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Yuan X, Huang H, Yu C, Tang Z, Li Y. Network pharmacology and experimental verification study on the mechanism of Hedyotis diffusa Willd in treating colorectal cancer. NAUNYN-SCHMIEDEBERG'S ARCHIVES OF PHARMACOLOGY 2024:10.1007/s00210-024-03024-8. [PMID: 38446216 DOI: 10.1007/s00210-024-03024-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the pharmacological mechanism of Hedyotis diffusa Willd against CRC (colorectal cancer) using network pharmacological analysis combined with experimental validation. The active components and potential targets of Hedyotis diffusa Willd were screened from the tax compliance management program public database using network pharmacology. The core anti-CRC targets were screened using a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. The mRNA and protein expression of core target genes in normal colon and CRC tissues and their relationship with overall CRC survival were evaluated using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Human Protein Atlas (HPA), and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) databases. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses of the potential targets were performed using Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). The first six core targets with stable binding were molecular-docked with the active components quercetin and β-sitosterol. Finally, the results of network pharmacology were verified using in vitro experiments. In total, 149 potential targets were identified by searching for seven types of active components and the intersection of all potential and CRC targets. PPI network analysis showed that ten target genes, including tumor protein p53 (TP53) and recombinant cyclin D1 (CCND1), were pivotal genes. GO enrichment analysis involved 2043 biological processes, 52 cellular components, and 191 molecular functions. KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that the anticancer effects of H. alba were mediated by tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-17, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathways. Validation of key targets showed that the validation results for most core genes were consistent with those in this study. Molecular docking revealed that the ten core target proteins could be well combined with quercetin and β-sitosterol and the structure remained stable after binding. The results of the in vitro experiment showed that β-sitosterol inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in SW620 cells. This study identified a potential target plant for CRC through network pharmacology and in vitro validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiya Yuan
- Futian District, Shenzhen Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, 6001 Beihuan Avenue, Shenzhen City, 518034, Guangdong, China
| | - Haifu Huang
- Futian District, Shenzhen Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, 6001 Beihuan Avenue, Shenzhen City, 518034, Guangdong, China
| | - Changhui Yu
- Futian District, Shenzhen Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, 6001 Beihuan Avenue, Shenzhen City, 518034, Guangdong, China
| | - Zhenhao Tang
- Futian District, Shenzhen Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, 6001 Beihuan Avenue, Shenzhen City, 518034, Guangdong, China
| | - Yaoxuan Li
- Futian District, Shenzhen Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, 6001 Beihuan Avenue, Shenzhen City, 518034, Guangdong, China.
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Pruteanu LL, Braicu C, Módos D, Jurj MA, Raduly LZ, Zănoagă O, Magdo L, Cojocneanu R, Paşca S, Moldovan C, Moldovan AI, Ţigu AB, Gurzău E, Jäntschi L, Bender A, Berindan-Neagoe I. Targeting Cell Death Mechanism Specifically in Triple Negative Breast Cancer Cell Lines. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094784. [PMID: 35563174 PMCID: PMC9099741 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is currently associated with a lack of treatment options. Arsenic derivatives have shown antitumoral activity both in vitro and in vivo; however, their mode of action is not completely understood. In this work we evaluate the response to arsenate of the double positive MCF-7 breast cancer cell line as well as of two different TNBC cell lines, Hs578T and MDA-MB-231. Multimodal experiments were conducted to this end, using functional assays and microarrays. Arsenate was found to induce cytoskeletal alteration, autophagy and apoptosis in TNBC cells, and moderate effects in MCF-7 cells. Gene expression analysis showed that the TNBC cell lines’ response to arsenate was more prominent in the G2M checkpoint, autophagy and apoptosis compared to the Human Mammary Epithelial Cells (HMEC) and MCF-7 cell lines. We confirmed the downregulation of anti-apoptotic genes (MCL1, BCL2, TGFβ1 and CCND1) by qRT-PCR, and on the protein level, for TGFβ2, by ELISA. Insight into the mode of action of arsenate in TNBC cell lines it is provided, and we concluded that TNBC and non-TNBC cell lines reacted differently to arsenate treatment in this particular experimental setup. We suggest the future research of arsenate as a treatment strategy against TNBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lavinia-Lorena Pruteanu
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; (L.-L.P.); (D.M.); (A.B.)
