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Sun E, Huang R, Ding K, Wang L, Hou J, Tan X, Wei Y, Feng L, Jia X. Integrating strategies of metabolomics, network pharmacology, and experiment validation to investigate the processing mechanism of Epimedium fried with suet oil to warm kidney and enhance yang. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1113213. [PMID: 36762111 PMCID: PMC9905240 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1113213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Epimedium, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) commonly used in ancient and modern China, is one of the traditional Chinese medicines clinically used to treat kidney yang deficiency syndrome (KYDS). There are differences in the efficacy of Epimedium before and after processing, and the effect of warming the kidney and enhancing yang is significantly enhanced after heating with suet oil. However, the active compounds, corresponding targets, metabolic pathways, and synergistic mechanism of frying Epimedium in suet oil to promote yang, remain unclear. Methods: Herein, a strategy based on comprehensive GC-TOF/MS metabolomics and network pharmacology analysis was used to construct an "active compounds-targets-metabolic pathways" network to identify the active compounds, targets and metabolic pathways involved. Subsequently, the targets in kidney tissue were further validated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Histopathological analysis with physical and biochemical parameters were performed. Results: Fifteen biomarkers from urine and plasma, involving five known metabolic pathways related to kidney yang deficiency were screened. The network pharmacology results showed 37 active compounds (13 from Epimedium and 24 from suet oil), 159 targets, and 267 pathways with significant correlation. Importantly, integrated metabolomics and network pharmacologic analysis revealed 13 active compounds (nine from Epimedium and four from suet oil), 7 corresponding targets (ALDH2, ARG2, GSTA3, GSTM1, GSTM2, HPGDS, and NOS2), two metabolic pathways (glutathione metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism), and two biomarkers (Ornithine and 5-Oxoproline) associated with improved kidney yang deficiency by Epimedium fried with suet oil. Discussion: These finds may elucidate the underlying mechanism of yang enhancement via kidney warming effects. Our study indicated that the mechanism of action mainly involved oxidative stress and amino acid metabolism. Here, we demonstrated the novel strategies of integrating metabolomics and network pharmacology in exploring of the mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicines.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Sun
- The Third Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China,Key Laboratory of New Drug Delivery System of Chinese Materia Medica, Jiangsu Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China,*Correspondence: E. Sun, ; Xiaobin Jia,
| | - Ran Huang
- The Third Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China,Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Ke Ding
- The Third Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Ling Wang
- The Third Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Jian Hou
- Key Laboratory of New Drug Delivery System of Chinese Materia Medica, Jiangsu Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaobin Tan
- The Third Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China,Key Laboratory of New Drug Delivery System of Chinese Materia Medica, Jiangsu Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Yingjie Wei
- The Third Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China,Key Laboratory of New Drug Delivery System of Chinese Materia Medica, Jiangsu Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China
| | - Liang Feng
- School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xiaobin Jia
- The Third Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, China,School of Traditional Chinese Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China,*Correspondence: E. Sun, ; Xiaobin Jia,
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Lan S, Duan J, Zeng N, Yu B, Yang X, Ning H, Huang Y, Rao Y. Network pharmacology-based screening of the active ingredients and mechanisms of Huangqi against aging. Medicine (Baltimore) 2021; 100:e25660. [PMID: 33907130 PMCID: PMC8084007 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000025660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT Studies have shown that Huangqi (HQ) has anti-aging efficacy. However, its active ingredients and mechanisms for anti-aging are still unclear. In this study, we will systematically screen the active ingredients of HQ and explore the possible mechanism of HQ in prevention from aging through network pharmacology technology.The main active ingredients of HQ were obtained from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP). The possible targets were predicted by TCMSP. The related targets for aging were obtained from GeneCards (The Human Gene Database) and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database. The common targets of HQ and aging were obtained using R 3.6.3 software. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and the ingredient-target-disease network were constructed using Cytoscape 3.7.2 software for visualization. In addition, the Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway annotation of potential targets were performed using R 3.6.3 software.Based on the screening conditions, 16 active ingredients and 28 drug targets were obtained. The PPI network contained 29 proteins, including PTGS2, AR, NOS2, and so on. GO functional enrichment analysis obtained 40 GO items (P < .05). KEGG pathway enrichment analysis obtained 110 aging related pathways (P < .05), including hypoxia inducible factor 1 signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complication, among others.Sixteen effective ingredients of HQ and 28 targets against aging were identified through network pharmacology. Multiple pathways were involved in the effect of HQ on preventing aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Lan
- Department of Pharmacy, Mianyang Central Hospital, Mianyang
| | - Jie Duan
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Pidu District People's Hospital
| | - Nan Zeng
- School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu
| | - Bin Yu
- Department of Pharmacy, Mianyang Central Hospital, Mianyang
| | - Xuping Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Hong Ning
- Department of Pharmacy, Mianyang Central Hospital, Mianyang
| | - Yilan Huang
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Youyi Rao
- Department of Pharmacy, Mianyang Central Hospital, Mianyang
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Essential Oil Phytocomplex Activity, a Review with a Focus on Multivariate Analysis for a Network Pharmacology-Informed Phytogenomic Approach. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25081833. [PMID: 32316274 PMCID: PMC7221665 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25081833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Thanks to omic disciplines and a systems biology approach, the study of essential oils and phytocomplexes has been lately rolling on a faster track. While metabolomic fingerprinting can provide an effective strategy to characterize essential oil contents, network pharmacology is revealing itself as an adequate, holistic platform to study the collective effects of herbal products and their multi-component and multi-target mediated mechanisms. Multivariate analysis can be applied to analyze the effects of essential oils, possibly overcoming the reductionist limits of bioactivity-guided fractionation and purification of single components. Thanks to the fast evolution of bioinformatics and database availability, disease-target networks relevant to a growing number of phytocomplexes are being developed. With the same potential actionability of pharmacogenomic data, phytogenomics could be performed based on relevant disease-target networks to inform and personalize phytocomplex therapeutic application.
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