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Wang X, Zhao M, Ju C, Gao H, Wang W. Protective Mechanisms of Juncus effusus and Carbonized Juncus effusus against D-Galactosamine-Induced Acute Liver Injury in Mice. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 2024; 72:280-285. [PMID: 38325836 DOI: 10.1248/cpb.c23-00578] [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] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated the hepatoprotective effects of Juncus effusus (J. effusus) and Carbonized J. effusus against liver injury caused by D-galactosamine (D-GalN) in mice. J. effusus and Carbonized J. effusus were administered by gavage once daily starting seven days before the D-GalN treatment. The results of the study indicated that J. effusus and Carbonized J. effusus suppressed the D-GalN-induced generation of serum alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) was observed. The values of superoxide dismutase (SOD) exhibited an increase. In addition, J. effusus and Carbonized J. effusus promoted the protein expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), NADPH quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO-1), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) as well as the mRNA expression of Nrf2, HO-1, NQO-1 and Glutamate cysteine ligase catalytic subunit (GCLC). The compressed Carbonized J. effusus demonstrated the optimum impact. These results suggest that J. effusus and Carbonized J. effusus protect against D-GalN-induced acute liver injury through the activation of the Nrf2 pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangming Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
| | - Menghui Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
| | - Chengguo Ju
- School of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
| | - Hui Gao
- School of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
| | - Wei Wang
- School of Pharmacy, Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Chen X, Wang S, Chen G, Wang Z, Kan J. The immunomodulatory effects of Carapax Trionycis ultrafine powder on cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression in Balb/c mice. JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 2021; 101:2014-2026. [PMID: 32949169 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.10819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are abundant resources of Carapax Trionycis from soft-shelled turtle processing wastes each year in China. Our preliminary work showed that Carapax Trionycis ultrafine powder (CTUP) obtained using ball-milling with a particle size of 2.24 μm (D0.025) contained more active ingredients. The CTUP D0.025 has a good bioaccessibility, but there has been no report about the immunomodulatory function of CTUP. Therefore, using a cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression mice model, we investigated the immunomodulatory effects of CTUP D0.025. RESULTS The results indicated that CTUP D0.025 administration significantly improved the immune organ (bone marrow, thymus and spleen) indices, ameliorated spleen tissue morphology and increased the capacity of splenocyte proliferation and the activity of macrophage phagocytosis. CTUP D0.025 also significantly promoted the secretion of cytokines (IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IFN-γ and TNF-α), improved the related mRNA expression levels of IL2, IFN-γ, T-bet and GATA3 in immunosuppressed mice and increased the production of serum hemolysin and the levels of IgG, IgM as well as complement C3 . Moreover, CTUP D0.025 administration enhanced the antioxidant capacity of mice, exhibited a moderating effect on the damage of bone and skeletal muscle and improved the recovery of bone mineral density and calcium metabolism. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrated that CTUP D0.025 had an effective immune-enhancing function in immunosuppressive Balb/c mice and also exhibited anti-osteoporosis properties. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuhui Chen
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, PR China
- Laboratory of Quality & Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-products on Storage and Preservation (Chongqing), Ministry of Agriculture, Chongqing, PR China
- Chinese-Hungarian Cooperative Research Centre for Food Science, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Shasha Wang
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, PR China
- Laboratory of Quality & Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-products on Storage and Preservation (Chongqing), Ministry of Agriculture, Chongqing, PR China
- Chinese-Hungarian Cooperative Research Centre for Food Science, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Guangjing Chen
- College of Food and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Guiyang University, Guiyang, PR China
| | - Zhirong Wang
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, PR China
- Laboratory of Quality & Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-products on Storage and Preservation (Chongqing), Ministry of Agriculture, Chongqing, PR China
- Chinese-Hungarian Cooperative Research Centre for Food Science, Chongqing, PR China
| | - Jianquan Kan
- College of Food Science, Southwest University, Chongqing, PR China
- Laboratory of Quality & Safety Risk Assessment for Agro-products on Storage and Preservation (Chongqing), Ministry of Agriculture, Chongqing, PR China
- Chinese-Hungarian Cooperative Research Centre for Food Science, Chongqing, PR China
