A New Strategy for Deleting Animal drugs from Traditional Chinese Medicines based on Modified Yimusake Formula

Multi-level advances in databases related to systems pharmacology in traditional Chinese medicine: a 60-year review

The therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) involve intricate interactions among multiple components and targets. Currently, computational approaches play a pivotal role in simulating various pharmacological processes of TCM. The application of network analysis in TCM research has provided an effective means to explain the pharmacological mechanisms underlying the actions of herbs or formulas through the lens of biological network analysis. Along with the advances of network analysis, computational science has coalesced around the core chain of TCM research: formula-herb-component-target-phenotype-ZHENG, facilitating the accumulation and organization of the extensive TCM-related data and the establishment of relevant databases. Nonetheless, recent years have witnessed a tendency toward homogeneity in the development and application of these databases. Advancements in computational technologies, including deep learning and foundation model, have propelled the exploration and modeling of intricate systems into a new phase, potentially heralding a new era. This review aims to delves into the progress made in databases related to six key entities: formula, herb, component, target, phenotype, and ZHENG. Systematically discussions on the commonalities and disparities among various database types were presented. In addition, the review raised the issue of research bottleneck in TCM computational pharmacology and envisions the forthcoming directions of computational research within the realm of TCM.

Systems Pharmacology and Pharmacokinetics Strategy to Decode Bioactive Ingredients and Molecular Mechanisms from Zingiber officinale as Phyto-therapeutics against Neurological Diseases

BACKGROUND

The bioactive constituents from Zingiber officinale (Z. officinale) have shown a positive effect on neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD), which manifests as progressive memory loss and cognitive impairment.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigates the binding ability and the pharmaco-therapeutic potential of Z. officinale with AD disease targets by molecular docking and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation approaches.

METHODS

By coupling enormous available phytochemical data and advanced computational technologies, the possible molecular mechanism of action of these bioactive compounds was deciphered by evaluating phytochemicals, target fishing, and network biological analysis.

RESULTS

As a result, 175 bioactive compounds and 264 human target proteins were identified. The gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis and molecular docking were used to predict the basis of vital bioactive compounds and biomolecular mechanisms involved in the treatment of AD. Amongst selected bioactive compounds, 10- Gingerdione and 1-dehydro-[8]-gingerdione exhibited significant anti-neurological properties against AD targeting amyloid precursor protein with docking energy of -6.0 and -5.6, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests that 10-Gingerdione and 1-dehydro-[8]-gingerdione strongly modulates the anti-neurological activity and are associated with pathological features like amyloid-β plaques and hyperphosphorylated tau protein are found to be critically regulated by these two target proteins. This comprehensive analysis provides a clue for further investigation of these natural compounds' inhibitory activity in drug discovery for AD treatment.

Molecular Mechanism of Tetramethylpyrazine Ameliorating Neuroexcitotoxicity through Activating the PKA/CREB Signaling Pathway

Background

Excitotoxicity plays a key role in nervous system disease and can trigger a critical cascade of reaction which affects cell viability and promotes neuronal death. Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) reveals its effect in the treatment of neurovascular diseases by antiapoptosis. Recently, there were several studies that demonstrated that the PKA/CREB signaling pathway played a role in neural disease because of excitotoxicity, such as stroke, AD, and Parkinson's disease. In this study, we wanted to focus on the protective effect of tetramethylpyrazine against excitotoxicity through the PKA/CREB signaling pathway.

Methods

In order to verify whether tetramethylpyrazine can attenuate excitotoxicity through the PKA/CREB signaling pathway, we first used molecular docking technology to predict the combinational strength and mode of tetramethylpyrazine with the proteins in the PKA/CREB signaling pathway. Then, we determined the optimal concentration and time according to the model effect of glutamate (Glu) with different concentration gradients and action times in PC12 cells. After the determination of concentration and time of glutamate in the previous step as the model way, tetramethylpyrazine was added to determine its influence on the cell viability under different doses and times. The TUNEL assay and flow cytometry were used to detect apoptosis. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression of Bcl-2, Bax, PKA, and 5CREB genes, and Western blot was used to detect the expression of these factors.

