Molecular mechanism of Ganji Fang in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma based on network pharmacology, molecular docking and experimental verification technology

Exploring the mechanism of bioactive components of Prunella vulgaris L. in treating hepatocellular carcinoma based on network pharmacology

In traditional Chinese Medicine, Prunella vulgaris L. (PVL) is potentially effective in the treatment of some human malignancies including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the detailed mechanism of action remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to decipher the constitutes of the bioactive ingredients of PVL, and its mechanism against HCC using network pharmacology and in vitro experiments. The bioactive components of PVL were obtained by Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Database and Analysis platform database, and the targets of bioactive components of PVL was investigated by Swiss Target Prediction database. HCC related targets were obtained from GEO database, GeneCards database and DisGeNET database, and the gene ontology function annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were conducted for annotating the biological function of gene targets. A protein-protein interaction network was constructed using STRING database. Molecular docking of key bioactive ingredients was performed using AutoDock Vina. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected by cell counting kit-8 and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression level of the target genes of PI3K/Akt pathway were detected by qPCR. In the present work, 11 bioactive components of PVL were screened out, which acted on 177 potential targets. In addition, 13,517 genes were strongly associated with HCC pathogenesis, of which 158 targets are overlapped with PVL's targets. KEGG results identified 39 signaling pathways closely associated with the 158 targets. Molecular docking showed that the main bioactive components of PVL, kaempferol, morin, quercetin, luteolin, and spinasterol, had good binding activity with the core proteins in cancer biology such as AKT1, EGFR, SRC, ESR1, and PPARG. In vitro assays showed that quercetin, one of the main components of PVL extracts effectively inhibited HCC cell proliferation, and promoted apoptosis, which may be associated with PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. In summary, PVL may regulate HCC progression by regulating core targets such as AKT1, EGFR, SRC, ESR1, and PPARG, and acting on PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

The Potential of Eleutherine bulbosa in Inducing Apoptosis and Inhibiting Cell Cycle in Breast Cancer: A Network Pharmacology Approach and In Vitro Experiments

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential and mechanisms of phytochemicals in Eleutherine bulbosa (EBE) in inducing apoptosis and inhibiting the cell cycle in breast cancer through a network pharmacology approach and in vitro validation.

METHODS

This research employed a literature review approach to identify active anti-cancer compounds and utilized a network pharmacology approach to predict the mechanisms of action of EBE compounds in breast cancer. In addition, in vitro experiments were conducted using MTT method to evaluate the effects of EBE on the cytotoxicity of T47D cells, and the flow cytometry method was employed to determine the impact of EBE on apoptosis and the cell cycle.

RESULTS

The network pharmacology analysis revealed that EBE had an impact on 42 genes involved in breast cancer, including 23 important target genes implicated in the pathophysiology of breast cancer. Pathway analysis using the KEGG database showed a close association between EBE and crucial signaling pathways in breast cancer, including P53 signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, apoptosis and cell cycle. In vitro experiments demonstrated that EBE exhibited moderate anti-cancer activity. Furthermore, EBE demonstrated significant potential in inducing apoptosis in breast cancer cells, with a percentage of apoptotic cells reaching 93.6%. Additionally, EBE was observed to disrupt the cell cycle, leading to a significant increase in the sub G1 and S phases, and a significant decrease in the G2-M and G1 phases.

CONCLUSION

EBE has the potential to be an anti-cancer agent through various mechanisms, including apoptosis induction and cell cycle inhibition in breast cancer cells. These findings provide new insights into the potential of EBE as an alternative treatment for breast cancer.

Luteolin ameliorates necroptosis in Glucocorticoid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head via RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL pathway based on network pharmacology analysis

Glucocorticoid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (GIONFH) is deeply relevant to damage and dysfunction of bone microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs). Recently, necroptosis, a newly programmed cell death with necrotic appearance, has garnered increasing attention. Luteolin, a flavonoid compound derived from Rhizoma Drynariae, has numerous pharmacological properties. However, the effect of Luteolin on BMECs in GIONFH through the necroptosis pathway has not been extensively investigated. Based on network pharmacology analysis, 23 genes were identified as potential targets for the therapeutic effect of Luteolin in GIONFH via the necroptosis pathway, with RIPK1, RIPK3, and MLKL being the hub genes. Immunofluorescence staining results revealed high expression of vWF and CD31 in BMECs. In vitro experiments showed that incubation with dexamethasone led to reduced proliferation, migration, angiogenesis ability, and increased necroptosis of BMECs. However, pretreatment with Luteolin attenuated this effect. Based on molecular docking analysis, Luteolin exhibited strong binding affinity with MLKL, RIPK1, and RIPK3. Western blotting was utilized to detect the expression of p-MLKL, MLKL, p-RIPK3, RIPK3, p-RIPK1, and RIPK1. Intervention with dexamethasone resulted in a significant increase in the p-RIPK1/RIPK1 ratio, but the effects of dexamethasone were effectively counteracted by Luteolin. Similar findings were observed for the p-RIPK3/RIPK3 ratio and the p-MLKL/MLKL ratio, as anticipated. Therefore, this study demonstrates that Luteolin can reduce dexamethasone-induced necroptosis in BMECs via the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL pathway. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of Luteolin in GIONFH treatment. Additionally, inhibiting necroptosis could be a promising novel approach for GIONFH therapy.