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Pei T, Dai Y, Tan X, Geng A, Li S, Gui Y, Hu C, An J, Yu X, Bao X, Wang D. Yupingfeng San exhibits anticancer effect in hepatocellular carcinoma cells via the MAPK pathway revealed by HTS 2 technology. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2023; 306:116134. [PMID: 36627003 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Yupingfeng San (YPFS) is a classic rousing prescription in Chinese medicine, with widly clinical application and remarkably curative effect. It consists of three herbs named Astragalus mongholicus Bunge (Huangqi), Atractylodes rubra Dekker (Baizhu) and Saposhnikovia divaricata (Turcz.) Schischk. (Fangfeng), and has a variety of pharmacological activities including immune regulation, antioxidant, anti-tumor, regulation of cytokines, etc. AIM OF THE STUDY: It has been proved that YPFS exerts its anti-tumor effect through enhancing the systemic and local immune responses in tumor patients, moreover, it has the direct tumor-suppressing effect and can reduce the adverse reactions caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy drugs. Therefore, in this study, we explored the potential anti-HCC mechanism of YPFS based on HTS2 technology and systems pharmacology, aiming to provide a scientific basis for the clinical application of YPFS and a new strategy for Chinese medicine research. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, systems pharmacology plus high throughput sequencing-based high throughput screening (HTS2) technology, and experimental validation were used to investigate the therapeutic mechanisms and the chemical basis of YPFS in HCC treatment. Firstly, the potential therapeutic targets and signaling pathways of YPFS in the treatment of HCC were obtained through systems pharmacology. Subsequently, HTS2 technology combined with PPI network analysis were used to reveal potential therapeutic targets. Finally, the anti-HCC effects and underlying mechanisms of YPFS were further verified in vitro in human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines. Moreover, the possible chemical basis was explored by drug target verification and molecular docking technology. RESULTS In total, 183 active ingredients were predicted by YPFS screening and 49 anti-HCC targets were further identified. Most of these targets were enriched into the "MAPK pathway", and the expression of 37 genes was significantly changed after herb treatment. Among them, 5 key targets, including VEGFA, GRB2, JUN, PDGFRB and CDC42, were predicted by protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis. According to our results, YPFS inhibited the proliferation, induced the apoptosis and caused cell cycle arrest of HCC cells. In addition, YPFS significantly reduced P38 gene expression. Fangfeng, one of the three herbs in YPFS, significantly down-regulated the expression of more target genes than that of the other two herbs. Lastly, as revealed by molecular docking analysis, 4'-O-glucosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol, an active ingredient identified in Fangfeng, showed a high affinity for P38. CONCLUSION Taken together, this study shows that YPFS possesses the activities of anti-proliferation and pro-apoptosis in treating HCC, which are achieved by inhibiting the MAPK signaling pathway. P38 is one of the critical targets of YPFS in treating HCC, which may be directly bound and inhibited by 4'-O-glucosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol, a compound derived from YPFS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianli Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Yifei Dai
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Xue Tan
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Aiai Geng
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Shengrong Li
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Yu Gui
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Chao Hu
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Jun An
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Xiankuo Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Xilinqiqige Bao
- Medical Innovation Center for Nationalities, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot City, 010110, China.