Result

Tetramethylpyrazine had a good docking score (-5.312) with PKA and had a moderately docking score (-3.838) with CREB. The CCK-8 cell activity assay showed that the activity of PC12 cells decreased gradually with the increase in glutamate concentration and time, and PC12 cells were treated with 10 mM/L glutamate (the half of the inhibitory concentration (IC50)) for 12 hours. Then, the cell viability increased gradually following the increased concentration of tetramethylpyrazine. When PC12 cells were treated with 0.1 mM/L tetramethylpyrazine, the cell viability was increased significantly compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The TUNEL assay and flow cytometry also showed that tetramethylpyrazine could decrease the apoptosis induced by glutamate. In the result of RT-PCR, the transcriptional levels of Bcl-2, PKA, and CREB were increased and Bax was decreased. Meanwhile, Western blot showed that expression levels of Bcl-2, PKA, CREB, and p-CREB were increased and Bax was decreased.

Conclusions

This study provided evidence that tetramethylpyrazine can protect against apoptosis caused by neuroexcitotoxicity and the protective mechanism is closely related to the activation of the PKA/CREB signaling pathway.

Novel α-Mangostin Derivatives from Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) Peel Extract with Antioxidant and Anticancer Potential

The mangosteen peels contain biologically active compounds, with antioxidant and anticancer properties. Among these isolated phytochemicals, α-mangostin is one of the most powerful natural antioxidants and anticancer compounds. This study focused on synthesizing novel α-mangostin (α-MG) derivatives at positions of C-3 and C-6 from extracted α-MG of mangosteen peels and investigating antioxidant and anticancer activities. The structures of the synthesized compounds were determined by using MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, and HPLC. The analysis of the interaction between structure and bioactivity showed that phenol groups on C-3 and C-6 positions play a crucial role in antiproliferative activity to boost both anticancer efficacy and drug-like properties. The antioxidant activity of α-MG and its derivatives were investigated by the DPPH method. Among α-MG derivatives, 1-hydroxy-7-methoxy-2,8-bis(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)-9-oxo-9H-xanthene-3,6-diyl bis(2-bromobenzoate) (compound 4) exhibited significant antioxidant property. The in vitro cytotoxicity against various cancer cell lines (HeLa, MCF-7, NCI–H460, and HepG2) was evaluated by the standard sulforhodamine B assay. The anticancer activities (HeLa, MCF-7, NCI–H460, and HepG2) of compound 4 are five to six times higher than those of α-MG and other derivatives. The acetylation at C-3 and C-6 of α-MG by halogen of benzoyl greatly improved cancer cell toxicity. Our results provide new opportunities for further explorations of α-MG derivatives for antioxidant property and promise as drugs in cancer therapy.

Anti-perimenopausal osteoporosis effects of Erzhi formula via regulation of bone resorption through osteoclast differentiation: A network pharmacology-integrated experimental study

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Erzhi formula (EZF) consists of Ecliptae herba (EH) and Fructus Ligustri Lucidi (FLL) at a ratio 1:1, and constitutes a well-known formula in China that is commonly used for treating menopausal diseases.

AIM OF THE STUDY

In this study, we explored the pharmacologic actions and potential molecular mechanisms underlying EZF's action in preventing and treating osteoporosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The active components and related targets of EZF's anti-osteoporotic effects were predicted by network pharmacology, and functional enrichment analysis was also performed. We then used an osteoporosis model of ovariectomized (OVX) mice to detect the effects of EZF on osteoporosis.

