Quantitative Proteomics Combined with Affinity MS Revealed the Molecular Mechanism of Ginsenoside Antitumor Effects

Ginsenosides: a potential natural medicine to protect the lungs from lung cancer and inflammatory lung disease

Lung cancer is the malignancy with the highest morbidity and mortality. Additionally, pulmonary inflammatory diseases, such as pneumonia, acute lung injury, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and pulmonary fibrosis (PF), also have high mortality rates and can promote the development and progression of lung cancer. Unfortunately, available treatments for them are limited, so it is critical to search for effective drugs and treatment strategies to protect the lungs. Ginsenosides, the main active components of ginseng, have been shown to have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activities. In this paper, we focus on the beneficial effects of ginsenosides on lung diseases and their molecular mechanisms. Firstly, the molecular mechanism of ginsenosides against lung cancer was summarized in detail, mainly from the points of view of proliferation, apoptosis, autophagy, angiogenesis, metastasis, drug resistance and immunity. In in vivo and in vitro lung cancer models, ginsenosides Rg3, Rh2 and CK were reported to have strong anti-lung cancer effects. Then, in the models of pneumonia and acute lung injury, the protective effect of Rb1 was particularly remarkable, followed by Rg3 and Rg1, and its molecular mechanism was mainly associated with targeting NF-κB, Nrf2, MAPK and PI3K/Akt pathways to alleviate inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptosis. Additionally, ginsenosides may also have a potential health-promoting effect in the improvement of COPD, asthma and PF. Furthermore, to overcome the low bioavailability of CK and Rh2, the development of nanoparticles, micelles, liposomes and other nanomedicine delivery systems can significantly improve the efficacy of targeted lung cancer treatment. To conclude, ginsenosides can be used as both anti-lung cancer and lung protective agents or adjuvants and have great potential for future clinical applications.

Recent advances in ginsenosides against respiratory diseases: Therapeutic targets and potential mechanisms

BACKGROUND

Respiratory diseases mainly include asthma, influenza, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary hypertension, lung fibrosis, and lung cancer. Given their high prevalence and poor prognosis, the prevention and treatment of respiratory diseases are increasingly essential. In particular, the development for the novel strategies of drug treatment has been a hot topic in the research field. Ginsenosides are the major component of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer (ginseng), a food homology and well-known medicinal herb. In this review, we summarize the current therapeutic effects and molecular mechanisms of ginsenosides in respiratory diseases.

METHODS

The reviewed studies were retrieved via a thorough analysis of numerous articles using electronic search tools including Sci-Finder, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Web of Science. The following keywords were used for the online search: ginsenosides, asthma, influenza, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary hypertension (PH), lung fibrosis, lung cancer, and clinical trials. We summarized the findings and the conclusions from 176 manuscripts on ginsenosides, including research articles and reviews.

RESULTS

Ginsenosides Rb1, Rg1, Rg3, Rh2, and CK, which are the most commonly reported ginsenosides for treating of respiratory diseases, and other ginsenosides such as Rh1, Rk1, Rg5, Rd and Re, all primarily reduce pneumonia, fibrosis, and inhibit tumor progression by targeting NF-κB, TGF-β/Smad, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, and JNK pathways, thereby ameliorating respiratory diseases.

CONCLUSION

This review provides novel ideas and important aspects for the future research of ginsenosides for treating respiratory diseases.

Endothelin-1, over-expressed in SOD1G93A mice, aggravates injury of NSC34-hSOD1G93A cells through complicated molecular mechanism revealed by quantitative proteomics analysis

Endothelin-1 (ET-1), a secreted signaling peptide, is suggested to be involved in multiple actions in various tissues including the brain, but its role in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remains unknown. In this study, we detected the expression changes as well as the cellular localization of ET-1, endothelin A (ET-A) and endothelin B (ET-B) receptors in spinal cord of transgenic SOD1-G93A (TgSOD1-G93A) mice, which showed that the two ET receptors (ET-Rs) expressed mainly on neurons and decreased as the disease progressed especially ET-B, while ET-1 expression was up-regulated and primarily localized on astrocytes. We then explored the possible mechanisms underlying the effect of ET-1 on cultured NSC34-hSOD1G93A cell model. ET-1 showed toxic effect on motor neurons (MNs), which can be rescued by the selective ET-A receptor antagonist BQ-123 or ET-B receptor antagonist BQ-788, suggesting that clinically used ET-Rs pan-antagonist could be a potential strategy for ALS. Using proteomic analysis, we revealed that 110 proteins were differentially expressed in NSC34-hSOD1G93A cells after ET-1 treatment, of which 54 were up-regulated and 56 were down-regulated. Bioinformatic analysis showed that the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were primarily enriched in hippo signaling pathway-multiple species, ABC transporters, ErbB signaling pathway and so on. These results provide further insights on the potential roles of ET-1 in ALS and present a new promising therapeutic target to protect MNs of ALS.

