Deciphering the underlying mechanism of Xianlinggubao capsule against osteoporosis by network pharmacology

Additional effects of herbal medicine combined with bisphosphonates for primary osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Osteoporosis (OP) is a significant medical issue associated with population aging. Recent research on herbal medicines (HMs) for OP has been increasing, with these therapies sometimes used in conjunction with bisphosphonates (BPs), the standard treatment for OP. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of combining HMs with BPs on improving bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with primary OP.

Methods

We searched nine databases-PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Wanfang, KISS, Kmbase, Science On, and Oasis-up to 31 August 2023. We selected randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing BMD between HMs plus BPs and BPs alone in primary OP. A meta-analysis with BMD as the primary outcome was performed using RevMan version 5.4. Study quality and evidence certainty were assessed through Cochrane's risk of bias2 and GRADE.

Results

Out of 43 RCTs involving 4,470 participants (mean age 65.8 ± 6.6 years), 35 RCTs with 3,693 participants were included in the meta-analysis. The combination of HMs and BPs was found to be more effective in improving BMD compared to BPs alone, with improvements of 0.10 g/cm2 at the lumbar spine (33 RCTs, 95% CI: 0.07-0.12, p < 0.001, I2 = 93%) and 0.08 g/cm2 at the femoral neck (20 RCTs, 95% CI: 0.05-0.12, p < 0.001, I2 = 94%), though this result was associated with high heterogeneity, high risk of bias, and very low certainty of evidence.

Conclusion

Our data suggest the possibility that combining HMs with BPs may improve BMD in primary OP more effectively than using BPs alone. However, the results should be interpreted with caution due to the high heterogeneity and low quality of the studies included in the review. Therefore, further well-designed RCTs are needed to confirm these findings.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023392139.

Puerarin suppresses macrophage M1 polarization to alleviate renal inflammatory injury through antagonizing TLR4/MyD88-mediated NF-κB p65 and JNK/FoxO1 activation

BACKGROUND

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a clinically common and serious renal dysfunction, characterized by inflammation and damage to tubular epithelial cells. Puerarin, an isoflavone derivative isolated from Pueraria lobata, has been proven to possess exceptional effectiveness in reducing inflammation. However, the effects and underlying mechanisms of puerarin on AKI remain uncertain.

PURPOSE

This study investigated the possible therapeutic effects of puerarin on AKI and explored its underlying mechanism.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

The effects of puerarin on AKI and macrophage polarization were investigated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced or unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-induced mouse models in vivo and LPS-treated macrophages (Raw264.7) in vitro. Additionally, the effects of puerarin on inflammation-related signaling pathways were analyzed.

RESULTS

Administration of puerarin effectively alleviated kidney dysfunction and reduced inflammatory response in LPS-induced and UUO-induced AKI. In vitro, puerarin treatment inhibited the polarization of M1 macrophages and the release of inflammatory factors in Raw264.7 cells stimulated by LPS. Mechanistically, puerarin downregulated the activities of NF-κB p65 and JNK/FoxO1 signaling pathways. The application of SRT1460 to activate FoxO1 or anisomycin to activate JNK eliminated puerarin-mediated inhibition of JNK/FoxO1 signaling, leading to suppression of macrophage M1 polarization and reduction of inflammatory factors. Further studies showed that puerarin bound to Toll/interleukin-1 receptor (TIR) domain of MyD88 protein, hindering its binding with TLR4, ultimately resulting in downstream NF-κB p65 and JNK/FoxO1 signaling inactivation.

CONCLUSIONS

Puerarin antagonizes NF-κB p65 and JNK/FoxO1 activation via TLR4/MyD88 pathway, thereby suppressing macrophage polarization towards M1 phenotype and alleviating renal inflammatory damage.