RESULTS

The results from network pharmacology identified a total of 10 active ingredients from EH and 13 active ingredients from FLL that might affect 65 potential therapeutic targets. GO enrichment analysis revealed that EZF affected bone tissue primarily via hormone (particularly estradiol)-related pathways and bone resorption by osteoclast differentiation. KEGG analysis demonstrated that bone-related factors such as Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), Ca2, estrogen receptor1 (ESR1), androgen receptors (AR), and TNFα served as the primary targets during osteoclastic differentiation. In vivo experiments showed that the formula significantly improved the diminution in estrogen and the subsequent uterine atrophy induced by ovariectomy (P < 0.01 or 0.05), implying that the EZF exerted its actions via regulation of estradiol and the nourishing effects of the uterus in OVX mice. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and micro-CT showed that EZF significantly inhibited bone loss and improved bone micro-architecture by statistically increasing the number of bone trabeculae and decreasing the separation of bone trabeculae in OVX mice (P < 0.01 or 0.05); EZF also inhibited bone loss and enhanced bone-fracture load. Furthermore, we confirmed that EZF reduced the calcium concentrations, augmented protein and mRNA levels for Runx2 in the bone marrow, and reduced PPARγ levels. RANKL-a key downstream regulatory protein of many targets that was referred to in our results of network pharmacology as being involved in the regulation of osteoclastogenesis-was significantly diminished by EZF; it also elevated OPG content. In addition, we used monocytes of bone-marrow origin to detect the effects of the potential components of EZF on osteoclast differentiation and found that wedelolactone, oleanolic acid, echinocystic acid, luteolin, and luteolin-7-o-glucoside significantly inhibited osteoclast differentiation from monocytes induced by 25 ng/mL MCSF and 50 ng/mL RANKL (P < 0.01 or 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Our present study indicated that EZF significantly inhibited the bone loss induced by OVX in mice by its regulation of estradiol combined with the nourishing effect of the uterus, and that it also attenuated bone resorption by decreasing the RANKL/OPG ratio so as to inhibit osteoclast maturation.

Study on evaluation of toxicology and quality control of Yimusake tablet

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The Yimusake tablet (YMSK-T) is a type of Xinjiang Uygur Medicine, which affects curing diseases of impotence and premature ejaculation. It has remarkable pharmacological effects that mainly involve improving the number and shape of smooth muscle cells in the corpus cavernosum and enhancing the relaxation and contraction function of corpus cavernosum smooth muscle.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The YMSK-T prescription, which consists of 11 traditional herbs, has significant pharmacological effects, however the evaluation of toxicology and quality control of the preparation has not yet been reported. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the toxicology and quality control of YMSK-T to ensure its safety and effectiveness in clinical applications.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Male rats were divided into three groups and were given continuous gavage administration of high, medium and low concentrations of YMSK-T. To determine hematopoietic parameters, orbital blood was collected at regular intervals. At termination of the experiment, rats were dissected for histopathological examination. According to the function of the prescription medicinal materials, seven active components were selected for content determination under the same chromatographic condition of using 0.2% aqueous phosphoric acid (solvent A) and acetonitrile (solvent B) with a 40 min post time: 0-13 min, 20% →30% B; 13-26 min, 30% →72% B; 26-38 min, 72% →92% B; 38-40 min, 92% →96% B. The column was maintained at 25 °C and the total sample injection was 10 μL.

RESULTS

Our data showed that using a large dose (400X the dosage used in humans) of YMSK-T resulted in myocardium and liver damage, and eventually death of the rats. At sub-chronic toxicity, no significant differences were observed among indexes about relative organ weight, hematology, serum biochemistry and histopathological examination, and rats behaved normally. Our results also demonstrated that the YMSK-T dosage used was not toxic in the normal range. The linearity of each component was sufficient (correlation coefficients>0.9997). Moreover, the relative standard deviations of precision, repeatability, stability, and recovery were less than 2.0%, which showed that the method for determination of content was stable and reliable.

CONCLUSIONS

YMSK-T has been found to be relatively safe in a rat model, and the method of content determination can be used for quality control of YMSK-T. Toxicology and quality control studies indicated that, the drug is safe and effective for clinical application.

Prediction of Targets of Curculigoside A in Osteoporosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis Using Network Pharmacology and Experimental Verification

Purpose

Network pharmacology is considered to be the next-generation drug development model that uses bioinformatics to predict and identify multiple drug targets and interactions in diseases. Here, network pharmacology was used to investigate the mechanism by which Curculigoside A (CA) acts in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoporosis.

Methods

First, TCMSP and SwissADME were applied to predict the druggability of CA. Then, potential targets were identified from overlapping data in SwissTarget and TargetNet, and targets were analyzed using Genemania and DAVID6.8 to obtain information about the GO and KEGG pathways. Ultimately, the drug-target-pathway network was identified after using Cytoscape 3.0 for visualization. Besides, qPCR was used to validate the predicted five major genes targets (EGFR, MAP2K1, MMP2, FGFR1, and MCL1).

