Deciphering the pharmacological mechanism of the Chinese formula huanglian-jie-du decoction in the treatment of ischemic stroke using a systems biology-based strategy

The efficacy of modified HuangLian JieDu decoction for early enteral nutrition in patients with sepsis: A randomized controlled study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of modified HuangLian JieDu decoction (MHLJDD) as a supplementary medication for early enteral nutrition in septic patients.

METHODS

This study was designed as a randomized controlled preliminary study. Septic patients were randomly divided into control (treated with the base treatment) and intervention (co-treated with MHLJDD and the base treatment) groups. The primary outcomes of this study were 60-day (d) mortality rate, length of mechanical ventilation (MV), and length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU).

RESULTS

Of the 86 included patients, 44 and 42 were allocated to the intervention and control groups, respectively. Lengths of MV and ICU stay were significantly shorter in the intervention group than in the control group (10.31 ± 3.92 d vs 8.66 ± 2.84 d, P = .028; and 11.88 ± 5.25 d vs 10.41 ± 3.14 d, P = .029; respectively). However, the difference in 60-d mortality rate between the 2 groups was not statistically significant (20.45% vs 38.10%, P = .071). The enteral-nutrition tolerance score of the control group was higher than that of the intervention group (6.81 ± 4.28 vs 4.68 ± 4.04, P = .020). Incidence of hyperglycemia and gastric retention (gastric residual volume > 250 mL) was higher in the control group than in the intervention group (59.52% vs 29.55%, P = .005; and 28.57% vs 11.36%, P = .020, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

MHLJDD can shorten the MV and ICU stay of septic patients.

An evidence-based evaluation of Buyang Huanwu decoction for the treatment of the sequelae of stroke: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Buyang Huanwu decoction (BYHWD) is a famous traditional Chinese formula that has been widely prescribed for sequelae of stroke in China. However, the efficacy and safety of BYHWD in treating sequelae of stroke have never been systematically evaluated.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of BYHWD in the treatment of sequelae of stroke.

STUDY DESIGN

A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA)-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. Five common electronic databases were searched for relevant RCTs from their inception until May 20, 2022. The Cochrane risk-of-bias tool was used to evaluate the methodological quality and the risk of bias of the included RCTs. Review Manager 5.4 was used to analyse all the data obtained. The clinical effective rate (CER) was the primary outcome, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) scores were the secondary outcomes. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) system was used to evaluate the quality of evidence for each outcome.

RESULTS

Thirty-two clinical studies that recruited 2,527 eligible patients were included in this meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis suggested that compared with conventional treatment alone, the addition of BYHWD significantly improved the CER (RR = 1.24, 95% CI: 1.20-1.29, p < 0.00001), decreased the NIHSS score (MD = -5.42, 95% CI: -5.87-4.97, p < 0.00001), and increased the FMA score (MD = 17.28, 95% CI: 15.12-19.45, p < 0.00001). There were no reported adverse events in the included studies. Most results were robust, and the quality of evidence was moderate.

CONCLUSION

Our study is the first meta-analysis of RCTs evaluating the effects of BYHWD on sequelae of stroke. The addition of BYHWD to conventional treatment for sequelae of stroke significantly improved the CER and promoted neurological rehabilitation in patients, and there were no reported adverse events associated with this combination therapy. The findings of our study support the use of BYHWD as an adjunct treatment to conventional treatment in this clinical population. However, due to the limitations of the included clinical trials, high-quality clinical trials with longer follow-ups are needed to assess the long-term effectiveness and safety of BYHWD for treating the sequelae of stroke.

Systematic characterization of the absorbed components of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus and their metabolic pathways in rat plasma by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-Q-Exactive Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry combined with network pharmacology

Ligustri Lucidi Fructus is a dried and mature fruit of Ligustrum lucidum Ait., which has the effects of nourishing liver and kidney. Herein, an accurate and sensitive method was established for the separation and identification of the absorbed constituents and metabolites of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus in rat plasma based on ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-Q-Exactive Orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry. A total of 73 prototype constituents and 148 metabolites were identified or characterized in administered plasma, and the possible metabolic pathways of constituents mainly involved hydroxylation, sulfation, demethylation, and glucuronidation. Besides, the network pharmacology was further investigated to illuminate its potential mechanism of treatment for liver injury by the biological targets regulating related pathways. Network pharmacological analysis showed that target components through 399 targets regulate 220 pathways. The docking results showed that 36 key target components were closely related to liver injury. Overall, the study clearly presented the metabolic processes of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus and gave a comprehensive metabolic profile of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus in vivo first. Combining with network pharmacology and molecular docking discovered potential drug targets and disclose the biological processes of Ligustri Lucidi Fructus, which will be a viable step toward uncovering the secret mask of study for traditional Chinese medicine.