| | - Dong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
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Zhou J, Wang L, Peng C, Peng F. Co-Targeting Tumor Angiogenesis and Immunosuppressive Tumor Microenvironment: A Perspective in Ethnopharmacology. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:886198. [PMID: 35784750 PMCID: PMC9242535 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.886198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tumor angiogenesis is one of the most important processes of cancer deterioration via nurturing an immunosuppressive tumor environment (TME). Targeting tumor angiogenesis has been widely accepted as a cancer intervention approach, which is also synergistically associated with immune therapy. However, drug resistance is the biggest challenge of anti-angiogenesis therapy, which affects the outcomes of anti-angiogeneic agents, and even combined with immunotherapy. Here, emerging targets and representative candidate molecules from ethnopharmacology (including traditional Chinese medicine, TCM) have been focused, and they have been proved to regulate tumor angiogenesis. Further investigations on derivatives and delivery systems of these molecules will provide a comprehensive landscape in preclinical studies. More importantly, the molecule library of ethnopharmacology meets the viability for targeting angiogenesis and TME simultaneously, which is attributed to the pleiotropy of pro-angiogenic factors (such as VEGF) toward cancer cells, endothelial cells, and immune cells. We primarily shed light on the potentiality of ethnopharmacology against tumor angiogenesis, particularly TCM. More research studies concerning the crosstalk between angiogenesis and TME remodeling from the perspective of botanical medicine are awaited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianbo Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Li Wang
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Cheng Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Fu Peng, ; Cheng Peng,
| | - Fu Peng
- Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry and Sichuan Province, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- *Correspondence: Fu Peng, ; Cheng Peng,
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Mao Y, Meng L, Liu H, Lu Y, Yang K, Ouyang G, Ban Y, Chen S. Therapeutic potential of traditional Chinese medicine for vascular endothelial growth factor. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B 2022; 23:353-364. [PMID: 35557037 DOI: 10.1631/jzus.b2101055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the main regulator of physiological angiogenesis during embryonic development, bone growth, and reproductive function, and it also participates in a series of pathological changes. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), with a history of more than 2000 years, has been widely used in clinical practice, while the exploration of its mechanisms has only begun. This review summarizes the research of recent years on the influence of TCM on VEGF. It is found that many Chinese medicines and recipes have a regulatory effect on VEGF, indicating that Chinese medicine has broad prospects as a complementary and alternative therapy, providing new treatment ideas for clinical applications and the theoretical basis for research on the mechanisms of TCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijia Mao
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301608, China
| | - Lingkai Meng
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301608, China
| | - Huayi Liu
- Department of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, Tianjin 300120, China.
| | - Yuting Lu
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301608, China
| | - Kuo Yang
- Department of Digestive Diseases, Tianjin Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated Hospital, Tianjin 300120, China
| | - Guangze Ouyang
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301608, China
| | - Yanran Ban
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301608, China
| | - Shuang Chen
- Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301608, China
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Li W, Li Q, Guo L, Liu J, Wang K, Zhong W. Traditional Chinese Medicine Extract Properties Incorporated Energy Analysis for Membrane Concentration Processes. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:membranes11090673. [PMID: 34564490 PMCID: PMC8471164 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11090673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
This work focuses on the energy analysis of the membrane concentration systems that process traditional Chinese medicine extracts with dynamic properties incorporated, particularly for reverse osmosis (RO) and membrane distillation (MD) processes. The evaluation of process energy consumption was achieved by integrating the empirical properties correlations of Brix and other characteristics properties of the feed (e.g., density and heat capacity). The dynamic SEC analysis for RO process was largely dependent on the feed pressure, reported at 50 kWh/m3 at feed pressure of 0.9 MPa with less than 50% water removal. The occurrence of foaming at above 50% water removal caused discrepancies between the simulated flux results and the experimentally acquired results in RO, whereas the estimated dynamic SEC for MD process did not show a strong correlation with the temperatures selected in this study, ranging from 900 to 1000 kWh/m3. This approach can be adapted into the design and zoptimization for the concentration process of other herbal extracts by membrane technologies, allowing comprehensive understanding into the energy analysis in future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanyu Li
- Department for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Institute of Advanced Technology, Guangzhou 511458, China; (W.L.); (L.G.)
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2006, Australia
| | - Qiyuan Li
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia;
| | - Liwei Guo
- Department for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Institute of Advanced Technology, Guangzhou 511458, China; (W.L.); (L.G.)
- National Engineering Centre for Modernization of Extraction and Separation Processing of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510240, China;
- Guangzhou Dayuan Studio of Membrane Science and Technology for Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510091, China
| | - Juyan Liu
- National Engineering Centre for Modernization of Extraction and Separation Processing of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510240, China;
| | - Kai Wang
- UNSW Centre for Transformational Environmental Technologies (CTET), Yixing 214200, China;
| | - Wenwei Zhong
- Department for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Institute of Advanced Technology, Guangzhou 511458, China; (W.L.); (L.G.)
