Study of the Active Components and Molecular Mechanism of Tripterygium wilfordii in the Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy

Effectiveness and safety of tripterygium wilfordii poly-glycosides on glomerulonephritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Treatment of glomerulonephritis presents several challenges, including limited therapeutic options, high costs, and potential adverse reactions. As a recognized Chinese patent medicine, Tripterygium wilfordii poly-glycosides (TWP) have shown promising benefits in managing autoimmune diseases. To evaluate clinical effectiveness and safety of TWP in treating glomerulonephritis, we systematically searched PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Embase databases for controlled studies published up to 12 July 2023. We employed weighted mean difference and relative risk to analyze continuous and dichotomous outcomes. This meta-analysis included 16 studies that included primary membranous nephropathy (PMN), type 2 diabetic kidney disease (DKD), and Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN). Analysis revealed that additional TWP administration improved patients' outcomes and total remission rates, reduced 24-h urine protein (24hUP) and decreased relapse events. The pooled results demonstrated the non-inferiority of TWP to glucocorticoids in achieving total remission, reducing 24hUP, and converting the phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) status to negative. For DKD patients, TWP effectively reduced 24hUP levels, although it did not significantly improve the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Compared to valsartan, TWP showed comparable improvements in 24hUP and eGFR levels. In severe cases of HSPN in children, significant clinical remission and a reduction in 24hUP levels were observed with the addition of TWP treatment. TWP did not significantly increase the incidence of adverse reactions. Therefore, TWP could offer therapeutic benefits to patients with PMN, DKD, and severe HSPN, with a minimal increase in the risk of side effects.

Molecular mechanism of quercetin in treating RA-ILD based on network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that is associated with systemic complications. Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is the most common pulmonary complication and second leading cause of death in patients with RA. In this study, we used network pharmacology and experimental validation to identify the targets and pathways of quercetin (Que) in the treatment of RA-associated ILD (RA-ILD). A total of 32 potential targets of Que for RA-ILD treatment were screened from six databases, and 10 core targets were screened using protein-protein interaction network analysis. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis, and molecular docking were employed to explore the potential mechanisms of Que in RA-ILD treatment. The results suggested the IL-17 signaling pathway as an important pathway through which Que alleviates RA-ILD. Subsequently, LPS (1 µg/ml) was used to establish an inflammation model on RAW 264.7 cells, and different concentrations of Que (25, 50, and 100 µM) were used for intervention. Que significantly reduced the expression levels of IL-17, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in RAW 264.7 cells. Our findings suggest that Que alleviates RA-ILD by regulating the IL-17 signaling pathway and reducing inflammation.

miR-129 Regulates Yak Intramuscular Preadipocyte Proliferation and Differentiation through the PI3K/AKT Pathway

miR-129 plays a crucial role in regulating various cellular processes, including adipogenesis; however, its downstream molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that miR-129 promotes yak adipogenesis in vitro via the PI3K/AKT pathway. Overexpression and interference of miR-129 in yak intramuscular preadipocytes (YIMAs) enhanced and inhibited cell differentiation, respectively, with corresponding changes in cell proliferation. Further investigation revealed that miR-129 enhances AKT and p-AKT activity in the AKT pathway without affecting cell apoptosis, and a specific inhibitor (LY294002) was used to confirm that miR-129 regulates YIMAs proliferation and differentiation through the PI3K/AKT pathway. Our findings suggest that miR-129 promotes yak adipogenesis by enhancing PI3K/AKT pathway activity. This study provides the foundation to precisely elucidate the molecular mechanism of miR-129 in YIMAs adipogenesis and develop advanced miRNA-based strategies to improve meat nutrition and obesity-related ailments in beef production.

Recent advances in the discovery of plant-derived antimicrobial natural products to combat antimicrobial resistant pathogens: insights from 2018-2022

Covering: 2018 to 2022Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses a significant global health threat. There is a rising demand for innovative drug scaffolds and new targets to combat multidrug-resistant bacteria. Before the advent of antibiotics, infections were treated with plants chosen from traditional medicine practices. Of Earth's 374 000 plant species, approximately 9% have been used medicinally, but most species remain to be investigated. This review illuminates discoveries of antimicrobial natural products from plants covering 2018 to 2022. It highlights plant-derived natural products with antibacterial, antivirulence, and antibiofilm activity documented in lab studies. Additionally, this review examines the development of novel derivatives from well-studied parent natural products, as natural product derivatives have often served as scaffolds for anti-infective agents.

Data Mining and Network Pharmacology Analysis of Kidney-Tonifying Herbs on the Treatment of Renal Osteodystrophy Based on the Theory of "Kidney Governing Bones" in Traditional Chinese Medicine

Background

Renal osteodystrophy (ROD) secondary to chronic kidney disease is closely associated with osteoporosis and fractures. Based on the theory of “kidney governing bones” in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), treating bone diseases from the perspective of the kidney has become a basic principle of treating ROD. However, there are many kidney-tonifying herbs and their mechanisms of treating ROD are not clear. Therefore, our study intends to use data mining and network pharmacology to study the commonly used kidney-tonifying herbs, as well as their active ingredients and mechanisms of treating ROD.

