, oxidative-stress depression regulation and hormone and immune regulation. The multi-component synergetic effects were also revealed on the herbal combination of SNS. The hub-bottleneck genes of the protein networks including PTGS2, CALM2, NOS2, SLC6A3 and MAOB, MAOA, CREB1 could become potential drug targets and Paeoniflorin, Naringin, Glycyrrhizic acid may be candidate agents. Experimental results showed that the potential mechanisms of SiNiSan treatment involved in the suppression of activation of Dopaminergic synapse and Amphetamine addiction signaling pathways, which are congruent with the prediction by the systematic approach.

CONCLUSION

The integrative investigation based on bioinformatics/network topology strategy may elaborate the multicomponent synergy mechanisms of SNS against IBS and provide the way out to develop new combination medicines for IBS.

Elucidation of the Mechanisms and Molecular Targets of Yiqi Shexue Formula for Treatment of Primary Immune Thrombocytopenia Based on Network Pharmacology

Yiqi Shexue formula (YQSX) is traditionally used to treat primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) in clinical practice of traditional Chinese medicine. However, its mechanisms of action and molecular targets for treatment of ITP are not clear. The active compounds of YQSX were collected and their targets were identified. ITP-related targets were obtained by analyzing the differential expressed genes between ITP patients and healthy individuals. Protein–protein interaction (PPI) data were then obtained and PPI networks of YQSX putative targets and ITP-related targets were visualized and merged to identify the candidate targets for YQSX against ITP. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis were carried out. The gene-pathway network was constructed to screen the key target genes. In total, 177 active compounds and 251 targets of YQSX were identified. Two hundred and thirty differential expressed genes with an P value < 0.005 and |log2(fold change)| > 1 were identified between ITP patient and control groups. One hundred and eighty-three target genes associated with ITP were finally identified. The functional annotations of target genes were found to be related to transcription, cytosol, protein binding, and so on. Twenty-four pathways including cell cycle, estrogen signaling pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway were significantly enriched. MDM2 was the core gene and other several genes including TP53, MAPK1, CDKN1A, MYC, and DDX5 were the key gens in the gene-pathway network of YQSX for treatment of ITP. The results indicated that YQSX’s effects against ITP may relate to regulation of immunological function through the specific biological processes and the related pathways. This study demonstrates the application of network pharmacology in evaluating mechanisms of action and molecular targets of complex herbal formulations.

Atractylenolide III ameliorates cerebral ischemic injury and neuroinflammation associated with inhibiting JAK2/STAT3/Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission in microglia

BACKGROUND

Inflammation is a major contributor to stroke pathology, making it a promising strategy for intervention. Microglia, the resident macrophages in the brain, play essential roles in both the generation and resolution of neuroinflammation. In particular, mitochondrial homeostasis is critical for microglial function and its dysregulation is involved in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke. Atractylenolide III (A III), a sesquiterpene lactone found in Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz, has been shown to have an inhibitory effect on inflammation. However, its effect specifically on neuroinflammation and microglial mitochondrial homeostasis following stroke remains elusive.

HYPOTHESIS

We hypothesized that A III protects against brain ischemia through inhibition of neuroinflammation mediated by JAK2/STAT3/Drp1-dependent mitochondrial fission.

METHODS

The neuroprotective and anti-neuroinflammatory effects of A III were investigated in vivo in mice with transient occlusion to the middle cerebral artery (MCAO) and in vitro in oxygen glucose deprivation-reoxygenation (OGDR)-stimulated primary microglia from mice.

RESULTS

A III and AG490, an inhibitor of JAK2, treatment reduced brain infarct size, restored cerebral blood flow (CBF), ameliorated brain edema and improved neurological deficits in MCAO mice. Furthermore, A III and AG490 inhibited mRNA and protein expressions of proinflammatory (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6) and anti-inflammatory cytokines in both MCAO mice and OGDR-stimulated primary microglia. The JAK2/STAT3 pathway was effectively suppressed by A III, similar to the effect of AG490 treatment. In addition, A III and AG490 treatments significantly decreased Drp1 phosphorylation, translocation and mitochondrial fission in primary microglia stimulated with OGDR for 24 h.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated that A III was able to reduce complications associated with ischemia through inhibiting neuroinflammation, which was mediated in part by JAK2/STAT3-dependent mitochondrial fission in microglia.

