Quercitrin restrains the growth and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma cells by regulating gap junction protein beta 2

Network pharmacology to explore the mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of ground glass nodules

Background

Ground glass nodules (GGNs) in the lung are considered to be a high-risk factor of lung adenocarcinoma. Immediate surgery is not recommended for GGNs patients, and low-dose computed tomography (CT) is often used for observation and follow-up, which brings high psychological and economic burden to the patient.

Methods

Three traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescriptions for the treatment of GGNs were found through database including PubMed, Google Scholar, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Scopus and so on. The possible targets of the active ingredients of the TCM preparations and the gene targets of GGNs were screened out from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP), UniProt and GeneCards. Network visualization was realized via STRING, Cytoscape 3.7.2, Evenn, DAVID and Hiplot. Finally, molecular docking Vina and PyMOL software were performed to further explore the possibility of drug-target interactions using PubChem compounds, protein data bank (PDB) database, Autodocktools and Autodock.

Results

Three TCM preparations could target the same 13 potential therapeutic targets in GGNs. From network pharmacology, 14 signaling pathways, the functions of the significant targets, an effective ingredient in TCM prescriptions and its functions were obtained.

Conclusions

Chinese herbal formulas containing quercetin could be a potential treatment for GGNs, targeting C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interferon gamma (IFN-γ), intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) through the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, and leukocyte transendothelial migration.

Quercitrin improves cardiac remodeling following myocardial infarction by regulating macrophage polarization and metabolic reprogramming

The death and disability caused by myocardial infarction is a health problem that needs to be addressed worldwide, and poor cardiac repair and fibrosis after myocardial infarction seriously affect patient recovery. Postmyocardial infarction repair by M2 macrophages is of great significance for ventricular remodeling. Quercitrin (Que) is a common flavonoid in fruits and vegetables that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor and other effects, but whether it has a role in the treatment of myocardial infarction is unclear. In this study, we constructed a mouse myocardial infarction model and administered Que. We found through cardiac ultrasound that Que administration improved cardiac ejection fraction and reduced ventricular remodeling. Staining of heart sections and detection of fibrosis marker protein levels revealed that Que administration slowed fibrosis after myocardial infarction. Flow cytometry showed that the proportion of M2 macrophages in the mouse heart was increased and that the expression levels of M2 macrophage markers were increased in the Que-treated group. Finally, we identified by metabolomics that Que reduces glycolysis, increases aerobic phosphorylation, and alters arginine metabolic pathways, polarizing macrophages toward the M2 phenotype. Our research lays the foundation for the future application of Que in myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular diseases.

Network-based analysis identifies potential therapeutic ingredients of Chinese medicines and their mechanisms toward lung cancer

Lung cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors around the world, which has the highest mortality rate among all cancers. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has attracted increased attention in the field of lung cancer treatment. However, the abundance of ingredients in Chinese medicines presents a challenge in identifying promising ingredient candidates and exploring their mechanisms for lung cancer treatment. In this work, two network-based algorithms were combined to calculate the network relationships between ingredient targets and lung cancer targets in the human interactome. Based on the enrichment analysis of the constructed disease module, key targets of lung cancer were identified. In addition, molecular docking and enrichment analysis of the overlapping targets between lung cancer and ingredients were performed to investigate the potential mechanisms of ingredient candidates against lung cancer. Ten potential ingredients against lung cancer were identified and they may have similar effect on the development of lung cancer. The results obtained from this study offered valuable insights and provided potential avenues for the development of novel drugs aimed at treating lung cancer.

Anti-Proliferative and Apoptotic Activities of Rumex crispus

Colorectal cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death and the third most common cancer diagnosed in the United States. Several anticancer compounds from natural products have been of great interest in cancer chemotherapy and are currently in clinical trials. Natural products that present the targeted killing of cancerous cell and are soluble in water with minimal side effects are ideal candidates. In this study, water-soluble compounds from Rumex crispus plants were screened for anti-proliferative and apoptotic activity against human colorectal adenocarcinoma (DLD-1) cells. The most potent fraction with the highest cell killing and caspase fold change rates was selected for further experiments. The observed changes were further validated by measuring the caspase fold change using RT-qPCR. Furthermore, gene transcript levels were evaluated using an RT2 Profiler assay and a microarray experiment. Our results showed that the most potent L19 fraction exhibits anti-proliferative activity in a dose-dependent manner. The L19 fraction was found to induce apoptotic pathways by triggering different caspases and inflammatory pathways through the activation of non-apoptotic genes. Our study identified and validated the anticancer property of the L19 fraction, which can serve as a strong lead compound for the synthesis of other novel potent analogues.