Exploring the synergistic mechanism of Gegen Qinlian Decoction on the Wnt signaling pathway using an integrated strategy of network pharmacology and RNA-seq

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GQD) (including: Puerariae lobatae (Willd.) Ohwi, radix; (short for Gengen) Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., root and rhizome (short for Gancao), honeyed; Coptis chinensis Franch., rhizome (short for Huanglian); Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, radix, boiled (short for S. baicalensis) has been widely used to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and colorectal cancer (CRC). To explore compatibility mechanism of GQD could be of advantage to investigate the complex principle of TCM, which might be conducive to the exploration of the modernization of TCM.

AIM OF REVIEW

In this study, a strategy based on system pharmacology was constructed to uncover the multi-target regulation and compatibility mechanism of GQD on the Wnt signaling pathways.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The pharmacological network of GQD was constructed by TCMSP, DAVID, Uniprote database. The cell growth inhibitory effects of puerarin (PUE), wogonin (WOG), berberine (BER), and glycyrrhetinic acid (GLY) on SW480 cells were assessed using CCK-8 assay. The multi-target regulation and compatibility mechanism of combination PUE with GLY were examined by RNA-seq, HPLC-QQQ/MS, qRT- PCR and Western blot analysis.

RESULTS

Network pharmacology analysis indicated that PUE, WOG, BER and GLY were the active components in GQD and had a synergistic effect on the targets of the Wnt signaling pathway. Additionally, pharmacological experiments revealed that WOG, BER, and GLY inhibited activity of colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines SW480 cells, and that PUE only exhibited effective antitumour activity when combined with GLY. CTNNB1, CCND1 and SMAD4 were identified as synergistic targets inhibited by PUE-GLY. Moreover, PUE-GLY could influence the Wnt signaling pathway by upregulating GSK3B and downregulating CTNNB1 synergistically. It also showed that GLY could effectively increase the intracellular content of PUE based on HPLC-QQQ/MS analysis, and this process was achieved by influencing the targets of the membrane's pathway, such as cell adhesion molecules, focal adhesion, and tight junctions.

CONCLUSION

GLY was revealed a multi-target mechanism, which could downregulate CTNNB1 as the active component and intervene in membrane proteins (CDH1, CADM1, ITGB2, ICAM1, ITGA1) as 'guide' in the formulae. Moreover, the mechanism of synergistic antitumour action of PUE (the active component of Monarch drug) and GLY (the active component of Guide drug) on the Wnt signaling pathway was explored systematically. It was a promising breakthrough for elucidating the scientific connotation of the compatibility of TCM formulae and provide a valuable and practicable methodology for clarifying the mechanisms of TCM.

Uncovering the pharmacological mechanisms of Xijiao Dihuang decoction combined with Yinqiao powder in treating influenza viral pneumonia by an integrative pharmacology strategy

Xijiao Dihuang decoction combined with Yinqiao powder (XDD-YQP) is a classical combination formula; however, its therapeutic effects in treating influenza viral pneumonia and the pharmacological mechanisms remain unclear. The therapeutic effect of XDD-YQP in influenza viral pneumonia was evaluated in mice. Subsequently, an everted gut sac model coupled with UPLC/Q-TOF MS were used to screen and identify the active compounds of XDD-YQP. Furthermore, network pharmacological analysis was adopted to probe the mechanisms of the active compounds. Lastly, we verified the targets predicted from network pharmacological analysis by differential bioinformatics analysis. Animal experiments showed that XDD-YQP has a therapeutic effect on influenza viral pneumonia. Moreover, 113 active compounds were identified from intestinal absorbed solutions of XDD-YQP. Using network pharmacological analysis, 90 major targets were selected as critical in the treatment of influenza viral pneumonia through 12 relevant pathways. Importantly, the MAPK signaling pathway was found to be closely associated with the other 11 pathways. Moreover, seven key targets, EGFR, FOS, MAPK1, MAP2K1, HRAS, NRAS, and RELA, which are common targets in the MAPK signaling pathway, were investigated. These seven key targets were identified as differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between influenza virus-infected and uninfected individuals. Hence, the seven key targets in the MAPK signaling pathway may play a vital role in the treatment of influenza viral pneumonia with XDD-YQP. This research may offer an integrative pharmacology strategy to clarify the pharmacological mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicines. The results provide a theoretical basis for a broader clinical application of XDD-YQP.

