Qi G, Li S, Jiang Q, Yu Z, Peng Z, Li Q, Qi W, Guo M. Network pharmacology analysis and experimental validation to explore the effect and mechanism of tetramethylpyrazine for spinal cord injury.
J Chem Neuroanat 2024;
136:102386. [PMID:
38176475 DOI:
10.1016/j.jchemneu.2023.102386]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect and mechanism of Tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) in treating Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) using network pharmacology analysis and animal experiments.
METHODS
This study was based on public databases, including PharmMapper, BATMAN-TCM, and STRING, as well as KEGG pathway analysis and other methods of network pharmacology were used to preliminarily explore the molecular mechanism of TMP in the treatment of SCI. Using a mouse SCI compression injury model, the efficacy of TMP was evaluated, and the expression of predictive targets on the PI3K/AKT and MAPK signaling pathways was measured using Western blotting and q-PCR.
RESULTS
Network pharmacology analysis showed that TMP may exert therapeutic effects through the MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways. In animal experimental validation studies, it was shown that after treatment with TMP, the hind limb motor function scores and ramp test scores of the TMP-treated mice improved significantly. HE staining showed that after treatment with TMP, cavities decreased, fewer glial cells proliferated, and fewer inflammatory cells infiltrated; Nielsen staining showed less neuronal loss. Western blot studies showed that compared with the model group, expression of RAS, ERK1/2, RAF1, PI3K, and p-AKT proteins in the spinal cord tissue of mice treated with high-dose TMP was significantly lower. Accordingly, q-PCR studies showed that compared with the model group, the expression levels of RAS, ERK1/2, RAF1, PI3K, and p-AKT genes in the spinal cords of mice in the high-dose TMP group were significantly lower.
CONCLUSION
TMP exhibits a good neuroprotective effect after SCI, which may be related to inhibition of the MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling pathways.
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