Insight of Chinese Herbal Medicine in Treating Osteoporosis: Achievements from 2013 to 2023

Osteoporosis is the most common bone metabolic disease, and it is becoming increasingly common as the global population ages. Osteoporosis and its complications, such as fractures and pain, negatively affect patient quality of life and easily lead to disability, placing enormous burdens on society. Although several anti-osteoporosis drugs are currently available, many adverse reactions have been observed during the long-term application of these drugs. Therefore, safer and more useful medications are urgently needed to replace those currently available. Chinese herbal medicine has been extensively used to treat osteoporosis, and the current literature confirms that such medicines have anti-osteoporosis effects, are safe, and have minimal side effects. Thus, Chinese herbal medicines are natural alternatives to pharmaceutical approaches to treating osteoporosis, and these medicines must be further developed and utilized. In this article, we review the mechanisms underlying the anti-osteoporosis effects of single herbal extracts and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulas that have been elucidated since 2013, providing key evidence and support for future research on the anti-osteoporosis effects of Chinese herbal medicines. In addition, due to the complexity of the ingredients in Chinese herbal medicine, more thorough investigations are needed to determine the specific ingredients that are effective in osteoporosis treatment. Therefore, identifying the effective ingredients of Chinese herbal medicines will be a necessary focus in laboratory research and clinical application.

Exploring the pharmacological mechanism of Xianlingubao against diabetic osteoporosis based on network pharmacology and molecular docking: An observational study

Xianlinggubao formula (XLGB), is a traditional Chinese compound Medicine that has been extensively used in osteoarthritis and aseptic osteonecrosis, but its curative effect on diabetic osteoporosis (DOP) and its pharmacological mechanisms remains not clear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible mechanism of drug repurposing of XLGB in DOP therapy. We acquired XLGB active compounds from the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology and traditional Chinese medicines integrated databases and discovered potential targets for these compounds by conducting target fishing using the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology and Swiss Target Prediction databases. Gene Cards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man® database were used to identify the DOP targets. Overlapping related targets between XLGB and DOP was selected to build a protein-protein interaction network. Next, the Metascape database was utilized to enrich the Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. In addition, Auto-Dock Vina software was used to verify drug and target binding. In total, 48 hub targets were obtained as the candidate targets responsible for DOP therapy. The anti-DOP effect mediated by XLGB was primarily centralized on the advanced glycation end products (AGEs)-receptor for AGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications and osteoclast differentiation. In addition, AKT serine/threonine kinase 1, tumor necrosis factor, Interleukin-6, vascular endothelial growth factor A and peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma, which were considered as potential therapeutic targets. Furthermore, molecular docking results confirm the credibility of the predicted therapeutic targets. This study elucidates that XLGB may through regulating AGEs formation and osteoclast differentiation as well as angiogenesis and adipogenesis against DOP. And this study provides new promising points to find the exact regulatory mechanisms of XLGB mediated anti-DOP effect.

Combination effects of herbal and western medicines on osteoporosis in rheumatoid arthritis: systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: This study aimed to comprehensively review the effect of combining herbal medicine (HM) with Western Medicine (WM) compared to WM alone on bone mineral density (BMD) improvement for osteoporosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were searched using 10 databases, including PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Nation Information by NII. We selected studies that used BMD as an evaluation index and administered HM treatment for osteoporosis in patients with RA. Subsequently, a meta-analysis was conducted using BMD as a continuous variable using RevMan version 5.4. Results: Eighteen RCTs that met the eligibility criteria of this study were selected. The total number of study participants was 1,491 (481 men and 1,010 women). The mean age of participants was 52.4 ± 7.4 years, and the mean morbidity period of RA was 6.8 ± 1.3 years. In all studies, disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs; 16 RCTs) or bisphosphonates (two RCTs) were used as WM co-intervention with HMs (17 types of HM, 18 RCTs). Overall, the combination of HM and WM improved the BMD score, producing better results than WM alone. In particular, when HM was used in combination with DMARDs, which were used in most studies, BMD improved by 0.04 g/cm2 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.03-0.05, p < 0.001, I2 = 19%) in the lumbar spine and 0.03 g/cm2 (95% CI: 0.02-0.03, p < 0.001, I2 = 0%) in the femoral neck compared to the DMARDs alone group after treatment. In addition to BMD, bone markers and inflammatory indicators evaluated by each RCT showed significant improvement after HM plus WM treatment. In the analysis of frequently prescribed HMs, the BMD after treatment was higher by 0.04 g/cm2 (95% CI: 0.03-0.04, p < 0.001, I2 = 45%) in the Xianlinggubao-capsule plus methotrexate (MTX) group and by 0.02 g/cm2 (95% CI: 0.00-0.03, p = 0.04, I2 = 0) in the Hanbikang-tang plus MTX group compared to the MTX alone group. Conclusion: This systematic review cautiously provides evidence for the combined therapeutic effect of HM and WM for osteoporosis in patients with RA. However, well-designed, large-scale clinical trials are necessary before recommending this combination therapy for osteoporosis in patients with RA. Systematic Review Registration: [https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=331854], identifier [CRD42022331854].