Danggui Shaoyao San Ameliorates Renal Fibrosis via Regulation of Hypoxia and Autophagy

Danggui Shaoyao San (DSS), a traditional Chinese medicinal prescription, was widely used to reinforce earth to activate collaterals in ancient times. Recently, many clinical studies found that DSS had a renoprotection. In this study, we evaluated the effect of DSS on unilateral ureteral obstruction- (UUO-) induced renal fibrosis in rats and investigated the mechanisms underlying the effect. Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomized to UUO or Sham operation. After 1 day, the rats that underwent UUO were randomized to treatment for four experimental groups (n=10 each group): Sham, UUO only, UUO+ benazepril (Bena), and UUO+DSS. After 4 weeks, we demonstrated that DSS significantly suppressed UUO-induced renal hypertrophy by gravimetric. In addition, DSS obviously prevented UUO-induced disorder in renal structure and renal function by HE and biochemistry test. We also found that DSS abrogated UUO-induced renal fibrosis by Masson's staining and collagen volume fraction (CVF) analysis; this is consistent with the western blot analysis that showed DSS abrogated the UUO-induced enhanced TGF-β1 and weakened BMP-7. Compared with the UUO only group, rats treated with DSS exhibited significant increase in vascular density, followed by decrease in hypoxia and HIF-1α protein level through western blot and immunofluorescence analysis. Furthermore, we also determined proteins of autophagy and DSS enhanced autophagy to prevent the damage-induced by UUO. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that DSS had a renoprotection effect in ameliorating renal fibrosis possibly via attenuating tissue hypoxia and regulating autophagy.

Systems Pharmacological Approach to Investigate the Mechanism of Ohwia caudata for Application to Alzheimer's Disease

Ohwia caudata (OC)-a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)-has been reported to have large numbers of flavonoids, alkaloids, and triterpenoids. The previous studies on OC for treating Alzheimer's disease (AD) only focused on single targets and its mechanisms, while no report had shown about the synergistic mechanism of the constituents from OC related to their potential treatment on dementia in any database. This study aimed to predict the bioactive targets constituents and find potential compounds from OC with better oral bioavailability and blood-brain barrier permeability against AD, by using a system network level-based in silico approach. The results revealed that two new flavonoids, and another 26 compounds isolated from OC in our lab, were highly connected to AD-related signaling pathways and biological processes, which were confirmed by compound-target network, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, respectively. Predicted by the virtual screening and various network pharmacology methods, we found the multiple mechanisms of OC, which are effective for alleviating AD symptoms through multiple targets in a synergetic way.

Exploring the multicomponent synergy mechanism of Banxia Xiexin Decoction on irritable bowel syndrome by a systems pharmacology strategy

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Banxia Xiexin Decoction (BXD) is a representative prescription to regulate spleen and stomach in "Treatise on Febrile Diseases", which has been proven effective for the clinical treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in the past decades. However, the active principles and molecular mechanisms involved in BXD against IBS are vague yet.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To unfold multicomponent synergy mechanism of BXD on irritable bowel syndrome, this work explored active principles, drug targets and crucial pathways using a systems pharmacology strategy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, a systems pharmacology based strategy was applied by the procedures integrating compound database construction, ADME evaluation, target identification, functional annotation, pathway enrichment analysis, network analysis, and molecular docking verification. The 158 compounds from BXD were selected for the screening. The Compound-Target network (C-T) and the Target-Pathway network (T-P) were constructed. The bioinformatics and network topology were employed to systematically reveal multicomponent-target interactions of BXD. The affinity between important ingredients and the kernel targets was validated using molecular mechanics simulation.

RESULTS

The 35 potential important ingredients and the 16 associated kernel targets were identified. 27 crucial pathways, in which the kernel targets participated, could regulate the biological processes, such as synthesis of inflammatory mediators, smooth muscle relaxation and synaptic plasticity, closely related to pathological mechanism of IBS. The cross-talk interactions were revealed between TNF signaling pathway, Dopaminergic synapse and cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, which would exert the synergistic influences on the occurrence and treatment of the IBS. PTGS2, CALM, NOS2, SCN5A, and PRSS1 might become novel drug targets for IBS.

CONCLUSIONS

The study demonstrated that the synergy molecular mechanisms of BXD mainly involved three therapeutic modules including inhibiting inflammatory reaction, maintaining intestinal function and improving psychological regulation via the multicomponent-target interaction networks. It may also provide the promising drug targets and therapeutic agents for the development of new medicines.

