Pharmacological Mechanisms Underlying the Anti-asthmatic Effects of Modified Guomin Decoction Determined by Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

Echinochrome exhibits anti-asthmatic activity through the suppression of airway inflammation, oxidative stress, and histopathological alterations in ovalbumin-induced asthma in BALB/c mice

Asthma is a chronic pulmonary disease with marked infiltrating inflammatory cells and reduced respiratory performance. Echinochrome (Ech) is a dark-red pigment isolated from the sea urchin spines, shells, and ova. It has antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties, but whether it can be used in asthma treatment has yet to be investigated. In this research, we aimed to study the inhibitory actions of Ech on allergic asthma symptoms in mice. Mice were divided into 4 groups (n = 8 for each): control, ovalbumin-challenged, and Ech-treated (0.1 and 1 mg/kg). At the end of the experiment, nasal scratching, lung oxidative stress, airway inflammation, and remodeling were assessed. In ovalbumin-challenged BALB/C mice, treatment with Ech significantly decreased nasal scratching, lung oxidative stress, inflammatory cell infiltration, mucus hyperproduction and hyperplasia of goblet cells, IgE levels, and inflammatory cytokines. It also inhibited NF-κB phosphorylation. This is the first study to investigate the immunomodulatory effect of Ech against allergic asthma in mice. According to our findings, we imply that Ech may be utilized as a treatment for allergic asthma.

Abies holophylla Leaf Essential Oil Alleviates Allergic Rhinitis Based on Network Pharmacology

Abies holophylla is an evergreen coniferous species that has been widely used for treating pulmonary diseases and colds. Previous research has demonstrated the anti-inflammatory effect of Abies species and the anti-asthmatic activities of Abies holophylla leaf essential oil (AEO). As asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR) share pathophysiology and pharmacotherapeutic interventions, AEO inhalation can also ameliorate upper respiratory allergic diseases. This study explored the protective effects of AEO on AR with network pharmacological pathway prediction. The potential target pathways of AEO were analyzed by a network pharmacological approach. The BALB/c mice were sensitized by ovalbumin (OVA) and 10 μm particular matter (PM₁₀) to induce allergic rhinitis. Aerosolized AEO 0.0003% and 0.03% were delivered by nebulizer for 5 min a day, 3 times a week for 7 weeks. Nasal symptoms (sneezing and rubbing), histopathological changes in nasal tissues, serum IgE, and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) expressions on nasal tissues were analyzed. After AR induction with OVA+PM₁₀ and inhalation of AEO 0.0003% and 0.03% treatment, AEO significantly decreased allergic symptoms (sneezing and rubbing), hyperplasia of nasal epithelial thickness, goblet cell counts, and serum IgE level. The network analysis demonstrated that the possible molecular mechanism of AEO is highly associated with the IL-17 signaling pathway and tight junction. The target pathway of AEO was investigated in RPMI 2650 nasal epithelial cells. Treatment of AEO on PM₁₀-treated nasal epithelial cells significantly reduced the production of inflammatory mediators related to the IL-17 signaling pathway, NF-κB, and the MAPK signaling pathway and prevented the reduction in TJ-related factors. When taken together, AEO inhalation may be considered as a potential treatment for AR by alleviating nasal inflammation and recovering the tight junction.

Mechanism of Magnolia Volatile Oil in the Treatment of Acute Pancreatitis Based on GC-MS, Network Pharmacology, and Molecular Docking

Objective

Magnoliae officinalis cortex (MOC) is one of the most frequently used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of acute pancreatitis (AP). Magnolia volatile oil (MVO) is considered to be one of the main active ingredients in MOC for AP treatment. However, the underlying mechanism of MVO in AP therapy is unknown.

Methods

An integrated strategy of gas chromatography-mass spectrum (GC-MS), network pharmacology, and molecular docking simulation was employed to predict underlying mechanism of MVO in AP treatment. First, the compounds of MVO were identified by GC-MS, and the targets of the identified characteristic compounds were collected from several databases, as well as AP-related targets. Next, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were carried out to obtain the mechanism. Moreover, the binding activity between core therapeutic targets and their corresponding compounds was evaluated by molecular docking simulation.

Results

GC-MS results showed a total of 35 compounds that appeared in at least 18 out of 20 chromatograms were considered as characteristic compounds of MVO, and 33 compounds of those were identified. Network analysis demonstrated that 33 compounds regulated 142 AP-related targets. Of those, 8 compounds (α-eudesmol, γ-eudesmol, (-)-terpinen-4-ol, terpineol, hinesol, linalool, borneol, and β-eudesmol) and 8 targets (TNF, IL-1β, PPARγ, PPARα, PTGS2, NCOA1, CNR1, and ESR1) have a close relationship with AP treatment and were recognized as the key active compounds and the core therapeutic targets, respectively. The 142 targets were involved in both inflammation and calcium overload-related biological pathways, such as neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, estrogen, MAPK, and calcium signaling pathway. Moreover, molecular docking simulation indicated that the 8 core therapeutic targets strongly interacted with their corresponding compounds.

