Drug target identification using network analysis: Taking active components in Sini decoction as an example

Exploring the mechanism of Icariin in the treatment of depression through BDNF-TrkB pathway based on network pharmacology

Depression has increasingly become a disease that seriously harms people's mental health around the world. Icariin is the main active component of Epimedii Herba and effective on protecting the central nervous system. The purpose of this study was to explore the mechanism of icariin against depression based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. The potential targets related to icariin and depression were obtained by accessing network databases. The Metascape database was used for the enrichment analysis of GO function and KEGG pathways. A common target-pathway network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.9.0 software. Schrödinger Maestro 12.8 was adopted to evaluate the binding ability of icariin to core targets. Mice were induced by the chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) model, and the prediction results of this study were verified by in vivo experiments. A total of 109 and 3294 targets were identified in icariin and depression, respectively. The common target-pathway network was constructed, and 7 core target genes were obtained. The molecular docking results of the 7 core target genes with icariin showed good affinity. In a CUMS-induced depression model, we found that icariin could effectively improve depression-like behavior of mice, increase the expression of monoamine neurotransmitters 5-hydroxytryptamine, dopamine, and norepinephrine, decrease the secretion of inflammatory factors tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6, and interleukin-1β, and upregulate the relative expression levels of BDNF, p-TrkB/TrkB, p-Akt/Akt, p-CREB/CREB, MAPK3, MAPK1, Bcl-2, EGFR, and mTOR. The results suggest that icariin has certain antidepressant effects, and may be mediated by the BDNF-TrkB signaling pathway. It provides new ideas for the treatment of depression in the future.

Computer-Aided Drug Discovery and Design: Recent Advances and Future Prospects

Computer-aided drug discovery and design involve the use of information technologies to identify and develop, on a rational ground, chemical compounds that align a set of desired physicochemical and biological properties. In its most common form, it involves the identification and/or modification of an active scaffold (or the combination of known active scaffolds), although de novo drug design from scratch is also possible. Traditionally, the drug discovery and design processes have focused on the molecular determinants of the interactions between drug candidates and their known or intended pharmacological target(s). Nevertheless, in modern times, drug discovery and design are conceived as a particularly complex multiparameter optimization task, due to the complicated, often conflicting, property requirements.This chapter provides an updated overview of in silico approaches for identifying active scaffolds and guiding the subsequent optimization process. Recent groundbreaking advances in the field have also analyzed the integration of state-of-the-art machine learning approaches in every step of the drug discovery process (from prediction of target structure to customized molecular docking scoring functions), integration of multilevel omics data, and the use of a diversity of computational approaches to assist target validation and assess plausible binding pockets.

Network pharmacology based anti-diabetic attributes of bioactive compounds from Ocimum gratissimum L. through computational approach

The present research was framed to determine the key compounds present in the plant Ocimum gratissimum L. targeting protein molecules of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) by employing In-silico approaches. Phytochemicals previously reported to be present in this herb were collated through literature survey and public phytochemical databases, and their probable targets were anticipated using BindingDB (p ≥ 0.7). STRING and KEGG pathway databases were employed for pathway enrichment analysis. Homology modelling was executed to elucidate the structures of therapeutic targets. Further, Phytocompounds from O. gratissimum were subjected for docking with four therapeutic targets of DM by using AutoDock vina through POAP pipeline implementation. 30 compounds were predicted to target 136 protein molecules including aldose reductase, DPP4, alpha-amylase, and alpha-glucosidase. Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, MAPK, PI3K-Akt, starch and insulin resistance were predicted to have potentially modulation by phytocompounds. Based on the phytocompound's binding score with the four targets of DM, Rutin scored the lowest binding energy (-11 kcal/mol) with Aldose reductase by forming 17 intermolecular interactions. In conclusion, based on the network and binding score, phytocompounds from O. gratissimum have a synergistic and considerable effect in the management of DM via multi-compound, multi-target, and multi-pathway mechanisms.

Analysis of Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking on Radix Pseudostellariae for Its Active Components on Gastric Cancer

Radix Pseudostellariae, a traditional Chinese medicine, functions in modulating human immunity and anti-tumor, but its pharmacological mechanism remained unclear. In this study, 8 active components and 91 targets of Radix Pseudostellariae were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database, and 225 genes related to gastric cancer (GC) were accessed from MalaCards. On the basis of these targets and GC-related genes, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was established. Random walk with restart (RWR) analysis was performed on the PPI network with the intersection of targets and GC-related genes as the seeds. The top 50 target genes with high affinity scores were obtained. The Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses showed that the enrichment of the top 50 genes was mostly presented in the cancer-related biological functions and signaling pathways, such as cellular response to oxidative stress, regulation of apoptotic signaling pathway, and P53 signaling pathway. A drug-component-target network was established, with the top 50 genes being used as key targets. Acacetin and luteolin were revealed to directly act on the core target TP53 in the network. Thus, SwissDock was used to simulate the molecular docking between TP53 protein and acacetin and luteolin. The results of docking simulation presented small estimated ΔG of two small molecules, which were suggested to be potential targets of TP53 protein. Subsequent cellular and molecular experiments confirmed this bioinformatics result. In conclusion, this study predicted the key anti-GC active components and corresponding targets of Radix Pseudostellariae through bioinformatics analysis. The findings underlie the anti-GC mechanism of Radix Pseudostellariae.

Research Progress on the Mechanism of Reducing Toxicity and Increasing the Efficacy of Sini Decoction Compatibility