Stepwise targeted matching strategy from in vitro to in vivo based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry technology to quickly identify and screen pharmacodynamic constituents

The study of in vivo pharmacodynamic constituents (PCs) of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is important for providing new clues for TCM applications in clinical therapies in modern medicine. However, detecting and identifying PCs from complex biological samples remain a challenge. In this study, a practical and novel stepwise targeted matching and longitudinal analysis strategy from in vitro to in vivo was developed. This strategy combined with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was applied to quickly discover PCs in TCM. This approach was developed based on a core perception that all drugs taken orally might be transformed progressively and orderly from the intestinal tract, liver, and blood to the target organ. Based on this core perception, stepwise targeted matching was orderly and efficiently accomplished by multiple screening processes that were based on a stepwise enriched in-house library. Ginseng (Panax ginseng) was set as the example of herbal medicine for validating the reliability and availability of this approach. By applying this novel strategy to the stepwise screening of metabolites, we successfully identified 113 metabolites, among which 59 compounds were defined as prototypes. Based on the in vivo metabolites, network pharmacology analysis was applied to screen the PCs of ginseng and clarified the action mechanism of ginseng for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). A total of 27 herbal constituents and 64 related targets shared commonly by compounds and AD were integrated via target network pharmacology analysis. These results demonstrated that this original approach will greatly improve high-throughput screening of metabolites and PCs on AD. It also can explicate the mechanism of action of TCM. Furthermore, this strategy is practicable to identify metabolites and screen PCs in other herbal medicines.

Targeted Screening Approach to Systematically Identify the Absorbed Effect Substances of Poria cocos in Vivo Using Ultrahigh Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Poria cocos are extensively used as nutritious food, dietary supplements, and oriental medicine in Asia. However, the effect substances are still not very clear. In this study, a targeted screening approach was developed to systematically identify absorbed constituents of Poria cocos in vivo using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry combined with UNIFI software. First, incubation reactions in vitro with rat intestinal microflora and rat liver microsomes were conducted to sum up metabolic rules of main constituents. Second, the absorbed constituents in vivo were picked out and identified based on the results of metabolic study in vitro. Finally, the absorbed active constituents in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease were screened by targeted network pharmacology analysis. A total of 62 absorbed prototypes and 59 metabolites were identified and characterized in dosed plasma. Thirty potential active constituents were screened, and 86 drug-targets shared by absorbed constituents and Alzheimer's disease were discovered by targeted network pharmacology analysis. In general, this proposed targeted strategy comprehensively provides new insight for active ingredients of Poria cocos.

Systems Pharmacological Approach to Investigate the Mechanism of Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma for Alzheimer's Disease

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Acori Tatarinowii Rhizoma (ATR) is widely used to treat memory and cognition dysfunction. This study aimed to confirm evidence regarding the potential therapeutic effect of ATR on Alzheimer's disease (AD) using a system network level based in silico approach. Study results showed that the compounds in ATR are highly connected to AD-related signaling pathways, biological processes, and organs. These findings were confirmed by compound-target network, target-organ location network, gene ontology analysis, and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Most compounds in ATR have been reported to have antifibrillar amyloid plaques, anti-tau phosphorylation, and anti-inflammatory effects. Our results indicated that compounds in ATR interact with multiple targets in a synergetic way. Furthermore, the mRNA expressions of genes targeted by ATR are elevated significantly in heart, brain, and liver. Our results suggest that the anti-inflammatory and immune system enhancing effects of ATR might contribute to its major therapeutic effects on Alzheimer's disease.

Network Medicine for Alzheimer's Disease and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative condition that currently has no known cure. The principles of the expanding field of network medicine (NM) have recently been applied to AD research. The main principle of NM proposes that diseases are much more complicated than one mutation in one gene, and incorporate different genes, connections between genes, and pathways that may include multiple diseases to create full scale disease networks. AD research findings as a result of the application of NM principles have suggested that functional network connectivity, myelination, myeloid cells, and genes and pathways may play an integral role in AD progression, and may be integral to the search for a cure. Different aspects of the AD pathology could be potential targets for drug therapy to slow down or stop the disease from advancing, but more research is needed to reach definitive conclusions. Additionally, the holistic approaches of network pharmacology in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) research may be viable options for the AD treatment, and may lead to an effective cure for AD in the future.