Curcumae Rhizoma - combined with Sparganii Rhizoma in the treatment of liver cancer: Chemical analysis using UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MSn, network analysis, and experimental assessment

Objective: Curcumae Rhizoma-Sparganii Rhizoma (CR-SR) is a traditional botanical drug pair that can promote blood circulation, remove blood stasis, and treat tumors in clinics. The aim of the present study was to investigate the therapeutic material basis and potential mechanisms of CR-SR, CR, and SR for the treatment of liver cancer. Method: The chemical profile analyses of CR-SR, CR, and SR were performed by molecular networking and UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MSⁿ. The anti-liver cancer activities of CR-SR, CR, and SR were assessed by using a zebrafish xenograft model in vivo for the first time and detected by the HepG2 cell model in vitro. Combining the network analysis and molecular docking, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) experiments were undertaken to further explore the mechanisms of CR-SR, CR, and SR for the treatment of liver cancer. Results: In total, 65 components were identified in CR-SR, CR, and SR. Based on the clusters of molecular networking, a total of 12 novel diarylheptanoids were identified from CR-SR and CR. By combining our results with information from the literature, 32 sesquiterpenoids and 21 cyclic dipeptides were identified from CR-SR, CR, and SR. The anti-liver cancer activities were observed in both the drug pair and the single botanical drugs in vitro and in vivo, and the order of activity was CR-SR > CR > SR. They could downregulate the expression of proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src (SRC), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), estrogen receptor-α (ESR1), prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), and amyloid precursor protein (APP). Conclusion: Taken together, the present study provided an experimental basis for the therapeutic material basis and potential molecular mechanisms of CR-SR, CR, and SR. This study provided a novel insight for objective clinical treatment of liver cancer.

Mitochondrial toxicants in Xian-Ling-Gu-Bao induce liver injury by regulating the PI3K/mTOR signaling pathway: an in vitro study

BACKGROUND

Drug-induced mitochondrial toxicity is thought to be a common mechanism of drug hepatotoxicity. Xian-Ling-Gu-Bao (XLGB) oral preparation is a commonly used drug for osteoporosis in China. Classical safety evaluation studies have shown that the entire preparation and six Chinese herbal medicines have high safety, but the incidence of drug-induced liver damage due to XLGB remains high, the mechanism and toxic substances causing liver injury are still unclear. The purpose of this study is to identify compounds with potential mitochondrial liabilities in XLGB, and to clarify their underlying mechanisms and related pathways.

METHODS

The mitochondrial function analysis was performed using an extracellular flux assay, which simultaneously monitored both oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR). Through network pharmacology and in vitro experimental verification, the potential protein targets, signaling pathways and molecular mechanism of mitochondrial toxicity have been studied.

RESULTS

We observed a significant decrease in mitochondrial respiration of Psoraleae Fructus and its five compounds in fundamental bioenergetics parameters such as basal respiration, ATP-linked production and maximal respiration, indicating mitochondrial dysfunction. The network pharmacology results showed that the influence of XLGB on mitochondrial dysfunction was closely related to PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, mTOR signaling pathway and Apoptosis. Western blot showed that the levels of mTOR, p-mTOR (Ser2448), Raptor, PI3K (p110α), Beclin 1, ATG5 and Caspase-9 were up-regulated after treatment with psoralidin, psoralen and bavachin, and the expression of Bcl-2 was down-regulated after bavachinin treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The hepatotoxicity of XLGB is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Five compounds in Psoraleae Fructus showed mitochondrial damage, they are psoralidin, isobavachalcone, bavachinin, bavachin and psoralen, especially psoralidin showed significant reduction in reserve capacity and respiratory control ratios. The molecular mechanism is related to the activation of PI3K/mTOR signaling pathway to inhibit autophagy and induce mitochondrial apoptosis.

