Based on Network Pharmacology Tools to Investigate the Molecular Mechanism of Cordyceps sinensis on the Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy

Advance on Chinese Medicine for Hypertensive Renal Damage: Focus on the Complex Molecular Mechanisms

Hypertensive renal damage (HRD) is a major cause of end-stage renal disease. Among the causes of end-stage renal disease, HRD accounts for nearly 34% of the total number of cases. Antihypertensive treatment is primarily drug-based, but therapeutic efficacy is less effective and can have serious side effects. Chinese medicine (CM) has significant advantages in the treatment of HRD. CM is rich in various active ingredients and has the property of targeting multiple targets and channels. Therefore, the regulatory network of CM on disease is complex. A large number of CM have been employed to treat HRD, either as single applications or as part of compound formulations. The key possible mechanisms of CM for HRD include regulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, antioxidation, anti-inflammation, rescue of endothelial function, regulation of vasoactive substance secretion and obesity-related factors, etc. This review summarized and discussed the recent advance in the basic research mechanisms of CM interventions for HRD and pointed out the challenges and future prospects.

Widely targeted metabolomics reveals the phytoconstituent changes in Platostoma palustre leaves and stems at different growth stages

Platostoma palustre (Blume) A. J. Paton is an important edible and medicinal plant. To gain a comprehensive and clear understanding of the variation patterns of metabolites in P. palustre, we employed the UPLC-MS platform along with widely targeted metabolomics techniques to analyze the metabolites in the stems and leaves of P. palustre at different stages. Our results revealed a total of 1228 detected metabolites, including 241 phenolic acids, 203 flavonoids, 152 lipids, 128 terpenes, 106 amino acids, 79 organic acids, 74 saccharides, 66 alkaloids, 44 lignans, etc. As the growth time increased, the differential metabolites (DAMs) mainly enriched in P. palustre leaves were terpenoids, phenolic acids, and lipids, while the DAMs primarily enriched in stems were terpenoids. Compared to stems, there were more differential flavonoids in leaves, and saccharides and flavonoids were significantly enriched in leaves during the S1 and S2 stages. Additionally, we identified 13, 10, and 23 potential markers in leaf, stem, and leaf vs. stem comparison groups. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that arginine biosynthesis was the common differential metabolic pathway in different growth stages and tissues. Overall, this study comprehensively analyzed the metabolic profile information of P. palustre, serving as a solid foundation for its further development and utilization.

Wogonin inhibits oxidative stress and vascular calcification via modulation of heme oxygenase-1

Vascular calcification (VC) is highly prevalent and increases the morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular diseases. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear and there is no effective treatment so far. Interestingly, using systems pharmacology approach, we have predicted that Wogonin (Wog) exhibited potential activity against VC. Then we validated the effect of Wog on VC using human and rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), rat arterial rings and vitamin D3-overloaded mouse models. Our results showed that Wog dose-dependently inhibited calcification of VSMCs and rat arterial rings. Consistently, alizarin red staining and calcium content assay confirmed that Wog inhibited aortic calcification in vitamin D3-overloaded mice. Moreover, by constructing the protein regulating network of Wog in suppressing VC, we found heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX-1) was regulated by Wog. Additionally, pathway enrichment analysis revealed that inhibition of reactive oxygen species (ROS) pathway participated in the inhibitory role of Wog in VC and HMOX-1 was also involved in this process. Notably, our study revealed that Wog treatment promoted HMOX-1 expression, and reduced ROS levels in VSMCs. Interestingly, both inhibition of HMOX-1 by ZnPP9 and knockdown of HMOX-1 by siRNA independently eliminated the inhibitory effect of Wog on VC. Finally, administration of Wog suppressed aortic calcification in vitamin D3-overloaded mice and this effect was counteracted by ZnPP9,suggesting the crucial role of HMOX-1 in the inhibitory effect of Wog on VC. Collectively, this study combines systems pharmacology-based strategy and experiments to identify the therapeutic potential of Wog for VC via upregulating HMOX-1 and reducing oxidative stress.

