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Lu T, Chen X, Zhang Q, Shang K, Yang X, Xiang W. Vitamin D Relieves Epilepsy Symptoms and Neuroinflammation in Juvenile Mice by Activating the mTOR Signaling Pathway via RAF1: Insights from Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Studies. Neurochem Res 2024; 49:2379-2392. [PMID: 38837094 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-024-04176-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder, and the exploration of potential therapeutic drugs for its treatment is still ongoing. Vitamin D has emerged as a promising treatment due to its potential neuroprotective effects and anti-epileptic properties. This study aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin D on epilepsy and neuroinflammation in juvenile mice using network pharmacology and molecular docking, with a focus on the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. Experimental mouse models of epilepsy were established through intraperitoneal injection of pilocarpine, and in vitro injury models of hippocampal neurons were induced by glutamate (Glu) stimulation. The anti-epileptic effects of vitamin D were evaluated both in vivo and in vitro. Network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis were used to identify potential targets and regulatory pathways of vitamin D in epilepsy. The involvement of the mTOR signaling pathway in the regulation of mouse epilepsy by vitamin D was validated using rapamycin (RAPA). The levels of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Gene and protein expressions were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and Western blot, respectively. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labeling (TUNEL) staining was used to analyze the apoptosis of hippocampal neurons. In in vivo experiments, vitamin D reduced the Racine scores of epileptic mice, prolonged the latency of epilepsy, and inhibited the production of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in the hippocampus. Furthermore, network pharmacology analysis identified RAF1 as a potential target of vitamin D in epilepsy, which was further confirmed by molecular docking analysis. Additionally, the mTOR signaling pathway was found to be involved in the regulation of mouse epilepsy by vitamin D. In in vitro experiments, Glu stimulation upregulated the expressions of RAF1 and LC3II/LC3I, inhibited mTOR phosphorylation, and induced neuronal apoptosis. Mechanistically, vitamin D activated the mTOR signaling pathway and alleviated mouse epilepsy via RAF1, while the use of the pathway inhibitor RAPA reversed this effect. Vitamin D alleviated epilepsy symptoms and neuroinflammation in juvenile mice by activating the mTOR signaling pathway via RAF1. These findings provided new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the anti-epileptic effects of vitamin D and further supported its use as an adjunctive therapy for existing anti-epileptic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiantian Lu
- School of Pediatrics, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China
- Department of Neonatology, Haikou Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Haikou, 570203, China
| | - Xiuling Chen
- Department of Pediatric Medicine, Affiliated Haikou Hospital of Xiangya Medical School Central South University, Haikou, 570208, China
| | - Qin Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hainan Women and Children's Medical Center, Haikou, 570312, China
| | - Kun Shang
- Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Science, Sanya, 572000, China
| | - Xiaogui Yang
- Department of Neonatology, Haikou Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Haikou, 570203, China
| | - Wei Xiang
- School of Pediatrics, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China.
- Hainan Women and Children's Medical Center, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570312, China.
- National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Control, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570216, China.
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Li L, Mohammed AH, Auda NA, Alsallameh SMS, Albekairi NA, Muhseen ZT, Butch CJ. Network Pharmacology, Molecular Docking, and Molecular Dynamics Simulation Analysis Reveal Insights into the Molecular Mechanism of Cordia myxa in the Treatment of Liver Cancer. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:315. [PMID: 38785796 PMCID: PMC11118918 DOI: 10.3390/biology13050315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Traditional treatments of cancer have faced various challenges, including toxicity, medication resistance, and financial burdens. On the other hand, bioactive phytochemicals employed in complementary alternative medicine have recently gained interest due to their ability to control a wide range of molecular pathways while being less harmful. As a result, we used a network pharmacology approach to study the possible regulatory mechanisms of active constituents of Cordia myxa for the treatment of liver cancer (LC). Active constituents were retrieved from the IMPPAT database and the literature review, and their targets were retrieved from the STITCH and Swiss Target Prediction databases. LC-related targets were retrieved from expression datasets (GSE39791, GSE76427, GSE22058, GSE87630, and GSE112790) through gene expression omnibus (GEO). The DAVID Gene Ontology (GO) database was used to annotate target proteins, while the Kyoto Encyclopedia and Genome Database (KEGG) was used to analyze signaling pathway enrichment. STRING and Cytoscape were used to create protein-protein interaction networks (PPI), while the degree scoring algorithm of CytoHubba was used to identify hub genes. The GEPIA2 server was used for survival analysis, and PyRx was used for molecular docking analysis. Survival and network analysis revealed that five genes named heat shot protein 90 AA1 (HSP90AA1), estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4), cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) are linked with the survival of LC patients. Finally, we conclude that four extremely active ingredients, namely cosmosiin, rosmarinic acid, quercetin, and rubinin influence the expression of HSP90AA1, which may serve as a potential therapeutic target for LC. These results were further validated by molecular dynamics simulation analysis, which predicted the complexes with highly stable dynamics. The residues of the targeted protein showed a highly stable nature except for the N-terminal domain without affecting the drug binding. An integrated network pharmacology and docking study demonstrated that C. myxa had a promising preventative effect on LC by working on cancer-related signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China;
| | - Alaulddin Hazim Mohammed
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China;
| | - Nazar Aziz Auda
- Department of Medical Laboratories Techniques, College of Health and Medical Techniques, Gilgamesh Ahliya University (GAU), Baghdad 10022, Iraq; (N.A.A.); (S.M.S.A.)
| | - Sarah Mohammed Saeed Alsallameh
- Department of Medical Laboratories Techniques, College of Health and Medical Techniques, Gilgamesh Ahliya University (GAU), Baghdad 10022, Iraq; (N.A.A.); (S.M.S.A.)
| | - Norah A. Albekairi
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Ziyad Tariq Muhseen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China;
- Department of Pharmacy, Al-Mustaqbal University, Hillah 51001, Iraq
| | - Christopher J. Butch
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China;
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Artificial Functional Materials, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China
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Yu GR, Kim JE, Lim DW, Park WH. The combination of Ephedrae herba and coixol from Coicis semen attenuate adiposity via glucocorticoid receptor regulation. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20324. [PMID: 37990123 PMCID: PMC10663538 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47553-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The enhanced therapeutic effects and mechanisms of certain herbal combination in various herbal prescriptions are mostly unclear. A combination of two herbs, namely Ephedrae herba (EH) and Coicis semen (CS), has been commonly prescribed for obesity. In our previous work, the combination of EH and CS was studied using network pharmacological approach to predict its pharmacological targets and in vitro experiments to evaluate its efficacy on obesity. Although we demonstrated enhanced anti-adiposity effects of the combination on matured adipocytes, the molecular mechanisms and contributing compounds underlying the effects of EH-CS combination on adiposity or adipogenesis were not fully elucidated. The current study adopted integrated bioinformatics analysis to precisely validate potential targets of EH-CS by screening differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of morbid obesity patients from NCBI gene expression omnibus (GEO). Based on the functional cluster analysis of down-regulated DEGs, the anti-adipogenesis mechanism of EH-CS combination was speculated with KEGG enrichment analysis. Furthermore, we investigated the combinational effects of EH and coixol, or stigmasterol, the two compounds in CS which were expected to have main beneficial effects in metabolic diseases. Moreover, distinct effect of the combination on transcriptional activity of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was investigated using electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA). The EH-CS combination was predicted to modulate down-regulated genes which are involved in KEGG pathways crucial to metabolic disease in morbidly obese individuals. The combination of EH with CS compounds significantly increased the phosphorylation of acetyl-coA carboxylase (ACC), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and protein kinase B (AKT) in 3T3-L1 cells and decreased intracellular lipid accumulation. The two CS compounds significantly increased the anti-adipogenesis/lipogenesis effects of EH by inhibiting the gene expression levels. Finally, the combination of EH and coixol inhibited dexamethasone-induced GR translocation to the nucleus and transcriptional binding activity in adipocytes. The combination of EH and CS could be considered a therapeutic strategy for treating metabolic diseases, including obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ga-Ram Yu
- Department of Diagnostic, College of Korean Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang, 10326, Republic of Korea
| | - Jai-Eun Kim
- Department of Pathology, College of Korean Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang, 10326, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Woo Lim
- Department of Diagnostic, College of Korean Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang, 10326, Republic of Korea.
- Institute of Korean Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang, 10326, Republic of Korea.
| | - Won-Hwan Park
- Department of Diagnostic, College of Korean Medicine, Dongguk University, Goyang, 10326, Republic of Korea.