Methods

We established a clinical ROD database by searching PubMed, CNKI, and other databases and screened out a core herbal combination of treating ROD. Furthermore, by using databases such as Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform and GeneCards, we obtained active ingredients and targets of the core herbal combination and ROD targets. The STRING website and Cytoscape software were then used to obtain information on key active ingredients and key targets. Finally, we conducted GO and KEGG analyses using the Metascape website and molecular docking using the AutoDock Vina software.

Results

Our study eventually included 58 prescriptions and 116 herbs of treating ROD. Through data mining, we found that yin-yang-huo, du-zhong, and bu-gu-zhi (YDB) constituted a core herbal combination to treat ROD. Network pharmacology showed that YDB mainly acted on targets such as estrogen receptor alpha through active ingredients such as quercetin by mitogen-activated protein kinase and other signaling pathways.

Conclusion

Many ingredients, targets, and pathways are involved in the treatment of YDB for ROD. Specifically, the flavonoids contained in YDB have great potential for ROD treatment.

Efficacy and safety of Abelmoschus moschatus capsules combined with tripterygium glycoside tablets on diabetic nephropathy: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most serious chronic micro-vascular complications of diabetes and the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease (ESRD) worldwide, with reduced expectancy and quality of life and colossal financial and social burden worldwide. In spite of emerging treatments on DN, effective therapy on delaying the progression of DN is still lacking. In clinical practice, there are many studies focusing on Abelmoschus moschatus (AM) capsules together with Tripterygium glycoside (TG) tablets in the treatment of DN, and excellent results have been obtained.

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of AM combined with TG in the treatment of DN.

Methods: Databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI, WF, and VIP were searched from their inception to 1 March 2022. The “risk of bias” evaluation tool produced by the Cochrane Collaboration Handbook was used for evaluating the quality of the included studies. Revman 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis.

Results: Here, 11 studies with a total of 1,072 participants were included for this meta-analysis. Our results showed that AM combined with TG plus basic treatment could lower levels of 24 h-UP [MD = -0.18; 95% CI: (-0.21, -0.14); p < 0.00001], Scr [MD = -15.29; 95% CI: (-28.69, -1.88); p = 0.03], and BUN [MD = -1.18; 95% CI: (-1.69, -0.68); p < 0.00001]. Meanwhile, the adverse reaction rate increased in the combination group [RR = 1.88; 95% CI (1.26, 2.82); p = 0.002].

Conclusion: Current evidence suggests that AM combined with TG may be more effective in the treatment of DN, which will be highly beneficial to further theoretical discussion and practical clinical applications. However, the safety cannot be ignored because of nearly increasing 2-fold adverse events, although they can be mitigated through systematic treatment. Meanwhile, due to low quality of the included studies, great possibility of publication bias, and large heterogeneity among different studies, the results of our review should be evaluated with more prudence and high-quality RCTs are warranted to confirm this in the future.

Systematic review Registration:www.crd.york.ac.uk, identifier CRD42022344359.

Shuangxinfang Prevents S100A9-Induced Macrophage/Microglial Inflammation to Improve Cardiac Function and Depression-Like Behavior in Rats After Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background: Depression is a common complication of cardiovascular disease, which deteriorates cardiac function. Shuangxinfang (psycho-cardiology formula, PCF) was reported to alleviate myocardial ischemia injury and improve depression-like behavior. Interestingly, our previous proteomics study predicted that the protein S100A9 appeared as an important target, and macrophage/microglial inflammation might be involved in the process of PCF improving depression induced by acute myocardial infarction (AMI). This study aims to validate the proteomics results.

Methods: AMI rat models were established in vivo, followed by the administration of PCF or ABR-215757 (also named paquinimod, inhibiting S100A9 binding to TLR4) for 5 days. Forced swimming test (FST) and open field test (OFT) were applied to record depression-like behavior, and echocardiography was employed to evaluate cardiac function. Morphological changes of cardiomyocytes were assessed by HE staining and TUNEL staining on day 7 after cardiac surgery, as well as Masson trichrome staining on day 21. Hippocampal neurogenesis was determined by Nissl staining, while 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), tryptophan/kynurenine ratio, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the hippocampus were analyzed as biochemical indicators of depression. We employed RT-qPCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence to detect the expression of pathway-related genes and proteins. Myocardial and hippocampal expression of inflammatory factors were performed by ELISA. The activation of macrophage and microglia was assessed via immunoreaction using CD68 and Iba1, respectively. For in vitro confirmation, BV2 cells were primed with recombinant protein S100A9 and then treated with PCF serum or ferulic acid to determine alterations in microglial inflammation.