Results

The results of TCMSP and SwissADME demonstrated that CA exhibits good druggability; 26 potential protein targets were classified by SwissTarget and TargetNet. The results of Genemania and DAVID6.8 indicated that CA probably caused anti-osteoporosis and anti-RA effects by regulating some biological pathways, especially nitrogen metabolism, estrogen signaling pathway, Rap1 signaling pathway, and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Besides, the result of Cytoscape 3.0 showed that the 26 targets participate in osteoporosis and RA-related pathways, metabolism, and other physiological processes. In vitro induced inflammation cell model experiments, the qPCR results showed that CA pretreatment significantly decreased the expression of EGFR, MAP2K1, MMP2, FGFR1, and MCL1 genes.

Conclusion

These results suggested that network pharmacology may provide possible mechanism of how CA exerts therapeutic effects in osteoporosis and RA.

A critical examination of the main premises of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) consists of a plethora of therapeutic approaches aiming to both characterize and treat diseases. Its utilization has gained significant popularity in the western world and is even backed by the World Health Organization's decision to include TCM diagnostic patterns into the new revision of the International Classification of Diseases code, the global standard for diagnostic health information. As these developments and potentially far-reaching decisions can affect modern healthcare systems and daily clinical work as well as wildlife conservation, its underlying factual basis must be critically examined. This article therefore provides an overview of the evidence underlying the basic TCM concepts, such as Qi, meridians, acupuncture, pulse and tongue diagnostics as well as traditional herbal treatments. Moreover, it discusses whether scientific literature on TCM reflects the current standard for evidence-based research, as described in good scientific practice and good clinical practice guidelines. Importantly, misinformation regarding the therapeutic efficacy of animal-derived substances has lead and currently leads to problems with wildlife preservation and animal ethics. Nevertheless, the (re-)discovery of artemisinin more than 50 years ago introduced a novel development in TCM: the commingling of Eastern and Western medicine, the appreciation of both systems. The need for more rigorous approaches, fulfilment of and agreement to current guidelines to achieve high-quality research are of utmost relevance. Thereby, ancient knowledge of herbal species and concoctions may serve as a possible treasure box rather than Pandora's box.

Systems Pharmacology-Based Strategy to Investigate Pharmacological Mechanisms of Radix Puerariae for Treatment of Hypertension

Hypertension is a clinical cardiovascular syndrome characterized by elevated systemic arterial pressure with or without multiple cardiovascular risk factors. Radix Pueraria (RP) has the effects of anti-myocardial ischemia, anti-arrhythmia, vasodilatation, blood pressure reduction, anti-inflammation, and attenuating insulin resistance. Although RP can be effective for the treatment of hypertension, its active compounds, drug targets, and exact molecular mechanism are still unclear. In this study, systems pharmacology was used to analyze the active compounds, drug target genes, and key pathways of RP in the treatment of hypertension. Thirteen active compounds and related information on RP were obtained from the TCMSP database, and 140 overlapping genes related to hypertension and drugs were obtained from the GeneCards and OMIM databases. A PPI network and a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) comprehensive network (Drug-Compounds-Genes-Disease network) were constructed, and 2,246 GO terms and 157 pathways were obtained by GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Some important active compounds and targets were evaluated by in vitro experiments. This study shows that RP probably acts by influencing the proliferation module, apoptosis module, inflammation module, and others when treating hypertension. This study provides novel insights for researchers to systematically explore the mechanism of action of TCM.

Network Pharmacology-Based Strategy to Investigate the Pharmacologic Mechanisms of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. for the Treatment of Chronic Gastritis

Chronic gastritis (CG) is an inflammatory disease. Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz (AMK) is employed in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to treat various disorders. AMK can be efficacious against CG, but the active ingredients, drug targets, and its exact molecular mechanism are not known. We employed network pharmacology to analyze the active ingredients, drug targets, and key pathways of AMK in CG treatment. Seventy-seven AMK candidate ingredients were selected from four databases, and 27 active ingredients were selected for CG treatment. Twenty-five overlapping gene symbols related to CG and drugs were obtained from GeneCards and OMIM databases. A protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and TCM comprehensive network (Drug–Ingredients–Gene symbols–Disease network) were constructed, and 528 Gene Ontology (GO) terms and 26 pathways were obtained by analyses of enrichment of GO pathways and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. We suggest that the interleukin-17 signaling pathway, C-type lectin receptor signaling pathway, tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway, and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications might serve as the key points and principal pathways for CG treatment. We also evaluated the reliability of some important active ingredients and targets by in vitro experiments. We showed that AMK probably influences the inflammatory response, amino acid synthesis, and energy metabolism when treating CG. This study provides novel insights for researchers to explore the mechanism of action of TCM systematically.