Facile approach for surfactant-free synthesis of Au@ginsenoside Rh2 nanoparticles and researches on anticancer activity

Background

Inorganic nanocomposites especially Au nanostructures have exhibited outstanding physicochemical properties in biomedical fields. For further clinical applications on theranostics, especially drug delivery, numerous explorations of green and facile synthesis methods combining with pharmacoactive natural components have been investigated to construct safe and multifunctional bioactive Au nanoparticles (NPs). Ginsenoside Rh2 is protopanaxadiol type compound isolated from plants of genus Panax, with excellent anticancer effect and antioxidant activity. In this research, we prepared the novel Au nanoparticles using ginsenoside Rh2 as both reducing and stabilizing agents.

Results

The synthesized Au@ginsenoside Rh2 NPs were proved to exhibit desirable inhibitory effect on different cancer cell lines, which benefited from the inherent anticancer effect of the ginsenoside Rh2. Investigations in vitro indicated that Au@ginsenoside Rh2 NPs inhibited cell proliferation, cell migration and invasion, induced cell cycle arrest, enhanced the reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and regulated the protein expressions of caspase-3, 8, 9 to trigger cell apoptosis as well.

Conclusions

Because of the absence of toxic chemical surfactants, the eco-friendly synthesis method of Au NPs modified by natural phytochemicals avoided tedious separation and modification processes. On the other hand, Au@ginsenoside Rh2 NPs also improved water solubility and bioavailability of the hydrophobic drug ginsenoside Rh2. It broadened minds for preparation and application of traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) modified metal nanoparticles and deserved further study.

Effect of Shenqi Fuzheng Injection on Leukopenia and T-cell Subsets in Patients with Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Undergoing Radiotherapy

Purpose

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of Shenqi fuzheng injection on leukopenia and T-cell subsets in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergoing radiotherapy.

Methods

A total of 124 patients with advanced NSCLC treated in the oncology department of our hospital from January 2017 to January 2019 were included and assigned at a ratio of 1 : 1 to receive conventional radiotherapy (control group, n = 62) or conventional radiotherapy plus Shenqi Fuzheng injection (study group, n = 62) via the random number table method.

Results

The study group showed a significantly higher objective response rate (ORR) and a lower incidence of leukopenia versus the control group (P < 0.05). After the treatment, Shenqi Fuzheng injection resulted in significantly lower levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in the study group versus conventional treatment given to the control group. After the treatment, the control group showed significantly decreased ratios of CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, and CD4+/CD8+, and an increased ratio of CD8+ T cells, and significant differences when compared with the study group. The T-cell subsets of the patients in the study group showed no significant changes than those between the treatment. The median OS was 20.0 months in the control group and 23.5 months in the study group. The differences between the two groups in terms of OS did not come up to the statistical standard.

Conclusion

Shenqi Fuzheng injection for NSCLC patients undergoing radiotherapy elevates the number of white blood cells, regulates T-cell immune function, reduces tumor markers, and enhances clinical efficacy. Further clinical trials are, however, required prior to clinical promotion.

A novel strategy for optimal component formula of anti-PRRSV from natural compounds using tandem mass tag labeled proteomic analyses

BACKGROUND

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) is one of the most important porcine viral diseases which have been threatening the pig industry in China. At present, most commercial vaccines fail to provide complete protection because of highly genetic diversity of PRRSV strains. This study aimed to optimize a component formula from traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)compounds with defined chemical characteristics and clear mechanism of action against PRRSV.

METHODS

A total of 13 natural compounds were screened for the anti-PRRSV activity using porcine alveolar macrophages (PAMs). Three compounds with strong anti-PRRSV activity were selected to identify their potential protein targets by proteomic analysis. The optimal compound formula was determined by orthogonal design based on the results of proteomics. MTT assay was used to determine the maximum non-cytotoxic concentration (MNTC) of each compound using PAMs. QPCR and western blot were used to investigate the PRRSV N gene and protein expression, respectively. The Tandem Mass Tag (TMT) technique of relative quantitative proteomics was used to detect the differential protein expression of PAMs treated with PRRSV, matrine (MT), glycyrrhizic acid (GA) and tea saponin (TS), respectively. The three concentrations of these compounds with anti-PRRSV activity were used for orthogonal design. Four formulas with high safety were screened by MTT assay and their anti-PRRSV effects were evaluated.