- MedFuture Research Center for Advanced Medicine, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400377 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (C.M.); (A.I.M.); (A.B.Ț.)
- Department of Chemistry and Biology, North University Center at Baia Mare, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 4800 Baia Mare, Romania
| | - Cornelia Braicu
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.-A.J.); (L.-Z.R.); (O.Z.); (L.M.); (R.C.); (S.P.); (I.B.-N.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Dezső Módos
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; (L.-L.P.); (D.M.); (A.B.)
| | - Maria-Ancuţa Jurj
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.-A.J.); (L.-Z.R.); (O.Z.); (L.M.); (R.C.); (S.P.); (I.B.-N.)
| | - Lajos-Zsolt Raduly
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.-A.J.); (L.-Z.R.); (O.Z.); (L.M.); (R.C.); (S.P.); (I.B.-N.)
| | - Oana Zănoagă
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.-A.J.); (L.-Z.R.); (O.Z.); (L.M.); (R.C.); (S.P.); (I.B.-N.)
| | - Lorand Magdo
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.-A.J.); (L.-Z.R.); (O.Z.); (L.M.); (R.C.); (S.P.); (I.B.-N.)
| | - Roxana Cojocneanu
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.-A.J.); (L.-Z.R.); (O.Z.); (L.M.); (R.C.); (S.P.); (I.B.-N.)
| | - Sergiu Paşca
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.-A.J.); (L.-Z.R.); (O.Z.); (L.M.); (R.C.); (S.P.); (I.B.-N.)
| | - Cristian Moldovan
- MedFuture Research Center for Advanced Medicine, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400377 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (C.M.); (A.I.M.); (A.B.Ț.)
- Department of Pharmaceutical Physics-Biophysics, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Alin Iulian Moldovan
- MedFuture Research Center for Advanced Medicine, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400377 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (C.M.); (A.I.M.); (A.B.Ț.)
- Department of Pharmaceutical Physics-Biophysics, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Adrian Bogdan Ţigu
- MedFuture Research Center for Advanced Medicine, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400377 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (C.M.); (A.I.M.); (A.B.Ț.)
| | - Eugen Gurzău
- Environmental Health Center, 400240 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Lorentz Jäntschi
- Institute for Doctoral Studies, Babeş-Bolyai University, 400084 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
- Department of Physics and Chemistry, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, 400641 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Andreas Bender
- Department of Chemistry, Centre for Molecular Science Informatics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, UK; (L.-L.P.); (D.M.); (A.B.)
| | - Ioana Berindan-Neagoe
- Research Center for Functional Genomics, Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, “Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania; (M.-A.J.); (L.-Z.R.); (O.Z.); (L.M.); (R.C.); (S.P.); (I.B.-N.)
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Association between Arsenic Level, Gene Expression in Asian Population, and In Vitro Carcinogenic Bladder Tumor. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2022; 2022:3459855. [PMID: 35039759 PMCID: PMC8760535 DOI: 10.1155/2022/3459855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The IARC classified arsenic (As) as "carcinogenic to humans." Despite the health consequences of arsenic exposure, there is no molecular signature available yet that can predict when exposure may lead to the development of disease. To understand the molecular processes underlying arsenic exposure and the risk of disease development, this study investigated the functional relationship between high arsenic exposure and disease risk using gene expression derived from human exposure. In this study, a three step analysis was employed: (1) the gene expression profiles obtained from two diverse arsenic-exposed Asian populations were utilized to identify differentially expressed genes associated with arsenic exposure in human subjects, (2) the gene expression profiles induced by arsenic exposure in four different myeloma cancer cell lines were used to define common genes and pathways altered by arsenic exposure, and (3) the genetic profiles of two publicly available human bladder cancer studies were used to test the significance of the common association of genes, identified in step 1 and step 2, to develop and validate a predictive model of primary bladder cancer risk associated with arsenic exposure. Our analysis shows that arsenic exposure to humans is mainly associated with organismal injury and abnormalities, immunological disease, inflammatory disease, gastrointestinal disease, and increased rates of a wide variety of cancers. In addition, arsenic exerts its toxicity by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and increasing ROS production causing the imbalance that leads to cell and tissue damage (oxidative stress). Oxidative stress activates inflammatory pathways leading to transformation of a normal cell to tumor cell specifically; there is significant evidence of the advancing