Evaluation of Zhilong Huoxue Tongyu capsule in the treatment of acute cerebral infarction: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Zhilong Huoxue Tongyu capsule (ZL) is a Chinese patent medicine and used for the treatment of acute cerebral infarction (ACI) and its clinical application has gradually been widely recognized in China. However, the effects of ZL for patients with ACI have never been systematically evaluated.

PURPOSE

A systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy of ZL in ACI.

STUDY DESIGN

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. The comprehensive literature search was accomplished in 6 electronic databases to find relevant randomized controlled trials from their inception until October 31, 2020. The Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions was used for methodological quality and independent evaluation. Review Manager 5.3 was used to analyze all the data obtained. The Clinical Effective Rate (CER) was the primary outcome, and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Score (NIHSS), Barthel Index (BI), and Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) were the secondary outcomes.

RESULTS

Seven clinical studies recruiting 571 eligible patients were included in this meta-analysis. The results of meta-analysis suggested that compared with conventional treatment alone, ZL combined with conventional treatment significantly improved CER (RR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.12-1.29, p < 0.00001), decrease National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale Score (NIHSS) (MD = -2.60, 95% CI: -3.41-1.79, p < 0.00001), Barthel Index (BI) (MD = -9.75, 95% CI: 7.15-12.36, p < 0.00001) and Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) (MD = -0.57, 95% CI: -0.84-0.30, p < 0.00001). There were no reported adverse events in the studies. Most results were robust and the quality of evidence was from moderate to low.

CONCLUSION

ZL combined with conventional treatment can improve the short-term outcomes of ACI patients, indicating ZL is a promising treatment choice for ACI and may be used as adjunctive treatment to the conventional treatment of ACI. However, due to the limitations of included clinical trials, high-quality clinical trials with longer follow-ups are still needed to further assess the effectiveness and safety of ZL for ACI patients.

Synergistic Effects of Erzhi Pill Combined With Methotrexate on Osteoblasts Mediated via the Wnt1/LRP5/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway in Collagen-Induced Arthritis Rats

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease characterized by chronic synovitis, bone erosion, and bone loss. Erzhi Pill (EZP), a classic Chinese patent medicine, is often used to treat osteoporosis and shows a capacity for bone metabolism regulation. Methotrexate (MTX), an essential drug for RA treatment, has been reported to inhibit generalized bone loss in RA patients. However, the combined therapeutic effects and mechanism of EZP and MTX in RA have not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the synergistic effect of EZP and MTX on RA and to explore the underlying mechanism through network pharmacological prediction and experimental verification. Chemical compounds of EZP, human target proteins of EZP and MTX, and RA-related human genes were identified in the Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine database, PubChem database, and NCBI database, respectively. The molecular network of EZP and MTX in RA was generated and analyzed with Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software according to the datasets. Then, MTX monotherapy, EZP monotherapy, and combined MTX and EZP therapy were administered to collagen-induced arthritis rats, followed by assessment of pathological score, bone damage, bone alkaline phosphatases (BALP), and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRACP), and of gene levels related to the Wnt1/LRP5/β-catenin pathway according to network pharmacological analysis. Finally, serum samples from MTX-, EZP- and MTX+EZP-treated rats were used to treat the rat osteoblast (OB)-like UMR-106 cell line to evaluate gene levels related to Wnt1/LRP5/β-catenin. Network pharmacological analysis showed that the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway was the top signaling pathway shared among MTX, EZP, and RA. The results from in vivo experiments indicated that EZP combined with MTX reduced arthritis severity, alleviated ankle bone damage, increased BALP and decreased TRACP serum levels, and regulated the mRNA expression of Wnt1, LRP5, β-catenin, Runx2, BALP, and BGP in the ankles. In vitro experiments showed that EZP combined with MTX could also improve the expression of genes related to the Wnt1/LRP5/β-catenin pathway. This study demonstrated that EZP in combination with MTX played a synergistic role in regulating OBs in RA, which was connected to the modulatory effect of EZP and MTX on the Wnt1/LRP5/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Systems Pharmacology-Based Approach to Comparatively Study the Independent and Synergistic Mechanisms of Danhong Injection and Naoxintong Capsule in Ischemic Stroke Treatment