RESULTS

MT, GA and TS inhibited PRRSV replication in a dose-dependent manner. CCL8, IFIT3, IFIH1 and ISG15 were the top four proteins in expression level change in cells treated with MT, GA or TS. The relative expression of IFIT3, IFIH1, ISG15 and IFN-β mRNAs were consistent with the results of proteomics. The component formula (0.4 mg/mL MT + 0.25 mg/mL GA + 1.95 μg/mL TS) showed synergistic anti-PRRSV effect.

CONCLUSIONS

The component formula possessed anti-PRRSV activity in vitro, in which the optimal dosage on PAMs was 0.4 mg/mL MT + 0.25 mg/mL GA + 1.95 μg/mL TS. Compatibility of the formula was superposition of the same target with GA and TS, while different targets of MT. IFN-β may be one of the targets of the component formula possessed anti-PRRSV activity.

StackZDPD: a novel encoding scheme for mass spectrometry data optimized for speed and compression ratio

As the pervasive, standardized format for interchange and deposition of raw mass spectrometry (MS) proteomics and metabolomics data, text-based mzML is inefficiently utilized on various analysis platforms due to its sheer volume of samples and limited read/write speed. Most research on compression algorithms rarely provides flexible random file reading scheme. Database-developed solution guarantees the efficiency of random file reading, but nevertheless the efforts in compression and third-party software support are insufficient. Under the premise of ensuring the efficiency of decompression, we propose an encoding scheme “Stack-ZDPD” that is optimized for storage of raw MS data, designed for the format “Aird”, a computation-oriented format with fast accessing and decoding time, where the core compression algorithm is “ZDPD”. Stack-ZDPD reduces the volume of data stored in mzML format by around 80% or more, depending on the data acquisition pattern, and the compression ratio is approximately 30% compared to ZDPD for data generated using Time of Flight technology. Our approach is available on AirdPro, for file conversion and the Java-API Aird-SDK, for data parsing.

Disclosing targets and pharmacological mechanisms of total bioflavonoids extracted from Selaginella doederleinii against non-small cell lung cancer by combination of network pharmacology and proteomics

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Previously, the total bioflavonoids extract from Selaginella doederleinii (SDTBE) presented favorable in vitro and in vivo activities against non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), hinting at its medicinal potential. However, up to nowadays, targets and integrative action mechanisms of SDTBE are still not very clear, which presents an obstacle to the development of herbal medicine.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The present study aimed to disclose the potential targets and integrative action mechanism of SDTBE against NSCLC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A system pharmacology-based strategy including target fishing, network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking were applied to predict the potential targets and pathways for the seven main active ingredients in SDTBE. A proteomics study was subsequently performed for validating the affected pathways and possible targets. Western blot assay, mouse xenograft tumor model and immunofluorescence assays were used to further confirm the key targets and integrative action mechanisms of SDTBE against NSCLC.

RESULTS

By system pharmacology, it was inferred that SDTBE could mainly act on mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways by targeting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), protein kinase B (AKT) and mitogen-activated or extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (MEK), which was validated by proteomics results, and further confirmed in vitro and in vivo by Western blot and immunofluorescence assays.

CONCLUSION

SDTBE targeting multi-targets including EGFR, AKT and MEK could exert its anti-NSCLC effect mainly via MAPK and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways.

Aird: a computation-oriented mass spectrometry data format enables a higher compression ratio and less decoding time

Background

With the precision of the mass spectrometry (MS) going higher, the MS file size increases rapidly. Beyond the widely-used open format mzML, near-lossless or lossless compression algorithms and formats emerged in scenarios with different precision requirements. The data precision is often related to the instrument and subsequent processing algorithms. Unlike storage-oriented formats, which focus more on lossless compression rate, computation-oriented formats concentrate as much on decoding speed as the compression rate.

Results

Here we introduce “Aird”, an opensource and computation-oriented format with controllable precision, flexible indexing strategies, and high compression rate. Aird provides a novel compressor called Zlib-Diff-PforDelta (ZDPD) for m/z data. Compared with Zlib only, m/z data size is about 55% lower in Aird average. With the high-speed decoding and encoding performance of the single instruction multiple data technology used in the ZDPD, Aird merely takes 33% decoding time compared with Zlib. We have downloaded seven datasets from ProteomeXchange and Metabolights. They are from different SCIEX, Thermo, and Agilent instruments. Then we convert the raw data into mzML, mgf, and mz5 file formats by MSConvert and compare them with Aird format. Aird uses JavaScript Object Notation for metadata storage. Aird-SDK is written in Java, and AirdPro is a GUI client for vendor file converting written in C#. They are freely available at https://github.com/CSi-Studio/Aird-SDK and https://github.com/CSi-Studio/AirdPro.