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Qiu ZK, Zhou BX, Pang J, Zeng WQ, Wu HB, Yang F. The network pharmacology study and molecular docking to investigate the potential mechanism of Acoritataninowii Rhizoma against Alzheimer's Disease. Metab Brain Dis 2023; 38:1937-1962. [PMID: 37032419 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-023-01179-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's Disease is considered as an insidious neurodegenerative progressive disease but its pathogenesis has not been elucidated. Acoritataninowii Rhizoma exhibits anti-dementia effects as a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which is linked to its anti- Alzheimer's Disease mechanism. In this study, network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to examine the potential of Acoritataninowii Rhizoma for Alzheimer's Disease. In order to construct PPI networks and drug-component-target-disease networks, disease-related genes and proteins were gathered from the database. Gene ontology (GO), pathway enrichment (KEGG), and molecular docking were used to forecast the potential mechanism of Acoritataninowii Rhizoma on Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, 4 active ingredients and 81 target genes were screened from Acoritataninowii Rhizoma, 6765 specific target genes were screened from Alzheimer's Disease, and 61 drug-disease cross genes were validated. GO analysis showed that Acoritataninowii Rhizoma can regulate processes such as the protein serine/threonine kinase associated with MAPK. KeGG pathway analysis showed that the signaling pathways affected by Acoritataninowii Rhizoma were fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, AGE-RAGE and other pathways. Molecular docking implied that the pharmacological influences of the bioactive constituents of Acoritataninowii Rhizoma (Cycloaartenol and kaempferol) on Alzheimer's Disease may related to ESR1 and AKT1, respectively. AKT1 and ESR1 may be the core target genes of the treatment for Alzheimer's disease. Kaempferol and Cycloartenol might be core bioactive constituents for treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Kun Qiu
- Key Specialty of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Bai-Xian Zhou
- Key Specialty of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System, Department of Pharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery Systems, The Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, GuangZhou, 510006, Guangdong, China
| | - Jiali Pang
- Key Specialty of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System, Department of Pharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery Systems, The Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, GuangZhou, 510006, Guangdong, China
| | - Wei-Qiang Zeng
- Shunde Women and Children's Hospital of Guangdong Medical University (Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital of Shunde Foshan), Foshan, China
| | - Han-Biao Wu
- Key Specialty of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Fan Yang
- Key Specialty of Clinical Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Center of Topical Precise Drug Delivery System, Department of Pharmaceutics, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Drug Delivery Systems, The Center for Drug Research and Development, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, GuangZhou, 510006, Guangdong, China.
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Xiao L, Xiao W, Zhan F. Targets of total glucosides of paeony in the treatment of Sjogren syndrome: A network pharmacology study. J Chin Med Assoc 2023; 86:375-380. [PMID: 36653917 DOI: 10.1097/jcma.0000000000000884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We aimed to explore the underlying mechanism of the total glucoside of peony (TGP) in treating Sjogren syndrome (SS) using the network pharmacology approach. METHODS The protein targets of TGP and SS were identified by database search. Then, the intersection of the two groups was studied. The drug-target network between TGP and the overlapping genes was constructed, visualized, and analyzed by Cytoscape software. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment were performed to analyze these genes. Finally, the predictions of potential targets were evaluated by docking study. RESULTS Forty-six overlapping genes were discovered. The results suggested that TGP used in the treatment of SS is associated with cellular tumor antigen p53, neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor type 1, and epidermal growth factor receptor, as well as their related 3372 protein networks, which regulate intrinsic apoptotic signaling pathway, cellular response to oxidative stress, rhythmic process, and other processes. Molecular docking analysis proved that hydrogen bonding is the main form of interaction. CONCLUSION Our research provided the protein targets affected by TGP in SS treatment. The key targets (caspase 3, vascular endothelial growth factor A, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, etc.), which involve 3372 proteins, are the multitarget mechanism of TGP in SS treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Xiao
- Department of Rheumatology, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Hainan, China
| | - Wei Xiao
- Department of Respiratory, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Hainan, China
| | - Feng Zhan
- Department of Rheumatology, Hainan General Hospital, Hainan Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Hainan, China
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Unraveling the molecular mechanism of l-menthol against cervical cancer based on network pharmacology, molecular docking and in vitro analysis. Mol Divers 2023; 27:323-340. [PMID: 35467269 DOI: 10.1007/s11030-022-10429-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Cervical cancer is a major cause of gynecological related mortalities in developing countries. Cisplatin, a potent chemotherapeutic agent used for treating advanced cervical cancer exhibits side effects and resistance development. The current study was aimed to investigate the repurposing of l-menthol as a potential therapeutic drug against cervical cancer. L-menthol was predicted to be non-toxic with good pharmacokinetic properties based on SwissADME and pkCSM analysis. Subsequently, 543 and 1664 targets of l-menthol and cervical cancer were identified using STITCH, BATMAN-TCM, PharmMapper and CTD databases. STRING and Cytoscape analysis of the merged protein-protein interaction network revealed 107 core targets of l- menthol against cervical cancer. M-CODE identified highly connected clusters between the core targets which through KEGG analysis were found to be enriched in pathways related to apoptosis and adherence junctions. Molecular docking showed that l- menthol targeted E6, E6AP and E7 onco-proteins of HPV that interact and inactivate TP53 and Rb1 in cervical cancer, respectively. Molecular docking also showed good binding affinity of l-menthol toward proteins associated with apoptosis and migration. Molecular dynamics simulation confirmed stability of the docked complexes. In vitro analysis confirmed that l-menthol was cytotoxic towards cervical cancer CaSki cells and altered expression of TP53, Rb1, CDKN1A, E2F1, NFKB1, Akt-1, caspase-3, CDH1 and MMP-2 genes identified through network pharmacology approach. Schematic representation of the work flow depicting the potential of l-menthol to target cervical cancer.
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Crosstalk between xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibiting and cancer chemotherapeutic properties of comestible flavonoids- a comprehensive update. J Nutr Biochem 2022; 110:109147. [PMID: 36049673 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2022.109147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Gout is an inflammatory disease caused by metabolic disorder or genetic inheritance. People throughout the world are strongly dependent on ethnomedicine for the treatment of gout and some receive satisfactory curative treatment. The natural remedies as well as established drugs derived from natural sources or synthetically made exert their action by mechanisms that are closely associated with anticancer treatment mechanisms regarding inhibition of xanthine oxidase, feedback inhibition of de novo purine synthesis, depolymerization and disappearance of microtubule, inhibition of NF-ĸB activation, induction of TRAIL, promotion of apoptosis, and caspase activation and proteasome inhibition. Some anti-gout and anticancer novel compounds interact with same receptors for their action, e.g., colchicine and colchicine analogues. Dietary flavonoids, i.e., chrysin, kaempferol, quercetin, fisetin, pelargonidin, apigenin, luteolin, myricetin, isorhamnetin, phloretinetc etc. have comparable IC50 values with established anti-gout drug and effective against both cancer and gout. Moreover, a noticeable number of newer anticancer compounds have already been isolated from plants that have been using by local traditional healers and herbal practitioners to treat gout. Therefore, the anti-gout plants might have greater potentiality to become selective candidates for screening of newer anticancer leads.
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Lin ZH, Zhang J, Zhuang LK, Xin YN, Xuan SY. Establishment of a Prognostic Model for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Bioinformatics and the Role of NR6A1 in the Progression of HCC. J Clin Transl Hepatol 2022; 10:901-912. [PMID: 36304495 PMCID: PMC9547269 DOI: 10.14218/jcth.2022.00191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Generally acceptable prognostic models for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are not available. This study aimed to establish a prognostic model for HCC by identifying immune-related differentially expressed genes (IR-DEGs) and to investigate the potential role of NR6A1 in the progression of HCC. METHODS Bioinformatics analysis using The Cancer Genome Atlas and ImmPort databases was used to identify IR-DEGs. Lasso Cox regression and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to establish a prognostic model of HCC. Kaplan-Meier analysis and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the performance of the prognostic model, which was further verified in the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) database. Gene set enrichment analysis was used to explore the potential pathways of NR6A1. Cell counting kit 8, colony formation, wound healing, and Transwell migration assays using Huh7 cells, and tumor formation models in nude mice were conducted. RESULTS A prognostic model established based on ten identified IR-DEGs including HSPA4, FABP6, MAPT, NDRG1, APLN, IL17D, LHB, SPP1, GLP1R, and NR6A1, effectively predicted the prognosis of HCC patients, was confirmed by the ROC curves and verified in ICGC database. NR6A1 expression was significantly up-regulated in HCC patients, and NR6A1 was significantly associated with a low survival rate. Gene set enrichment analysis showed the enrichment of cell cycle, mTOR, WNT, and ERBB signaling pathways in patients with high NR6A1 expression. NR6A1 promoted cell proliferation, invasiveness, migration, and malignant tumor formation and growth in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS An effective prognostic model for HCC, based on a novel signature of 10 immune-related genes, was established. NR6A1 was up-regulated in HCC and was associated with a poor prognosis of HCC. NR6A1 promoted cell proliferation, migration, and growth of HCC, most likely through the cell cycle, mTOR, WNT, and ERBB signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Hua Lin
- College of Medicine and Pharmaceutics, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Li-Kun Zhuang
- Clinical Research Center, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Yong-Ning Xin
- College of Medicine and Pharmaceutics, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Correspondence to: Yong-Ning Xin, College of Medicine and Pharmaceutics, Ocean University of China, Department of Gastroenterology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong, China. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3692-7655. Tel: +86-532-82789463, Fax: +86-532-85968434, E-mail: ; Shi-Ying Xuan, College of Medicine and Pharmaceutics, Ocean University of China, Department of Gastroenterology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong, China. Tel: +86-532-82789463, Fax: +86-532-85968434, E-mail:
| | - Shi-Ying Xuan
- College of Medicine and Pharmaceutics, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Department of Gastroenterology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
- Correspondence to: Yong-Ning Xin, College of Medicine and Pharmaceutics, Ocean University of China, Department of Gastroenterology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong, China. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3692-7655. Tel: +86-532-82789463, Fax: +86-532-85968434, E-mail: ; Shi-Ying Xuan, College of Medicine and Pharmaceutics, Ocean University of China, Department of Gastroenterology, Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, Shandong, China. Tel: +86-532-82789463, Fax: +86-532-85968434, E-mail:
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Xiao L, Lin S, Zhan F. One of the active ingredients in Paeoniae Radix Alba functions as JAK1 inhibitor in rheumatoid arthritis. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:906763. [PMID: 36199685 PMCID: PMC9527307 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.906763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: We aimed to explore and verify the mechanism underlying the action of the active ingredients of Paeoniae Radix Alba (PRA) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: The protein targets of PRA’s six active ingredients and RA were identified. Then, the intersection of the two groups was studied. The drug–target network was constructed, visualized, and analyzed by Cytoscape software. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment were performed to analyze these genes. Furthermore, we validated our predictions of the potential targets through a docking study. Finally, the anti-inflammatory effect of Palbinone (PB), one of the active ingredients of PRA, was tested by conducting in vitro and in vivo studies. Results: Six active ingredients of PRA were identified, and 103 overlapping genes were discovered. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that the genes are mostly enriched in IL-17 signaling pathway, Th17 cell differentiation, and the FoxO, ErbB, and TNF signaling pathways. 10 hub genes and two gene cluster modules were identified by Cytoscape. Molecular docking analysis proved that PB was able to bind to the ATP binding site of Janus kinase (JAK)1, thereby acting as a potential inhibitor of JAK1. In vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that PB exerts its anti-inflammatory role via the inhibition of JAK1. Conclusion: We constructed a multitarget pharmacological network of PRA in RA treatment. PB, one of the active compounds of PRA, was demonstrated to be a promising inhibitor of JAK1.