Dangguijihwang-tang and Dangguijakyak-san Prevent Menopausal Symptoms and Dangguijihwang-tang Prevents Articular Cartilage Deterioration in Ovariectomized Obese Rats with Monoiodoacetate-Induced Osteoarthritis

We investigated whether dangguijakyak-san (DJY) and dangguijihwang-tang (DJH), oriental medicines traditionally used for inflammatory diseases, could prevent and/or delay the progression of postmenopausal symptoms and osteoarthritis in osteoarthritis-induced estrogen-deficient rats. Treated ovariectomized (OVX) rats consumed either 1% DJY or 1% DJH in the diets. Positive-control rats were given 30 μg/kg bw 17β-estradiol and control rats were given 1% fat as were the normal-control rats. All rats received high-fat diets for 8 weeks. At the 9th week, OVX rats received articular injections of monoiodoacetate (MIA) or saline (normal control) into the right knee. At 3 weeks after MIA injection, DJY reduced visceral-fat mass and improved glucose metabolism by reducing insulin resistance, whereas DJH increased BMD and decreased insulin resistance. DJH improved weight distribution in the right knee and maximum running velocity on a treadmill at days 14 and 21 as much as those of the positive control. TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels in articular cartilage were much higher in the control than the positive control, whereas both DJY and DJH reduced the levels to those of the positive control. The histological analysis assessed articular cartilage damage near the tidemark and proteoglycan loss in the control versus the positive control; DJY and DJH prevented this damage and proteoglycan loss. In conclusion, DJY may provide an effective treatment for improving glucose tolerance, and DJH may be appropriate for preventing osteoarthritis.

Dissecting the Underlying Pharmaceutical Mechanism of Chinese Traditional Medicine Yun-Pi-Yi-Shen-Tong-Du-Tang Acting on Ankylosing Spondylitis through Systems Biology Approaches

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been served as complementary medicine for Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) treatment for a long time. Yun-Pi-Yi-Shen-Tong-Du-Tang (Y-Y-T) is a novel empirical formula designed by Prof. Chengping Wen. In this study, a retrospective investigation supported efficacy of Y-Y-T and then we deciphered the underlying molecular mechanism of the efficacy. Herbal ingredients and targeting proteins were collected from TCMID. PPI networks were constructed to further infer the relationship among Y-Y-T, drugs used for treating AS, differentially expressed genes of AS patients and AS disease proteins. Finally, it was suggested that TLR signaling pathway and T cell receptor signaling pathway may involve in the biological processes of AS progression and contribute to the curative effect and proteins such as JAK2, STAT3, HSP90AA1, TNF and PTEN were the key targets. Our systemic investigation to infer therapeutic mechanism of Y-Y-T for AS treatment provides a new insight in understanding TCM pharmacology.

Tianfoshen oral liquid: a CFDA approved clinical traditional Chinese medicine, normalizes major cellular pathways disordered during colorectal carcinogenesis

Colorectal cancer remains the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide, suggesting exploration of novel therapeutic avenues may be useful. In this study, therefore, we determined whether Tianfoshen oral liquid, a Chinese traditional medicine that has been used to treat non-small cell lung cancer, would be therapeutically beneficial for colorectal cancer patients. Our data show that Tianfoshen oral liquid effectively inhibits growth of colorectal cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. We further employed a comprehensive strategy that included chemoinformatics, bioinformatics and network biology methods to unravel novel insights into the active compounds of Tianfoshen oral liquid and to identify the common therapeutic targets and processes for colorectal cancer treatment. We identified 276 major candidate targets for Tianfoshen oral liquid that are central to colorectal cancer progression. Gene enrichment analysis showed that these targets were associated with cell cycle, apoptosis, cancer-related angiogenesis, and chronic inflammation and related signaling pathways. We also validated experimentally the inhibitory effects of Tianfoshen oral liquid on these pathological processes, both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we demonstrated that Tianfoshen oral liquid suppressed multiple relevant key players that sustain and promote colorectal cancer, which is suggests the potential therapeutic efficacy of Tianfoshen oral liquid in future colorectal cancer treatments.

Anti-inflammatory effects of Shufengjiedu capsule for upper respiratory infection via the ERK pathway

BACKGROUND

Shufengjiedu Capsule (SFJD) is a type of Chinese traditional medicine compound for the treatment of acute upper respiratory tract infection. The present work aims to decipher the mechanism of SFJD.

METHODS

In this study, we used target prediction and RNA sequence (RNA-Seq) based on transcriptome analysis to clarify the inflammation-eliminating mechanism of SFJD. Firstly, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAK) was used to induce acute lung injury in KM mice. After being treated by SFJD, the differently expressed genes were analyzed by RNA-Seq. Secondly, the chemical constituents of SFJD were identified by ultra-performance liquid chromatography quadrupole/time of flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS) and submitted to PharmMapper to predict targets. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and String 9.1 websites were employed to establish the interaction network of inflammation of these targets.