Conclusions

With the innovation of MS acquisition mode, MS data characteristics are also constantly changing. New data features can bring more effective compression methods and new index modes to achieve high search performance. The MS data storage mode will also become professional and customized. ZDPD uses multiple MS digital features, and researchers also can use it in other formats like mzML. Aird is designed to become a computing-oriented data format with high scalability, compression rate, and fast decoding speed.

Astragaloside IV Alleviates the Experimental DSS-Induced Colitis by Remodeling Macrophage Polarization Through STAT Signaling

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized by chronic and relapsing intestinal inflammation, which currently lacks safe and effective medicine. Some previous studies indicated that Astragaloside IV (AS-IV), a natural saponin extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine herb Ligusticum chuanxiong, alleviates the experimental colitis symptoms in vitro and in vivo. However, the mechanism of AS-IV on IBD remains unclear. Accumulating evidence suggests that M2-polarized intestinal macrophages play a pivotal role in IBD progression. Here, we found that AS-IV attenuated clinical activity of DSS-induced colitis that mimics human IBD and resulted in the phenotypic transition of macrophages from immature pro-inflammatory macrophages to mature pro-resolving macrophages. In vitro, the phenotype changes of macrophages were observed by qRT-PCR after bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were induced to M1/M2 and incubated with AS-IV, respectively. In addition, AS-IV was effective in inhibiting pro-inflammatory macrophages and promoting the pro-resolving macrophages to ameliorate experimental colitis via the regulation of the STAT signaling pathway. Hence, we propose that AS-IV can ameliorate experimental colitis partially by modulating macrophage phenotype by remodeling the STAT signaling, which seems to have an essential function in the ability of AS-IV to alleviate the pathological progress of IBD.

Integrated bioinformatic analysis and experiment confirmation of the antagonistic effect and molecular mechanism of ginsenoside Rh2 in metastatic osteosarcoma

This study aimed to compare the gene expression variation of clinical primary osteosarcoma (OS) and metastatic OS, identify expression profiles and signal pathways related to disease classification, and systematically evaluate the potential anticancer effect and molecular mechanism of ginsenoside Rh2 on OS. A raw dataset (GSE14359), which excluded GSM359137 and GSM359138, was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and principal component analysis (PCA) were obtained with limma. Pathways enrichment analysis was understood by GSEA app. Rh2-associated targets were harvested and mapped through PharmMapper and Cytoscape 3.4.0. The toxicity of Rh2 was determined using crystal staining and MTT assay on 143B and MG63 cell lines. The relative protein expression was confirmed through Western blot analysis. The mitochondrial membrane potential (△Ψm) was evaluated by JC-1 fluorescence staining. The cell mobility was measured via wound healing and transwell assays. A total of 752 genes were upregulated, while 161 genes were downregulated. GSEA and PCA displayed significant function enrichment and classification. Through PharmMapper and Cytoscape 3.4.0, Rh2 was found to target the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) and PI3K signaling pathways, which are the key pathways in the metastasis of OS. Furthermore, Rh2 induced a concentration-dependent decrease in cell viability and early apoptosis associated with ΔΨm decline, while a non-lethal dose of Rh2 weakened the metastatic capability. Moreover, systematic evaluation showed that promoting the MAPK signaling pathway and inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR were correlated with the anticancer effects of Rh2 on metastatic OS. In conclusion, transcriptome-derived approaches may be beneficial in diagnosing early metastases, and Rh2, a multi-targeting agent, shows promising application potential in suppressing metastatic OS in an MAPK- and PI3K/Akt/mTOR-dependent manner.

20(S)-Rg3 upregulates FDFT1 via reducing miR-4425 to inhibit ovarian cancer progression