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Cheng Y, Chen T, Chen J. Erzhu Jiedu decoction ameliorates liver precancerous lesions in a rat model of liver cancer. J Cancer 2020; 11:7302-7311. [PMID: 33193894 PMCID: PMC7646158 DOI: 10.7150/jca.49554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Precancerous lesions are the intermediate stage in the development of liver cancer from cirrhosis. Early intervention measures can effectively prevent the occurrence of liver cancer and prolong the lives of patients, resulting in greater economic effects. Erzhu Jiedu decoction (EJD) is a semiempirical formula that is used in the treatment of cirrhosis and liver cancer according to the academic philosophy of "Preventive treatment of disease" and has achieved good curative effects in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of EJD on liver precancerous lesions induced by diethylnitrosamine (DEN) in rats. The results showed that EJD improved the general conditions (body weight, ALT, AST, and GGT) and reduced the number of precancerous lesions in the rat model. Notably, the medium dose of EJD (1.05 g/kg) had better treatment effects than the low dose of EJD, and the high dose of EJD did not further improve the liver lesions compared to the medium dose of EJD. Moreover, EJD effectively reduced the DEN-induced GST-Pi, AFP, CK19, c-Myc, and Ki67 protein expression in liver precancerous tissues. Interestingly, EJD significantly reduced YAP and TAZ mRNA expression in the liver precancerous lesions. Collectively, EJD protects against in the initiation of liver cancer and the regulation of c-Myc and Hippo signaling pathways may be the underlying mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Cheng
- Department of liver disease, Hospital for Infectious Diseases of Pudong District, Shanghai 201299, P.R. China.,Institute of liver disease, Shuguang Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, P.R. China
| | - Tianyang Chen
- Institute of liver disease, Shuguang Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, P.R. China
| | - Jianjie Chen
- Department of liver disease, Hospital for Infectious Diseases of Pudong District, Shanghai 201299, P.R. China.,Institute of liver disease, Shuguang Hospital affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, P.R. China
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Yun H, Duan X, Xiong W, Ding Y, Wu X, Kang J, Pu X, Yang Y, Chen Z. Exploration of the Hepatoprotective Effect and Mechanism of Swertia mussotii Franch in an Acute Liver Injury Rat Model. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen 2020; 22:649-656. [DOI: 10.2174/1386207322666191106105725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Background and Objective:
Swertia mussotii Franch, also known as “Zangyinchen”, is
one of a Tibetan traditional herb used for treatment of liver diseases over thousands of years at
Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, has been confirmed to be hepatoprotective. However, the underlying
mechanism is largely unknown.
Materials and Method:
In this study, we evaluated the effect of S. mussotii treatment in a carbon
tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury rat model by examining the serum alanine
aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin levels and performing histological
observations of the liver tissues. Meanwhile, the metabolomics analysis was used to explore the
molecular mechanism of S. mussotii treatment by high performance liquid chromatography tandem
mass spectrometry.
Results:
The results showed that S. mussotii treatment could effectively improve the serum alanine
aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin in acute liver injury rat model.
Histological observation showed that S. mussotii treatment could effectively alleviate liver injury.
Moreover, the metabolomics analysis showed that S. mussotii treatment could normalize the levels
of many fatty acid metabolism related metabolites. And the results of pathway analysis showed
that these metabolites significantly enriched in fatty acid biosynthesis pathway (myristic acid,
dodecanoic acid and capric acid) and linoleic acid metabolism pathway (13-OxoODE).
Conclusion:
The results indicated that S. mussotii treatment could significantly improve acute liver
injury through affecting the pathways related to lipid metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haixia Yun
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Animal and Plant Resources of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, School of Life Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, Qinghai, China
| | - Xianglan Duan
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Animal and Plant Resources of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, School of Life Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, Qinghai, China
| | - Wendou Xiong
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Animal and Plant Resources of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, School of Life Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, Qinghai, China
| | - Yiwei Ding
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Animal and Plant Resources of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, School of Life Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, Qinghai, China
| | - Xinyu Wu
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Animal and Plant Resources of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, School of Life Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, Qinghai, China
| | - Junhua Kang
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Animal and Plant Resources of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, School of Life Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, Qinghai, China
| | - Xiaoyan Pu
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Animal and Plant Resources of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, School of Life Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, Qinghai, China
| | - Yingzhong Yang
- Qinghai University School of Medicine, Xining 810001, Qinghai, China
| | - Zhi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Medicinal Animal and Plant Resources of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, School of Life Science, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, Qinghai, China