Decoding the Key Functional Combined Components Group and Uncovering the Molecular Mechanism of Longdan Xiegan Decoction in Treating Uveitis

Objective

Longdan Xiegan Decoction (LXD) is a famous herbal formula in China. It has been proved that LXD has been shown to have a significant inhibitory effect on suppresses the inflammatory cells associated with uveitis. However, the key functional combination of component groups and their possible mechanisms remain unclear.

Methods

The community detecting model of the network, the functional response space, and reverse prediction model were utilized to decode the key components group (KCG) and possible mechanism of LXD in treating uveitis. Finally, MTT assay, NO assay and ELISA assay were applied to verify the effectiveness of KCG and the accuracy of our strategy.

Results

In the components-targets-pathogenic genes-disease (CTP) network, a combination of Huffman coding and random walk algorithm was used and eight foundational acting communities (FACs) were discovered with important functional significance. Verification has shown that FACs can represent the corresponding C-T network for treating uveitis. A novel node importance calculation method was designed to construct the functional response space and pick out 349 effective proteins. A total of 54 components were screened and defined as KCG. The pathway enrichment results showed that KCG and their targets enriched signal pathways of IL-17, Toll-like receptor, and T cell receptor played an important role in the pathogenesis of uveitis. Furthermore, experimental verification results showed that important KCG quercetin and sitosterol markedly inhibited the production of nitric oxide and significantly regulated the level of TNF-α and IFN-γ in Lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW264.7 cells.

Discussion

In this research, we decoded the potential mechanism of the multi-components-genes-pathways of LXD’s pharmacological action mode against uveitis based on an integrated pharmacology approach. The results provided a new perspective for the future studies of the anti-uveitis mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine.

Multitech-Based Study on Medicinal Material Basis and Action Mechanism of Herbal Formula Xian-Ling-Gu-Bao Capsule in Treatment of Osteoarthritis

Currently, osteoarthritis (OA) is thought to be the most prevalent chronic joint disease worldwide. The epidemiology of this disorder is complex, and the treatment is challenging. Xian-Ling-Gu-Bao (XLGB) capsule, a herbal compound preparation, is widely used for the treatment of bone disorders, including OA. Although its efficacy and safety have been demonstrated in clinical trials and practice, the underlying medicinal constituents and mechanism have not been clearly elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the medicinal constituents and mechanism of XLGB for OA treatment. The phytochemical constituents in XLGB capsule were detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), the medicinal constituents and therapeutic mechanism for OA treatment were deduced by network analysis, and the deduced mechanism was validated by in vitro experiment. As a result, a total of 55 constituents were detected in XLGB extract, in which 16 constituents were screened out for target collection. Based on the analysis of target profile, XLGB targets showed a high degree of similarity with OA targets. Network analysis revealed that XLGB had a holistic effect of multiple active constituents on multiple targets and pathways. The core targets of XLGB were presumed to be MAPKs, PI3K, AKT, BCL2, RELA, TNF, NOS2, and so on, and the mechanism was speculated to mainly inhibit chondrocyte apoptosis and inflammatory response through JNK and PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling cascades. Finally, in vitro study confirmed that XLGB extract protected ATDC5 cells against lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced apoptosis and inflammatory response, and these effects were supposed to be involved in the inhibition of JNK and PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathways. Our study could provide a scientific basis for further research and clinical use of XLGB capsule.

Anti-osteoporosis effects and regulatory mechanism of Lindera aggregata based on network pharmacology and experimental validation

Osteoporosis (OP) is characterized by the flaccidity of bones or bone bi-disease caused by kidney deficiency. Lindera aggregate has been used to strengthen kidney function in China for thousands of years. It has been approved by Chinese Pharmacopoeia that the root of Lindera aggregata (RLA) can replenish and tonify the kidney, which is thought to be an effective way to alleviate OP. In this study, a network pharmacology approach was applied to explore the active components and potential mechanisms of RLA in osteoporosis treatment. Then, the ethanolic extract of the root of L. aggregata (EERL) was prepared and these predicted results were validated by prednisone-induced zebrafish embryos model. Moreover, the candidate compounds were identified by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The anti-OP results showed that EERL could significantly reverse the bone loss of zebrafish induced by prednisone. The mRNA expressions results showed that EERL decreased osteoclast bone resorption by regulating the RANK/RANKL/OPG system. Also, it increased bone formation by regulating the gene expressions of spp1, mmp2, mmp9, runx2b, alp, and entpd5a. Our results demonstrated the reliability of the network pharmacology method, and also revealed the anti-OP effect and potential mechanism of RLA.