To provide evidence for the better clinical use of traditional Chinese medicine preparations (TCMPs), comparison of the pharmacological mechanisms between TCMPs with similar therapeutic effect is necessary. However, methodology for dealing with this issue is still scarce. Danhong injection (DHI) and Naoxintong capsule (NXT) are representative TCMPs for ischemic stroke (IS) treatment, which are also frequently used in combination. Here they were employed as research objects to demonstrate the feasibility of systems pharmacology approach in elucidation of the independent and combined effect of TCMPs. By incorporating chemical screening, target prediction, and network construction, a feasible systems pharmacology model has been established to systematically uncover the underlying action mechanisms of DHI, NXT, or their pair in IS treatment. Systematic analysis of the created TCMP-Compound-Target-Disease network revealed that DHI and NXT shared common targets such as PTGS2, F2, ADRB1, IL6, ALDH2, and CCL2, which were involved in the vasomotor system regulation, blood-brain barrier disruption, redox imbalance, neurotrophin activity, and brain inflammation. In comparative mechanism study, the merged DHI/NXT-IS PPI network and pathway enrichment analysis indicated that DHI and NXT exerted the therapeutic effects mainly through immune system and VEGF signaling pathways. Meanwhile, they had their own unique pathways, e.g., calcium signaling pathway for DHI and gap junction for NXT. While for their synergistic mechanism, DHI and NXT participated in chemokine signaling pathway, T cell receptor signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway, gap junction, and so on. Our study provided an optimized strategy for dissecting the different and combined effect of TCMPs with similar actions.

Integrating Strategies of Herbal Metabolomics, Network Pharmacology, and Experiment Validation to Investigate Frankincense Processing Effects

In-depth research on processing can promote the globalization of processed herbs. The purpose of this study is to propose an improved strategy for processing effect investigation. Frankincense and processed frankincense were used as research subjects. First, high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) and preparation high-performance liquid chromatography (PHPLC) techniques were used for major compounds isolation and minor compounds concentration. Processed frankincense was subjected to two stepwise solvent systems, namely, n-hexane:ethanol:water (6:5:1) and n-hexane:methyl-acetate:acetonitrile:water (4:4:3:4), to yield 12 fractions, and 18 compounds were further separated. Second, a comprehensive metabolomic analysis conducted by ultrahigh-performance liquid-chromatography/electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Qtof-MS) coupled with multivariate statistics was performed to fully characterize the chemical components and discover the potential biomarkers between frankincense and processed frankincense. In total, 81 metabolites, including the 18 separated compounds, were selected as potential biomarkers between frankincense and processed frankincense among 153 detected compounds for their VIP values of greater than one. The tirucallane-type compounds and components with 9,11-dehydro structures clearly occurred at high levels in the processed frankincense, while lupine-type compounds and those with 11-keto structures were significantly higher in frankincense. Then, a network pharmacology model was constructed to decipher the potential mechanisms of processing. Intestinal absorption properties prediction indicated the possibility of processing-related absorption enhancement. A systematic analysis of the constructed networks showed that the C-T network was constructed with 18 potential biomarkers and 69 targets. TNF and IL-1β were among the top-ranked and were linked by 8 and 7 pathways, which were mainly involved in inflammation. The arachidonic acid metabolism pathway exhibited the highest number of target connections. Finally, the prediction was validated experimentally by an intestinal permeability and efficacy assay. The experiments provided convincing evidence that processed frankincense harbored stronger inhibition effects toward TNF-α-, IL-1β- and arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation. The processing procedure leads to changes of the chemical metabolites, which triggers the enhancement of absorption and cure efficiency. The global change of the metabolites, absorption and pharmacological effects of processing were depicted in a systematic manner.

