Prediction of Rhizoma Drynariae Targets in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis Based on Network Pharmacology and Experimental Verification

In-silico exploration of Attukal Kizhangu L. compounds: Promising candidates for periodontitis treatment

A medicinal pteridophyte known as Attukal Kizhangu L. has been used to cure patients for centuries by administering plant parts based on conventional and common practices. Regarding its biological functions, significant use and advancement have been made. Extract of Attukal Kizhangu L. is the subject of the current study, which uses network pharmacology as its foundation. Three targeted compounds such as α-Lapachone, Dihydrochalcone, and Piperine were chosen for additional research from the 17 Phytoconstituents that were filtered out by the Coupled UPLC-HRMS study since they followed to Lipinski rule and showed no toxicity. The pharmacokinetics and physicochemical properties of these targeted compounds were analyzed by using three online web servers pkCSM, Swiss ADME, and Protox-II. This is the first in silico study to document these compound's effectiveness against the standard drug DOX in treating Periodontitis. The Swiss target prediction database was used to retrieve the targets of these compounds. DisGeNET and GeneCards were used to extract the targets of periodontitis. The top five hub genes were identified by Cytoscape utilizing the protein-protein interaction of common genes, from which two hub genes and three binding proteins of collagenase enzymes were used for further studies AA2, PGE2, PI2, TNFA, and PGP. The minimal binding energy observed in molecular docking, indicative of the optimal docking score, corresponds to the highest affinity between the protein and ligand. To corroborate the findings of the docking study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and MMPBSA calculations were conducted for the complexes involving AA2-α-LPHE, AA2-DHC, and AA2-PPR. This research concluded that AA2-DHC was the most stable complex among the investigated interactions, surpassing the stability of the other complexes examined in comparison with the standard drug DOX. Overall, the findings supported the promotion of widespread use of Attukal Kizhangu L. in clinics as a potential therapeutic agent or may be employed for the treatment of acute and chronic Periodontitis.

The mechanism of Sanzi Yangqin decoction for asthma treatment based on network pharmacology and experimental verification

BACKGROUND

Asthma is a chronic airway inflammatory disease characterized by airway inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, airway hyper-reactivity. Sanzi Yangqin Decoction (SZYQD) is widely prescribed for asthma treatment. Its anti-asthma activities have been reported in animal model, but the exact mechanism and targets of SZYQD in asthma treatment have not been fully elucidated.

METHODS

A network pharmacological approach was used to predict the active components, targets, and signalling pathways of SZYQD in asthma, including potential target prediction, protein‒protein interaction (PPI) network construction and analysis, and Gene Ont (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. The active ingredients were identified from the SZYQD, and were molecular docked according to the results of network pharmacology. A mouse model of asthma induced by ovalbumin (OVA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was constructed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of SZYQD. Furthermore, the effects of SZYQD and its active ingredients were tested in vitro for regulating inflammation and MUC5AC expression (two main pathophysiologic abnormalities of asthma) in macrophages and airway epithelial cells by using Real-time PCR and western blotting.

RESULTS

A total of 28 active ingredients and 111 HUB genes were screened in the relevant databases, including three key ingredients (luteolin, β-carotene, and Sinapine) and nine core target genes (JUN, CTNNB1, IL10, TP53, AKT1, STAT3, TNF, IL6 and EGFR). KEGG and GO analysis indicated that the potential anti-asthmatic mechanisms of SZYQD were related to PI3K-Akt signalling pathway and response to lipopolysaccharide, etc. In the in vivo asthmatic model, our findings demonstrated that SZYQD exerted a protective effect against asthmatic mice induced by OVA and LPS through the inhibition of inflammation and mucus overproduction. Consistently, cell experiments showed that the SZYQD extract or the key active ingredients luteolin significantly decreased lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced IL-6 expression and activation of the NF-κB pathway in macrophages. In addition, SZYQD extract or luteolin inhibited activation of the AKT pathway and expression of MUC5AC induced by EGF in airway epithelial cells.

CONCLUSION

The anti-asthmatic mechanism of SZYQD might be associated with inhibiting inflammation and airway mucus hypersecretion by regulating the NF-κB and AKT signalling pathways as predicted by network pharmacology, which provides more evidence for the application of SZYQD in asthma treatment.

Total Flavonoids of Rhizoma Drynariae Treat Osteoarthritis by Inhibiting Arachidonic Acid Metabolites Through AMPK/NFκB Pathway

Objective

Previous clinical studies have found that total flavonoids of Rhizoma Drynariae (TFRD) have a good therapeutic effect on osteoarthritis (OA), but its therapeutic mechanism needs further research.

Methods

OA rat model was established by Hulth method and was intervened by TFRD. Pathological assessments were conducted to assess the protective effect of TFRD on cartilage. Serum metabolomics and network pharmacology were detected to predict the mechanism of TFRD treating OA. In further experiments, molecular biology experiment was carried out to confirm the predicted mechanisms in vivo and in vitro.