Huangqin Qingre Qubi Capsule inhibits RA pathology by binding FZD8 and further inhibiting the activity of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Huangqin Qingre Qubi Capsule (HQC) is a Chinese herbal compound for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which is made from dry roots of Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, dry mature seeds of Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis, dry and mature seeds of Coix lacryma-jobi var. stenocarpa Oliv., dry mature seeds of Amygdalus persica L. and roots and rhizomes of Clematis chinensis Osbeck in the proportion of 10:9:30:5:10. HQC has a significant effect in clinical treatment of RA, which can inhibit RA inflammation, improve oxidative stress state, and effectively relieve symptoms of RA patients.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The anti-arthritis effect of HQC and its mechanism, especially whether it improves RA through FZD8-Wnt/β-catenin signal axis, were studied using adjuvant arthritis (AA) rats and FLS from RA patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Real time qPCR (RT-qPCR), Western blot (WB), confocal microscopy and other molecular biological methods were used to study the anti-RA effect of HQC and its mechanism.

RESULTS

The expression of FZD8 was significantly up-regulated in synovium and FLS of AA rats and RA FLS. FZD8 significantly activated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, promoted abnormal proliferation of FLS, increased the levels of inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8, and significantly increased the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) and fibronectin. HQC has significant therapeutic effect on AA rats. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics showed that HQC had a good binding ability with FZD8. We also confirmed that HQC inhibited Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway by binding FZD8, and reduced the levels of the above inflammatory factors and pathological genes of RA.

CONCLUSIONS

The expression of FZD8 is significantly increased in AA rats and FLS from RA patients. Clarify that HQC improves RA through the FZD8-Wnt/β-catenin signal axis, provide a clear therapeutic mechanism for HQC to improve RA, and also provide a basis for clinical promotion of HQC.

Metabolomics and Network Pharmacology in the Exploration of the Multi-Targeted Therapeutic Approach of Traditional Medicinal Plants

Metabolomic is generally characterized as a comprehensive and the most copious analytical technique for the identification of targeted and untargeted metabolite diversity in a biological system. Recently, it has exponentially been used for phytochemical analysis and variability among plant metabolites, followed by chemometric analysis. Network pharmacology analysis is a computational technique used for the determination of multi-mechanistic and therapeutic evaluation of chemicals via interaction with the genomes involved in targeted or untargeted diseases. In considering the facts, the present review aims to explore the role of metabolomics and network pharmacology in the scientific validation of therapeutic claims as well as to evaluate the multi-targeted therapeutic approach of traditional Indian medicinal plants. The data was collected from different electronic scientific databases such as Google Scholar, Science Direct, ACS publication, PubMed, Springer, etc., using different keywords such as metabolomics, techniques used in metabolomics, chemometric analysis, a bioinformatic tool for drug discovery and development, network pharmacology, methodology and its role in biological evaluation of chemicals, etc. The screened articles were gathered and evaluated by different experts for their exclusion and inclusion in the final draft of the manuscript. The review findings suggest that metabolomics is one of the recent most precious and effective techniques for metabolite identification in the plant matrix. Various chemometric techniques are copiously used for metabolites discrimination analysis hence validating the unique characteristic of herbal medicines and their derived products concerning their authenticity. Network pharmacology remains the only option for the unique and effective analysis of hundreds of chemicals or metabolites via genomic interaction and thus validating the multi-mechanistic and therapeutic approach to explore the pharmacological aspects of herbal medicines for the management of the disease.

Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Analysis Explores the Mechanisms of Cordyceps sinensis in the Treatment of Oral Lichen Planus

Objective

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is the most common potentially malignant disorder of the oral cavity. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of action of Cordyceps sinensis in the treatment of OLP and provides a theoretical support for improving current treatment regimens for OLP.

Methods

The active components and therapeutic targets of Cordyceps sinensis were predicted and screened using the TCMSP, SymMap, PubMed, HIT 2.0, and PharmMapper databases, while the relevant OLP targets were predicted and screened using the DisGeNET and GeneCards databases. Protein-protein interactions (PPI) were examined using the String database, and Cytoscape was used to combine and illustrate the findings. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were carried out using RStudio, and AutoDock Vina and Pymol were used for molecular docking and visualization, respectively.

Results

A total of 404 potential target genes were discovered after evaluating 21 active compounds from Cordyceps sinensis. Potential therapeutic targets included 67 targets that matched and overlapped with OLP, including TNF, IL-6, CD4, EGFR, and IL1B. Key targets were predominantly engaged in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and the MAPK signaling pathway, according to the GO and KEGG analyses. These targets have a connection to biological processes including apoptosis signaling pathway regulation, T cell activation, and oxidative stress response. The molecular docking results showed that TNF, IL-6, CD4, EGFR, and IL1B could bind to their corresponding active components.