System Pharmacology-Based Strategy to Decode the Synergistic Mechanism of Zhi-zhu Wan for Functional Dyspepsia

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a widely prevalent gastrointestinal disorder throughout the world, whereas the efficacy of current treatment in the Western countries is limited. As the symptom is equivalent to the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) term "stuffiness and fullness," FD can be treated with Zhi-zhu Wan (ZZW) which is a kind of Chinese patent medicine. However, the "multi-component" and "multi-target" feature of Chinese patent medicine makes it challenge to elucidate the potential therapeutic mechanisms of ZZW on FD. Presently, a novel system pharmacology model including pharmacokinetic parameters, pharmacological data, and component contribution score (CS) is constructed to decipher the potential therapeutic mechanism of ZZW on FD. Finally, 61 components with favorable pharmacokinetic profiles and biological activities were obtained through ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion) screening in silico. The related targets of these components are identified by component targeting process followed by GO analysis and pathway enrichment analysis. And systematic analysis found that through acting on the target related to inflammation, gastrointestinal peristalsis, and mental disorder, ZZW plays a synergistic and complementary effect on FD at the pathway level. Furthermore, the component CS showed that 29 components contributed 90.18% of the total CS values of ZZW for the FD treatment, which suggested that the effective therapeutic effects of ZZW for FD are derived from all active components, not a few components. This study proposes the system pharmacology method and discovers the potent combination therapeutic mechanisms of ZZW for FD. This strategy will provide a reference method for other TCM mechanism research.

Network pharmacology exploration reveals endothelial inflammation as a common mechanism for stroke and coronary artery disease treatment of Danhong injection

Although Danhong injection (DHI) is the most widely prescribed Chinese medicine for both stroke and coronary artery disease (CAD), its underlying common molecular mechanisms remain unclear. An integrated network pharmacology and experimental verification approach was used to decipher common pharmacological mechanisms of DHI on stroke and CAD treatment. A compound-target-disease & function-pathway network was constructed and analyzed, indicating that 37 ingredients derived from DH (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bge., Flos Carthami tinctorii and DHI) modulated 68 common targets shared by stroke and CAD. In-depth network analysis results of the top diseases, functions, pathways and upstream regulators implied that a common underlying mechanism linking DHI’s role in stroke and CAD treatment was inflammatory response in the process of atherosclerosis. Experimentally, DHI exerted comprehensive anti-inflammatory effects on LPS, ox-LDL or cholesterol crystal-induced NF-κB, c-jun and p38 activation, as well as IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-10 secretion in vascular endothelial cells. Ten of 14 predicted ingredients were verified to have significant anti-inflammatory activities on LPS-induced endothelial inflammation. DHI exerts pharmacological efficacies on both stroke and CAD through multi-ingredient, multi-target, multi-function and multi-pathway mode. Anti-endothelial inflammation therapy serves as a common underlying mechanism. This study provides a new understanding of DHI in clinical application on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

A network pharmacology-based strategy deciphers the underlying molecular mechanisms of Qixuehe Capsule in the treatment of menstrual disorders

BACKGROUND

QiXueHe Capsule (QXHC) is a Chinese patent drug that is extensively used for the treatment of menstrual disorders. However, its underlying pharmacological mechanisms have not been fully elucidated.

METHODS

A list of QXHC putative targets were predicted using MetaDrug. An interaction network using links between QXHC putative targets and the known therapeutic targets of menstrual disorders was constructed. QXHC candidate targets were also identified via calculating the topological feature values of nodes in the network. Additionally, molecular docking simulation was performed to determine the binding efficiency of QXHC compound-putative target pairs.

RESULTS

A total of 1022 putative targets were predicted for 311 chemical components containing in QXHC. Following the calculation of topological features of QXHC putative target-known therapeutic target of menstrual disorder network, 66 QXHC candidate targets for the treatment of menstrual disorders were identified. Functionally, QXHC candidate targets were significantly associated with several biological pathways, such as VEGF and Chemokine signaling pathways, Alanine/aspartate/glutamate metabolism, Long-term depression and T/B cell receptor signaling pathway. Moreover, molecular docking simulation demonstrated that there were 20 pairs of QXHC chemical component-candidate target had the strong binding free energy.

CONCLUSIONS

This novel and scientific network pharmacology-based study holistically deciphers that the pharmacological mechanisms of QXHC in the treatment of menstrual disorders may be associated with its involvement into hemopoiesis, analgesia, nutrients absorption and metabolism, mood regulation, as well as immune modulation.