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Li W, Qu X, Kang X, Zhang H, Zhang X, Hu H, Yao L, Zhang L, Zheng J, Zheng Y, Zhang J, Xu Y. Silibinin eliminates mitochondrial ROS and restores autophagy through IL6ST/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway to protect cardiomyocytes from doxorubicin-induced injury. Eur J Pharmacol 2022; 929:175153. [PMID: 35839932 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.175153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Growing evidence indicates that silibinin (SLB), a main component extracted from Chinese herb Silybum marianum, can effectively antagonize doxorubicin (DOX) induced myocardial injury (DIMI), but the specific molecular mechanism is still unelucidated. Herein, DOX induced human AC16 cardiomyocyte injury model and Network Pharmacology are used to predict and verify the potential mechanism. The analysis results of the core PPI network of SLB against DIMI show that JAK/STAT signaling pathway and autophagy are significantly enriched. Molecular docking results indicate that SLB has stronger binding ability to signaling key proteins IL6ST, JAK2 and STAT3 (affinity ≤ -7.0 kcal/mol). The detection results of pathway activation and autophagy level demonstrate that SLB significantly alleviates DOX induced IL6ST/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway inhibition and autophagy inhibition, reduces the death rate of cardiomyocytes. This protective effect of SLB is eliminated when key pathway proteins (IL6ST, JAK2, STAT3) are knocked down or autophagy is inhibited (3-MA or Beclin1 knockdown). These results suggest that the regulation of IL6ST/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway and autophagy may be important mechanism for SLB's protective effect on DOX injured cardiomyocytes. Further experimental results prove that knockdown of IL6ST, JAK2 and STAT3 eliminate the mitochondrial ROS scavenging effect and autophagy promoting effect of SLB. In sum, SLB can decrease the mitochondrial ROS and restore autophagy to antagonize DOX-induced cardiomyocyte injury by activating IL6ST/JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbiao Li
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xinni Qu
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xiangping Kang
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Haiyin Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Xueli Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Haiyan Hu
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Lingai Yao
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Lina Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Jing Zheng
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China
| | - Yuejuan Zheng
- Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine and Immunology Research, School of Basic Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
| | - Jianghong Zhang
- Department of Radiation Biology, Institute of Radiation Medicine, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Yanwu Xu
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Basic Medicine, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 201203, China.
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Liu J, Yuan S, Yao Y, Wang J, Scalabrino G, Jiang S, Sheridan H. Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Elucidate the Underlying Pharmacological Mechanisms of the Herb Houttuynia cordata in Treating Pneumonia Caused by SARS-CoV-2. Viruses 2022; 14:v14071588. [PMID: 35891565 PMCID: PMC9324059 DOI: 10.3390/v14071588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Used in Asian countries, including China, Japan, and Thailand, Houttuynia cordata Thumb (H. cordata; Saururaceae, HC) is a traditional herbal medicine that possesses favorable antiviral properties. As a potent folk therapy used to treat pulmonary infections, further research is required to fully elucidate the mechanisms of its pharmacological activities and explore its therapeutic potential for treating pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2. This study explores the pharmacological mechanism of HC on pneumonia using a network pharmacological approach combined with reprocessing expression profiling by high-throughput sequencing to demonstrate the therapeutic mechanisms of HC for treating pneumonia at a systemic level. The integration of these analyses suggested that target factors are involved in four signaling pathways, including PI3K-Akt, Jak-STAT, MAPK, and NF-kB. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation were applied to verify these results, indicating a stable combination between four metabolites (Afzelin, Apigenin, Kaempferol, Quercetin) and six targets (DPP4, ELANE, HSP90AA1, IL6, MAPK1, SERPINE1). These natural metabolites have also been reported to bind with ACE2 and 3CLpro of SARS-CoV-2, respectively. The data suggest that HC exerts collective therapeutic effects against pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 and provides a theoretical basis for further study of the active drug-like ingredients and mechanism of HC in treating pneumonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junying Liu
- NatPro Center, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, D02PN40 Dublin, Ireland; (J.L.); (J.W.); (G.S.)
| | - Shouli Yuan
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100080, China;
| | - Yao Yao
- Biocomputing and Developmental Systems, Lero—The Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Software, Department of Computer Science & Information Systems, The University of Limerick, V94T9PX Limerick, Ireland;
| | - Jinfan Wang
- NatPro Center, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, D02PN40 Dublin, Ireland; (J.L.); (J.W.); (G.S.)
| | - Gaia Scalabrino
- NatPro Center, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, D02PN40 Dublin, Ireland; (J.L.); (J.W.); (G.S.)
| | - Shibo Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Virology (MOE/NHC/CAMS), School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai Institute of Infectious Disease and Biosecurity, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
- Correspondence: (S.J.); (H.S.)
| | - Helen Sheridan
- NatPro Center, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, D02PN40 Dublin, Ireland; (J.L.); (J.W.); (G.S.)
- Correspondence: (S.J.); (H.S.)