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Liao P, Lan X, Liao D, Sun L, Zhou L, Sun J, Tong Z. Isolation and Characterization of Angiotensin I-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitory Peptides from the Enzymatic Hydrolysate of Carapax Trionycis (the Shell of the Turtle Pelodiscus sinensis). JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2018; 66:7015-7022. [PMID: 29916239 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.8b01558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Carapax Trionycis (the shell of the turtle Pelodiscus sinensis) was hydrolyzed by six different commercial proteases. The hydrolysate prepared from papain showed stronger inhibitory activity against angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) than other extracts. Two noncompetitive ACE inhibitory peptides were purified successively by ultrafiltration, gel filtration chromatography, ion exchange column chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The amino acid sequences of them were identified as KRER and LHMFK, with IC50 values of 324.1 and 75.6 μM, respectively, confirming that Carapax Trionycis is a potential source of active peptides possessing ACE inhibitory activities. Besides, both enzyme kinetics and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) assay showed that LHMFK could form more stable complex with ACE than KRER, which is in accordance with the better inhibitory activity of LHMFK.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengying Liao
- Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of New Technology and Application in Resource Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Guangxi University , Nanning 530004 , Guangxi , P. R. China
- College of Pharmacy , Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine , Nanning 530200 , Guangxi , P. R. China
| | - Xiongdiao Lan
- Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of New Technology and Application in Resource Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Guangxi University , Nanning 530004 , Guangxi , P. R. China
| | - Dankui Liao
- Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of New Technology and Application in Resource Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Guangxi University , Nanning 530004 , Guangxi , P. R. China
| | - Lixia Sun
- Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of New Technology and Application in Resource Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Guangxi University , Nanning 530004 , Guangxi , P. R. China
| | - Liqin Zhou
- Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of New Technology and Application in Resource Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Guangxi University , Nanning 530004 , Guangxi , P. R. China
| | - Jianhua Sun
- Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of New Technology and Application in Resource Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Guangxi University , Nanning 530004 , Guangxi , P. R. China
| | - Zhangfa Tong
- Guangxi Colleges and Universities Key Laboratory of New Technology and Application in Resource Chemical Engineering, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering , Guangxi University , Nanning 530004 , Guangxi , P. R. China
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Sun H, Chen G, Wen B, Sun J, An H, Pang J, Xu W, Yang X, He S. Oligo-peptide I-C-F-6 inhibits hepatic stellate cell activation and ameliorates CCl 4 -induced liver fibrosis by suppressing NF-κB signaling and Wnt/β-catenin signaling. J Pharmacol Sci 2018; 136:133-141. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jphs.2018.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
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Balancing Effect of Biejiajian Oral Liquid () on ACE-Ang II-AT1R Axis and ACE2-Ang-(1-7)-Mas Axis in Rats with CCl 4-Induced Hepatic Fibrosis. Chin J Integr Med 2018; 24:853-859. [PMID: 29335866 DOI: 10.1007/s11655-017-2909-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of Biejiajian Oral Liquid (, BOL) on CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis in rats by detecting the changes in the levels of angiotensin II (Ang II), angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)], angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), ACE2, angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R), Mas, etc. METHODS: A total of 180 Wistar rats were randomly divided into two groups by random digital table method: prevention experiment and treatment experiment. Each group was further subdivided into the following 6 subgroups: normal control group, model group, vitamin E [100 mg/(kg·d), VE] group, enalapril [10 mg/(kg·g), Ena] group, high-dosage [20 g/(kg·d)] BOL group, and low-dosage [10 g/(kg·d)] BOL group. The hepatic fibrosis rat model was established by subcutaneous injection of CCl4 for 6 weeks. Prevention experiment and treatment experiment were administered with specific drugs at different times. At the end of treatment experiment, the pathological changes of liver were observed after hematoxylin-eosin staining. The expressions of ingredients in renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) such as AngII, Ang-(1-7), ACE, ACE2, AT1R, Mas, renin, CYP11B2 and angen in liver were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay, immunohistochemistry method or reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. RESULTS The levels of AngII and Ang-(1-7) at the 6th week increased by 496.10% and 73.64%, respectively, compared with those at the 2nd week in the model group (P<0.01). With prevention or treatment with high-dosage BOL, there was an evident reduction of AngII level but an improvement of Ang-(1-7) level. Specifically, AngII level of high-dosage group decreased by 77.50% in prevention experiment (P=0.000) and by 76.93% in treatment experiment (P=0.002) compared with that in the model group. Ang-(1-7) level increased by 91.69% in prevention experiment (P=0.006) and by 70.77% in the treatment experiment (P=0.010) compared with that in the model group. The expression levels of mRNA of renin, ACE, CYP11B2, angen and AT1R decreased by 58.15%, 99.90%, 99.84%, 99.99% and 99.99% (all P<0.01), respectively. CONCLUSIONS BOL could help resist liver fibrosis in rats by enhancing the level of each ingredient in ACE2-Ang-(1-7)-Mas axis, while decreasing the level of each ingredient in ACE-AngII-AT1R axis. To some extent, BOL could enhance the regulation of RAAS in rats with CCl4-induced hepatic fibrosis.