Methodology improvement for network pharmacology to correct the deviation of deduced medicinal constituents and mechanism: Xian-Ling-Gu-Bao as an example

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Network pharmacology is extremely adaptive for investigating traditional ethnic drugs, especially the herbal medicines. However, challenges still hang over many related studies due to the limitations in the methodology of conventional network pharmacology.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Our work was aimed to investigate the methodology limitations of conventional network pharmacology with Xian-Ling-Gu-Bao (XLGB) as a representative, meanwhile, propose the strategies for coping with these issues.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Predicted phytochemical constituents formed virtual XLGB. The constituents in realistic XLGB samples was detected by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) to correct the constituent deviation resulted from virtual prediction. Multivariate statistical analysis of quantitative target data were used to reveal the relation of target profile between drug and disease. The key constituents and targets were screened and compared between virtual and realistic XLGB through network analysis. After enrichment analysis, reversing network pharmacology was performed to exclude weak targets and re-construct the interaction from key pathways to key targets. Finally, the core constituents and action mechanism of XLGB were deduced.

RESULTS

Significant deviation of phytochemical constituents was found between virtual and realistic XLGB. As expected, this deviation led to a cascade of deviation ranging from deduced key constituents to key targets and key pathways. Moreover, many key KEGG pathways were enriched and screened out, however, they were almost irrelevant to the studied disease. These results systemically illustrated the limitations in the methodology of conventional network pharmacology. Importantly, the strategies for coping with these limitations were proposed, such as high-throughput detection of the realistic samples, multivariate analysis of target profile and combined enrichment analysis. Finally, based on the improved network pharmacology, the medicinal constituents and mechanism of XLGB against osteoarthritis were effectively deduced.

CONCLUSIONS

Our work highlighted the necessity and proposed the strategies for improving the methodology of conventional network pharmacology. The corrected results from improved network pharmacology provided promising directions for future research on XLGB.

Using Network Pharmacology to Systematically Decipher the Potential Mechanisms of Jisuikang in the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injury

Objective

To identify the potential pharmacological targets of Jisuikang (JSK) for the treatment of spinal cord injury (SCI) using network pharmacology.

Methods

The bioactive compounds of JSK herbs and their corresponding potential SCI targets were obtained from three traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) databases. SCI-related therapeutic target genes were obtained from the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database and the GeneCards Database. The common target genes between the JSK compounds and SCI-related therapeutic targets were screened using GO/KEGG functional enrichment and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analyses to identify hub genes and their categories of biological function. Gene expression distribution and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses were used to identify probable SCI-related target genes. Molecular docking was used to quantify molecular interactions between target genes and the bioactive compounds of JSK.

Results

A total of 183 JSK bioactive compounds and 197 target genes for the treatment of SCI were screened and assessed. The target genes were enriched primarily in drug metabolism and in inflammation-related biological processes. Ten genes with statistical significance were identified as therapeutic SCI-related target genes of JSK. Molecular docking experiments demonstrated that the proteins of these 10 genes docked with binding energies of less than −5 kcal/mol with the bioactive compounds in JSK.

Conclusion

This study showed that the anti-SCI effects of JSK may be mediated through numerous bioactive components, multiple gene targets, and inflammation-related pathways and provided potential novel targets for directed therapies for treating SCI. These results provide a foundation for further experimental investigations into treatment options for SCI.

Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Elucidate the Pharmacological Mechanism of the OSTEOWONDER Capsule for Treating Osteoporosis

Background: Osteoporosis (OP) is a serious and common bone metabolic disease with bone mass loss and bone microarchitectural deterioration. The OSTEOWONDER capsule is clinically used to treat OP. However, the potential regulatory mechanism of the OSTEOWONDER capsule in treatment of OP remains largely unknown.

Methods: The bioactive compounds of herbs and their targets were identified using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) database. The speculative targets of OP were screened out based on GeneCards, DisGeNET, and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) databases. The gene modules and hub genes of OP were identified using a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Then, an herb-compound-target network was constructed based on the above analyses. The biological function of targets was subsequently investigated, and a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed to identify hub targets of OP. Finally, molecular docking was performed to explore the interaction between compounds and targets.