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Xi R, Wan Y, Yang L, Zhang J, Yang L, Yang S, Chai R, Mu F, Sun Q, Yan R, Wu Z, Li S. Investigating Celastrol's Anti-DCM Targets and Mechanisms via Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:7382130. [PMID: 35845929 PMCID: PMC9278495 DOI: 10.1155/2022/7382130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Methods Data from TCMSP and GEO databases were utilized to identify targets for Celastrol on DCM. The relationship between the major targets and conventional glycolipid metabolism was obtained with Spearman correlation analysis. Experiments on animals were conducted utilizing healthy control (HC), low-dose Celastrol interventions (CL), and no intervention groups (NC), all of which had 8 SD rats in each group. To study alterations in signaling molecules, RT-PCR was performed. Results There were 76 common targets and 5 major targets for Celastrol-DCM. Celastrol have been found to regulate AGE-RAGE, TNF, MAPK, TOLL-like receptors, insulin resistance, and other signaling pathways, and they are closely linked to adipocytokines, fatty acid metabolism, glycolipid biosynthesis, and glycosylphosphati-dylinositol biosynthesis on DCM. These five major targets have been found to regulate these pathways. Experiments on rats indicated that P38 MAPK was considerably elevated in the cardiac tissue from rats in the CL and NC groups compared to the HC group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.01). Significant differences were seen between the CL and NC groups in P38 MAPK levels, with a statistical significance level of less than 0.05. Conclusion Celastrol may play a role in reversing energy remodeling, anti-inflammation, and oxidative stress via modulating p38 protein expression in the MAPK pathway, which have been shown in the treatment of DCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Xi
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Yongxin Wan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Lihong Yang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Jingying Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Liu Yang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Shuai Yang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Rui Chai
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Fengchen Mu
- Department of Vascular Medicine, Shanxi Cardiovascular Hospital, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Qiting Sun
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Shanxi Cardiovascular Hospital, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Rui Yan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Zhifang Wu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
- Molecular Imaging Precision Medical Collaborative Innovation Center, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
| | - Sijin Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
- Molecular Imaging Precision Medical Collaborative Innovation Center, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China
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Human liver single nucleus and single cell RNA sequencing identify a hepatocellular carcinoma-associated cell-type affecting survival. Genome Med 2022; 14:50. [PMID: 35581624 PMCID: PMC9115949 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-022-01055-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common primary liver cancer with poor overall survival. We hypothesized that there are HCC-associated cell-types that impact patient survival. Methods We combined liver single nucleus (snRNA-seq), single cell (scRNA-seq), and bulk RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) data to search for cell-type differences in HCC. To first identify cell-types in HCC, adjacent non-tumor tissue, and normal liver, we integrated single-cell level data from a healthy liver cohort (n = 9 non-HCC samples) collected in the Strasbourg University Hospital; an HCC cohort (n = 1 non-HCC, n = 14 HCC-tumor, and n = 14 adjacent non-tumor samples) collected in the Singapore General Hospital and National University; and another HCC cohort (n = 3 HCC-tumor and n = 3 adjacent non-tumor samples) collected in the Dumont-UCLA Liver Cancer Center. We then leveraged these single cell level data to decompose the cell-types in liver bulk RNA-seq data from HCC patients’ tumor (n = 361) and adjacent non-tumor tissue (n = 49) from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) multi-center cohort. For replication, we decomposed 221 HCC and 209 adjacent non-tumor liver microarray samples from the Liver Cancer Institute (LCI) cohort collected by the Liver Cancer Institute and Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University. Results We discovered a tumor-associated proliferative cell-type, Prol (80.4% tumor cells), enriched for cell cycle and mitosis genes. In the liver bulk tissue from the TCGA cohort, the proportion of the Prol cell-type is significantly increased in HCC and associates with a worse overall survival. Independently from our decomposition analysis, we reciprocally show that Prol nuclei/cells significantly over-express both tumor-elevated and survival-decreasing genes obtained from the bulk tissue. Our replication analysis in the LCI cohort confirmed that an increased estimated proportion of the Prol cell-type in HCC is a significant marker for a shorter overall survival. Finally, we show that somatic mutations in the tumor suppressor genes TP53 and RB1 are linked to an increase of the Prol cell-type in HCC. Conclusions By integrating liver single cell, single nucleus, and bulk expression data from multiple cohorts we identified a proliferating cell-type (Prol) enriched in HCC tumors, associated with a decreased overall survival, and linked to TP53 and RB1 somatic mutations. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13073-022-01055-5.
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Khan SA, Lee TKW. Network-Pharmacology-Based Study on Active Phytochemicals and Molecular Mechanism of Cnidium monnieri in Treating Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:5400. [PMID: 35628212 PMCID: PMC9140548 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignancy with a high mortality rate globally. For thousands of years, Cnidium monnieri has been used to treat human ailments and is regarded as a veritable treasure trove for drug discovery. This study has investigated the key active phytochemicals and molecular mechanisms of Cnidium monnieri implicated in curing HCC. We utilized the TCMSP database to collect data on the phytochemicals of Cnidium monnieri. The SwissTargetPrediction website tool was used to predict the targets of phytochemicals of Cnidium monnieri. HCC-related genes were retrieved from OncoDB.HCC and Liverome, two liver-cancer-related databases. Using the DAVID bioinformatic website tool, Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG enrichment analysis were performed on the intersecting targets of HCC-related genes and active phytochemicals in Cnidium monnieri. A network of active phytochemicals and anti-HCC targets was constructed and analyzed using Cytoscape software. Molecular docking of key active phytochemicals was performed with anti-HCC targets using AutoDock Vina (version 1.2.0.). We identified 19 active phytochemicals in Cnidium monnieri, 532 potential targets of these phytochemicals, and 566 HCC-related genes. Results of GO enrichment indicated that Cnidium monnieri might be implicated in affecting gene targets involved in multiple biological processes, such as protein phosphorylation, negative regulation of the apoptotic process, which could be attributed to its anti-HCC effects. KEGG pathway analyses indicated that the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, pathways in cancer, proteoglycans in cancer, the TNF signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway, ErbB signaling pathway, and EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance are the main pathways implicated in the anti-HCC effects of Cnidium monnieri. Molecular docking analyses showed that key active phytochemicals of Cnidium monnieri, such as ar-curcumene, diosmetin, and (E)-2,3-bis(2-keto-7-methoxy-chromen-8-yl)acrolein, can bind to core therapeutic targets EGFR, CASP3, ESR1, MAPK3, CCND1, and ERBB2. The results of the present study offer clues for further investigation of the anti-HCC phytochemicals and mechanisms of Cnidium monnieri and provide a basis for developing modern anti-HCC drugs based on phytochemicals in Cnidium monnieri.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shakeel Ahmad Khan
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 11 Yuk Choi Rd., Hung Hom, Kowloon 999077, Hong Kong
| | - Terence Kin Wah Lee
- Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 11 Yuk Choi Rd., Hung Hom, Kowloon 999077, Hong Kong
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Clinical Evidence and Potential Mechanisms of Complementary Treatment of Ling Gui Zhu Gan Formula for the Management of Serum Lipids and Obesity. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2022; 2022:7714034. [PMID: 35586687 PMCID: PMC9110158 DOI: 10.1155/2022/7714034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Objective. This study aims to evaluate the clinical effects of Ling Gui Zhu Gan formula (LGZG), a famous TCM formula, for the management of serum lipids and obesity and preliminarily elucidates the bioactive components and the potential mechanism. Methods. Cluster analysis was adopted to investigate the TCM herbs and their frequency of occurrence for treating hyperlipidemia and obesity in an academic experience database of Chinese famous TCM doctors (http://www.gjmlzy.com:83). Then, relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about LGZG supplementation in improving lipid levels and obesity were retrieved and analyzed. Lastly, the integration of network pharmacology, as well as greedy algorithms, which are theoretically well founded for the set cover in computer science, was exploited to identify the bioactive components of LGZG and to reveal potential mechanisms for attenuation or reversal of hyperlipidemia and obesity. Results. Based on the cluster analysis of 104 cases in TCM academic experience database, four TCM herbs in LGZG showed high-use frequency for treating hyperlipidemia and obesity. Meta-analysis on 19 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 1716 participants indicated that LGZG supplementation significantly decreased the serum levels of total triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, BMI, and body weight and increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, compared with clinical control groups. No serious adverse effect was detected in all studies. Twenty-one bioactive components of LGZG, mainly flavonoids (i.e., naringenin, kaempferol, and kumatakenin), saponins (i.e., hederagenin), and fatty acids (i.e., eicosenoic acid), had the potential benefits possibly by regulating multiple targets such as PTPN1, CYP19A1, and ESR2, as well as a few complex pathways including the TNF signaling pathway, PPAR signaling pathway, arachidonic acid metabolism, fat digestion, and absorption. Conclusion. The present study has proved the clinical value of LGZG as a complementary treatment for attenuation or reversal of hyperlipidemia and obesity. More high-quality clinical and experimental studies in the future are demanded to verify its effects and the precise mechanism of action.
