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Tran MN, Kim NS, Lee S. Biological network comparison identifies a novel synergistic mechanism of Ginseng Radix-Astragali Radix herb pair in cancer-related fatigue. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 333:118447. [PMID: 38885914 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Ginseng Radix and Astragali Radix are commonly combined to tonify Qi and alleviate fatigue. Previous studies have employed biological networks to investigate the mechanisms of herb pairs in treating different diseases. However, these studies have only elucidated a single network for each herb pair, without emphasizing the superiority of the herb combination over individual herbs. AIM OF THE STUDY This study proposes an approach of comparing biological networks to highlight the synergistic effect of the pair in treating cancer-related fatigue (CRF). METHODS The compounds and targets of Ginseng Radix, Astragali Radix, and CRF diseases were collected and predicted using different databases. Subsequently, the overlapping targets between herbs and disease were imported into the STRING and DAVID tools to build protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and analyze enriched KEGG pathways. The biological networks of Ginseng Radix and Astragali Radix were compared separately or together using the DyNet application. Molecular docking was used to verify the predicted results. Further, in vitro experiments were conducted to validate the synergistic pathways identified in in silico studies. RESULTS In the PPI network comparison, the combination created 89 new interactions and an increased average degree (11.260) when compared to single herbs (10.296 and 9.394). The new interactions concentrated on HRAS, STAT3, JUN, and IL6. The topological analysis identified 20 core targets of the combination, including three Ginseng Radix-specific targets, three Astragali Radix-specific targets, and 14 shared targets. In KEGG enrichment analysis, the combination regulated additional signaling pathways (152) more than Ginseng Radix (146) and Astragali Radix (134) alone. The targets of the herb pair synergistically regulated cancer pathways, specifically hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) signaling pathway. In vitro experiments including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot demonstrated that two herbs combination could up-regulate HIF-1α signaling pathway at different combined concentrations compared to either single herb alone. CONCLUSION The herb pair increased protein interactions and adjusted metabolic pathways more than single herbs. This study provides insights into the combination of Ginseng Radix and Astragali Radix in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minh Nhat Tran
- Korean Medicine Data Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; Korean Convergence Medical Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; Faculty of Traditional Medicine, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, Thua Thien Hue, Viet Nam.
| | - No Soo Kim
- Korean Medicine Convergence Research Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sanghun Lee
- Korean Medicine Data Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea; Korean Convergence Medical Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea.
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Yuan M, Sun T, Zhang Y, Guo C, Wang F, Yao Z, Yu L. Quercetin Alleviates Insulin Resistance and Repairs Intestinal Barrier in db/ db Mice by Modulating Gut Microbiota. Nutrients 2024; 16:1870. [PMID: 38931226 PMCID: PMC11206920 DOI: 10.3390/nu16121870] [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: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 06/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disease which seriously affects public health. Gut microbiota remains a dynamic balance state in healthy individuals, and its disorder may affect health status and even results in metabolic diseases. Quercetin, a natural flavonoid, has been shown to have biological activities that can be used in the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases. This study aimed to explore the mechanism of quercetin in alleviating T2DM based on gut microbiota. db/db mice were adopted as the model for T2DM in this study. After 10 weeks of administration, quercetin could significantly decrease the levels of body weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum insulin (INS), the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), D-lactic acid (D-LA), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in db/db mice. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and untargeted metabolomics analysis were performed to compare the differences of gut microbiota and metabolites among the groups. The results demonstrated that quercetin decreased the abundance of Proteobacteria, Bacteroides, Escherichia-Shigella and Escherichia_coli. Moreover, metabolomics analysis showed that the levels of L-Dopa and S-Adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) were significantly increased, but 3-Methoxytyramine (3-MET), L-Aspartic acid, L-Glutamic acid, and Androstenedione were significantly decreased under quercetin intervention. Taken together, quercetin could exert its hypoglycemic effect, alleviate insulin resistance, repair the intestinal barrier, remodel the intestinal microbiota, and alter the metabolites of db/db mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Zhanxin Yao
- Military Medical Sciences Academy, Beijing 100039, China; (M.Y.); (T.S.); (Y.Z.); (C.G.); (F.W.)
| | - Lixia Yu
- Military Medical Sciences Academy, Beijing 100039, China; (M.Y.); (T.S.); (Y.Z.); (C.G.); (F.W.)