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A New Oleanolic Acid Derivative against CCl₄-Induced Hepatic Fibrosis in Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18030553. [PMID: 28272302 PMCID: PMC5372569 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18030553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2017] [Revised: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A novel hepatoprotective oleanolic acid derivative, 3-oxours-oleana-9(11), 12-dien-28-oic acid (Oxy-Di-OA), has been reported. In previous studies, we found that Oxy-Di-OA presented the anti-HBV (Hepatitis B Virus) activity (IC50 = 3.13 µg/mL). Remarkably, it is superior to lamivudine in the inhibition of the rebound of the viral replication rate. Furthermore, Oxy-Di-OA showed good performance of anti-HBV activity in vivo. Some studies showed that liver fibrosis may affiliate with HBV gene mutations. In addition, the anti-hepatic fibrosis activity of Oxy-Di-OA has not been studied. Therefore, we evaluated the protective effect of Oxy-Di-OA against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury in rats. Daily intraperitoneally administration of Oxy-Di-OA prevented the development of CCl4-induced liver fibrosis, which was evidenced by histological study and immunohistochemical analysis. The entire experimental protocol lasted nine weeks. Oxy-Di-OA significantly suppressed the increases of plasma aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (p < 0.05). Furthermore, Oxy-Di-OA could prevent expression of transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1). It is worth noting that the high-dose group Oxy-Di-OA is superior to bifendate in elevating hepatic function. Compared to the model group, Oxy-Di-OA in the high-dose group and low-dose group can significantly reduce the liver and spleen indices (p < 0.05). The acute toxicity test showed that LD50 and a 95% confidence interval (CIs) value of Oxy-Di-OA were 714.83 mg/kg and 639.73–798.73 mg/kg via intraperitoneal injection in mice, respectively. The LD50 value of Oxy-Di-OA exceeded 2000 mg/kg via gavage in mice. In addition, a simple and rapid high performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet (HPLC-UV) method was developed and validated to study the pharmacokinetic characteristics of the compound. After single-dose oral administration, time to reach peak concentration of Oxy-Di-OA (Cmax = 8.18 ± 0.66 μg/mL) was 10 ± 2.19 h; the elimination half-life and area under the concentration-time curve from t = 0 to the last time of Oxy-Di-OA was 2.19 h and 90.21 μg·h/mL, respectively.
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Preclinical Models for Investigation of Herbal Medicines in Liver Diseases: Update and Perspective. EVIDENCE-BASED COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE 2016; 2016:4750163. [PMID: 26941826 PMCID: PMC4749812 DOI: 10.1155/2016/4750163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Liver disease results from a dynamic pathological process associated with cellular and genetic alterations, which may progress stepwise to liver dysfunction. Commonly, liver disease begins with hepatocyte injury, followed by persistent episodes of cellular regeneration, inflammation, and hepatocyte death that may ultimately lead to nonreversible liver failure. For centuries, herbal remedies have been used for a variety of liver diseases and recent studies have identified the active compounds that may interact with liver disease-associated targets. Further study on the herbal remedies may lead to the formulation of next generation medicines with hepatoprotective, antifibrotic, and anticancer properties. Still, the pharmacological actions of vast majority of herbal remedies remain unknown; thus, extensive preclinical studies are important. In this review, we summarize progress made over the last five years of the most commonly used preclinical models of liver diseases that are used to screen for curative herbal medicines for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, liver fibrosis/cirrhosis, and liver. We also summarize the proposed mechanisms associated with the observed liver-protective, antifibrotic, and anticancer actions of several promising herbal medicines and discuss the challenges faced in this research field.
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A Systems Biology-Based Investigation into the Pharmacological Mechanisms of Sheng-ma-bie-jia-tang Acting on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus by Multi-Level Data Integration. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16401. [PMID: 26560501 PMCID: PMC4642335 DOI: 10.1038/srep16401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Sheng-ma-bie-jia-tang (SMBJT) is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula that is widely used for the treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in China. However, molecular mechanism behind this formula remains unknown. Here, we systematically analyzed targets of the ingredients in SMBJT to evaluate its potential molecular mechanism. First, we collected 1,267 targets from our previously published database, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Database (TCMID). Next, we conducted gene ontology and pathway enrichment analyses for these targets and determined that they were enriched in metabolism (amino acids, fatty acids, etc.) and signaling pathways (chemokines, Toll-like receptors, adipocytokines, etc.). 96 targets, which are known SLE disease proteins, were identified as essential targets and the rest 1,171 targets were defined as common targets of this formula. The essential targets directly interacted with SLE disease proteins. Besides, some common targets also had essential connections to both key targets and SLE disease proteins in enriched signaling pathway, e.g. toll-like receptor signaling pathway. We also found distinct function of essential and common targets in immune system processes. This multi-level approach to deciphering the underlying mechanism of SMBJT treatment of SLE details a new perspective that will further our understanding of TCM formulas.
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