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Xie B, Chen Y, Hu Y, Zhao Y, Luo H, Xu J, Song X. Targets Exploration of Hydroxychloroquine for Pigmentation and Cell Protection Effect in Melanocytes: The Clue for Vitiligo Treatment. Drug Des Devel Ther 2022; 16:1011-1024. [PMID: 35411132 PMCID: PMC8994563 DOI: 10.2147/dddt.s350387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The treatment of vitiligo is often challenging to dermatologists. There is ample evidence to suggest that hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is effective for vitiligo treatment; nonetheless, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In the present study, we sought to uncover the molecular targets of HCQ by an integrated network-based pharmacologic and transcriptomic approach. Methods The potential targets of HCQ were retrieved from databases based on the crystal structure. Targets related to vitiligo were screened and intersected with potential targets of HCQ. A protein-protein interaction network of the intersected targets was generated. Interactions between the targets were verified by molecular docking. Moreover, human vitiligo immortalized melanocytes (PIG3V) were evaluated after treatment with HCQ (1μg/mL) for 24h. The total RNA of PIG3V was extracted and determined by RNA-seq transcriptomics for differential gene expression analysis. Network pharmacology was then used to identify the relationships between putative targets of HCQ and differentially expressed genes. Results Molecular docking analysis revealed four putative key targets (ACHE, PNMT, MC1R, and VDR) of HCQ played important roles in vitiligo treatment. According to the transcriptomic results, the melanosomal biogenesis-related gene BLOC1S5 was upregulated 138005.020 fold after HCQ treatment. Genes related to protein repair (MSRB3) and anti-ultraviolet (UV) effect (UVSSA) were upregulated 4.253 and 2.603 fold, respectively, after HCQ treatment. Conclusion The expression of the BLOC1S5 gene is significantly upregulated, indicating upregulated melanosomal biogenesis after HCQ treatment. In addition, HCQ yields a protective effect on melanocytes by upregulating genes associated with damaged protein repair (MSRB3) and anti-UV effect (UVSSA). The protective effects of HCQ are mediated by binding to putative targets ACHE, PNMT, MC1R, and VDR according to network pharmacology and docking verification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Xie
- Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou Third People's Hospital, Affiliated Hangzhou Dermatology Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou Third Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310009, People's Republic of China
| | - Yebei Hu
- Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou Third Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310009, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou Third Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310009, People's Republic of China
| | - Haixin Luo
- Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou Third Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, 310009, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinhui Xu
- Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou Third People's Hospital, Affiliated Hangzhou Dermatology Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiuzu Song
- Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou Third People's Hospital, Affiliated Hangzhou Dermatology Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310009, People's Republic of China
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Dai R, Liu M, Xiang X, Li Y, Xi Z, Xu H. OMICS Applications for Medicinal Plants in Gastrointestinal Cancers: Current Advancements and Future Perspectives. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:842203. [PMID: 35185591 PMCID: PMC8855055 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.842203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Gastrointestinal cancers refer to a group of deadly malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract and organs of the digestive system. Over the past decades, considerable amounts of medicinal plants have exhibited potent anticancer effects on different types of gastrointestinal cancers. OMICS, systems biology approaches covering genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics, are broadly applied to comprehensively reflect the molecular profiles in mechanistic studies of medicinal plants. Single- and multi-OMICS approaches facilitate the unravelling of signalling interaction networks and key molecular targets of medicinal plants with anti-gastrointestinal cancer potential. Hence, this review summarizes the applications of various OMICS and advanced bioinformatics approaches in examining therapeutic targets, signalling pathways, and the tumour microenvironment in response to anticancer medicinal plants. Advances and prospects in this field are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongchen Dai
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Colleges for TCM New Drug Discovery, Shanghai, China
| | - Mengfan Liu
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Colleges for TCM New Drug Discovery, Shanghai, China
| | - Xincheng Xiang
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Colleges for TCM New Drug Discovery, Shanghai, China
| | - Yang Li
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Colleges for TCM New Drug Discovery, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhichao Xi
- School of Pharmacy, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Engineering Research Center of Shanghai Colleges for TCM New Drug Discovery, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Zhichao Xi, ; Hongxi Xu,
| | - Hongxi Xu
- Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Zhichao Xi, ; Hongxi Xu,
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Huanglianjiedu Decoction as an effective treatment for oral squamous cell carcinoma based on network pharmacology and experimental validation. Cancer Cell Int 2021; 21:553. [PMID: 34674717 PMCID: PMC8529748 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-02201-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is one of malignant tumors in oral and maxillofacial region with high fatality. Huanglianjiedu Decoction (HLJDD) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicinal prescription, which consists of Coptis chinensis Franch, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Phellodendron amurense Rupr and Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis. Some clinical studies showed HLJDD had good effectiveness on OSCC, but the mechanism is unclear. Methods In this study, potential components of HLJDD and putative targets were screened by Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP). Combining with potential targets of OSCC searched from Therapeutic Target Database (TTD) and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), we drew protein–protein interaction (PPI) network by Cytoscape v3.2.0 software. After topological analysis we got core targets and further did Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Then we did the in vitro experiments to verify the major biological processes (cell cycle, apoptosis and proliferation) and signaling pathways (mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), protein kinase B (AKT)) on OSCC cell lines, SCC-25 and CAL-27. Results The potential component targets number of Coptis chinensis Franch, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Phellodendron amurense Rupr and Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis were 39, 93, 81and 88, respectively. Then we got 52 core targets which enriched in cell cycle, apoptosis, proliferation, MAPK activation etc. and obtained TOP30 pathways. On SCC-25 and CAL-27, HLJDD suppressed cell proliferation, induced late apoptosis and inhibited cell invasion and migration which were consistent with the results from network pharmacology analysis. Additionally, in cell cycle, we confirmed HLJDD inhibited G1 phase and arrested in S phase to reduce cell proliferation on SCC-25. In signaling pathways, HLJDD inhibited the phosphorylation of extracellular regulatory protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and NF-κB p65 (S468) on SCC-25 and CAL-27. Conclusions HLJDD played a potential therapeutic role on OSCC via inhibiting p-ERK1/2 and p-NF-κB p65 (S468). Graphical abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-021-02201-6.
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Chen X, Wang X, Ma L, Fang S, Li J, Boadi EO, He J, Gao XM, Wang Y, Chang YX. The network pharmacology integrated with pharmacokinetics to clarify the pharmacological mechanism of absorbed components from Viticis fructus extract. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2021; 278:114336. [PMID: 34139282 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2021.114336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Viticis fructus (VF) has been widely used in alleviating the swelling and pain, owning to its pharmacologically active components including agnuside, 10-O-vanilloylaucubin, luteolin and casticin. AIM OF THE STUDY The pharmacokinetic profiles of the absorbed components from aqueous and ethanolic extracts of VF in rat plasma were performed, and explored the molecular mechanisms of absorbed components via network pharmacology. MATERIALS AND METHODS Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy (UHPLC-MS/MS) was employed to identify the absorbed components from rat plasma. Liquid-liquid extraction with ethyl acetate was used to purify the plasma samples. Plasma pharmacokinetics parameters of the components absorbed were analyzed after oral administration of both extracts. Network pharmacology was used to predict the biological functions and potential signaling pathways of VF. The anti-cancer effects of VF extract and absorbed components have been confirmed by in vitro experiments. RESULTS The method was very sensitive with lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 1.0, 2.5, 0.2 and 0.5 ng/mL for agnuside, 10-O-vanilloylaucubin, luteolin and casticin, respectively. With the exception of 10-O-vanilloylaucubin which was not detected in the ethanolic extract of VF, all other components were detected in both extracts in plasma. The pharmacokinetic parameters of the four components from rat plasma were significantly different between the two extracts. According to the results of network pharmacology, the absorption components of VF are enriched in 32 key pathways, and 15 pathways are related to cancer. Ultimately, the anti-cancer effects, as well as the signaling pathways of VF ethanolic extract and absorbed components were verified by in vitro experiments. CONCLUSION The optimized, sensitive and validated UHPLC-MS/MS method was successfully applied for the plasma pharmacokinetics comparison analysis of the two VF extracts. The combination of network pharmacology and pharmacokinetics provides a useful method to elucidate the biological effects and molecular mechanism of the absorbed components of VF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuanhao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
| | - Lin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China; School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
| | - Shiming Fang
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
| | - Jin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
| | - Evans Owusu Boadi
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
| | - Jun He
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
| | - Xiu-Mei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
| | - Yu Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China; School of Integrative Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.
| | - Yan-Xu Chang
- State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China; Tianjin Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Pharmaceutical Analysis, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China.