Conclusions

Cordyceps sinensis contains multiple components and acts on multiple targets and multiple pathways. Particularly, Cordyceps sinensis targets TNF, IL-6, CD4, EGFR, and IL1B, regulates PI3K-Akt and MAPK signaling pathways, as well as takes part in biological processes including apoptosis, T cell activation, and oxidative stress. Cordyceps sinensis could be a crucial choice in the therapy of OLP.

Potential Therapeutic Strategies for Renal Fibrosis: Cordyceps and Related Products

At present, there is no effective drug for the treatment of renal fibrosis; in particular, a safe and effective treatment for renal fibrosis should be established. Cordyceps has several medical effects, including immunoregulatory, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects, and may prevent kidney, liver, and heart diseases. Cordyceps has also been reported to be effective in the treatment of renal fibrosis. In this paper, we review the potential mechanisms of Cordyceps against renal fibrosis, focusing on the effects of Cordyceps on inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, regulation of autophagy, reduction of extracellular matrix deposition, and fibroblast activation. We also discuss relevant published clinical trials and meta-analyses. Available clinical studies support the possibility that Cordyceps and related products provide benefits to patients with chronic kidney diseases as adjuvants to conventional drugs. However, the existing clinical studies are limited by low quality and significant heterogeneity. The use of Cordyceps and related products may be a potential strategy for the treatment of renal fibrosis. Randomized controlled trial studies with good methodological quality, favorable experimental design, and large sample size are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Cordyceps.

Mechanism of Cordyceps sinensis and its Extracts in the Treatment of Diabetic Kidney Disease: A Review

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the major reason of chronic kidney disease (CKD)-caused end-stage renal failure (ESRF), and leads to high mortality worldwide. At present, the treatment of DKD is mainly focused on controlling the hyperglycemia, proteinuria, and hypertension, but is insufficient on the effective delay of DKD progression. Cordyceps sinensis is a kind of wild-used precious Chinese herb. Its extracts have effects of nephroprotection, hepatoprotection, neuroprotection, and protection against ischemia/reperfusion-induced injury, as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities. According to the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, Cordyceps sinensis can tonify the lung and the kidney. Several Chinese patent medicines produced from Cordyceps sinensis are often used to treat DKD and achieved considerable efficacy. This review summarized the clinical usage of Cordyceps sinensis, as well as its mainly biological activities including anti-hyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-oxidant, anti-fibrotic activities and regulation of apoptosis.

Recent Advances in Traditional Chinese Medicine for Treatment of Podocyte Injury

Podocyte is also called glomerular epithelial cell, which has been considered as the final gatekeeper of glomerular filtration barrier (GFB). As a major contributor to proteinuria, podocyte injury underlies a variety of glomerular diseases and becomes the challenge to patients and their families in general. At present, the therapeutic methods of podocyte injury mainly include angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, steroid and immunosuppressive medications. Nevertheless, the higher cost and side effects seriously disturb patients with podocyte injury. Promisingly, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has received an increasing amount of attention from different countries in the treatment of podocyte injury by invigorating spleen and kidney, clearing heat and eliminating dampness, as well enriching qi and activating blood. Therefore, we searched articles published in peer-reviewed English-language journals through Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and Science Direct. The protective effects of active ingredients, herbs, compound prescriptions, acupuncture and moxibustion for treatment of podocyte injury were further summarized and analyzed. Meanwhile, we discussed feasible directions for future development, and analyzed existing deficiencies and shortcomings of TCM in the treatment of podocyte injury. In conclusion, this paper shows that TCM treatments can serve as promising auxiliary therapeutic methods for the treatment of podocyte injury.

Effects and Components of Herb Pair Huanglian-Banxia on Diabetic Gastroparesis by Network Pharmacology

Diabetic gastroparesis (DGP) is a serious and chronic complication of long-standing diabetes mellitus, which brings a heavy burden to individuals and society. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is considered a complementary and alternative therapy for DGP patients. Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma, HL) and Banxia (Pinelliae Rhizoma, BX) combined as herb pair have been frequently used in TCM prescriptions, which can effectively treat DGP in China. In this article, a practical application of TCM network pharmacological approach was used for the research on herb pair HL-BX in the treatment of DGP. Firstly, twenty-seven potential active components of HL-BX were screened from the TCMSP database, and their potential targets were also retrieved. Then, the compound-target network and PPI network were constructed from predicted common targets, and several key targets were found based on the degree of the network. Next, GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were conducted to obtain several significantly enriched terms. Finally, the experimental verification was made. The results demonstrated that network pharmacological approach was a powerful means for identifying bioactive ingredients and mechanisms of action for TCM. Network pharmacology provided an effective strategy for TCM modern research.