Sini Decoction (SND) is the main prescription for treating Shaoyin disease in Zhang Zhongjing's Treatise on Typhoid Diseases in Han Dynasty. It is composed of Aconitum carmichaeli Debeaux, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch ex DC and Zingiber officinale Roscoe. It has the effects of warming middle-jiao to dispel cold and revive the yang for resuscitation. Nowadays, it is mainly used in diseases in cardiovascular system, nervous system, digestive system and so on. In this paper, the effect and mechanism of the compatibility of Aconitum carmichaelii, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch ex DC and Zingiber officinale Roscoe in SND were described. The results showed that SND performed remarkbly on strengthening heart, promoting blood circulation as well as inhibiting cardiomyocyte apoptosis, anti-inflammatory and anti-hypothyroidism. The toxic effect of Aconitum carmichaelii was relieved by the combination of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch ex DC and Zingiber officinale Roscoe. The mechanism of increasing efficiency and reducing toxicity after the compatibility of medicines in SND was discussed from the perspective of changes in biological effects and chemical compositions. In terms of biological effects, the mechanism of SND in treating heart failure, myocardial ischemia, myocardial hypertrophy and hypothyroidism and protecting cell injury were discussed. As to chemical composition changes, most studies have compared the changes of main components in Aconitum carmichaelii, Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch ex DC and Zingiber officinale Roscoe with the whole prescription, drug pair and single Decoction, which further confirmed the effect of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch ex DC on the detoxification of Aconitum carmichaelii and the significance of compatibility efficiency of SND. For the application of differently processed varieties of Aconitum carmichaelii in SND, the treatment of different diseases has siginificant tendencies and differences in the selections of Aconitum carmichaelii processed varieties. This paper will lay a foundation on clarifying the mechanism of drug compatibility of SND and in the future, provide a reference for the proper selection of differently processed products of Aconitum carmichaelii in SND in order to exert better effects in clinical pratices.

Interactions between Medical Plant-Derived Bioactive Compounds: Focus on Antimicrobial Combination Effects

It is accepted that the medicinal use of complex mixtures of plant-derived bioactive compounds is more effective than purified bioactive compounds due to beneficial combination interactions. However, synergy and antagonism are very difficult to study in a meticulous fashion since most established methods were designed to reduce the complexity of mixtures and identify single bioactive compounds. This study represents a critical review of the current scientific literature on the combined effects of plant-derived extracts/bioactive compounds. A particular emphasis is provided on the identification of antimicrobial synergistic or antagonistic combinations using recent metabolomics methods and elucidation of approaches identifying potential mechanisms that underlie their interactions. Proven examples of synergistic/antagonistic antimicrobial activity of bioactive compounds are also discussed. The focus is also put on the current challenges, difficulties, and problems that need to be overcome and future perspectives surrounding combination effects. The utilization of bioactive compounds from medicinal plant extracts as appropriate antimicrobials is important and needs to be facilitated by means of new metabolomics technologies to discover the most effective combinations among them. Understanding the nature of the interactions between medicinal plant-derived bioactive compounds will result in the development of new combination antimicrobial therapies.

Integrated Serum Pharmacochemistry, Metabolomics, and Network Pharmacology to Reveal the Material Basis and Mechanism of Danggui Shaoyao San in the Treatment of Primary Dysmenorrhea

Danggui Shaoyao San (DSS), a well-known formula, has been successfully applied in treating primary dysmenorrhea (PD) in China. However, its material basis and mechanism are still unrevealed. This current research aims to reveal the material basis and mechanism of DSS in treating PD by an integrative approach of serum pharmacochemistry, metabolomics, and network pharmacology. The results showed that DSS markedly relieved the physiological and pathological symptoms of PD as confirmed by the improvement of writhing behavior, inhibition of uterine edema, callback of clinical biochemical indexes, and metabolic profiles. Furthermore, a metabolomic analysis demonstrated that the therapeutic effect of DSS was attributed to the modulation of arachidonic acid metabolism, pentose and glucuronate interconversions, and phenylalanine metabolism. Meanwhile, 23 blood ingredients were identified after the oral administration of DSS. By analyzing the correlation coefficient of the identified biomarkers and blood components, active compounds closely associated with core metabolic pathways were extracted. Taking these active compounds as a basis, network pharmacology prediction was executed. It was found that active components of DSS including alisol B,23-acetate, chlorogenic acid, levistilide A, cianidanol, senkyunolide A, atractylenolide II, and sedanolide, were germane to steroid hormone biosynthesis, arachidonic acid metabolism, sphingolipid signaling pathway, etc. Interestingly, PTGS2 and PTGS1 related to the arachidonic acid metabolism may be pivotal targets of DSS. The current study proved that the integration of serum pharmacochemistry, metabolomics, and network pharmacology, was a powerful approach to investigate the material basis and the molecular mechanisms of DSS, and provided a solid basis for DSS application.

Pharmacokinetics, hepatic disposition, and heart tissue distribution of fourteen compounds in rat after oral administration of Qi-Li-Qiang-Xin capsule via ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry

In the present study, a specific and sensitive approach using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry was developed and validated for the quantitative analysis of fourteen constituents in rat plasma, liver and heart. The method was fully validated and successfully applied to pharmacokinetic, hepatic disposition and heart tissue distribution studies of fourteen compounds after the oral administration of Qi-Li-Qiang-Xin capsule. Ginsenoside Rb1, alisol A, astragaloside IV, and periplocymarin were found to be highly exposed in rat plasma, while toxic components such as hypaconitine, mesaconitine, and periplocin had low circulation levels in vivo. Moreover, sinapine thiocyanate, neoline, formononetin, calycosin, and alisol A exhibited significant liver first-pass effects. Notably, high levels of alisol A, periplocymarin, benzoylmesaconine, and benzoylhypaconine were observed in the heart. Based on high exposure and appropriate pharmacokinetic features in the systemic plasma and heart, astragaloside IV, ginsenoside Rb1, periplocymarin, benzoylmesaconine, benzoylhypaconine and alisol A can be considered as the main potentially effective components. Ultimately, the results provide relevant information for discovery of effective substances, as well as further anti-heart failure action mechanism investigations of Qi-Li-Qiang-Xin capsule. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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.

Network Pharmacology-Based Strategy to Identify the Pharmacological Mechanisms of Pulsatilla Decoction against Crohn's Disease

Purpose: To explore pharmacological mechanisms of Pulsatilla decoction (PD) against Crohn's disease (CD) via network pharmacology analysis followed by experimental validation. Methods: Public databases were searched to identify bioactive compounds and related targets of PD as well as related genes in patients with CD. Analyses using the drug-compound-target-disease network, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed to predict the core targets and pathways of PD against CD. Colon tissue resected from patients with CD and tissue samples from a mouse model of CD fibrosis treated with PD were assessed to verify the major targets of PD in CD predicted by network pharmacologic analysis. Results: A search of the targets of bioactive compounds in PD and targets in CD identified 134 intersection targets. The target HSP90AA1, which was common to the drug-compound-target-disease and PPI networks, was used to simulate molecular docking with the corresponding bioactive compound. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses showed that multiple targets in the antifibrotic pathway were enriched and could be experimentally validated in CD patients and in a mouse model of CD fibrosis. Assays of colon tissues from CD patients showed that intestinal fibrosis was greater in stenoses than in nonstenoses, with upregulation of p-AKT, AKT, p-mTOR, mTOR, p-ERK1/2, ERK1/2, p-PKC, and PKC targets. Treatment of CD fibrosis mice with PD reduced the degree of fibrosis, with downregulation of the p-AKT, AKT, p-mTOR, mTOR, p-ERK1/2, ERK1/2, and PKC targets. Conclusion: Network pharmacology analysis was able to predict bioactive compounds in PD and their potential targets in CD. Several of these targets were validated experimentally, providing insight into the pharmacological mechanisms underlying the biological activities of PD in patients with CD.