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Qiu ZK, Liu ZT, Pang JL, Wu HB, Liu X, Yang ZM, Li X, Chen JS. A network pharmacology study with molecular docking to investigate the possibility of licorice against posttraumatic stress disorder. Metab Brain Dis 2021; 36:1763-1777. [PMID: 34417940 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-021-00816-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that has a debilitating effect on a person's quality of life and leads to a high socioeconomic burden. Licorice has been demonstrated to have neuroprotective and antidepressant-like effects, but little is known about its effects for the treatment of PTSD. The present study aimed to explore the potential of licorice for PTSD therapy using a network pharmacology approach with molecular docking studies. The compounds of licorice were obtained from databases with screening by absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) evaluation. Genes associated with compounds or PTSD were obtained from public databases, and the genes overlapping between licorice compounds and PTSD were compared by Venn diagram. A network of medicine-ingredients-targets-disease was constructed, visualized, and analyzed using cytoscape software. Protein-protein interactions, gene ontology, pathway enrichment and molecular docking were performed to evaluate the effect of licorice for the treatment of PTSD. 69 potential compounds were screened after ADME evaluation. A total of 81 compound-related genes and 566 PTSD-related genes were identified in the databases with 27 overlapping genes. Licorice compounds (e.g., medicarpin, 7-methoxy-2-methyl isoflavone, shinpterocarpin, formononetin, licochalcone a) and target proteins (e.g., ESR1, PTGS2, NOS2, and ADRB2) with high degree in the network were involved in G protein-coupled receptor signaling pathways at the postsynaptic/synaptic membrane. Moreover, neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, calcium signaling, cholinergic synapse, serotonergic synapse and adrenergic signaling in cardiomyocytes may play important roles in the treatment of PTSD by licorice. This study provides molecular evidence of the beneficial effects of licorice for the treatment of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Kun Qiu
- Pharmaceutical Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 510080, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Ting Liu
- Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Guangzhou, 510006, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia-Li Pang
- Pharmaceutical Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 510080, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Han-Biao Wu
- Pharmaceutical Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 510080, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xu Liu
- Medical Supplies Center of Chinese, PLA General Hospital, Beijing, 100853, People's Republic of China
| | - Ze-Min Yang
- Pharmaceutical Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 510080, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiong Li
- Pharmaceutical Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 510080, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ji-Sheng Chen
- Pharmaceutical Department, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, 510080, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
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Dong Y, Tao B, Xue X, Feng C, Ren Y, Ma H, Zhang J, Si Y, Zhang S, Liu S, Li H, Zhou J, Li G, Wang Z, Xie J, Zhu Z. Molecular mechanism of Epicedium treatment for depression based on network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. BMC Complement Med Ther 2021; 21:222. [PMID: 34479552 PMCID: PMC8417989 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-021-03389-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing attention has been paid to the effect of Epimedium on the nervous system, particularly anti-depression function. In the present study, we applied network pharmacology to introduce a testable hypothesis on the multi-target mechanisms of Epicedium against depression. METHODS By reconstructing the network of protein-protein interaction and drug-component-target, we predicted the key protein targets of Epicedium for the treatment of depression. Then, through molecular docking, the interaction of the main active components of Epicedium and predicted candidate targets were verified. RESULTS Nineteen active compounds were selected from Epicedium. There were 200 targets associated with Epicedium and 537 targets related to depression. The key targets of Epicedium for treating depression were IL6, VEGFA, AKT1, and EGF. According to gene ontology functional enrichment analysis, 22 items of biological process (BP), 13 items of cell composition (CC) and 9 items of molecular function (MF) were obtained. A total of 56 signaling pathways (P < 0.05) were identified by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis, mainly involving depression-related pathways such as dopaminergic synapse, TNF signaling pathway, and prolactin signaling pathway. The results of molecular docking showed that the most important activity components, including luteoklin, quercetin and kaempferol, were well combined with the key targets. CONCLUSIONS Luteoklin, quercetin, kaempferol and other active compounds in Epicedium can regulate multiple signaling pathways and targets such as IL6, AKT1, and EGF, therefore playing therapeutic roles in depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yankai Dong
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant health, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Bo Tao
- Department of Orthopaedic, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Anshan Road No.154, Tianjin, 300052, Heping District, China
| | - Xing Xue
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant health, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Caixia Feng
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant health, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Yating Ren
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant health, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Hengyu Ma
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant health, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Junli Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant health, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Yufang Si
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant health, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Sisi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant health, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Si Liu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant health, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Neonatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College,Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710069, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Jiahao Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant health, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Ge Li
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant health, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Zhifei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant health, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Juanping Xie
- Qinba Chinese Medicine Resources R&D Center, School of Medicine, Ankang University, Ankang, 710069, Shanxi Province, China.
| | - Zhongliang Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Institute of Maternal and Infant health, Northwest University, Xi'an, 710069, Shanxi Province, China.
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Zhang M, Dai W, Li Z, Tang L, Chen J, Chen C. HSPA4 Knockdown Retarded Progression and Development of Colorectal Cancer. Cancer Manag Res 2021; 13:4679-4690. [PMID: 34163243 PMCID: PMC8214019 DOI: 10.2147/cmar.s310729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy associated with high morbidity and mortality. Heat shock 70 kDa protein 4 (HSPA4) has been shown to exert regulatory roles during tumor progression in different cancer types. Here, we investigated the expression and cellular functions of HSPA4 in CRC. Materials and Methods Expression of HSPA4 in CRC tissues and paracancerous tissues was analyzed by RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry IHC staining. The functional roles of HSPA4 were explored using shRNA-mediated knockdown in HCT116 and RKO CRC cell lines, both in vitro and in tumor xenograft studies. Results HSPA4 expression was significantly increased at the RNA and protein levels in CRC tissues compared with noncancerous tissues. Moreover, HSPA4 expression was positively associated with tumor stage and its high expression of HSPA4 indicated poor patient prognosis. In vitro studies established that HSPA4 knockdown inhibited proliferation and migration, causing arrest in the G2-phase of the cell cycle along with increased levels of apoptosis. This phenotype was recapitulated in vivo where HSPA4 knockdown suppressed xenograft growth. Mechanistic investigations showed silencing of HSPA4 reduced activation of the PI3K, Akt signaling axis while also downregulating the cell cycle progression markers, CCND1 and CDK6. Similarly, there was altered expression of apoptosis-related proteins consistent with the increase in apoptosis. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate clinical significance for HSPA4 in CRC, further showing that HSPA4 contributes to CRC tumorigenesis through effects on proliferation, migration and survival. Thus, HSPA4 represents a novel prognostic indicator as well as a promising therapeutic target in CRC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingliang Zhang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Weigang Dai
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhanyu Li
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Liang Tang
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianhui Chen
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuangqi Chen
- Department of Colorectal Surgery, Gastrointestinal Surgery Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
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Chen J, Li LF, Hu XR, Wei F, Ma S. Network Pharmacology-Based Strategy for Elucidating the Molecular Basis Forthe Pharmacologic Effects of Licorice ( Glycyrrhiza spp.). Front Pharmacol 2021; 12:590477. [PMID: 33995004 PMCID: PMC8114075 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.590477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Licorice (Glycyrrhiza spp.) is used widely in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) due to its numerous pharmacologic effects. However, the mechanisms of action of the chemical constituents of licorice and their structure–function relationships are not fully understood. To address these points, we analyzed the chemical compounds in licorice listed in the TCM Systems Pharmacology database and TCM Integrated database. Target proteins of the compounds were predicted using Integrative Pharmacology-based Research Platform of TCM v2.0. Information on the pharmacologic effects of licorice was obtained from the 2020 Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and disease-related genes that have been linked to these effects were identified from the Encyclopedia of TCM database. Pathway analyses using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database were carried out for target proteins, and pharmacologic networks were constructed based on drug target–disease-related gene and protein–protein interactions. A total of 451 compounds were analyzed, of which 211 were from the medicinal parts of the licorice plant. The 241 putative targets of 106 bioactive compounds in licorice comprised 52 flavonoids, 47 triterpenoids, and seven coumarins. Four distinct pharmacologic effects of licorice were defined: 61 major hubs were the putative targets of 23 compounds in heat-clearing and detoxifying effects; 68 were targets of six compounds in spleen-invigorating and qi-replenishing effects; 28 were targets of six compounds in phlegm-expulsion and cough-suppressant effects; 25 compounds were targets of six compounds in spasm-relieving and analgesic effects. The major bioactive compounds of licorice were identified by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–quadrupole time-of-flight–tandem mass spectrometry. The anti-inflammatory properties of liquiritin apioside, liquiritigenin, glycyrrhizic acid and isoliquiritin apioside were demonstrated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot analysis. Liquiritin apioside, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritin, isoliquiritin apioside, kaempferol, and kumatakenin were the main active flavonoids, and 18α- and 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid were the main active triterpenoids of licorice. The former were associated with heat-clearing and detoxifying effects, whereas the latter were implicated in the other three pharmacologic effects. Thus, the compounds in licorice have distinct pharmacologic effects according to their chemical structure. These results provide a reference for investigating the potential of licorice in treatment of various diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Chen
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Institute for Control of Chinese Traditional Medicine and Ethnic Medicine (ICCTMEM), National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing, China
| | - Lin-Fu Li
- College of Pharmacy, Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Ru Hu
- Institute for Control of Chinese Traditional Medicine and Ethnic Medicine (ICCTMEM), National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing, China
| | - Feng Wei
- Institute for Control of Chinese Traditional Medicine and Ethnic Medicine (ICCTMEM), National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing, China
| | - Shuangcheng Ma
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Institute for Control of Chinese Traditional Medicine and Ethnic Medicine (ICCTMEM), National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing, China
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Zhang Z, Zeng P, Gao W, Wu R, Deng T, Chen S, Tian X. Exploration of the Potential Mechanism of Calculus Bovis in Treatment of Primary Liver Cancer by Network Pharmacology. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2021; 24:129-138. [PMID: 32772910 DOI: 10.2174/1386207323666200808172051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
AIM AND OBJECTIVE Calculus Bovis (CB) has been employed to treat diseases for a long time. It has been identified to play significant anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor roles. However, the mechanism of treating primary liver cancer (PLC) remains to be revealed. This study aims to clarify the molecules and mechanisms of CB in treating PLC. MATERIALS AND METHODS After oral bioavailability (OB) and drug-likeness (DL) screening, 15 small molecules were identified as the potential ingredients against PLC. Following this, related targets network constructions and pathways were applied to clarify the mechanism of CB in treating PLC. An in vitro experiment was carried out to identify the function of CB in treating PLC. RESULTS Eleven compounds of CB were identified that play an anti-PLC role, including oleanolic acid, ergosterol, ursolic acid, etc. The potential targets which were observed include IL6, MAPK-8, VEGFA, Caspase-3, etc. Further analysis showed that the mechanism of CB in the treatment of PLC involved apoptosis-related pathways and immune-related pathways. CONCLUSION In summary, the current study combines network pharmacology and in vitro experiments to reveal the mechanism of CB against PLC. We concluded that 11 ingredients of CB have an anti-PLC effect. Furthermore, CB plays a key role in treating PLC mainly by apoptosisrelated pathways and immune-related pathways. Our experiment verifies that CB promotes the apoptosis of SMMC-7721.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Zhang
- Hunan Key Laboratory of TCM Prescription and Syndromes Translational Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, China
| | - Puhua Zeng
- Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410006, China
| | - Wenhui Gao
- School of Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, China
| | - Ruoxia Wu
- Hunan Key Laboratory of TCM Prescription and Syndromes Translational Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, China
| | - Tianhao Deng
- Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410006, China
| | - Siqin Chen
- Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410006, China
| | - Xuefei Tian
- Hunan Key Laboratory of TCM Prescription and Syndromes Translational Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410208, China
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Network Pharmacology-Based Study on the Mechanism of Scutellariae Radix for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2020; 2020:8897918. [PMID: 33163086 PMCID: PMC7607277 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8897918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor without effective therapeutic drugs for most patients in advanced stages. Scutellariae Radix (SR) is a well-known anti-inflammatory and anticarcinogenic herbal medicine. However, the mechanism of SR against HCC remains to be clarified. In the present study, network pharmacology was utilized to characterize the mechanism of SR on HCC. The active components of SR and their targets were collected from the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and the traditional Chinese medicine integrated database. HCC-related targets were acquired from the liver cancer databases OncoDB.HCC and Liverome. The gene ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway were analyzed using the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery. Component-component target and protein-protein interaction networks were set up. A total of 143 components of SR were identified, and 37 of them were considered as candidate active components. Fifty targets corresponding to 29 components of SR were mapped with targets of HCC. Functional enrichment analysis indicated that SR exerted an antihepatocarcinoma effect by regulating pathways in cancer, hepatitis B, viral carcinogenesis, and PI3K-Akt signaling. The holistic approach of network pharmacology can provide novel insights into the mechanistic study and therapeutic drug development of SR for HCC treatment.
