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Dai S, Gu Y, Zhan Y, Zhang J, Xie L, Li Y, Lu Y, Yang R, Zhou E, Chen D, Liu S, Zheng S, Shi Z, Dong K, Dong R. The potential mechanism of Aidi injection against neuroblastoma-an investigation based on network pharmacology analysis. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1310009. [PMID: 38313313 PMCID: PMC10834740 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1310009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Aidi injection, a classic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, has been used on a broader scale in treating a variety of cancers. In this study, we aimed to explore the potential anti-tumor effects of Aidi injection in the treatment of neuroblastoma (NB) using network pharmacology (NP). Methods: To elucidate the anti-NB mechanism of Aidi injection, an NP-based approach and molecular docking validation were employed. The compounds and target genes were collected from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular mechANism of Traditional Chinese Medicine (BATMAN-TCM) database. The protein-protein interaction network was constructed using the STRING database. clusterProfiler (R package) was utilized to annotate the bioinformatics of hub target genes. The gene survival analysis was performed on R2, a web-based genomic analysis application. iGEMDOCK was used for molecular docking validation, and GROMACS was utilized to validate molecular docking results. Furthermore, we investigated the anticancer effects of gomisin B and ginsenoside Rh2 on human NB cells using a cell viability assay. The Western blot assay was used to validate the protein levels of target genes in gomisin B- and ginsenoside Rh2-treated NB cells. Results: A total of 2 critical compounds with 16 hub target genes were identified for treating NB. All 16 hub genes could potentially influence the survival of NB patients. The top three genes (EGFR, ESR1, and MAPK1) were considered the central hub genes from the drug-compound-hub target gene-pathway network. The endocrine resistance and estrogen signaling pathways were identified as the therapeutic pathways using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis. Gomisin B and ginsenoside Rh2 showed a good binding ability to the target protein in molecular docking. The results of cell experiments showed the anti-NB effect of gomisin B and ginsenoside Rh2. In addition, the administration of gomisin B over-regulated the expression of ESR1 protein in MYCN-amplified NB cells. Conclusion: In the present study, we investigated the potential pharmacological mechanisms of Aidi against NB and revealed the anti-NB effect of gomisin B, providing clinical evidence of Aidi in treating NB and establishing baselines for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuyang Dai
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yaoyao Gu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong Zhan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lulu Xie
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yifei Lu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ran Yang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Enqing Zhou
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Deqian Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Songbin Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Huadong Hospital Affiliated to Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shan Zheng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhaopeng Shi
- Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, School of Medicine, Basic Medical Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kuiran Dong
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Rui Dong
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Birth Defect, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Children’s Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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Liu Y, Yu S, Xing X, Qiao J, Yin Y, Wang J, Liu M, Zhang W. Ginsenoside Rh2 stimulates the production of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species and induces apoptosis of cervical cancer cells by inhibiting mitochondrial electron transfer chain complex. Mol Med Rep 2021; 24:873. [PMID: 34713297 PMCID: PMC8569524 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2021.12513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Ginsenoside Rh2 (G-Rh2) is a monomeric compound that extracted from ginseng and possesses anti-cancer activities both in vitro and in vivo. Previously, we reported that G-Rh2 induces apoptosis in HeLa cervical cancer cells and that the process was related to reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and mitochondrial dysfunction. However, the upstream mechanisms of G-Rh2, along with its cellular targets, remain to be elucidated. In the present study, the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, flow cytometry and Hoechst staining revealed that G-Rh2 significantly inhibited cell viability and induced apoptosis of cervical cancer cells. However, G-Rh2 was demonstrated to be non-toxic to End1/e6e7 cells. JC-1, rhodamine 123 staining, oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis capacity assays demonstrated that G-Rh2 exposure caused an immediate decrease in mitochondrial transmembrane potential due to its inhibition of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, as well as glycolysis, both of which reduced cellular ATP production. Western blotting and electron transport chain (ETC) activity assays revealed that G-Rh2 significantly inhibited the activity of ETC complexes I, III and V. Overexpression of ETC complex III partially significantly restored mitochondrial ROS and inhibited the apoptosis of cervical cancer cells induced by G-Rh2. The predicted results of binding energy in molecular docking, confirmed that G-Rh2 was highly likely to induce mitochondrial ROS production and promote cell apoptosis by targeting the ETC complex, especially for ETC complex III. Taken together, the present results revealed the potential anti-cervical cancer activity of G-Rh2 and provide direct evidence for the contribution of impaired ETC complex activity to cervical cancer cell death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- Jilin Ginseng Academy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, Jilin 130117, P.R. China
| | - Shiting Yu
- Jilin Ginseng Academy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, Jilin 130117, P.R. China
| | - Xin Xing
- Jilin Ginseng Academy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, Jilin 130117, P.R. China
| | - Juhui Qiao
- Jilin Ginseng Academy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, Jilin 130117, P.R. China
| | - Yiqiu Yin
- GeneScience Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd., Changchun, Jilin 130012, P.R. China
| | - Jiawen Wang
- Jilin Ginseng Academy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, Jilin 130117, P.R. China
| | - Meichen Liu
- Jilin Ginseng Academy, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, Jilin 130117, P.R. China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Scientific Research Department, Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun, Jilin 130117, P.R. China
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