Lipophilic Constituents in Salvia miltiorrhiza Inhibit Activation of the Hepatic Stellate Cells by Suppressing the JAK1/STAT3 Signaling Pathway: A Network Pharmacology Study and Experimental Validation

Liver fibrosis is currently a global health challenge with no approved therapy, with the activation of hepatic stellate cells being a principal factor. Lipophilic constituents in Salvia miltiorrhiza (LS) have been reported to improve liver function and reduce the indicators of liver fibrosis for patients with chronic hepatitis B induced hepatic fibrosis. However, the pharmacological mechanisms of LS on liver fibrosis have not been clarified. In this study, 71 active compounds, 342 potential target proteins and 22 signaling pathways of LS were identified through a network pharmacology strategy. Through text mining and data analysis, the JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway was representatively selected for further experimental validation. We firstly confirmed the protective effect of LS on liver fibrosis in vivo by animal experiments. Hepatic stellate cells, which proliferated and displayed a fibroblast-like morphology similar to activated primary stellate cells, were applied to evaluate its underlying mechanisms. The results showed that LS could inhibit the cell viability, promote the cell apoptosis, decrease the expression of liver fibrosis markers, and downregulate the JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway. These results demonstrated that LS could exert anti-liver-fibrosis effects by inhibiting the activation of HSCs and regulating the JAK1/STAT3 signaling pathway, which is expected to benefit its clinical application.

Network Pharmacology-Based Analysis on the Action Mechanism of Oleanolic Acid to Alleviate Osteoporosis

Oleanolic acid (OA) is a triterpenoid commonly found in plants and has shown extensive pharmaceutical activities. This study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism of antiosteoporosis (OP) action of OA by utilizing the network pharmacology approach and molecular docking methods. First, the targets of OA were identified using the GeneCards, Stitch, and Swisstarget databases, and the targets related to OP were mined using the NCBI, Genecards, and DisGeNet databases. The overlapped targets of OA and OP were regarded as candidate targets, and the String database was used to obtain the protein-protein interactions among the targets. Then, Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) metabolic pathway enrichment pathways of the candidate targets were performed using the DAVID database. In addition, the top 16 targets in the protein interaction network were used for molecular docking. Finally, an animal model constructed using d-galactose-induced oxidative stress and a low-calcium diet with accelerated bone loss was used to verify the in vivo effects of OA on osteoporotic mice. A total of 42 candidate targets for OA to treat OP were obtained. According to the protein-protein interaction network, MAPK1 showed the highest connectivity with other proteins. Additionally, GO analysis identified the top 20 biological processes, 9 cellular components, and top 20 molecular functions. Moreover, the candidate targets were mainly involved in 13 signaling pathways such as TNF signaling pathway, insulin resistance, MAPK signaling pathway, apoptosis, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. Furthermore, molecular docking revealed that OA has a high degree of connections with 16 key proteins. In addition, the anti-OP effects of OA are further validated through the in vivo model. Altogether, our study elucidated the candidate targets for OA to alleviate OP, explored the protein-protein interactions and related signaling pathways of the targets, and validated the anti-OP effects of OA. It could provide a better understanding of the action mechanism in OA to treat OP.

Revealing the potential mechanism of Astragalus membranaceus improving prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma by combining transcriptomics and network pharmacology

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has special advantages in relieving HCC, while Astragalus membranaceus is commonly used in TCM treatment. However, its underlying mechanisms for treatment of HCC are unclear.

Methods

Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of Astragalus membranaceus treatment in HepG2 cells were identified, and Astragalus membranaceus-gene network was constructed. The hub genes were then obtained via protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Gene Ontology (GO), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were subsequently performed. Furthermore, prognosis genes related to HCC from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) was identified to explore the correlation between Astragalus membranaceus treatment and prognosis of HCC. Finally, Astragalus membranaceus-component-target network was established through SymMap.

Results

Twenty five DEGs (15 up-regulated and 10 down-regulated) of Astragalus membranaceus treatment in HepG2 cells were identified. Among the 25 genes, MT1F, MT1G, MT1X and HMOX1 may play essential roles. Astragalus membranaceus mainly affects the Mineral absorption pathway in HCC. A total of 256 genes (p < 0.01) related to prognosis of HCC were identified, and MT1G is a common gene between prognosis genes and DEGs. Furthermore, Astragalus membranaceus may directly down-regulate MT1G through daidzein to promote ferroptosis of HCC cells and improve prognosis for HCC.

Conclusion

Our study provided new understandings of the pharmacological mechanisms by which Astragalus membranaceus improves the prognosis of HCC, and showed that the combination of transcriptomics and network pharmacology is helpful to explore mechanisms of TCM and traditional medicines from other nations.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12906-021-03425-9.

The mechanisms of action of WeiChang'An Pill (WCAP) treat diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) using network pharmacology approach and in vivo studies

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

WeiChang'An Pill (WCAP) is used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to clinically treat diarrhoea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D); however, the underlying pharmacological mechanisms are unclear to date.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To explore the mechanism underlying the therapeutic action of WCAP in IBS-D using a network pharmacology approach and in vivo experiments.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The active compounds of WCAP were selected from the TCM Systems Pharmacology Database and TCM Integrated Database, and the potential targets were identified using the Swiss Target Prediction and Similarity Ensemble Approach (SEA) databases. The targets related to IBS-D were mined from the Therapeutic Target Database (TTD), National Center for Biotechnology Information Search database (NCBI), DrugBank database, and DisGeNET database. The intersecting protein-protein interactions (PPIs) of the drug-disease crossover genes were analysed, and the central PPI network was constructed using the String database, version 11.0, and Cytoscape version 3.7.2. Following Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses, the gene-pathway network was constructed for identifying the key target genes and pathways. Based on the results and existing evidence, it was selected the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signalling pathway for further validation using in vivo experiments.