- Guangzhou Nansha Information Technology Park Post-Doctoral Scientific Research Station, Guangzhou 511458, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.:+86-136-0273-0936
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Chen Z, Xie H, Hu M, Huang T, Hu Y, Sang N, Zhao Y. Recent progress in treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Am J Cancer Res 2020; 10:2993-3036. [PMID: 33042631 PMCID: PMC7539784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. In the past decade, there have been improvements in non-drug therapies and drug therapies for HCC treatment. Non-drug therapies include hepatic resection, liver transplantation, transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and ablation. The former two surgical treatments are beneficial for patients with early and mid-stage HCC. As the first choice for non-surgical treatment, different TACE methods has been developed and widely used in combination therapy. Ablation has become an important alternative therapy for the treatment of small HCC or cases of unresectable surgery. Meanwhile, the drugs including small molecule targeted drugs like sorafenib and lenvatinib, monoclonal antibodies such as nivolumab are mainly used for the systematic treatment of advanced HCC. Besides strategies described above are recommended as first-line therapies due to their significant increase in mean overall survival, there are also potential drugs in clinical trials or under preclinical development. In addition, a number of potential preclinical surgical or adjuvant therapies are being studied, such as oncolytic virus, mesenchymal stem cells, biological clock, gut microbiome composition and peptide vaccine, all of which have shown different degrees of inhibition on HCC. With some potential anti-HCC drugs being reported, many promising therapeutic targets in related taxonomic signaling pathways including cell cycle, epigenetics, tyrosine kinase and so on that affect the progression of HCC have also been found. Together, the rational application of existing therapies and drugs as well as the new strategies will bring a bright future for the global cure of HCC in the coming decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqian Chen
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, China
| | - Hao Xie
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, China
| | - Mingming Hu
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, China
| | - Tianyi Huang
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, China
| | - Yanan Hu
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, China
| | - Na Sang
- Cancer Center, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, China
| | - Yinglan Zhao
- West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, China
- Cancer Center, West China Hospital, West China Medical School, and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Sichuan UniversityChengdu 610041, China
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STAT3 Pathway in Gastric Cancer: Signaling, Therapeutic Targeting and Future Prospects. BIOLOGY 2020; 9:biology9060126. [PMID: 32545648 PMCID: PMC7345582 DOI: 10.3390/biology9060126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Molecular signaling pathways play a significant role in the regulation of biological mechanisms, and their abnormal expression can provide the conditions for cancer development. The signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a key member of the STAT proteins and its oncogene role in cancer has been shown. STAT3 is able to promote the proliferation and invasion of cancer cells and induces chemoresistance. Different downstream targets of STAT3 have been identified in cancer and it has also been shown that microRNA (miR), long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and other molecular pathways are able to function as upstream mediators of STAT3 in cancer. In the present review, we focus on the role and regulation of STAT3 in gastric cancer (GC). miRs and lncRNAs are considered as potential upstream mediators of STAT3 and they are able to affect STAT3 expression in exerting their oncogene or onco-suppressor role in GC cells. Anti-tumor compounds suppress the STAT3 signaling pathway to restrict the proliferation and malignant behavior of GC cells. Other molecular pathways, such as sirtuin, stathmin and so on, can act as upstream mediators of STAT3 in GC. Notably, the components of the tumor microenvironment that are capable of targeting STAT3 in GC, such as fibroblasts and macrophages, are discussed in this review. Finally, we demonstrate that STAT3 can target oncogene factors to enhance the proliferation and metastasis of GC cells.
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Using Traditional Chinese Medicine to Treat Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Targeting Tumor Immunity. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2020; 2020:9843486. [PMID: 32595757 PMCID: PMC7305542 DOI: 10.1155/2020/9843486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
As the leading cause of cancer-related death, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) threatens human health and limited treatments are available to cure the disease efficiently and effectively. The particularly immunotolerant environment of the liver lowers the efficacy of current therapies in patients with advanced HCC. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is gathering increasing interest due to the immunoregulatory properties of certain compounds. In advanced HCC, TCM can restore immunosurveillance to promote antitumor effects in several ways, including the upregulation of immunostimulatory factors and the downregulation of immunosuppressive factors. The characteristic multitarget regulation of TCM compounds may provide new insights regarding effective HCC immunotherapies. Here, we review the immunoregulatory potency of TCMs for treating HCC and explain how individual TCM drugs and complex formulas remodel the immune environment in various cell- and cytokine-dependent manners.
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