Optimization of Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Decoction for Ischemic Stroke Treatment and Mechanistic Study by Metabolomic Profiling and Network Analysis

Optimal drug proportions and mechanism deciphering of multicomponent drugs are critical for developing novel therapies to cope with complex diseases, such as stroke. In the present study, orthogonal experimental design was applied to explore the optimal proportion of the four component herbs in Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Decoction (HLJDD) on the treatment of ischemic stroke. The treatment efficacies and mechanisms were assessed using global and amino acids (AAs) targeted metabolomics, as well as correlation network analysis. The global NMR metabolomics results revealed that AAs metabolism was significantly perturbed in middle cerebral artery occlusion rats. The levels of 23 endogenous AAs were then subjected to HPLC-QTOF-MS/MS analysis. These results complemented with neurobehavioral evaluations, cerebral infarct assessments, biochemical evaluations, histological inspections and immunohistochemistry observations strongly demonstrated that HLJDD with optimal proportion of 6 (Rhizoma coptidis): 4 (Radix scutellariae): 1 (Cortex phellodendr): 3 (Fructus Gardeniae) had the best efficacy on ischemic stroke, which could be ascribed to its modulation on AA metabolism. This integrated metabolomics approach showed the potential and applicable in deciphering the complex mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine formulae on the treatment of complicated diseases, which provided new means to assess the treatment effects of herb combinations and to further development of drugs or therapies based on these formulae.

Network pharmacology-based identification of key pharmacological pathways of Yin-Huang-Qing-Fei capsule acting on chronic bronchitis

For decades in China, the Yin-Huang-Qing-Fei capsule (YHQFC) has been widely used in the treatment of chronic bronchitis, with good curative effects. Owing to the complexity of traditional Chinese herbal formulas, the pharmacological mechanism of YHQFC remains unclear. To address this problem, a network pharmacology-based strategy was proposed in this study. At first, the putative target profile of YHQFC was predicted using MedChem Studio, based on structural and functional similarities of all available YHQFC components to the known drugs obtained from the DrugBank database. Then, an interaction network was constructed using links between putative YHQFC targets and known therapeutic targets of chronic bronchitis. Following the calculation of four topological features (degree, betweenness, closeness, and coreness) of each node in the network, 475 major putative targets of YHQFC and their topological importance were identified. In addition, a pathway enrichment analysis based on the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway database indicated that the major putative targets of YHQFC are significantly associated with various pathways involved in anti-inflammation processes, immune responses, and pathological changes caused by asthma. More interestingly, eight major putative targets of YHQFC (interleukin [IL]-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, IL-13, FCER1G, CCL11, and EPX) were demonstrated to be associated with the inflammatory process that occurs during the progression of asthma. Finally, a molecular docking simulation was performed and the results exhibited that 17 pairs of chemical components and candidate YHQFC targets involved in asthma pathway had strong binding efficiencies. In conclusion, this network pharmacology-based investigation revealed that YHQFC may attenuate the inflammatory reaction of chronic bronchitis by regulating its candidate targets, which may be implicated in the major pathological processes of the asthma pathway.

Effect of puerarin on transcriptome of astrocyte during oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation injury

Stroke is a serious disease with complex pathomechanism and limited therapeutic effect in clinic. Our previous research has found obvious therapeutic effect of Puerarin (Pur) on stroke injury of rat. The aim of this study is to investigate the transcriptome changes of oxygen-glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R)-injured astrocytes before and after the intervention of Pur. Cells activity and apoptosis detection indicated that the activity of OGD/R-injured astrocytes was improved, and the apoptosis was ameliorated by Pur. Affymetrix GeneChip Rat Genome 230 2.0 Array assays indicated that after intervention of Pur, mRNA expressions of 31 genes were up-regulated and 40 genes were down-regulated in OGD group, whereas mRNA expression of 36 genes were up-regulated, and 88 genes were down-regulated in OGD/R group. Pathway analysis indicated that the olfactory transduction pathway and the JAK (janus kinase) 2/STAT (signal transducer and activator of transcription) three pathways were down-regulated by Pur during OGD/R injury of astrocytes. These data indicated that Pur regulates transcriptome and expresses protective effect on astrocytes during OGD/R injury, and may be a potential therapeutic agent for the treatment of stroke.