Results: A total of 148 compounds of eight herbs and the corresponding 273 targets were identified based on the TCMSP database. A total of 4,929 targets of OP were obtained based on GeneCards, DisGeNET, and OMIM databases. In addition, six gene modules and 4,235 hub genes of OP were screened out based on WGCNA. Generally, an herb-compound-target network, including eight herbs, 84 compounds, and 58 targets, was constructed to investigate the therapeutic mechanism of the OSTEOWONDER capsule for OP. The biofunction analysis indicated 58 targets mainly associated with the bone metabolism, stimulation response, and immune response. EGFR, HIF1A, MAPK8, IL6, and PPARG were identified as the hub therapeutic targets in OP. Moreover, the interaction between EGFR, HIF1A, MAPK8, IL6, PPARG, and the corresponding compounds (quercetin and nobiletin) was analyzed using molecular docking.

Conclusion: Our finding discovered the possible therapeutic mechanisms of the OSTEOWONDER capsule and supplied the potential therapeutic targets for OP.

Pharmacological Mechanisms of Tinglizi against Chronic Heart Failure Determined by Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

Objective. Tinglizi has been extensively used to treat chronic heart failure (CHF) in modern times, but the material basis and pharmacological mechanisms are still unclear. To explore the material basis and corresponding potential targets and to elucidate the mechanism of Tinglizi, network pharmacology and molecular docking methods were utilized. Methods. The main chemical compounds and potential targets of Tinglizi were collected from the pharmacological database analysis platform (TCMSP). The corresponding genes of related action targets were queried through gene cards and UniProt database. The corresponding genes of CHF-related targets were searched through Disgenet database, and the intersection targets were obtained by drawing Venn map with the target genes related to pharmacodynamic components. Then, drug targets and disease targets were intersected and put into STRING database to establish a protein interaction network. The “active ingredient-CHF target” network was constructed with Cytoscape 3.8.2. Finally, Gene Ontology (GO) Enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment of intersection targets were analyzed using metascape. With the aid of SYBYL software, the key active ingredients and core targets were docked at molecular level, and the results were visualized by PyMOL software. Molecular docking was carried out to investigate interactions between active compounds and potential targets. Results. A total of 12 active components in Tinglizi were chosen from the TCMSP database, and 193 corresponding targets were predicted. Twenty-nine potential targets of Tinglizi on CHF were obtained, of which nine were the core targets of this study. Twenty GO items were obtained by GO function enrichment analysis ( $P<0.05$ ), and 10 signal pathways were screened by KEGG pathway enrichment analysis ( $P<0.05$ ), which is closely related to the treatment of CHF by Tinglizi. The constructed drug compound composition action target disease network shows that quercetin, kaempferol, and other active compounds play a key role in the whole network. The results of molecular docking showed that all the key active ingredients, such as quercetin and isorhamnetin, were able to successfully dock with ADRB2 and HMOX1 with a total score above 5.0, suggesting that these key components have a strong binding force with the targets. Conclusion. Through network pharmacology and molecular docking technology, we found that the main components of Tinglizi in the treatment of CHF are quercetin, kaempferol, β-sitosterol, isorhamnetin, and so on. The action targets are beta 2-adrenergic receptor (ADRB2), heme oxygenase 1 (HMOX1), and so on. The main pathways are advanced glycation end products/receptor for advanced glycation end products (AGE-RAGE) signaling pathway in diabetic complications, hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1) signaling pathway, estrogen signaling pathway, and so on. They play an integrated role in the treatment of CHF.

Exploration of the anti-insomnia mechanism of Ganoderma by central-peripheral multi-level interaction network analysis

Background

Ganoderma (Lingzhi in Chinese) has shown good clinical outcomes in the treatment of insomnia, restlessness, and palpitation. However, the mechanism by which Ganoderma ameliorates insomnia is unclear. We explored the mechanism of the anti-insomnia effect of Ganoderma using systems pharmacology from the perspective of central-peripheral multi-level interaction network analysis.

