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Yu J, Hu J, Baldini M, Lei H, Li L, Luo S, Wu J, Liu X, Shan D, Xie Y, Fang H, Yu J. Integrating network pharmacology and experimental models to identify notoginsenoside R1 ameliorates atherosclerosis by inhibiting macrophage NLRP3 inflammasome activation. J Nat Med 2024; 78:644-654. [PMID: 38409483 DOI: 10.1007/s11418-023-01776-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Atherosclerosis is a cardiovascular disease, accounting for the most common mortality cause worldwide. Notoginsenoside R1 (NGR1) is a characteristic saponin of Radix notoginseng that exhibits anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects while modulating lipid metabolism. Evidence suggests that NGR1 exerts cardioprotective, neuroprotective, and anti-atherosclerosis effects. However, underlying NGR1 mechanisms alleviating atherosclerosis (AS) have not been examined. This study used a network pharmacology approach to construct the drug-target-disease correlation and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of NGR1 and AS. Moreover, functional annotation and pathway enrichment analyses deciphered the critical biological processes and signaling pathways potentially regulated by NGR1. The protective effect of NGR1 against AS and the underlying mechanism(s) was assessed in an atherogenic apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice in vivo and an oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL)-induced macrophage model in vitro. The network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses revealed that NGR1 protects against AS by targeting the NLRP3/caspase-1/IL-1β pathway. NGR1 reduced foam cell formation in ox-LDL-induced macrophages and decreased atherosclerotic lesion formation, serum lipid metabolism, and inflammatory cytokines in AS mice in vivo. Therefore, NGR1 downregulates the NLRP3 inflammasome complex gene expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, ASC, IL-1β, and IL-18, in vivo and in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyue Yu
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Jinyu Hu
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Margaret Baldini
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research and Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Huan Lei
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Lei Li
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Shanshan Luo
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Jielian Wu
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013, China
| | - Xupin Liu
- NMPA Key Laboratory of Quality Evaluation of Traditional Chinese Patent Medicine, Jiangxi Institute for Drug Control, Nanchang, 330029, China
| | - Dan Shan
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research and Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
| | - Yanfei Xie
- Center for Translational Medicine, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, 330006, China
| | - Haihong Fang
- School of Pharmacy, Jiangxi Science and Technology Normal University, Nanchang, 330013, China.
| | - Jun Yu
- Center for Metabolic Disease Research and Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA
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