Therapeutic Effect of Ecdysterone Combine Paeonol Oral Cavity Direct Administered on Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis in Rats

Radiation-induced oral mucositis represents an influential factor in cancer patients’ accepted radiation therapy, especially in head and neck cancer. This research investigates the treatment effect of Ecdysterone (a steroid derived from the dry root of Achyranthes bidentate) and Paeonol (a compound derived from Cortex Moutan) on radiation-induced oral mucositis and possible underlying mechanisms. Concisely, 20 Gy of X-rays (single-dose) irradiated the cranial localization in rats for the modeling of oral mucositis. The therapeutic effects of Ecdysterone-Paeonol oral cavity directly administered on radiation-induced oral mucositis were investigated by weight changes, direct observations, visual scoring methods, ulcer area/total area, and basic recovery days. Assessments of tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin-6 were performed to evaluate the inflammatory cytokines secretion in the damaged areas of tongues harvested post-treatment, and changes in signaling pathways were investigated by Western blotting. System Drug Target (SysDT) methods revealed the targets of Ecdysterone-Paeonol in order to support compound-target network construction. Four representative targets with different functions were chosen. The binding interactions between the compound and receptor were evaluated by molecular docking to investigate the binding affinity of the ligand to their protein targets. Ecdysterone-Paeonol, administered orally, effectively improved radiation-induced oral mucositis in rats, and the therapeutic effect was better than Ecdysterone administered orally on its own. In this study, calculational chemistry revealed that Ecdysterone-Paeonol affected 19 function targets associated with radiation-induced oral mucositis, including apoptosis, proliferation, inflammation, and wound healing. These findings position Ecdysterone-Paeonol as a potential treatment candidate for oral mucositis acting on multiple targets in the clinic.

Literature data based systems pharmacology uncovers the essence of "body fire" in traditional Chinese medicine: A case by Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Tang

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY RELEVANCE

Like other concepts in traditional Chinese medical theory, "body fire", a concept that has already been well-known and widely used in describing the symptoms and the treatment of corresponding diseases, is, however, still under suspicions in the western medicine due to its vague essence and symptoms. Presently, Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Tang (HLJDT), a typical popular TCM formula in cleansing the "body fire", is studied as a probe by a systems pharmacology method we produced, with purpose to explore the mechanisms of the potion, as well as to interpret the essence of "body fire" disease.

METHODS

The systematic process includes a pharmacokinetics prescreening, pharmacodynamics targets and pathways identification, and candidate-target-pathway network construction.

RESULTS

Through this method, 145 chemicals and 91 proteins are identified as active ingredients and "body fire"-related targets. And we find that the mechanism of HLJDT prescription for cleansing "body fire" lies in three, i.e., anti-OS/NS, anti-inflammation and anti-infection function modules, which are mainly executed through four, i.e., PI3K-AKT, MAPK, VEGF as well as Calcium signaling pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

Accordingly, the essence of "body fire" is a gradual process which is an integration of OS/NS, inflammation and infection. This work, we hope, may not only offer a systemic methodology for exploring and elucidating TCM concepts from a multi-scale perspective, but also provide an efficient way for herbal drug discovery.

Systems Pharmacology Dissection of Multi-Scale Mechanisms of Action of Huo-Xiang-Zheng-Qi Formula for the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Diseases