Results

TFRD can effectively reduce chondrocyte apoptosis and cartilage degeneration in OA model rats. Serum metabolomics revealed that the intervention effect may be closely related to arachidonic acid metabolism pathway. Network pharmacologic prediction showed that COX-2 was the key target of TFRD in treating OA, and its mechanism might be related with NFκB, apoptosis, AMPK and arachidonic acid metabolism pathway. In vivo experiments indicated that TFRD can inhibit the abnormal expression of COX-2 mRNA in OA model rats. In the in vitro studies, the expression of COX-2 mRNA and protein increased, AMPK phosphorylation was inhibited, and NFκB signaling pathway was activated in IL-1β-induced chondrocytes, and these changes can be reversed by TFRD. After the activation of AMPK signaling pathway or the block-down of NFκB signaling pathway, the effect of TFRD on COX-2 mRNA expression was significantly weakened.

Conclusion

TFRD can inhibit COX-2-mediated arachidonic acid metabolites, and its mechanism is closely related to AMPK/NFκB pathway, which may be a key mechanism in the treatment of OA.

Chondroprotective Effects of Gubitong Recipe via Inhibiting Excessive Mitophagy of Chondrocytes

Objective

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative joint disorder and a leading cause of disability. A previous randomized controlled trial has shown that Gubitong (GBT) recipe can improve OA-related symptoms and articular function without noticeable side effects. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to explore the therapeutic mechanisms of the GBT recipe for OA through in vivo and in vitro experiments.

Methods

Rats of the OA model were established by Hulth surgery and intervened with the GBT recipe and then were subjected to pathological assessment of the cartilage. Matrix metalloproteinase 13 (MMP-13) expression in cartilage tissues was assessed by immunohistochemical staining. Chondrocytes were isolated from sucking rats and stimulated with LPS to establish an in vitro model. After intervened by water extraction of the GBT recipe, the fluorescent signal of Mtphagy Dye and mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) were detected to determine the states of mitophagy and mitochondrial dynamics of chondrocytes in vitro, respectively. Western blot test was used to detect levels of proteins related to catabolism of the cartilage matrix, mitophagy, and PI3K/AKT pathway.

Results

In in vivo experiments, the GBT recipe can effectively inhibit the cartilage degeneration of chondrocytes in OA rats, as well as markedly suppress the expression of MMP-13. In vitro experiments on LPS-induced chondrocytes exhibited increase in mitochondrial depolarization and excessive mitophagy, and the GBT recipe can alleviate these changes. LPS-stimulated chondrocytes showed increases in MMP-13, PINK1, and Parkin in cell lysates and LC3II/LC3I ratio in the mitochondrial fraction, and the GBT recipe can inhibit these increases in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, the GBT recipe can attenuate the abnormal activation of PI3K/AKT pathway induced by LPS.

Conclusion

The GBT recipe exhibits chondroprotective effects through inhibiting excessive mitophagy of chondrocytes, which may be associated with its inhibitory effect on the abnormal activation of PI3K/AKT pathway.

Network Pharmacology-Based Strategy to Investigate the Mechanisms of Cibotium barometz in Treating Osteoarthritis

Cibotium barometz is a representative tonifying kidney drug and is widely used for osteoarthritis (OA) in traditional Chinese medicine. However, its regulatory mechanisms in treating OA remain to be sufficiently investigated. The main chemical components of Cibotium barometz were screened through the TCMID database and the corresponding targets were acquired through SwissTargetPrediction. The OA-related targets were obtained from the OMIM, Genecards, Genebank, TTD, and DisGeNET databases. The prediction of key targets and pathways of Cibotium barometz in the treatment of OA was achieved by constructing a compounds-targets network and performing KEGG enrichment analysis. The OA model rats were established by the Hulth method and used to explore the protective effect of Cibotium barometz via cartilage pathological assessment. In vitro models of OA were built by the proinflammatory factor interleukin-1β (IL-1β) induced SW1353 cells and used to validate the mechanisms predicted by network pharmacology. Network pharmacology results suggested that the therapeutic effects of Cibotium barometz were closely related to matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1, 3, 13 and inflammation-related gene COX2, which are regulated by the NFκB pathway. In vivo experiments revealed that Cibotium barometz could effectively restrain cartilage from degeneration and inhibit the mRNA expression of MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-13, and COX2 in cartilage. In vitro experiments indicated that Cibotium barometz water extract (CBWE) could significantly inhibit the expression of MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-13, and PGE₂ in IL-1β-induced SW1353 cells and markedly prevent the translocation of NFκB p65 from the cytoplasm to the nuclei and decrease its phosphorylation level. After small-interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to suppress the synthesis of NFκB p65 to block NFκB signaling pathway, the ability of CBWE to inhibit MMP-1, MMP-3, MMP-13, and PGE₂ was greatly reduced. Cibotium barometz has a chondroprotective effect on OA by inhibiting the response to inflammation and substrate degradation, and the related mechanism is associated with the inhibition of the NFκB pathway.