Methods

The active components and central active components of Ganoderma were obtained from the TCMIP and TCMSP databases, then screened to determine their pharmacokinetic properties. The potential target genes of these components were identified using the Swiss Target Prediction and TCMSP databases. The results were matched with the insomnia target genes obtained from the GeneCards, OMIM, DisGeNET, and TCMIP databases. Overlapping targets were subjected to multi-level interaction network analysis and enrichment analysis using the STRING, Metascape, and BioGPS databases. The networks analysed were protein-protein interaction (PPI), drug-component-target gene, component-target gene-organ, and target gene-extended disease; we also performed gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses.

Results

In total, 34 sedative-hypnotic components (including 5 central active components) were identified, corresponding to 51 target genes. Multi-level interaction network analysis and enrichment analysis demonstrated that Ganoderma exerted an anti-insomnia effect via multiple central-peripheral mechanisms simultaneously, mainly by regulating cell apoptosis/survival and cytokine expression through core target genes such as TNF, CASP3, JUN, and HSP90αA1; it also affected immune regulation and apoptosis. Therefore, Ganoderma has potential as an adjuvant therapy for insomnia-related complications.

Conclusion

Ganoderma exerts an anti-insomnia effect via complex central-peripheral multi-level interaction networks.

A new strategy for discovering effective substances and mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine based on standardized drug containing plasma and the absorbed ingredients composition, a case study of Xian-Ling-Gu-Bao capsules

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The overall therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine formulae (TCMF) was achieved by the interactions of multiple components with multiple targets. However, current pharmacology research strategies have struggled to identify effective substance groups and encountered challenges in elucidating the underlying mechanisms of TCMF.

AIM

In this study, a comprehensive strategy was proposed and applied to elucidate the interactions of the multiple components that underlie the functions of the famous TCMF: Xian-Ling-Gu-Bao (XLGB) capsule on bone metabolism in vivo and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying the effects of XLGB on bone cells, especially on osteoblasts.

METHODS

The efficacy of XLGB in the protection against bones loss in ovariectomized (OVX) rats was confirmed by Micro-CT analysis. The anti-osteoporosis mechanism involved in the systemic regulatory actions of XLGB was elucidated by transcriptome sequencing analysis on bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells isolated from OVX rats. Moreover, the components absorbed in XLGB-treated plasma were characterized by mass spectrometry analysis, and subsequently, a standardized preparation process of drug-containing plasma was established. The synergistic osteogenic effect of the multiple components in plasma was investigated by a combination and then knockout of components using pre-osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells. In order to decipher the underlying mechanism of XLGB, the targets of the absorbed components on bone were predicted by target prediction and network pharmacology analysis, then several interactions were validated by biochemical and cell-based assay.

RESULTS

A total of 18 genes, including HDC, CXCL1/2, TNF, IL6 and Il1b, were newly found to be the major target genes regulated by XLGB. Interestingly, we found that a combination of the three absorbed components, i.e. MSP, rather than their single form at the same concentration, stimulated the formation of calcified nodules in MC3T3-E1 cells, suggesting a synergistic effect of these components. Besides, target prediction and experimental validation confirmed the binding affinity of corylin and icaritin for estrogen receptor α and β, the inhibitory activity of isobavachin and isobavachalcone on glycogen synthase kinase-3β, and the inhibitory activity of isobavachalcone on cathepsin K. The cell-based assay further confirmed the result of the biochemical assay. A network that integrated absorbed components of XLGB-targets-perturbation genes-pathways against osteoporosis was established.

CONCLUSION

Our current study provides a new systemic strategy for discovering active ingredient groups of TCM formulae and understanding their underlying mechanisms.

Study on the Antianxiety Mechanism of Suanzaoren Decoction Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