RESULTS

A total of 872 targets were identified from the 77 active compounds in WCAP, which shared 78 targets that were predicted to be related to IBS-D. Twenty-one core targets were identified from the PPI network, which was constructed from the common targets. The results of enrichment analysis revealed that HRT2B, ADRA1A, ADRA1D, and CHRM2 could be the key targets of WCAP in IBS-D, and 11 signalling pathways, including the neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, calcium signalling, and cAMP signalling pathways, were identified as crucial for the therapeutic activity of WCAP in IBS-D. We also identified the possibility of several interactions and crosstalk between the different pathways. Subsequent molecular biology experiments revealed that the expression levels of cAMP, phospho-(Ser/Thr) protein kinase A substrates (p-PKA), 5-hydroxytryptamine, and proteins in the cAMP signalling pathway, including G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), adenylyl cyclase 5 (AC5), and cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB), were significantly upregulated in rat models of IBS-D following treatment with WCAP (P < 0.05). However, a reverse trend was observed in the expression of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) (P < 0.05), which could be attributed to the low-grade inflammation that occurs in IBS-D.

CONCLUSION

We demonstrated that WCAP may alleviate the symptoms of diarrhoea and visceral sensitivity in IBS-D by regulating the cAMP signalling pathway.

Network pharmacology-based identification of the key mechanism of quercetin acting on hemochromatosis

Hemochromatosis is an iron overload disease, which lacks nutritional intervention strategies. This study explored the protective effect of quercetin on hemochromatosis and its possible mechanism through network pharmacology. We used Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man to screen the disease targets of hemochromatosis, and further constructed a potential protein interaction network through STITCH. The above-mentioned targets revealed by Gene enrichment analysis have played a significant role in ferroptosis, mineral absorption, basal cell carcinoma, and related signal pathways. Besides, the drug likeness of quercetin obtained by Comparative Toxicogenomics Database was evaluated by Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology, and potential drug targets identified by PharmMapper and similar compounds identified by PubChem were selected for further research. Moreover, gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed the relationship between quercetin and glycosylation. Furthermore, we performed experiments to verify that the protective effect of quercetin on iron overload cells is to inhibit the production of reactive oxygen species, limit intracellular iron, and degrade glycosaminoglycans. Finally, iron-induced intracellular iron overload caused ferroptosis, and quercetin and fisetin were potential ferroptosis inhibitors. In conclusion, our study revealed the correlation between hemochromatosis and ferroptosis, provided the relationship between the target of quercetin and glycosylation, and verified that quercetin and its similar compounds interfere with iron overload related disease. Our research may provide novel insights for quercetin and its structurally similar compounds as a potential nutritional supplement for iron overload related diseases.

Chemical profile and potential mechanisms of Huo-Tan-Chu-Shi decoction in the treatment of coronary heart disease by UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS in combination with network pharmacology analysis and experimental verification

Huo-Tan-Chu-Shi Decoction (HTCSD), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription within Guangdong Provincial TCM Hospital (the largest TCM hospital in China), is used for effective clinical treatment of coronary heart disease (CHD) caused by phlegm-dampness syndrome with high incidence in the hot and humid climate of Lingnan region. However, its chemical components responsible for the therapeutic effects remain unclear, which restricts its application and further development. Hence, a detailed workflow, combing with UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS, network pharmacology analysis and experimental verification, was proposed and applied to characterize the chemical profile and potential mechanism of HTCSD against CHD. As a result, a total of 130 components from all six composed herbal medicines were characterized in a rapid and sensitive manner through UHPLC-Q/TOF-MS, of which 33 compounds were unambiguously confirmed with reference standards. Consequently, based on the integrated pharmacology network of "herbs-chemicals-targets-pathways-therapeutic effects", four chemicals (magnoflorine, menisperine, 13-hydroxyberberine, luteolin) with four CHD related targets (SRC, MAPK1, EGFR and AKT1) were considered as the key components and targets of HTCSD in the treatment of CHD. Furthermore, the effect of HTCSD was confirmed in animal experiments by enhancing the phosphorylation of MAPK, and the published literature and molecular binding results suggested that magnoflorine and luteolin tended to be the critical compounds involved in the process. Taken together, the characterization of chemical profile combined with network pharmacology analysis and experimental verification not only provided an efficient insight into the overall chemical profile of HTCSD but also revealed the potential pharmacological components and mechanisms of HTCSD against CHD, which laid a necessary chemical and biological basis for the discovery of in vivo bioactive components and the further revelation of functionary mechanism.

Longdan Xiegan Decoction alleviates experimental autoimmune uveitis in rats by inhibiting Notch signaling pathway activation and Th17 cell differentiation

This study aimed to investigate the dynamic effects of the traditional Chinese medicine compound Longdan Xiegan Decoction (LXD) on the inhibition of Notch signaling pathway activation and T helper (Th) cell differentiation in rats with experimental autoimmune uveitis (EAU). Based on a network pharmacology strategy, we conducted protein interaction network analysis to construct an active ingredient-disease treatment network. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were further used to screen out the possible signaling pathways regulated by LXD in the treatment of uveitis. In the subsequent functional studies, we established an EAU rat model and investigated the regulatory role of LXD in the Notch signaling pathway and Th cell differentiation in rats with EAU. Female Lewis rats were randomly divided into a normal control (NC) group, an EAU group, and an LXD group. After the induction of EAU, the ocular inflammation and pathological changes in the rats in each group were observed; for documentation, a scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) was used to observe fundus inflammation on day 12 after immunization. Additionally, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Q-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were used to detect the expression of Notch1, DLL4, IL-10 and IL-17A in the spleen, lymph nodes and ocular tissues of each group at 0, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 days after immunization. In addition, the dynamic frequencies of the CD4+, CD8+, Th17 and Treg cell subsets in the spleen, lymph nodes and ocular tissues were measured by flow cytometry. We found that the Notch signaling pathway was activated and the Th17 frequency was elevated in rats with EAU, leading to disrupted CD4+/CD8+ and Th17/Treg balance. The expression of Notch1, DLL4 and IL-17 mRNA and proteins in the EAU and LXD groups reached a peak on day 12, and then gradually decreased (all P < 0.05), and the ratios of the CD4+/CD8+ and Th17/Treg also peaked on day 12. However, after treatment with LXD, the expression of Notch1, DLL4 and IL-17 mRNA and proteins was significantly decreased (all P < 0.05), and the CD4+/CD8+ and Th17/Treg ratios significantly gradually returns to balance. LXD can efficiently inhibit Th17 cell differentiation, decrease inflammatory cytokine expression, and restore the CD4+/CD8+ and Th17/Treg balance by inhibiting the activation of the Notch signaling pathway in rats with EAU, thus effectively alleviating eye inflammation, protecting eye tissue structures, and positively regulating the immune state of the whole body and the intraocular microenvironment.

