[Estrogen and its receptors in hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma]

Exploring the active ingredients and mechanisms of Liujunzi decoction in treating hepatitis B: a study based on network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations

Liujunzi decoction (LJZD) is commonly used to treat hepatitis B virus (HBV), though its active ingredients and mechanisms are not fully known. This study identified core targets and active components of LJZD for treating hepatitis B (HB) through network pharmacology, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation. Screening from databases yielded 533 active components, 2619 targets for LJZD, and 2910 for HB, with 891 intersecting targets. STRING and CytoHubba analyses identified AR and VDR as core targets, with key pathways including PI3K-Akt and MAPK. The findings clarify LJZD's multicomponent, multitarget mechanisms, supporting its clinical application for HB treatment.

Sex-dependent effects of estrogen pellets in human liver cancer xenograft models

Liver cancer shows noticeable differences in the incidence rate and mortality between genders. To investigate the estrogen effect on tumor progression in liver cancer, we developed a xenograft model using estrogen pellets. SK-Hep1 cells (human male liver carcinoma) were inoculated into male or female nude mice. Subsequently, estrogen pellets were subcutaneously implanted into these xenograft models. Interestingly, the marked adverse effect of estrogen pellets (0.5 mg/21 days) were observed in the male-derived xenograft model, with increased ulcerative dermatitis in male mice than in female mice. Additionally, necrosis was observed in male mice with SK-Hep1-derived tumors. However, the estrogen pellet (0.5 mg/60 days) did not exhibit these adverse effects. Tumor growth in female mice was significantly suppressed by estrogen (0.5 mg/60 days). Tumor growth was also suppressed in male mice implanted with estrogen (0.5 mg/60 days), but the suppression was not significant. We found that estrogen-induced skin damage was more severe in male mice than female mice. The tumor suppression of estrogen was effective in female mice compared to male mice bearing liver cancer. The results suggest that the sex difference affects estrogen activity and thus should be considered in the preclinical assessment.