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Xie B, Lu H, Xu J, Luo H, Hu Y, Chen Y, Geng Q, Song X. Targets of hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. A network pharmacology study. Joint Bone Spine 2020; 88:105099. [PMID: 33160044 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbspin.2020.105099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study was performed to investigate the multi-targets mechanism of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). METHODS The predicted targets of HCQ and the proteins related to RA were returned from databases. Followed by protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, the intersection of the two group of proteins was studied. Furthermore, gene ontology (GO) and KyotoEncyclopediaofGenesandGenomes (KEGG) enrichment was used to analyse these proteins in a macro perspective. Finally, the candidate targets were checked by molecular docking. RESULTS The results suggested that HCQ in the treatment of RA was mainly associated with 4 targets that are smoothened homolog (SMO), sphingosine kinase (SPHK) 1, SPHK2 and gatty-acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), with their related 3276 proteins' network which regulate ErbB, HIF-1, NF-κB, FoxO, chemokines, MAPK, PI3K/Akt pathways and so forth. Biological process were mainly focused in the regulation of cell activation, myeloid leukocyte activation, regulated exocytosis and so forth. Molecular docking analysis showed that hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking were the main forms of chemical force. CONCLUSIONS Our research provides protein targets affected by HCQ in the treatment of RA. SMO, SPHK1, SPHK2 and FAAH involving 3276 proteins become the multi-targets mechanism of HCQ in the treatment of RA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Xie
- Zhejiang Chinese medical university, The Third People's hospital of Hangzhou, West Lake road 38, 310009 Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Haojie Lu
- Zhejiang Chinese medical university, The Third People's hospital of Hangzhou, West Lake road 38, 310009 Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinhui Xu
- Zhejiang Chinese medical university, The Third People's hospital of Hangzhou, West Lake road 38, 310009 Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Haixin Luo
- Zhejiang Chinese medical university, The Third People's hospital of Hangzhou, West Lake road 38, 310009 Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yebei Hu
- Zhejiang Chinese medical university, The Third People's hospital of Hangzhou, West Lake road 38, 310009 Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Chen
- Zhejiang Chinese medical university, The Third People's hospital of Hangzhou, West Lake road 38, 310009 Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingwei Geng
- Zhejiang Chinese medical university, The Third People's hospital of Hangzhou, West Lake road 38, 310009 Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiuzu Song
- Zhejiang Chinese medical university, The Third People's hospital of Hangzhou, West Lake road 38, 310009 Hangzhou, People's Republic of China.
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Xie B, Geng Q, Xu J, Lu H, Luo H, Hu Y, Song X. The multi-targets mechanism of hydroxychloroquine in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus based on network pharmacology. Lupus 2020; 29:1704-1711. [PMID: 32854577 DOI: 10.1177/0961203320952541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Network pharmacology is used with bioinformatic tools to broaden the understanding of drugs' potential targets and the intersections with key genes of particular disease. Here we applied network pharmacology to collect testable hypotheses about the multi-targets mechanism of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) against systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS Firstly, we predicted the potential targets of HCQ. Secondly, we got the related genes of SLE returned from databases. Thirdly, the intersections of the potential targets (HCQ) and related genes (SLE) were analyzed with gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment. Finally, we validated our predictions of the potential targets by performing docking studies with HCQ. RESULTS The results suggest that the efficacy of HCQ against SLE is mainly associated with the targets of cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) and CDK1, which regulate PI3K/Akt/GSK3β as well as interferon (IFN) signaling pathway. Biological process of the network associated with the three targets is concentrated in the inhibition of immune response, negative regulation of gene expression and regulation of immune system process. Molecular docking analysis proves that hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking are the main forms of interaction. CONCLUSIONS Our research provides protein targets affected by HCQ in the treatment of SLE. Three key targets (CDK2, ESR1 and CDK1) involving 1766 proteins become the multi-targets mechanism of HCQ in the treatment of SLE. As well, the research also provides a new idea for introducing network pharmacology into the evaluation of the drugs with multi-targets in dermatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Xie
- Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou Third People's Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingwei Geng
- Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou Third People's Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinhui Xu
- Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou Third People's Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Haojie Lu
- Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou Third People's Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Haixin Luo
- Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou Third People's Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yebei Hu
- Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou Third People's Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiuzu Song
- Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou Third People's Hospital, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
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Zhang S, Wang X, Cheng F, Ma C, Fan S, Xu W, Jin N, Liu S, Lv K, Wang Q. Network Pharmacology-Based Approach to Revealing Biological Mechanisms of Qingkailing Injection against IschemicStroke: Focusing on Blood-Brain Barrier. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE : ECAM 2020; 2020:2914579. [PMID: 32908557 PMCID: PMC7474352 DOI: 10.1155/2020/2914579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Ischemic stroke is the most common type of cerebrovascular accident worldwide. It causes long-term disability and death. Qingkailing (QKL) injection is a traditional Chinese patent medicine which has been clinically applied in the treatment of ischemic stroke for nearly thirty years. In the present study, network pharmacology combined with experimentation was used to elucidate the mechanisms of QKL. ADME screening and target prediction identified 62 active compounds and 275 targets for QKL. Topological screening of the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was used to build a core PPI network consisting of 408 nodes and 17,830 edges. KEGG enrichment indicated that the main signaling pathway implicated in ischemic stroke involved hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1). Experimentation showed that QKL alleviated neurological deficits, brain infraction, blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage, and tight junction degeneration in a mouse ischemic stroke model. Two-photon laser scanning microscopy was used to evaluate BBB permeability and cerebral microvessel structure in living mice. HIF-1α, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and tight junction proteins such as occludin, zonula occludins-1 (ZO-1), claudin-5, and VE-Cadherin were measured by western blotting. QKL upregulated ZO-1 and downregulated HIF-1α and MMP-9. QKL has a multiapproach, multitarget, and synergistic effect against ischemic stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 11 Beisanhuandong Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Xueqian Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 11 Beisanhuandong Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Fafeng Cheng
- Beijing Key Laboratory, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 11 Beisanhuandong Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Chongyang Ma
- Beijing Key Laboratory, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 11 Beisanhuandong Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
- School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Shuning Fan
- Beijing Key Laboratory, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 11 Beisanhuandong Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Wenxiu Xu
- Beijing Key Laboratory, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 11 Beisanhuandong Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Na Jin
- Beijing Key Laboratory, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 11 Beisanhuandong Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Shuling Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 11 Beisanhuandong Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Kai Lv
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 51 An Wai Xiaoguan Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Qingguo Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 11 Beisanhuandong Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
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Peng M. Network Pharmacology Analysis Uncovers the Potential Anti-Hypertensive Mechanisms of Xia Sang Ju Granule. JOURNAL OF EXPLORATORY RESEARCH IN PHARMACOLOGY 2020; 000:1-10. [DOI: 10.14218/jerp.2020.00008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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Wang Z, Zhu J, Liu Y, Liu C, Wang W, Chen F, Ma L. Development and validation of a novel immune-related prognostic model in hepatocellular carcinoma. J Transl Med 2020; 18:67. [PMID: 32046766 PMCID: PMC7011553 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-020-02255-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Growing evidence has suggested that immune-related genes play crucial roles in the development and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Nevertheless, the utility of immune-related genes for evaluating the prognosis of HCC patients are still lacking. The study aimed to explore gene signatures and prognostic values of immune-related genes in HCC. Methods We comprehensively integrated gene expression data acquired from 374 HCC and 50 normal tissues in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) analysis and univariate Cox regression analysis were performed to identify DEGs that related to overall survival. An immune prognostic model was constructed using the Lasso and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Furthermore, Cox regression analysis was applied to identify independent prognostic factors in HCC. The correlation analysis between immune-related signature and immune cells infiltration were also investigated. Finally, the signature was validated in an external independent dataset. Results A total of 329 differentially expressed immune‐related genes were detected. 64 immune‐related genes were identified to be markedly related to overall survival in HCC patients using univariate Cox regression analysis. Then we established a TF-mediated network for exploring the regulatory mechanisms of these genes. Lasso and multivariate Cox regression analyses were applied to construct the immune-based prognostic model, which consisted of nine immune‐related genes. Further analysis indicated that this immune-related prognostic model could be an independent prognostic indicator after adjusting to other clinical factors. The relationships between the risk score model and immune cell infiltration suggested that the nine-gene signature could reflect the status of tumor immune microenvironment. The prognostic value of this nine-gene prognostic model was further successfully validated in an independent database. Conclusions Together, our study screened potential prognostic immune-related genes and established a novel immune-based prognostic model of HCC, which not only provides new potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets, but also deepens our understanding of tumor immune microenvironment status and lays a theoretical foundation for immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Wang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road 107, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Jie Zhu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road 107, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Yongjuan Liu