Sini Decoction Ameliorates Colorectal Cancer and Modulates the Composition of Gut Microbiota in Mice

Sini Decoction (SND), as a classic prescription of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has been proved to be clinically useful in cardiomyopathy and inflammatory bowel diseases. However, the role and mechanism of SND in colitis-associated cancer remains unclear. This study aims to evaluate the effect of SND on colorectal cancer(CRC) symptoms and further explore the changes of gut microbes mediated by SND extract in azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced CRC mice through 16 S rRNA sequencing. Our results indicated that treatment with SND extract could ameliorate the tumors' malignant degree by decreasing tumor number and size. Also, the expression levels of Cyclooxygenase 2 and Mucin-2, which are typical CRC biomarkers, were reduced compared to the CRC group. In the meantime, SND extract can upregulate CD8⁺ T lymphocytes' expression and Occludin in the colonic mucosal layer. Besides, SND inhibited the expression of CD4⁺ T cells and inflammatory cytokines in CRC tissue. According to bioinformatics analysis, SND extract was also suggested could modulate the gut microbial community. After the SND treatment, compared with the CRC mice model, the number of pathogenic bacteria showed a significant reduction, including Bacteroides fragilis and Sulphate-reducing bacteria; and SND increased the relative contents of the beneficial bacteria, including Lactobacillus, Bacillus coagulans, Akkermansia muciniphila, and Bifidobacterium. In summary, SND can effectively intervene in colorectal cancer development by regulating intestinal immunity, protecting the colonic mucosal barrier, and SND can change the intestinal microbiota composition in mice.

The mechanism underlying hypaconitine-mediated alleviation of pancreatitis-associated lung injury through up-regulating aquaporin-1/TNF-α

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Acute pancreatitis-associated lung injury (APALI) is one of the most common and most dangerous form of extra-pancreatic organ damage in severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). The treatment options for SAP were limited thus far; as a result, approximately 60%-80% of patients with SAP would die within a week. Hypaconitine (HC), one of the most important active ingredients in a Mongolian traditional medicine Radix Aconiti Kusnezoffii has an excellent anti-inflammatory effect.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

To ascertain whether HC has a protective effect against APALI, we investigated the therapeutic effects and the underlying mechanisms in vivo and in vitro and attempted to elucidate the mechanism in detail. In this study, APALI rats and human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells were treated with therapeutic doses of HC after establishing a model with sodium taurocholate and lipopolysaccharide, respectively.

RESULTS

Serum amylase and lipase activity, lung wet/dry weight ratio, lung myeloperoxidase activity, and pancreatic and lung histopathological changes showed that HC alleviated APALI in a dose-dependent way, which can be abolished by an aquaporin-1 (AQP-1) knockdown. The results of the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, Western blot, and immunohistochemical staining confirmed the expression of AQP-1, a kind of transmembrane protein that mainly distributed in the membranes of pulmonary cells and contributed to maintain water balance in the body by interacting with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), is negatively associated with APALI. On the contrary, HC treatment up-regulated AQP-1 expression and down-regulated the TNF-α expression as a consequence in APALI.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that HC has a good anti-inflammatory therapeutic effect on APALI with a possible underlying mechanism that affects the AQP-1/TNF-α pathway.

A Network Pharmacological Approach to Investigate the Mechanism of Action of Active Ingredients of Epimedii Herba and Their Potential Targets in Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease

Background

Epimedii Herba is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine used to treat central nervous system diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease in China. However, the pharmacological mechanism is unclear. To investigate the mechanisms of Epimedii Herba in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, we assessed effective compounds, corresponding targets, and related pathways of Epimedii Herba in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease based on network pharmacology.

Material/Methods

The active components and targets of Epimedii Herba were obtained through the TCMSP database and the DrugBank database. The DisGeNET database and GeneCards database were used to search for Alzheimer’s disease targets. The common targets of components and disease were obtained by Wayne diagram. Gene ontology (GO) analysis and enrichment analysis of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) were performed using the DAVID database. The component-target-pathway interaction network model was constructed using Cytoscape software. Auto Duck Vina software was used for molecular docking to analyze the affinity of the key ingredients and the main targets.

Results

We screened 17 active ingredients and 27 key targets of Epimedii Herba in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, which were related to the HIF-1 signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway, and sphingolipid signaling pathway.

Conclusions

Based on network pharmacology, the multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway characteristics of Epimedii Herba in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease were explored. Our results provide new ideas for future pharmacological and experimental research on Epimedii Herba in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Curcumin Derivative C086 Combined with Cisplatin Inhibits Proliferation of Osteosarcoma Cells

Background

Curcumin derivative C086 (cur C086) is a potential chemotherapeutic agent for patients with osteosarcoma. In this study, the effects of cur C086 combined with cisplatin on the biological processes of osteosarcoma cells were investigated.

Material/Methods

In this study, expression of BMIL1 was detected by real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting in MG-63 cells treated with cur C086+cisplatin. Functions of cur C086+cisplatin on proliferation ability, apoptosis response, and metastatic potential of MG-63 cells were determined by MTT, flow cytometry, Hoechst 33258 staining and Transwell assays, respectively. In additionally, expression of P16, E-cadherin, epidermal growth factor (EGFR), and Notch1 was measured by Western blotting.

Results

Expression of BMIL1 decreased significantly in MG-63 cells treated with cur C086 (20 μM)+cisplatin (1.28 nM). Treatment with cur C086+cisplatin considerably inhibited growth, migration, and invasion potential in MG-63 cells, whereas apoptosis was obviously upregulated. Moreover, cur C086+cisplatin suppressed BMIL1 expression or its potential downstream targets, P16, E-cadherin, EGFR, and Notch1.