Results: Rats in the AMI group showed heart function deterioration and depression-like behavior. Coronary ligation not only brought about myocardial inflammation, cell apoptosis, and fibrosis but also reduced the neurogenesis, elevated the tryptophan/kynurenine ratio, and decreased the content of 5-HT. PCF could ameliorate the pathological and phenotypic changes in the heart and brain and inhibit the expression of the S100A9 protein, the activation of the microglial cell, and the secretion of IL-1β and TNF-α raised by AMI. ABR-215757 showed therapeutic effect and molecular biological mechanisms similar to PCF. Treatment with PCF serum or ferulic acid in vitro was proved to efficiently block the hyperactivation of BV2 cells and increment of cytokine contents induced by recombinant protein S100A9.

Conclusion: We identify S100A9 as a novel and potent regulator of inflammation in both the heart and brain. Macrophage/microglia inflammation mediated by S100A9 is considered a pivotal pathogenic in depression after AMI and a major pathway for the treatment of PCF, suggesting that PCF is a promising therapeutic candidate for psycho-cardiology disease.

Combining bioinformatics, network pharmacology and artificial intelligence to predict the mechanism of celastrol in the treatment of type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a common chronic disease with many serious complications. Celastrol can prevent and treat type 2 diabetes by reversing insulin resistance in a number of ways. However, the specific mechanisms by which celastrol prevents and treats T2D are not well understood. The aim of this study was to explore the key gene targets and potential signaling pathway mechanisms of celastrol for the treatment of T2D.

METHODS

GSE184050 was downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus online database. Blood samples from patients and healthy individuals with T2D were analyzed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and a protein-protein interaction network (PPI) was constructed. Key gene analysis of DEGs was performed using the MCODE plugin in Cystoscope as well as the Hubba plugin, and intersections were taken to obtain hub genes, which were displayed using a Venn diagram. Enrichment analysis was then performed via the ClueGo plugin in Cytoscape and validated using Gene Set Enrichment Analysis. The therapeutic targets of celastrol were then analyzed by pharmacophore network pharmacology, intersected to identify the therapeutic targets of celastrol, enriched for all targets, and intersected to obtain the signaling pathways for celastrol treatment. The protein structures of the therapeutic targets were predicted using the artificial intelligence AlphaFold2. Finally, molecular docking was used to verify whether celastrol could be successfully docked to the predicted targets.

RESULTS

618 DEGs were obtained, and 9 hub genes for T2D were identified by the MCODE and Hubba plug-ins, including ADAMTS15, ADAMTS7, ADAMTSL1, SEMA5B, ADAMTS8, THBS2, HBB, HBD and HBG2. The DEG-enriched signaling pathways mainly included the ferroptosis and TGF-beta signaling pathways. A total of 228 target genes were annotated by pharmacophore target analysis, and the therapeutic targets were identified, including S100A11, RBP3, HBB, BMP7 and IQUB, and 9 therapeutic signaling pathways were obtained by an intersectional set. The protein structures of the therapeutic targets were successfully predicted by AlphaFold2, and docking was validated using molecular docking.

CONCLUSION

Celastrol may prevent and treat T2D through key target genes, such as HBB, as well as signaling pathways, such as the TGF-beta signaling pathway and type II diabetes mellitus.

Transcriptomic in silico analysis of bovine Escherichia coli mastitis highlights its immune-related expressed genes as an effective biomarker

Background

Mastitis is one of the major diseases causing economic loss to the dairy industry by reducing the quantity and quality of milk. Thus, the objective of this scientific study was to find new biomarkers based on genes for the early prediction before its severity.

Methods

In the present study, advanced bioinformatics including hierarchical clustering, enrichment analysis, active site prediction, epigenetic analysis, functional domain identification, and protein docking were used to analyze the important genes that could be utilized as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for mastitis.

Results

Four differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in different regions of the mammary gland (teat cistern, gland cistern, lobuloalveolar, and Furstenberg’s rosette) that resulted in 453, 597, 577, and 636 DEG, respectively. Also, 101 overlapped genes were found by comparing 27 different expressed genes. These genes were associated with eight immune response pathways including NOD-like receptor signaling pathway (IL8, IL18, IL1B, PYDC1) and chemokine signaling pathway (PTK2, IL8, NCF1, CCR1, HCK). Meanwhile, 241 protein-protein interaction networks were developed among overlapped genes. Fifty-seven regulatory events were found between miRNAs, expressed genes, and the transcription factors (TFs) through micro-RNA and transcription factors (miRNA-DEG-TF) regulatory network. The 3D structure docking model of the expressed genes proteins identified their active sites and the binding ligands that could help in choosing the appropriate feed or treatment for affected animals.

Conclusions

The novelty of the distinguished DEG and their pathways in this study is that they can precisely improve the detection biomarkers and treatments techniques of cows’ Escherichia coli mastitis disease due to their high affinity with the target site of the mammary gland before appearing the symptoms.

Graphical abstract

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43141-021-00235-x.