- Shandong Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Education Institute, Jinan, 250000, Shandong, China
| | - Changhong Liu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, The First Hospital Affiliated With Shandong First Medical University, Jingshi Road 16766, Jinan, 250014, Shandong, China
| | - Wenqi Wang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Shandong Provincial Qianfoshan Hospital, The First Hospital Affiliated With Shandong First Medical University, Jingshi Road 16766, Jinan, 250014, Shandong, China
| | - Fengzhe Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road 107, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
| | - Lixian Ma
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Qilu Hospital, Shandong University, Wenhua Xi Road 107, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
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Wang Y, Sun M, Liu J, Liu Y, Jiang C, Zhu H, Wang W, Wang Y. FIBCD1 overexpression predicts poor prognosis in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Oncol Lett 2019; 19:795-804. [PMID: 31897196 PMCID: PMC6924150 DOI: 10.3892/ol.2019.11183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Fibrinogen C domain-containing 1 (FIBCD1) is an acetyl-recognition receptor that affects the occurrence and development of certain tumors. However, the prognostic significance of FIBCD1 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear. This study aimed to explore FIBCD1 expression in HCC and to determine the prognostic value of FIBCD1 in patients with HCC. A total of 1,058 liver tissue samples with detailed and complete clinical information were collected, including 495 HCC samples. Tissue microarray immunohistochemistry analysis was used to evaluate FIBCD1 protein expression in the collected tissues. The Kaplan-Meier plotter online tool was used to investigate the association between FIBCD1 expression and prognosis of patients with HCC. Oncomine and the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis database were used for bioinformatics analysis of FIBCD1. Results showed that FIBCD1 expression was higher in HCC and was associated with tumor diameter (P=0.002), tumor number (P=0.001), tumor node metastasis stage (P<0.001), primary tumor (T; P<0.001), lymph node metastases (N; P=0.002), distant metastases (M; P=0.023), differentiation degree (P=0.003), vascular invasion (P<0.001) and liver cirrhosis (P=0.011). Patients with HCC and high FIBCD1 expression had worse overall survival than those with low FIBCD1 expression. High FIBCD1 expression (P<0.001), TNM stage (P=0.003), T (P<0.001), N (P=0.014), and vascular invasion (P<0.001) were independent prognostic factors in HCC. Hence, FIBCD1 may be a novel biomarker for prognosis evaluation of HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Wang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Mengjing Sun
- Department of Clinical Biobank, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China.,Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Jibin Liu
- Department of Tumor Biobank, Nantong Tumor Hospital, Nantong, Jiangsu 226361, P.R. China
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Chunyi Jiang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Huijun Zhu
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
| | - Yao Wang
- Department of General Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, P.R. China
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Xinqiang S, Yu Z, Ningning Y, Erqin D, Lei W, Hongtao D. Molecular mechanism of celastrol in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus based on network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. Life Sci 2019; 240:117063. [PMID: 31734262 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2019.117063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Network pharmacology uses bioinformatics to broaden our understanding of drug actions and thereby advance drug discovery. Here we apply network pharmacology to generate testable hypotheses about the multi-target mechanism of celastrol against systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS We reconstructed drug-target pathways and networks to predict the likely protein targets of celastrol and the main interactions between those targets and the drug. Then we validated our predictions of candidate targets by performing docking studies with celastrol. RESULTS The results suggest that celastrol acts against SLE by regulating the function of several signaling proteins, such as interleukin 10, tumor necrosis factor, and matrix metalloprotein 9, which regulate signaling pathways involving mitogen-activated protein kinase and tumor necrosis factor as well as apoptosis pathways. Celastrol is predicted to affect networks involved mainly in cytokine activity, cytokine receptor binding, receptor ligand activity, receptor regulator activity, and cofactor binding. Molecular docking analysis showed that hydrogen bonding and π-π stacking were the main forms of interaction. CONCLUSIONS This network pharmacology strategy may be useful for discovery of multi-target drugs against complex diseases, specifically, it provides protein targets associated with SLE that may be further tested for therapeutic potential by celastrol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Xinqiang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China; Institute for Conservation and Utilization of Agro-bioresources in Dabie Mountains, Xinyang, China, 464000.
| | - Zhang Yu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China
| | - Yang Ningning
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China
| | - Dai Erqin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China
| | - Wang Lei
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China
| | - Du Hongtao
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China.
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Network Pharmacology Reveals the Molecular Mechanism of Cuyuxunxi Prescription in Promoting Wound Healing in Patients with Anal Fistula. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2019; 2019:3865121. [PMID: 31636684 PMCID: PMC6766082 DOI: 10.1155/2019/3865121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Background The healing process of the surgical wound of anal fistulotomy is much slower because of the presence of stool within the wound. Cuyuxunxi (CYXX) prescription is a Chinese herbal fumigant that is being used to wash surgical wound after anal fistulotomy. This study aimed at investigating the molecular mechanism of CYXX prescription using a network pharmacology-based strategy. Materials and Methods The active compounds in each herbal medicine were retrieved from the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology (TCMSP) database and in Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Database (TCMID) analysis platform based on the criteria of oral bioavailability ≥40% and drug-likeness ≥0.2. The disease-related target genes were extracted from the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database. Protein-protein interaction network was built for the overlapped genes as well as functional enrichment analysis. Finally, an ingredient-target genes-pathway network was built by integrating all information. Results A total of 375 chemical ingredients of the 5 main herbal medicines in CYXX prescription were retrieved from TCMSP database and TCMID. Among the 375 chemical ingredients, 59 were active compounds. Besides, 325 target genes for 16 active compounds in 3 herbal medicines were obtained. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these overlapped genes were significantly related with immune response, biosynthesis of antibiotics, and complement and coagulation cascades. A comprehensive network which contains 133 nodes (8 disease nodes, 3 drug nodes, 8 ingredients, 103 target gene nodes, 7 GO nodes, and 4 pathway nodes) was built. Conclusion The network built in this study might aid in understanding the action mechanism of CYXX prescription at molecular level to pathway level.
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Song X, Zhang Y, Dai E, Du H, Wang L. Mechanism of action of celastrol against rheumatoid arthritis: A network pharmacology analysis. Int Immunopharmacol 2019; 74:105725. [PMID: 31276975 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2019.105725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 06/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Network pharmacology uses bioinformatics to broaden our understanding of drug actions and thereby to advance drug discovery. Here we apply network pharmacology to generate testable hypotheses about the multi-target mechanism of celastrol against rheumatoid arthritis. We reconstructed drug-target pathways and networks to predict the likely protein targets of celastrol and the main interactions between those targets and the drug. Then we validated our predictions of four candidate targets (IKK-β, JNK, COX-2, MEK1) by performing docking studies with celastrol. The results suggest that celastrol acts against rheumatoid arthritis by regulating the function of several signaling proteins, including MMP-9, COX-2, c-Myc, TGF-β, c-JUN, JAK-1, JAK-3, IKK-β, SYK, MMP-3, JNK and MEK1, which regulate the functions of Th1 and Th2 cells, macrophages, fibroblasts and endothelial cells in rheumatoid arthritis. Celastrol is predicted to affect networks involved mainly in cancer, connective tissue disorders, organismal injury and abnormalities, tissue development, cell death and survival. This network pharmacology strategy may be useful for discovery of multi-target drugs against complex diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinqiang Song
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China; Institute for Conservation and Utilization of Agro-bioresources in Dabie Mountains, Xinyang 464000, China.
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China
| | - Erqin Dai
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China
| | - Hongtao Du
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China.
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