Conclusions

The current results demonstrate that combined treatment with cur C086+cisplatin may be an effective form of chemotherapy for patients with osteosarcoma.

Integrating Network Pharmacology and Component Analysis Study on Anti-Atherosclerotic Mechanisms of Total Flavonoids of Engelhardia roxburghiana Leaves in Mice

Engelhardia roxburghiana Wall. leaves are widely used to develop herbal teas in southeast of China due to medicinal use for diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia. Studies have demonstrated that the total flavonoids of E. roxburghiana leaves (TFER) exhibited regulatory effects on blood glucose and lipids. To clarify the active ingredients of TFER and their targets in treating atherosclerosis, the present study integrated chemical analysis, network pharmacology analysis and animal experimental studies. Firstly, high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS) was utilized to identify components of TFER. Then, active ingredients were screened by oral bioavailability (OB) and drug-likeness (DL) index. Thirdly, network was constructed to predict major targets of active ingredients against atherosclerosis. Finally, to verify parts of predicted signaling, Apoe^-/- mice were used to develop atherosclerosis. Atherosclerotic plaques in aorta were evaluated by echocardiography. Then, serum lipids, target genes expressions in thoracic aorta were determined by qRT-PCR and ELISA methods. Chemical analysis revealed 10 components in TFER sample, 7 of which acted as active ingredients, including naringenin, kaempferol, quercetin, isoengeletin, engeletin, astilbin and quercitrin. KEGG pathway analysis highly enriched in some inflammatory signalings, including NF-κB signaling, Toll-like receptor signaling and TNF signaling. The animal studies indicated that TFER reduced atherosclerotic plaques size in aorta and significantly decreased the serum lipids, down-regulated NF-κB signaling by decreasing mRNA level of NF-κB p65 subunit, TNF-α and VCAM-1, as well as IL-1β expressions in thoracic aorta, eventually alleviating atherosclerosis progression, which was in consistent with our prediction.

Synergy and antagonism in natural product extracts: when 1 + 1 does not equal 2

Covering: 2000 to 2019 According to a 2012 survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 18% of the U.S. population uses natural products (including plant-based or botanical preparations) for treatment or prevention of disease. The use of plant-based medicines is even more prevalent in developing countries, where for many they constitute the primary health care modality. Proponents of the medicinal use of natural product mixtures often claim that they are more effective than purified compounds due to beneficial "synergistic" interactions. A less-discussed phenomenon, antagonism, in which effects of active constituents are masked by other compounds in a complex mixture, also occurs in natural product mixtures. Synergy and antagonism are notoriously difficult to study in a rigorous fashion, particularly given that natural products chemistry research methodology is typically devoted to reducing complexity and identifying single active constituents for drug development. This report represents a critical review with commentary about the current state of the scientific literature as it relates to studying combination effects (including both synergy and antagonism) in natural product extracts. We provide particular emphasis on analytical and Big Data approaches for identifying synergistic or antagonistic combinations and elucidating the mechanisms that underlie their interactions. Specific case studies of botanicals in which synergistic interactions have been documented are also discussed. The topic of synergy is important given that consumer use of botanical natural products and associated safety concerns continue to garner attention by the public and the media. Guidance by the natural products community is needed to provide strategies for effective evaluation of safety and toxicity of botanical mixtures and to drive discovery in botanical natural product research.

Network pharmacology-based analysis on bioactive anti-diabetic compounds in Potentilla discolor bunge

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Potentilla discolor Bunge (PDB) is a commonly used herbal for alleviating diabetes mellitus and its complications. Although accumulating evidences show the anti-diabetic efficacy of PDB, the vital anti-diabetic compounds and their functional targets remain elusive.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To investigate the anti-diabetic ingredients and their functional mechanisms in PDB, gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry analysis was performed on PDB extract and 21 were testified as anti-diabetic compounds.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Subsequently their potential protein targets were also identified. The bioinformatics analysis was implemented by network pharmacology-based approaches. STRING analysis was performed to reveal enrichment of these target proteins, protein-protein interactions, pathways and related diseases. Cytoscape was used to determine the potential protein targets for these components in PDB, indicating that 21 anti-diabetic compounds in PDB regulate 33 diabetes-related proteins in 28 signal pathways and involve 21 kinds of diabetes-related diseases. Among the 21 potential anti-diabetic components predicted by network analysis, tricetin was firstly experimentally validated at the molecular and cellular level.

RESULTS

Results indicated that this active small-molecule compound may have beneficial effects on improving glucose uptake.

CONCLUSIONS

We envisage that network analysis will be useful in screening bioactive compounds of medicinal plants.

Context-sensitive network analysis identifies food metabolites associated with Alzheimer's disease: an exploratory study

BACKGROUND

Diet plays an important role in Alzheimer's disease (AD) initiation, progression and outcomes. Previous studies have shown individual food-derived substances may have neuroprotective or neurotoxic effects. However, few works systematically investigate the role of food and food-derived metabolites on the development and progression of AD.

METHODS

In this study, we systematically investigated 7569 metabolites and identified AD-associated food metabolites using a novel network-based approach. We constructed a context-sensitive network to integrate heterogeneous chemical and genetic data, and to model context-specific inter-relationships among foods, metabolites, human genes and AD.

RESULTS

Our metabolite prioritization algorithm ranked 59 known AD-associated food metabolites within top 4.9%, which is significantly higher than random expectation. Interestingly, a few top-ranked food metabolites were specifically enriched in herbs and spices. Pathway enrichment analysis shows that these top-ranked herb-and-spice metabolites share many common pathways with AD, including the amyloid processing pathway, which is considered as a hallmark in AD-affected brains and has pathological roles in AD development.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study represents the first unbiased systems approach to characterizing the effects of food and food-derived metabolites in AD pathogenesis. Our ranking approach prioritizes the known AD-associated food metabolites, and identifies interesting relationships between AD and the food group "herbs and spices". Overall, our study provides intriguing evidence for the role of diet, as an important environmental factor, in AD etiology.