Objective. Suanzaoren Decoction (SZRT) is a classic decoction to calm the nerves in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It has been extensively treated as an antianxiety drug in modern times, but the material basis and pharmacological mechanisms are still unclear. To explore the material basis and corresponding potential targets, as well as to elucidate the mechanism of SZRT, network pharmacology and molecular docking methods were utilized. Methods. The main chemical compounds and potential targets of SZRT were collected from the pharmacological database analysis platform (TCMSP). Anxiety targets were obtained from the GeneCards database. Then, a target compound network was established using overlapping genes and the corresponding potential compounds. Protein interaction analysis, GO enrichment, and KEGG pathway enrichment were performed using the STRING database, DAVID database, and KOBAS database. Finally, molecular docking was conducted between MAOB and its corresponding active compound in SZRT to further verify the results. Results. A total of 137 active components in SZRT were screened from the TCMSP database, and 210 corresponding targets were predicted. A total of 5434 anxiety-related targets were obtained from the disease target database, and finally 22 potential targets of SZRT on antianxiety were obtained. The constructed C-T network showed that the average degree of active components was 5.4, and four of them interacted with six or more targets. PPI analysis shows that key genes such as MAOA, MAOB, IL1B, TNF, NR3CI, and HTR3A were identified as potential therapeutic targets. A pathway analysis showed that SZRT may participate in neurotransmitter regulation and immunoregulation in a synergistic way to treat anxiety. The binding energy between the active compounds and MAOB was low, indicating good binding. The results of molecular docking showed that all the 10 active ingredients were able to successfully dock with MAOB, and the binding energy of coumaroyltyramine with MAOB was the lowest, that is, −9.6 kcal/mol, and the binding method was hydrogen bonding. Conclusions. SZRT produces antianxiety effects mainly by affecting the neurotransmitter release, transmission, and immunoregulation. This study provides a new approach to elucidating the molecular mechanism and material basis of SZRT in the treatment of anxiety, and it will also benefit the application of TCM in modern medicine.

Serum Pharmacochemistry Analysis Combined with Network Pharmacology Approach to Investigate the Antiosteoporosis Effect of Xianlinggubao Capsule in vivo

Xianlinggubao capsule (XLGB) is a traditional Chinese medicine multi-component herbal prescription and has been widely used in osteoporosis (OP) treatment. However, the underlying anti-OP mechanisms of XLGB have not been fully studied. In this study, an ovariectomized rat model of OP was established. The OP rats were orally administrated with XLGB, and then the main absorbed components in serum sample were assessed based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Subsequently, the potential anti-OP markers in XLGB were screened based on a network pharmacology strategy. Molecular docking analysis was used for confirmation. LC-MS showed 22 absorbed components in the serum sample of OP rat with XLGB treatment. Network pharmacology and pathway analysis suggested 19 potential anti-OP markers in XLGB. According to molecular docking process, most of the potential markers displayed strong interactions with the 22 absorbed components mentioned above. Besides, an absorbed component–potential marker–pathway network was further established. In conclusion, our data suggested the possible mechanisms for XLGB in OP treatment, in which the “multicomponents, multitargets, and multipathways” participated. Our article provided possible direction for drug discovery in OP and could help for exploring novel application of XLGB in clinical setting.

Efficacy and safety of Xianling Gubao capsule in treating postmenopausal osteoporosis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

postmenopausal osteoporosis is a systemic metabolic skeletal disease associated with menopause-related estrogen withdrawal. postmenopausal osteoporosis is characterized by low bone mass, bone microstructure destruction, leading to increased bone brittleness and be prone to fracture, resulting in disability and death. At present, the commonly used drugs are estrogen, calcium, bone formation promoter and bone resorption inhibitor, and the side effects are obvious. In Traditional Chinese medicine, kidney-tonifying differentiating medicine is guided by the whole concept, Xianling Gubao capsule as the representative, the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis has certain therapeutic advantages, but lacks evidence-based medicine evidence. The purpose of this study is to systematically study the efficacy and safety of Xianling Gubao capsule in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

METHODS

use computer to search English databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library) and Chinese databases (China Knowledge Network, Wanfang, Weipu, Chinese Biomedical Database), in addition manually search Baidu academic, Google academic, from the establishment of database to October 2020, for randomized controlled clinical study of postmenopausal osteoporosis in the Xianling Gubao capsule treatment. Two researchers independently did the data extraction and literature quality evaluation, using RevMan5.3 software to do meta-analysis of the included literature.

RESULTS

this study assessed the efficacy and safety of xianling gubao capsule in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis by total effective rate, bone density after treatment, blood calcium level after treatment, blood phosphorus level after treatment, pain score, quality of life and so on.

CONCLUSION

this study will provide reliable evidence-based evidence for the clinical application of Xianling Gubao capsule in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.

OSF REGISTRATION NUMBER

DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/TP394.