Quercetin Derivatives as Potential Therapeutic Agents: An Updated Perspective on the Treatment of Nicotine-Induced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Flavonoids are the largest group of polyphenols, represented by many compounds that exhibit high anticancer properties. Quercetin (Q) and its main derivatives (rutin, quercitrin, isoquercitrin, isorhamnetin, tamarixetin, rhamnetin, and hyperoside) in the class of flavonols have been documented to exert anticancer activity. Q has been shown to be useful in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as demonstrated by in vitro/in vivo studies, due to its antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative, anti-angiogenesis, and apoptotic properties. Some flavonoids (flavone, anthocyanins, and proanthocyanidins) have been demonstrated to be effective in nicotine-induced NSCLC treatment. However, the molecular mechanisms of quercetin derivatives (QDs) in nicotine-induced NSCLC treatment remain unclear. Thus, this review aims to summarize the available literature on the therapeutic effects of QDs in nicotine-induced NSCLC.

Determining the mechanism of action of the Qishan formula against lung adenocarcinoma by integration of network pharmacology, molecular docking, and proteomics

BACKGROUND

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the main pathological type of lung cancer. Qishan formula (QSF) is reportedly efficacious against LUAD. However, its mechanisms of action currently remain elusive. Therefore, network pharmacology, molecular docking techniques and proteomics were used to verify the potential pharmacological effects of QSF in the treatment of LUAD.

METHODS

The active ingredients and potential targets of QSF were obtained from the TCMSP, chemical source network and construct a drug-component-target networks using Cytoscape v3.7.2. Data for disease targets were obtained from 5 databases: TCGA, OMIM, DrugBank, DisGeNET, and GeneCards. Drug disease cross targets were used to construct protein-protein interaction networks for selecting the core targets using the STRING database and enrichment pathway networks using the DAVID database. Finally, TMT quantitative proteomics was used to identify the possible core targets and action pathways. Molecular docking to verify the affinity between components and targets.

RESULTS

Network pharmacology identified core components of QSF against LUAD included baicalein, methylophiopogonone B, quercetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, and luteolin, which can act on 10 key targets (SRC, TP53, PIK3R1, MAPK3, STAT3, MAKP1, HSP90AA1, PIK3CA, HRAS, and AKT1). QSF might play a therapeutic role in LUAD by regulating biological processes such as signal transduction, protein phosphorylation, cell proliferation, and apoptosis, as well as the PI3K/AKT, MAPK, FoxO, and other signaling pathways. Proteomics identified 207 differentially expressed proteins, and by integrating with network pharmacology and molecular docking results we found that 6 core components of QSF may target TP53 against LUAD through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

QSF is a multitarget recipe potentially exerting pleiotropic effects in LUAD.

Drug repositioning in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) using gene co-expression and drug–gene interaction networks analysis

Lung cancer is the most common cancer in men and women. This cancer is divided into two main types, namely non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC). Around 85 to 90 percent of lung cancers are NSCLC. Repositioning potent candidate drugs in NSCLC treatment is one of the important topics in cancer studies. Drug repositioning (DR) or drug repurposing is a method for identifying new therapeutic uses of existing drugs. The current study applies a computational drug repositioning method to identify candidate drugs to treat NSCLC patients. To this end, at first, the transcriptomics profile of NSCLC and healthy (control) samples was obtained from the GEO database with the accession number GSE21933. Then, the gene co-expression network was reconstructed for NSCLC samples using the WGCNA, and two significant purple and magenta gene modules were extracted. Next, a list of transcription factor genes that regulate purple and magenta modules' genes was extracted from the TRRUST V2.0 online database, and the TF–TG (transcription factors–target genes) network was drawn. Afterward, a list of drugs targeting TF–TG genes was obtained from the DGIdb V4.0 database, and two drug–gene interaction networks, including drug-TG and drug-TF, were drawn. After analyzing gene co-expression TF–TG, and drug–gene interaction networks, 16 drugs were selected as potent candidates for NSCLC treatment. Out of 16 selected drugs, nine drugs, namely Methotrexate, Olanzapine, Haloperidol, Fluorouracil, Nifedipine, Paclitaxel, Verapamil, Dexamethasone, and Docetaxel, were chosen from the drug-TG sub-network. In addition, nine drugs, including Cisplatin, Daunorubicin, Dexamethasone, Methotrexate, Hydrocortisone, Doxorubicin, Azacitidine, Vorinostat, and Doxorubicin Hydrochloride, were selected from the drug-TF sub-network. Methotrexate and Dexamethasone are common in drug-TG and drug-TF sub-networks. In conclusion, this study proposed 16 drugs as potent candidates for NSCLC treatment through analyzing gene co-expression, TF–TG, and drug–gene interaction networks.