Anti-inflammatory effects of Zhishi and Zhiqiao revealed by network pharmacology integrated with molecular mechanism and metabolomics studies

BACKGROUND

The inflammatory response has a complex pathogenesis; thus, it is a critical contributor to the development and complication of many diseases. Zhishi and Zhiqiao are famous Citrus herbal medicines that are rich in bioactive phenolic constituents with multiple anti-inflammatory activities.

PURPOSE

Establishment of a multi-component-target-pathway network strategy to investigate the usage of Zhishi and Zhiqiao on inflammatory diseases can provide a reference for mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

STUDY DESIGN

A multi-component-target-pathway network strategy was constructed to elucidate the various antiinflammatory effects of Zhishi and Zhiqiao by integrating multi-constituent determination, network pharmacology, molecular mechanisms in cells and integrated metabolomics in animals.

METHODS

Based on the quantitatively determined global and characteristic chemical profiles of Zhishi and Zhiqiao, the component-target-pathway network was predicted by network pharmacology coupled with text mining and docking. The potential antiinflammatory mechanism of the various components in Zhishi and Zhiqiao were verified using LPS-induced inflammatory responses in RAW 264.7 cells. The different metabolic regulating effects of Zhishi and Zhiqiao against an LPS-induced inflammation model were investigated using a plasma metabolomics strategy.

RESULTS

The molecular mechanism of Zhishi mainly suppressed the MAPK signaling pathway, whereas Zhiqiao emphasized the PPAR-AKT signaling pathways simultaneously to block the inflammatory process. Meanwhile, Zhishi and Zhiqiao both exhibited an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway to reduce the production of inflammatory mediators. In the metabolomics study, Zhishi and Zhiqiao exhibited variant corrections of the disordered metabolic pathways through amino acid metabolism, glycometabolism and lipid metabolism.

CONCLUSION

All of these results indicate that Zhishi and Zhiqiao, in a diversified mixture, exert their anti-inflammatory effect through variant pathways. These findings can assist in developing the use of Zhishi and Zhiqiao for inflammatory diseases.

An integrated strategy for identifying new targets and inferring the mechanism of action: taking rhein as an example

Background

Target identification is necessary for the comprehensive inference of the mechanism of action of a compound. The application of computational methods to predict the targets of bioactive compounds saves cost and time in drug research and development. Therefore, we designed an integrated strategy consisting of ligand-protein docking, network analysis, enrichment analysis, and an experimental surface plasmon resonance (SPR) method to identify and validate new targets, and then used enriched pathways to elucidate the underlying pharmacological mechanisms. Here, we used rhein, a compound with various pharmacological activities, as an example to find some of its previously unknown targets and to determine its pharmacological activity.

Results

A total of nine candidate targets were discovered, including LCK, HSP90AA1, RAB5A, EGFR, CDK2, CDK6, GSK3B, p38, and JNK. LCK was confirmed through SPR experiments, and HSP90AA1, EGFR, CDK6, p38, and JNK were validated through previous reports. Rhein network regulations are complex and interconnected. The therapeutic effect of rhein is the synergistic and comprehensive result of this vast and complex network, and the perturbation of multiple targets gives rhein its various pharmacological activities.

Conclusions

This study provided a new integrated strategy to identify new targets of bioactive compounds and reveal their molecular mechanisms of action.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12859-018-2346-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A systems pharmacology model for inflammatory bowel disease

Motivation

The literature on complex diseases is abundant but not always quantitative. This is particularly so for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), where many molecular pathways are qualitatively well described but this information cannot be used in traditional quantitative mathematical models employed in drug development. We propose the elaboration and validation of a logic network for IBD able to capture the information available in the literature that will facilitate the identification/validation of therapeutic targets.

Results

In this article, we propose a logic model for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) which consists of 43 nodes and 298 qualitative interactions. The model presented is able to describe the pathogenic mechanisms of the disorder and qualitatively describes the characteristic chronic inflammation. A perturbation analysis performed on the IBD network indicates that the model is robust. Also, as described in clinical trials, a simulation of anti-TNFα, anti-IL2 and Granulocyte and Monocyte Apheresis showed a decrease in the Metalloproteinases node (MMPs), which means a decrease in tissue damage. In contrast, as clinical trials have demonstrated, a simulation of anti-IL17 and anti-IFNγ or IL10 overexpression therapy did not show any major change in MMPs expression, as corresponds to a failed therapy. The model proved to be a promising in silico tool for the evaluation of potential therapeutic targets, the identification of new IBD biomarkers, the integration of IBD polymorphisms to anticipate responders and non-responders and can be reduced and transformed in quantitative model/s.

From systems biology to P4 medicine: applications in respiratory medicine

Human health and disease are emergent properties of a complex, nonlinear, dynamic multilevel biological system: the human body. Systems biology is a comprehensive research strategy that has the potential to understand these emergent properties holistically. It stems from advancements in medical diagnostics, “omics” data and bioinformatic computing power. It paves the way forward towards “P4 medicine” (predictive, preventive, personalised and participatory), which seeks to better intervene preventively to preserve health or therapeutically to cure diseases. In this review, we: 1) discuss the principles of systems biology; 2) elaborate on how P4 medicine has the potential to shift healthcare from reactive medicine (treatment of illness) to predict and prevent illness, in a revolution that will be personalised in nature, probabilistic in essence and participatory driven; 3) review the current state of the art of network (systems) medicine in three prevalent respiratory diseases (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and lung cancer); and 4) outline current challenges and future goals in the field.

Systems biology and network medicine have the potential to transform medical research and practicehttp://ow.ly/r3jR30hf35x

Correlation of drug-induced and drug-related ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry serum metabolomic profiles yields discovery of effective constituents of Sini decoction against myocardial ischemia in rats

A “system to system” strategy of correlating drug-related and drug-induced UHPLC-Q-TOFMS serum metabolomic profiles was developed to screen effective constituents.

Anti-tumor Effect of Rhaponticum uniflorum Ethyl Acetate Extract by Regulation of Peroxiredoxin1 and Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Oral Cancer

Objective: To explore whether Rhaponticum uniflorum (R. uniflorum) had anti-tumor effects in oral cancer and investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in these anti-tumor effects.