RESULTS

The results indicated that SFJD alleviated PAK induced lung injury in KM mice. We infer that the mechanism is a complex network containing 15 pathways related to inflammation regulated by 16 types of components from six types of herbs via 29 proteins. The ERK signaling pathway was a key pathway among them, which was predicted to be regulated by 14 types of components in SFJD. Phillyrin, emodin, and verbenalin were screened out by binding capacity, and the synergistic effect of them was further confirmed.

CONCLUSIONS

Various components of SFJD ameliorated PAK induced upper respiratory tract infection via multiple targets, of which ERK phosphorylation might be the key event regulated specifically by verbenalin, phillyrin and emodin.

Elucidation of the Anti-Inflammatory Mechanisms of Bupleuri and Scutellariae Radix Using System Pharmacological Analyses

Objective. This study was aimed at elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory effect of the combined application of Bupleuri Radix and Scutellariae Radix and explored the potential therapeutic efficacy of these two drugs on inflammation-related diseases. Methods. After searching the databases, we collected the active ingredients of Bupleuri Radix and Scutellariae Radix and calculated their oral bioavailability (OB) and drug-likeness (DL) based on the absorption-distribution-metabolism-elimination (ADME) model. In addition, we predicted the drug targets of the selected active components based on weighted ensemble similarity (WES) and used them to construct a drug-target network. Gene ontology (GO) analysis and KEGG mapper tools were performed on these predicted target genes. Results. We obtained 30 compounds from Bupleuri Radix and Scutellariae Radix of good quality as indicated by ADME assays, which possess potential pharmacological activity. These 30 ingredients have a total of 121 potential target genes, which are involved in 24 biological processes related to inflammation. Conclusions. Combined application of Bupleuri Radix and Scutellariae Radix was found not only to directly inhibit the synthesis and release of inflammatory cytokines, but also to have potential therapeutic effects against inflammation-induced pain. In addition, a combination therapy of these two drugs exhibited systemic treatment efficacy and provided a theoretical basis for the development of drugs against inflammatory diseases.

An integrated anti-arrhythmic target network of a Chinese medicine compound, Wenxin Keli, revealed by combined machine learning and molecular pathway analysis

Deciphering the compound Wenxin Keli's anti-arrhythmic pharmacological mechanism by integrating network pharmacology and experimental verification methods.

Systems Pharmacology Based Study of the Molecular Mechanism of SiNiSan Formula for Application in Nervous and Mental Diseases

Background. Mental disorder is a group of systemic diseases characterized by a variety of physical and mental discomfort, which has become the rising threat to human life. Herbal medicines were used to treat mental disorders for thousand years in China in which the molecular mechanism is not yet clear. Objective. To systematically explain the mechanisms of SiNiSan (SNS) formula on the treatment of mental disorders. Method. A systems pharmacology method, with ADME screening, targets prediction, and DAVID enrichment analysis, was employed as the principal approach in our study. Results. 60 active ingredients of SNS formula and 187 mental disorders related targets were discovered to have interactions with them. Furthermore, the enrichment analysis of drug-target network showed that SNS probably acts through “multi-ingredient, multitarget, and multisystems” holistic coordination in different organs pattern by indirectly regulating the nutritional and metabolic pathway even their serial complications. Conclusions. Our research provides a reference for the molecular mechanism of medicinal herbs in the treatment of mental disease on a systematic level. Hopefully, it will also provide a theoretical basis for the discovery of lead compounds of natural medicines for other diseases based on traditional medicine.

Compound Library Screening Identified Cardiac Glycoside Digitoxin as an Effective Growth Inhibitor of Gefitinib-Resistant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer via Downregulation of α-Tubulin and Inhibition of Microtubule Formation

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) dominates over 85% of all lung cancer cases. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activating mutation is a common situation in NSCLC. In the clinic, molecular-targeting with Gefitinib as a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) for EGFR downstream signaling is initially effective. However, drug resistance frequently happens due to additional mutation on EGFR, such as substitution from threonine to methionine at amino acid position 790 (T790M). In this study, we screened a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) compound library consisting of 800 single compounds in TKI-resistance NSCLC H1975 cells, which contains substitutions from leucine to arginine at amino acid 858 (L858R) and T790M mutation on EGFR. Attractively, among these compounds there are 24 compounds CC50 of which was less than 2.5 μM were identified. We have further investigated the mechanism of the most effective one, Digitoxin. It showed a significantly cytotoxic effect in H1975 cells by causing G2 phase arrest, also remarkably activated 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Moreover, we first proved that Digitoxin suppressed microtubule formation through decreasing α-tubulin. Therefore, it confirmed that Digitoxin effectively depressed the growth of TKI-resistance NSCLC H1975 cells by inhibiting microtubule polymerization and inducing cell cycle arrest.