In vivo and in vitro studies of Alloimperatorin induced autophagy in cervical cancer cells via reactive oxygen species pathway

Alloimperatorin (Alloi) has been shown to have anti-proliferative effects in our previous studies. we aimed to investigate whether Alloimperatorin induces autophagy through the reactive oxygen species (ROS) pathway and anticancer activity in vivo. The anti-proliferative effect of Alloimperatorin was evaluated using a cell counting kit (CCK-8 kit). Apoptosis was detected using flow cytometry. Confocal microscopy, immunofluorescence, and mRFP-GFP-LC3 lentivirus transfection were used to verify autophagy. Electron microscopy detection of autophagosomes was induced by Alloimperatorin. Western blotting was used to detect autophagy proteins in HeLa and SiHa cells. A xenograft model was used to monitor the inhibitory effect of Alloimperatorin on tumor growth in nude mice. The results showed that Alloimperatorin induced ROS production and inhibited the proliferation of HeLa and SiHa cells. Furthermore, Alloimperatorin increased the apoptosis rate in HeLa and SiHa cells. Confocal microscopy fluorescence indicated that Alloimperatorin increased autophagy fluorescence of HeLa and SiHa cells. mRFP-GFP-LC3 lentivirus transfection and electron microscopy demonstrated that Alloimperatorin increased autophagy in HeLa and SiHa cells. Western blotting showed that Alloimperatorin induced the expression of autophagy proteins in HeLa and SiHa cells. However, N-acetylcysteine reversed the autophagy. These results demonstrate that Alloimperatorin can induce autophagy in HeLa and SiHa cells through the ROS pathway. In vivo xenograft experiments showed that Alloimperatorin could inhibit tumor growth in nude mice. Alloimperatorin is expected to be an effective new drug for cervical cancer treatment.Abbreviations: ROS, reactive oxygen species; Alloi, Alloimperatorin; CCK-8, Cell Counting Kit-8; NAC, N-acetyl-L-cysteine; DCFH-DA, 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate; OD, optical density; PBS, phosphate buffer solution; BCA, bicinchoninic acid; DAPI, 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole; DMSO, dimethyl sulfoxide.

Impact of Rutin and Other Phenolic Substances on the Digestibility of Buckwheat Grain Metabolites

Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) is grown in eastern and central Asia (the Himalayan regions of China, Nepal, Bhutan and India) and in central and eastern Europe (Luxemburg, Germany, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina). It is known for its high concentration of rutin and other phenolic metabolites. Besides the grain, the other aboveground parts of Tartary buckwheat contain rutin as well. After the mixing of the milled buckwheat products with water, the flavonoid quercetin is obtained in the flour-water mixture, a result of rutin degradation by rutinosidase. Heating by hot water or steam inactivates the rutin-degrading enzymes in buckwheat flour and dough. The low buckwheat protein digestibility is due to the high content of phenolic substances. Phenolic compounds have low absorption after food intake, so, after ingestion, they remain for some time in the gastrointestinal tract. They can act in an inhibitory manner on enzymes, degrading proteins and other food constituents. In common and Tartary buckwheat, the rutin and quercetin complexation with protein and starch molecules has an impact on the in vitro digestibility and the appearance of resistant starch and slowly digestible proteins. Slowly digestible starch and proteins are important for the functional and health-promoting properties of buckwheat products.