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Akoonjee A, Lanrewaju AA, Balogun FO, Makunga NP, Sabiu S. Waste to Medicine: Evidence from Computational Studies on the Modulatory Role of Corn Silk on the Therapeutic Targets Implicated in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1509. [PMID: 38132335 PMCID: PMC10740667 DOI: 10.3390/biology12121509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by insulin resistance and/or defective insulin production in the human body. Although the antidiabetic action of corn silk (CS) is well-established, the understanding of the mechanism of action (MoA) behind this potential is lacking. Hence, this study aimed to elucidate the MoA in different samples (raw and three extracts: aqueous, hydro-ethanolic, and ethanolic) as a therapeutic agent for the management of T2DM using metabolomic profiling and computational techniques. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UP-LCMS), in silico techniques, and density functional theory were used for compound identification and to predict the MoA. A total of 110 out of the 128 identified secondary metabolites passed the Lipinski's rule of five. The Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis revealed the cAMP pathway as the hub signaling pathway, in which ADORA1, HCAR2, and GABBR1 were identified as the key target genes implicated in the pathway. Since gallicynoic acid (-48.74 kcal/mol), dodecanedioc acid (-34.53 kcal/mol), and tetradecanedioc acid (-36.80 kcal/mol) interacted well with ADORA1, HCAR2, and GABBR1, respectively, and are thermodynamically stable in their formed compatible complexes, according to the post-molecular dynamics simulation results, they are suggested as potential drug candidates for T2DM therapy via the maintenance of normal glucose homeostasis and pancreatic β-cell function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayesha Akoonjee
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4000, South Africa; (A.A.); (A.A.L.); (F.O.B.)
| | - Adedayo Ayodeji Lanrewaju
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4000, South Africa; (A.A.); (A.A.L.); (F.O.B.)
| | - Fatai Oladunni Balogun
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4000, South Africa; (A.A.); (A.A.L.); (F.O.B.)
| | - Nokwanda Pearl Makunga
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Stellenbosch University, Private Bag X1, Matieland, Stellenbosch 7602, South Africa;
| | - Saheed Sabiu
- Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Durban University of Technology, Durban 4000, South Africa; (A.A.); (A.A.L.); (F.O.B.)
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Tran MN, Baek SJ, Jun HJ, Lee S. Identifying target organ location of Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae: a bioinformatics approach on active compounds and genes. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1187896. [PMID: 37637410 PMCID: PMC10448535 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1187896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Herbal medicines traditionally target organs for treatment based on medicinal properties, and this theory is widely used for prescriptions. However, the scientific evidence explaining how herbs act on specific organs by biological methods has been still limited. This study used bioinformatic tools to identify the target organ locations of Radix Achyranthis Bidentatae (RAB), a blood-activating herb that nourishes the liver and kidney, strengthens bones, and directs prescription to the lower body. Methods: RAB's active compounds and targets were collected and predicted using databases such as TCMSP, HIT2.0, and BATMAN-TCM. Next, the RAB's target list was analyzed based on two approaches to obtain target organ locations. DAVID and Gene ORGANizer enrichment-based approaches were used to enrich an entire gene list, and the BioGPS and HPA gene expression-based approaches were used to analyze the expression of core genes. Results: RAB's targets were found to be involved in whole blood, blood components, and lymphatic organs across all four tools. Each tool indicated a particular aspect of RAB's target organ locations: DAVID-enriched genes showed a predominance in blood, liver, and kidneys; Gene ORGANizer showed the effect on low body parts as well as bones and joints; BioGPS and HPA showed high gene expression in bone marrow, lymphoid tissue, and smooth muscle. Conclusion: Our bioinformatics-based target organ location prediction can serve as a modern interpretation tool for the target organ location theory of traditional medicine. Future studies should predict therapeutic target organ locations in complex prescriptions rather than single herbs and conduct experiments to verify predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minh Nhat Tran
- Korean Medicine Data Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Korean Convergence Medical Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Faculty of Traditional Medicine, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, Hue, Vietnam
| | - Su-Jin Baek
- Korean Medicine Data Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeong Joon Jun
- Korean Medicine Data Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghun Lee
- Korean Medicine Data Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Korean Convergence Medical Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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Liu M, Mao C, Zhao F, Chen Z, Wang X. The application and mechanism of Chinese medicine in the upstream treatment of atrial fibrillation. Front Cardiovasc Med 2023; 10:1229021. [PMID: 37608811 PMCID: PMC10441233 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2023.1229021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Upstream treatment of atrial fibrillation (AF, for short) is a new approach to the prevention and treatment of AF with non-antiarrhythmic drugs, which is essentially primary and secondary prevention of AF. The former refers to the prevention of AF by controlling risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure before AF occurs, and the latter mainly refers to targeting ion channels, inflammation, oxidative stress, and other pathways to reduce or reverse atrial electrical and structural remodeling, reduction of AF load, and reduction of the chance of AF occurrence or progression. More and more studies have shown that many traditional Chinese medicines, active ingredients of Chinese medicines, and Chinese herbal formulas have definite effects on the upstream treatment of AF, but their mechanisms of action are different. Therefore, we summarized the relevant literature on the application and mechanisms of Chinese medicine on the upstream treatment of AF in recent years, hoping to be helpful for subsequent studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Liu
- The Third Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Chenhan Mao
- The Third Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Fusen Zhao
- The Third Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhaoyang Chen
- The Third Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xindong Wang
- The Third Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Province Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
- Department of Cardiology, Affiliated Hospital of IntegratedTraditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
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