Multi-components Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treats various complex diseases (multi-etiologies and multi-symptoms) via herbs interactions to exert curative efficacy with less adverse effects. However, the ancient Chinese compatibility theory of herbs formula still remains ambiguous. Presently, this combination principle is dissected through a systems pharmacology study on the mechanism of action of a representative TCM formula, Huo-xiang-zheng-qi (HXZQ) prescription, on the treatment of functional dyspepsia (FD), a chronic or recurrent clinical disorder of digestive system, as typical gastrointestinal (GI) diseases which burden human physical and mental health heavily and widely. In approach, a systems pharmacology platform which incorporates the pharmacokinetic and pharmaco-dynamics evaluation, target fishing and network pharmacological analyses is employed. As a result, 132 chemicals and 48 proteins are identified as active compounds and FD-related targets, and the mechanism of HXZQ formula for the treatment of GI diseases is based on its three function modules of anti-inflammation, immune protection and gastrointestinal motility regulation mainly through four, i.e., PIK-AKT, JAK-STAT, Toll-like as well as Calcium signaling pathways. In addition, HXZQ formula conforms to the ancient compatibility rule of "Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi" due to the different, while cooperative roles that herbs possess, specifically, the direct FD curative effects of GHX (serving as Jun drug), the anti-bacterial efficacy and major accompanying symptoms-reliving bioactivities of ZS and BZ (as Chen), the detoxication and ADME regulation capacities of GC (as Shi), as well as the minor symptoms-treating efficacy of the rest 7 herbs (as Zuo). This work not only provides an insight of the therapeutic mechanism of TCMs on treating GI diseases from a multi-scale perspective, but also may offer an efficient way for drug discovery and development from herbal medicine as complementary drugs.

Systems pharmacology approach to investigate the molecular mechanisms of herb Rhodiola rosea L. radix

Rhodiola rosea L. radix (RRL) is one of the most popular medical herb which has been widely used for the treatment of different diseases effectively, including cardiovascular diseases and nerve system diseases. However, due to the multiple compounds in RRL, the underlying molecular mechanisms of RRL are remained unclear. To decipher the action mechanisms of RRL from a systematic perspective, a systems pharmacology approach integrated absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) system, drug targeting, and network analysis was introduced. First, by the ADME screening system and the target fishing process, 56 potential active compounds and 62 targets were obtained, respectively. In addition, compound-target network demonstrated that most compounds interacted with multiple targets, indicating that RRL may enhance its therapeutic effects probably through hitting on multiple targets in a holistic level. Moreover, target-pathway network and gene ontology analysis showed that multiple targets of RRL were involved in several biological pathways, i.e. Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, calcium signaling pathway, adrenergic signaling in cardiomyocytes, and VEGF signaling pathway, which dissecting the therapeutic effects of RRL on various diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, depression, adaptation diseases, etc. In summary, this work successfully explains the potential active compounds and the multi-scale curative action mechanisms of RRL for treating various diseases; meanwhile, it implies that RRL could be applied as a novel therapeutic agent in arthritic diseases. Most importantly, this work provides an in silico strategy to understand the action mechanisms of herbal medicines from molecular/system levels, which will promote the new drug development of traditional Chinese medicine.

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.

Systems Pharmacology Dissection of Multiscale Mechanisms of Action for Herbal Medicines in Treating Rheumatoid Arthritis

As a chronic inflammatory and angiogenic disease with increased morbidity and mortality, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by the proliferation of synovial tissue and the accumulation of excessive mononuclear infiltration, which always results in the joint deformity, disability, and eventually the destruction of the bone and cartilage. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), with rich history of proper effectiveness in treating the inflammatory joint disease containing RA, has long combated such illness from, actually, an integrative and holistic point of view. However, its "multi-components" and "multi-targets" features make it very difficult to decipher the molecular mechanisms of RA from a systematic perspective if employing only routine methods. Presently, an innovative systems-pharmacology approach was introduced, which combined the ADME screening model, drug targeting, and network pharmacology, to explore the action mechanisms of botanic herbs for the treatment of RA. As a result, we uncovered 117 active compounds and 85 key molecular targets from seven RA-related herbs, which are mainly implicated in four signaling pathways, that is, vascular endothelial growth factor, PI3K-Akt, Toll-like receptor, and T-cell-receptor pathways. Additionally, the network relationships among the active components, target proteins, and pathways were further built to uncover the pharmacological characters of these herbs. Besides, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and molecular mechanics-Poisson-Boltzmann surface area calculations were carried out to explore the binding interactions between the compounds and their receptors as well as to investigate the binding affinity of the ligand to their protein targets. In vitro experiments by ligand binding assays validate the reliability of the drug-target interactions as well as the MD results. The high binding affinities and good inhibitions of the active compounds indicate that the potential therapeutic effects of these herbal medicines for treating RA are exerted probably through the modulation of these relevant proteins, which further validates the rationality and reliability of the drug-target interactions as well as our the network-based analytical methods. This work may be of help for not only understanding the action mechanisms of TCM and for discovering new drugs from plants for the treatment of RA, but also providing a novel potential method for modern medicine in treating complex diseases.