changes in oxidative/nitrative stress during the progression of bladder cancer. Therefore, we examined the relation of differentially expressed genes due to exposure of arsenic in human and bladder cancer and developed a bladder cancer risk prediction model. In this study, integrin-linked kinase (ILK) was one of the most significant pathways identified between both arsenic exposed population which plays a key role in eliciting a protective response to oxidative damage in epidermal cells. On the other hand, several studies showed that arsenic trioxide (ATO) is useful for anticancer therapy although the mechanisms underlying its paradoxical effects are still not well understood. ATO has shown remarkable efficacy for the treatment of multiple myeloma; therefore, it will be helpful to understand the underlying cancer biology by which ATO exerts its inhibitory effect on the myeloma cells. Our study found that MAPK is one of the most active network between arsenic gene and ATO cell line which is involved in indicative of oxidative/nitrosative damage and well associated with the development of bladder cancer. The study identified a unique set of 147 genes associated with arsenic exposure and linked to molecular mechanisms of cancer. The risk prediction model shows the highest prediction ability for recurrent bladder tumors based on a very small subset (NKIRAS2, AKTIP, and HLA-DQA1) of the 147 genes resulting in AUC of 0.94 (95% CI: 0.744-0.995) and 0.75 (95% CI: 0.343-0.933) on training and validation data, respectively.
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Wu C, Huang ZH, Meng ZQ, Fan XT, Lu S, Tan YY, You LM, Huang JQ, Stalin A, Ye PZ, Wu ZS, Zhang JY, Liu XK, Zhou W, Zhang XM, Wu JR. A network pharmacology approach to reveal the pharmacological targets and biological mechanism of compound kushen injection for treating pancreatic cancer based on WGCNA and in vitro experiment validation. Chin Med 2021; 16:121. [PMID: 34809653 PMCID: PMC8607619 DOI: 10.1186/s13020-021-00534-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Compound kushen injection (CKI), a Chinese patent drug, is widely used in the treatment of various cancers, especially neoplasms of the digestive system. However, the underlying mechanism of CKI in pancreatic cancer (PC) treatment has not been totally elucidated. METHODS Here, to overcome the limitation of conventional network pharmacology methods with a weak combination with clinical information, this study proposes a network pharmacology approach of integrated bioinformatics that applies a weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to conventional network pharmacology, and then integrates molecular docking technology and biological experiments to verify the results of this network pharmacology analysis. RESULTS The WGCNA analysis revealed 2 gene modules closely associated with classification, staging and survival status of PC. Further CytoHubba analysis revealed 10 hub genes (NCAPG, BUB1, CDK1, TPX2, DLGAP5, INAVA, MST1R, TMPRSS4, TMEM92 and SFN) associated with the development of PC, and survival analysis found 5 genes (TSPOAP1, ADGRG6, GPR87, FAM111B and MMP28) associated with the prognosis and survival of PC. By integrating these results into the conventional network pharmacology study of CKI treating PC, we found that the mechanism of CKI for PC treatment was related to cell cycle, JAK-STAT, ErbB, PI3K-Akt and mTOR signalling pathways. Finally, we found that CDK1, JAK1, EGFR, MAPK1 and MAPK3 served as core genes regulated by CKI in PC treatment, and were further verified by molecular docking, cell proliferation assay, RT-qPCR and western blot analysis. CONCLUSIONS Overall, this study suggests that the optimized network pharmacology approach is suitable to explore the molecular mechanism of CKI in the treatment of PC, which provides a reference for further investigating biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of PC and even the clinical rational application of CKI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Zhi-Hong Huang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Zi-Qi Meng
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Xiao-Tian Fan
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Shan Lu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Ying-Ying Tan
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Lei-Ming You
- School of Life Science, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Jia-Qi Huang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Antony Stalin
- State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, 311300, China
| | - Pei-Zhi Ye
- National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Chinese Medicine Department of the Caner Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi-Shan Wu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Jing-Yuan Zhang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Xin-Kui Liu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
- China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China
| | - Xiao-Meng Zhang
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China
| | - Jia-Rui Wu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, 102488, China.
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