Methods: Chemical compositions of R. uniflorum ethyl acetate (RUEA) extracts were detected by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-Q/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS), followed by pharmacology-based network prediction analysis. The effects of RUEA extracts on proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion ability of human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell line SCC15 were evaluated by CCK8 assay, Annexin V- fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide staining, wound healing assay, and Matrigel invasion assay, respectively. The mRNA and protein expression of peroxiredoxin1 (Prx1), the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker E-cadherin, vimentin, and Snail were determined by quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. A mouse xenograft model of SCC15 cells was established to further evaluate the effect of RUEA extracts in vivo. Immunohistochemical assessment of Ki67 and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling staining of apoptotic cells were performed on the tumor tissues to assess the effects of RUEA extracts on proliferation and apoptosis.

Results: Fourteen compounds were identified from RUEA extracts by UPLC-Q/TOF-MS. The pharmacology-based network prediction analysis showed that Prx1 could be a potential binder of RUEA extracts. In SCC15 cells, RUEA extracts inhibited cell viability, induced apoptosis, and suppressed cell invasion and migration in a concentration-dependent manner. After treatment with RUEA extracts, the mRNA and protein expression of E-cadherin increased, whereas those of Prx1, vimentin, and Snail decreased. RUEA extracts also affected the EMT program and suppressed cell invasion and migration in Prx1 knockdown SCC15 cells. In an OSCC mouse xenograft model, RUEA extracts (25 and 250 mg/kg) significantly inhibited the growth of tumors. Compared with the control group, Ki67 expression was reduced and apoptosis rates were elevated in the transplanted tumors treated with RUEA extracts. RUEA extracts increased the expression of E-cadherin and decreased the expression of Prx1, vimentin, and Snail in vivo.

Conclusion: RUEA extracts inhibited tumor growth and invasion by reducing Prx1 expression and suppressing the EMT process in OSCC. RUEA extracts may be a potential candidate for OSCC treatment.

Screening drug-target interactions with positive-unlabeled learning

Identifying drug-target interaction (DTI) candidates is crucial for drug repositioning. However, usually only positive DTIs are deposited in known databases, which challenges computational methods to predict novel DTIs due to the lack of negative samples. To overcome this dilemma, researchers usually randomly select negative samples from unlabeled drug-target pairs, which introduces a lot of false-positives. In this study, a negative sample extraction method named NDTISE is first developed to screen strong negative DTI examples based on positive-unlabeled learning. A novel DTI screening framework, PUDTI, is then designed to infer new drug repositioning candidates by integrating NDTISE, probabilities that remaining ambiguous samples belong to the positive and negative classes, and an SVM-based optimization model. We investigated the effectiveness of NDTISE on a DTI data provided by NCPIS. NDTISE is much better than random selection and slightly outperforms NCPIS. We then compared PUDTI with 6 state-of-the-art methods on 4 classes of DTI datasets from human enzymes, ion channels, GPCRs and nuclear receptors. PUDTI achieved the highest AUC among the 7 methods on all 4 datasets. Finally, we validated a few top predicted DTIs through mining independent drug databases and literatures. In conclusion, PUDTI provides an effective pre-filtering method for new drug design.

Discovery of Novel Ligands for TNF-α and TNF Receptor-1 through Structure-Based Virtual Screening and Biological Assay

Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) is overexpressed in various diseases, and it has been a validated therapeutic target for autoimmune diseases. All therapeutics currently used to target TNF-α are biomacromolecules, and limited numbers of TNF-α chemical inhibitors have been reported, which makes the identification of small-molecule alternatives an urgent need. Recent studies have mainly focused on identifying small molecules that directly bind to TNF-α or TNF receptor-1 (TNFR1), inhibit the interaction between TNF-α and TNFR1, and/or regulate related signaling pathways. In this study, we combined in silico methods with biophysical and cell-based assays to identify novel antagonists that bind to TNF-α or TNFR1. Pharmacophore model filtering and molecular docking were applied to identify potential TNF-α antagonists. In regard to TNFR1, we constructed a three-dimensional model of the TNF-α-TNFR1 complex and carried out molecular dynamics simulations to sample the conformations. The residues in TNF-α that have been reported to play important roles in the TNF-α-TNFR1 complex were removed to form a pocket for further virtual screening of TNFR1-binding ligands. We obtained 20 virtual hits and tested them using surface plasmon resonance-based assays, which resulted in one ligand that binds to TNFR1 and four ligands with different scaffolds that bind to TNF-α. T1 and R1, the two most active compounds with Kd values of 11 and 16 μM for TNF-α and TNFR1, respectively, showed activities similar to those of known antagonists. Further cell-based assays also demonstrated that T1 and R1 have similar activities compared to the known TNF-α antagonist C87. Our work has not only produced several TNF-α and TNFR1 antagonists with novel scaffolds for further structural optimization but also showcases the power of our in silico methods for TNF-α- and TNFR1-based drug discovery.

Rapid identification of dual p53-MDM2/MDMX interaction inhibitors through virtual screening and hit-based substructure search

A virtual screening method coupled with hit-based substructure search strategy was developed to identify dual inhibitors of the p53-MDM2/MDMX interactions and a series of novel scaffolds with moderate inhibitory activity were obtained.

Yin-Chen-Hao Tang Attenuates Severe Acute Pancreatitis in Rat: An Experimental Verification of In silico Network Target Prediction

Yin-Chen-Hao Tang (YCHT) is a classical Chinese medicine compound that has a long history of clinical use in China for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. However, the efficacy and mechanisms of YCHT for the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) are not known. The current study investigated the pharmacological properties of YCHT against SAP and its underlying mechanisms. A computational prediction of potential targets of YCHT was initially established based on a network pharmacology simulation. The model suggested that YCHT attenuated SAP progress by apoptosis inducement, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation and blood lipid regulation. These effects were validated in SAP rats. YCHT administration produced the following results: (1) significantly inhibited the secretion of pancreatic enzymes and protected pancreatic tissue; (2) obviously increased the number of in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells and induced apoptosis; (3) markedly inhibited neutrophil infiltration to the impaired pancreas and reduced the inflammatory reaction; (4) notably enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes and decreased the nitric oxide synthase levels; (5) significantly reduced the levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein and increased high-density lipoprotein; and (6) significantly up-regulated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) and down-regulated nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB). In summary, these results demonstrated that YCHT attenuated SAP progress by inducing apoptosis, repressing inflammation, alleviating oxidative stress and regulating lipid metabolism partially via regulation of the NF-κB/PPARγ signal pathway.