We previously found that ginsenoside 20(S)-Rg3 diminishes the proliferative and invasive capacities of ovarian cancer cells by decreasing miR-4425 level. Yet the mechanism of action of miR-4425 in ovarian cancer remains unclear. Here we report that miR-4425 is upregulated in ovarian cancer tissues relative to normal ovarian tissues, and transfection of miR-4425 inhibitor impairs the proliferation, migration and invasion of SKOV3 and 3AO ovarian cancer cells. Further, miR-4425 antagomiR reduces cell proliferation in a subcutaneous SKOV3 xenograft model using BALB/c nude mice. We identifies farnesyl-diphosphate farnesyltransferase 1 (FDFT1) as a direct target of miR-4425 by Western blotting and a luciferase reporter assay. Forced expression of FDFT1 via transfection of an FDFT1-expressing plasmid into ovarian cancer cells not only retards cell proliferation, motility and invasiveness, but also negates the tumorigenic properties of a miR-4425 mimic. By contrast, silencing of FDFT1 by siRNAs abrogates suppression of the proliferation, migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells treated with a miR-4425 inhibitor. Finally, transfection of either a miR-4425 mimic or FDFT1 siRNAs into 20(S)-Rg3-treated ovarian cancer cells counteracts the tumor-inhibitory activity of the ginsenoside. In conclusion, 20(S)-Rg3 exerts anti-ovarian cancer activity by downregulating oncogenic miR-4425 that inhibits the expression of the tumor suppressor gene FDFT1. These results expand our current understanding of the molecular pathways leading to ovarian cancer progression, and unveil the mechanism of action of 20(S)-Rg3 in ovarian cancer inhibition.

20(S)-Protopanaxatriol promotes the binding of P53 and DNA to regulate the antitumor network via multiomic analysis

Although the tumor suppressor P53 is known to regulate a broad network of signaling pathways, it is still unclear how certain drugs influence these P53 signaling networks. Here, we used a comprehensive single-cell multiomics view of the effects of ginsenosides on cancer cells. Transcriptome and proteome profiling revealed that the antitumor activity of ginsenosides is closely associated with P53 protein. A miRNA–proteome interaction network revealed that P53 controlled the transcription of at least 38 proteins, and proteome-metabolome profiling analysis revealed that P53 regulated proteins involved in nucleotide metabolism, amino acid metabolism and “Warburg effect”. The results of integrative multiomics analysis revealed P53 protein as a potential key target that influences the anti-tumor activity of ginsenosides. Furthermore, by applying affinity mass spectrometry (MS) screening and surface plasmon resonance fragment library screening, we confirmed that 20(S)-protopanaxatriol directly targeted adjacent regions of the P53 DNA-binding pocket and promoted the stability of P53–DNA interactions, which further induced a series of omics changes.

20(S)-Protopanaxdiol Suppresses the Abnormal Granule-Monocyte Differentiation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells in 4T1 Breast Cancer-Bearing Mouse

Panax notoginseng (PN) has been used as a qi- and blood-activating (Huoxue) drug for thousands of years in China. It has also been widely used as an anticancer drug at present. As a Huoxue drug, the effect of PN on hematopoietic differentiation in tumor-bearing body has been paid more and more attention. Our research found that panax notoginseng saponins (PNS), especially panaxadiol saponins (PDS) and its aglucon 20(S)-Protopanaxdiol (PPD), could improve the immunosuppressive state by regulating the abnormal hematopoietic differentiation in a tumor-bearing body by multiple ways. An interesting phenomenon is that PDS reduced the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) via its inhibition effect on the granule-monocyte differentiation of spleen cells, which is associated with a decrease in the secretion of tumor MPO, G-CSF, PU.1, and C/EBPα. Otherwise, PDS increased the proportion of both hematopoietic stem cells and erythroid progenitor cells in the bone marrow, but inhibited spleen erythroid differentiation via inhibiting secretion of tumor EPO, GATA-1, and GATA-2. This study suggests that PNS regulated the tumor-induced abnormal granule-monocyte differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells, affecting the distribution and function of haemocytes in tumor-bearing mice.

Analyze and Identify Peiminine Target EGFR Improve Lung Function and Alleviate Pulmonary Fibrosis to Prevent Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease by Phosphoproteomics Analysis

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been a major public health problem and is still a formidable challenge for clinicians. It is urgent to find new compounds for minimizing the risk of disease progression and exacerbation especially in the early phase of COPD. A traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, Chuan Bei Pi Pa dropping pills (CBPP), was tested in this study to investigate its potential mechanisms in preventing the exacerbation of COPD. Phosphoproteomics analysis for a smog stimulated early stage COPD mice model was employed to detect the underlying molecular mechanisms of CBPP. In addition, protein–protein interaction (PPI) and bioinformatics analyses were included to analyze the key proteins and predict the key bioactive compounds. The results indicated that peiminine (PEI) target epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) prevented the exacerbation of COPD by inhibiting the EGFR signaling pathway, and ursolic acid (UA) can alleviate inflammation disorders via inhibition of CASP3 on mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. After in vivo and in vitro evaluations, we revealed that PEI from CBPP, as a lead compound, can improve lung function and alleviate pulmonary fibrosis by acting on the EGFR and MLC2 signaling pathways. Furthermore, the approach described here is an effective way to analyze and identify the bioactive ingredients from a mixture by functional proteomics analysis.