Conclusions

In summary, the present study elucidated that the efficacy of MVO in AP treatment might be attributed to anti-inflammation and inhibition of calcium overload through multicomponents and multitargets.

Baicalin Mitigates the Neuroinflammation through the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB and MAPK Pathways in LPS-Stimulated BV-2 Microglia

Baicalin (BA) is a major flavone from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi and has showed significant curative effects in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. In the present study, we investigated the effects of BA on antineuroinflammation and related signaling cascade in lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced BV-2 microglial model. The results showed that BA significantly attenuated inflammatory mediators (NO, iNOS, IL-1β, COX-2, and PGE2) and suppressed the expression of miR-155. More crucially, BA could regulate the expression of related proteins in Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4)/myeloid differentiation protein 88 (MyD88)/nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) pathway and suppress the phosphorylation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) family. In addition, molecular docking analysis indicated that BA binds to the amino acids Lie 63 and Tyr 65 of TLR4 by π-σ and π-π T-shaped interaction. Thus, BA suppressed the LPS-stimulated neuroinflammation in BV-2 microglia by blocking the TLR4-mediated signal transduction through TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB and MAPK pathways and inhibiting the miR-155 expression. Our findings demonstrated that BA could be a valuable therapeutic for the treatment of neuroinflammation and neurodegenerative diseases.

Study on the Action Mechanism of the Yifei Jianpi Tongfu Formula in Treatment of Colorectal Cancer Lung Metastasis Based on Network Analysis, Molecular Docking, and Experimental Validation

Objective

The lung is the second most common site of colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis. This study aims to investigate the therapeutic effects and potential action mechanisms of Yifei Jianpi Tongfu formula (YJTF) in CRC lung metastasis in a comprehensive and systematic way by network analysis, molecular docking, and experimental verification.

Methods

The main ingredients in YJTF were screened from the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Database (TCMID), and the disease-related targets from the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) and GeneCards and the compound-related targets from SwissTargetPrediction were collected. Then, Metascape was used for pathway annotation and enrichment analysis, and meanwhile, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed. Molecular docking was carried out to investigate interactions between the active compounds and the potential targets. The in vivo effect of YJTF on CRC lung metastasis was observed in a tail vein injection mouse model.

Results

A total of 243 active compounds and 81 disease-related targets of YJTF were selected for analysis. The results of multiple network analysis showed that the core targets of YJTF were enriched onto various cancer-related pathways, especially focal adhesion and adherens junction. The results of molecular docking demonstrated that all core compounds (quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, apigenin, and isorhamnetin) were capable of binding with AKT1, EGFR, SRC, ESR1, and PTGS2. Experimental validation in vivo demonstrated that YJTF combined with oxaliplatin could significantly reduce the number of lung metastases and improve the quality of life in mice. Further research suggested that YJTF inhibited CRC lung metastasis probably by modulating epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Conclusions

According to the analysis, YJTF can be considered as an effective adjuvant therapy for CRC lung metastasis.

Yin Huo Tang, a traditional Chinese herbal formula, relives ovariectomy and empty bottle stimulation-induced menopause-like symptoms in mice

BACKGROUND

Yin Huo Tang (YHT), a traditional Chinese herbal formula, is effectively used for the clinical treatment of menopause-like symptoms in China. This study aimed to investigate its efficacy on menopause-like symptoms in mice using behavioral tests and histopathological assessment, and to determine its possible mechanism of action based on network pharmacology.

METHODS

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technology was used to identify the potential active ingredients of YHT. In mice, menopause-like symptoms were induced by combination of bilateral ovariectomy and empty bottle stimulation. The mice were then treated with the YHT aqueous extract for three weeks. Behavior, sleep state, body weight, organ index, and histomorphology were analyzed separately. Additionally, network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to predict the mechanisms underlying the action of YHT. Finally, serum estradiol was quantified to preliminarily verify the results of network pharmacology.

RESULTS

YHT not only improved the behavior of mice (attack and explore behavior reduced; modify behavior increased) but also ameliorated the sleep state (sleep time increased and incubation time reduced). YHT reduced body weight, increased uterine weight, and improved the histomorphology of some organs. Network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses revealed that the estrogen signaling pathway might play a key role in attenuating menopause-like symptoms. Furthermore, YHT treatment reversed the reduction in serum estradiol levels.

CONCLUSIONS

YHT alleviates menopause-like symptoms in a mouse model, providing a rationale for using it as a potential therapeutic strategy.