Using Network Pharmacology to Explore the Mechanism of Peach Kernel-Safflower in the Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy

Wuling San Based on Network Pharmacology and in vivo Evidence Against Hyperuricemia via Improving Oxidative Stress and Inhibiting Inflammation

Background

Hyperuricemia (HUA) is a major public health issue with a high prevalence worldwide. Wuling San (WLS) is an effective treatment for HUA. However, the active compounds and the related mechanism are unclear. In this study, we aimed to explore the active compounds and the underlying pharmacological mechanisms of WLS against HUA.

Methods

First, a network pharmacology approach was used to detect active compounds of WLS, and potential targets and signaling pathways involved in the treatment of HUA were predicted. Then, a molecular docking strategy was used to predict the affinity between active compounds and key targets. Finally, to verify the prediction, the HUA rat model was established.

Results

49 active compounds with 108 common targets were obtained. Besides, cerevisterol, luteolin, ergosterol peroxide, beta-sitosterol, and sitosterol were identified as key active compounds. In PPI analysis, TNF, IL6, CASP3, PPARG, STAT3, and other 12 core targets were obtained. GO enrichment analysis indicated that WLS was likely to interfere with oxidative stress in the treatment of HUA, and KEGG enrichment analysis indicated multiple inflammation-related signaling pathways possibly involved in the treatment of HUA by WLS, including TNF, and NOD-like receptor, HIF-1, PI3K-Akt, and IL-17 signaling pathways. The results of molecular docking indicated that the active compounds had good binding properties to their key targets. In the validation experiments, WLS significantly reduced the levels of serum uric acid (SUA) and serum malondialdehyde (MDA). Moreover, WLS not only significantly increased the levels of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), but also inhibited the expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6).

Conclusion

In the present study, we demonstrate that WLS has multicomponent, multitarget, and multi-pathway properties in the treatment of HUA. Its potential capability to reduce SUA could be ascribed to oxidative stress improvement and inflammation inhibition.

A discovery of clinically approved Panlongqi Tablet for repositioning to treat osteoarthritis by inhibiting PI3K/AKT activation

BACKGROUND

Panlongqi Tablet (PLQT) is a Chinese patent drug composed of 29 kinds of traditional Chinese medicines. Clinical practice has shown that PLQT can relieve osteoarthritis-caused joint pain, but its effects and mechanisms in other pathological links of osteoarthritis have not been characterized.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to reposition the pharmacodynamic effects of PLQT through network pharmacology analysis combined with experimental validation, and also to preliminarily explore its possible mechanism.

METHODS

On the basis of integrating the relevant targets of PLQT in multiple drug databases and osteoarthritis-related targets in the disease database, an interaction network of related genes was constructed. The hub candidate targets of PLQT in the treatment of osteoarthritis were determined by calculating the main network topological characteristics, The specific functions and pathways of these targets acting on osteoarthritis were modularly analyzed. In addition, the modified Hulth-induced rat model of osteoarthritis and IL-1β-induced in vitro model of osteoarthritis were established to further validate the potential efficacy and possible mechanism of PLQT.

RESULTS

A total of 138 key targets related to osteoarthritis were selected based on topological parameters, and their biological functions were mainly enriched in four over-expressed modules of cartilage degeneration, inflammatory response, immune response, and subchondral bone metabolism. The hub candidate targets had the highest enrichment degree in the TLR4-RAC1-PIK3CA-Akt-NFκB signaling axis of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. In vivo results showed that PLQT treatment significantly inhibited the degeneration of proteoglycan and collagen in the cartilage of osteoarthritis rats, suppressed chondrocyte apoptosis, and reduced the Mankin score of joints. Moreover, PLQT alleviated synovial inflammation, reduced the Krenn score of synovium, inhibited the formation of osteophytes in osteoarthritis rats, reduced the bone mineral density (BMD), fractional bone volume (BV/TV), and trabecular thickness (Tb.Th.), as well as increased the trabecular separation (Tb.Sp.) of subchondral bone and the thickness of the subchondral bone plate (SBP.Th.). PLQT suppressed the expressions of TLR4, RAC1, PIK3CA, p-Akt, MMP-13, and ADAMTS-5 in the cartilage, and inhibited the expression of NFκB p65 in the chondrogenic nucleus. Meanwhile, as downstream effector factors of the predictive pathways, the levels of serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), nitric oxide (NO), and prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) were decreased after PLQT treatment. In vitro results also showed that PLQT could inhibit the expression of key proteins and downstream effector factors of the signaling axis, and this inhibition disappeared when pathway agonists were added.

CONCLUSION

PLQT exerted pharmacological effects on the key pathological links of osteoarthritis including chondrocyte apoptosis, extracellular matrix degradation, inflammation, and subchondral bone metabolism by inhibiting the TLR4-RAC1-PIK3CA-Akt-NFκB axis-related proteins.

A Review of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Buyang Huanwu Decoction for the Treatment of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is often referred to as “collaterals disease” in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and commonly includes ischemic and hemorrhagic CSVD. TCM has a long history of treating CSVD and has demonstrated unique efficacy. Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BHD) is a classical TCM formula that has been used for the prevention and treatment of stroke for hundreds of years. BHD exerts its therapeutic effects on CSVD through a variety of mechanisms. In this review, the clinical and animal studies on BHD and CSVD were systematically introduced. In addition, the pharmacological mechanisms, active components, and clinical applications of BHD in the treatment of CSVD were reviewed. We believe that an in-depth understanding of BHD, its pharmacological mechanism, disease-drug interaction, and other aspects will help in laying the foundation for its development as a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of CSVD.

Dan-Shen-Yin Granules Prevent Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension via STAT3/HIF-1α/VEGF and FAK/AKT Signaling Pathways

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays an important role in the treatment of complex diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases. However, it is hard to identify their modes of action on account of their multiple components. The present study aims to evaluate the effects of Dan-Shen-Yin (DSY) granules on hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (HPH), and then to decipher the molecular mechanisms of DSY. Systematic pharmacology was employed to identify the targets of DSY on HPH. Furthermore, core genes were identified by constructing a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes (KEGG) analysis. Related genes and pathways were verified using a hypoxia-induced mouse model and hypoxia-treated pulmonary artery cells. Based on network pharmacology, 147 potential targets of DSY on HPH were found, constructing a PPI network, and 13 hub genes were predicted. The results showed that the effect of DSY may be closely associated with AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), and HIF-1 signaling pathways, as well as biological processes such as cell proliferation. Consistent with network pharmacology analysis, experiments in vivo demonstrated that DSY could prevent the development of HPH in a hypoxia-induced mouse model and alleviate pulmonary vascular remodeling. In addition, inhibition of STAT3/HIF-1α/VEGF and FAK/AKT signaling pathways might serve as mechanisms. Taken together, the network pharmacology analysis suggested that DSY exhibited therapeutic effects through multiple targets in the treatment of HPH. The inferences were initially confirmed by subsequent in vivo and in vitro studies. This study provides a novel perspective for studying the relevance of TCM and disease processes and illustrates the advantage of this approach and the multitargeted anti-HPH effect of DSY.