Ulcerative Colitis-Induced Colorectal Carcinoma: A Deleterious Concatenation

Integrated Approaches in the Management of Gastrointestinal Disorders: A Biopsychosocial Perspective

Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), gastritis/peptic ulcer disease (PUD), and celiac disease, significantly impact global health and economic stability. This review synthesizes current literature to elucidate the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic challenges, and management strategies of these prevalent conditions. Through a biopsychosocial lens, we examine the role of the gut microbiome in disease modulation and explore innovative therapeutic advancements, including microbiome-targeting interventions. The review highlights the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach to patient care, integrating medical treatment with dietary, psychological, and lifestyle modifications. By addressing these disorders holistically, the article aims to foster a deeper understanding of their biopsychosocial impacts and encourage more effective, patient-centered treatment paradigms. The findings underscore the imperative for continued research and interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance patient outcomes and reduce healthcare burdens associated with GI disorders.

Screening of the shared pathogenic genes of ulcerative colitis and colorectal cancer by integrated bioinformatics analysis

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is one of the high-risk pathogenic factors for colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the shared gene and signalling mechanisms between UC and CRC remain unclear. The goal of this study was to delve more into the probable causal relationship between UC and CRC. CRC and UC datasets were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Using R software and Perl, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in both UC and CRC tissues were re-annotated and screened. The biological activities and signalling pathways involved in DEGs were investigated using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses. The STRING database and Cytoscape software were used to construct the gene interaction network. A total of 384 DEGs were selected for further investigation, and functional analysis revealed that inflammatory and immunological responses were crucial in the development of the two diseases. Moreover, the top 15 key genes involved in the UC and CRC were screened using cytoHubba, including IL1B, CXCL10, CCL20, MMP9, ICAM1, CCL4, CXCR1, MMP3, TLR2, PTGS2, IL1RN, IL6, COL1A2, TIMP1 and CXCL1. The identification of these genes in the present study may provide a novel perspective for the prediction, prevention and personalized medicine of UC and CRC patients.

Purple Yam Polyphenol Extracts Exert Anticolitis and Anticolitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer Effects through Inactivation of NF-κB/p65 and STAT3 Signaling Pathways

Colorectal cancer is a malignancy with high incidence and mortality worldwide, and ulcerative colitis (UC) is strongly associated with colorectal cancer. Purple yam, also known as Dioscorea alata, has been reported to be rich in plant polyphenols that have possessed anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antitumor properties. However, it is not clear whether purple yam polyphenol extracts (PYPE) can improve colitis and inhibit colitis-related colorectal tumorigenesis. Therefore, we used dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis and azoxymethane (AOM)/DSS-induced colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC) models in mice to evaluate the preventive value and possible mechanisms of PYPE. It was found that PYPE effectively alleviated DSS-induced colitis, inhibited macrophage infiltration, and reduced the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, IL-17A, CXCL1, and MCP-1, and the higher the concentration of PYPE, the better the inhibitory effect. In addition, PYPE dramatically prevented the development of CAC and tumor proliferation in mice. Furthermore, PYPE inactivated NF-κB and STAT3 signaling to exert anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. Taken together, these findings indicate that PYPE may be used as a promising preventive strategy against UC and CAC.

Variant-Specific Analysis Reveals a Novel Long-Range RNA-RNA Interaction in SARS-CoV-2 Orf1a

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding the pathology of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA virus and its life cycle has been the priority of many researchers. Currently, new variants of the virus have emerged with various levels of pathogenicity and abundance within the human-host population. Although much of viral pathogenicity is attributed to the viral Spike protein’s binding affinity to human lung cells’ ACE2 receptor, comprehensive knowledge on the distinctive features of viral variants that might affect their life cycle and pathogenicity is yet to be attained. Recent in vivo studies into the RNA structure of the SARS-CoV-2 genome have revealed certain long-range RNA-RNA interactions. Using in silico predictions and a large population of SARS-CoV-2 sequences, we observed variant-specific evolutionary changes for certain long-range RRIs. We also found statistical evidence for the existence of one of the thermodynamic-based RRI predictions, namely Comp1, in the Beta variant sequences. A similar test that disregarded sequence variant information did not, however, lead to significant results. When performing population-based analyses, aggregate tests may fail to identify novel interactions due to variant-specific changes. Variant-specific analyses can result in de novo RRI identification.

Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Analysis on the Pharmacological Mechanisms of Modified Sanmiaosan in Treating Ulcerative Colitis

Background

Modified Sanmiaosan is an effective cure in the treatment of ulcerative colitis, but its mechanisms of action remain unclear. This study revealed the pharmacological mechanisms of Modified Sanmiaosan acting on ulcerative colitis through a pharmacology approach.

Materials and Methods

The active compounds and the targets of Modified Sanmiaosan were selected from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database according to the absorption and metabolism. The UC-related therapeutic targets were collected from the PharmGKB database, the GeneCards database, the GADA database, and the OMIM database. The networks of “drug-component-target-disease” and “herbal-component-target” were constructed by the Cytoscape software. Protein–protein interaction network was generated by the STRING database. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed by the R software. Molecular docking technology was used to identify the affinity and activity between active compounds and targets.

Results

The 80 effective ingredients of MSM were collected. A total of 5180 UC-related genes and the 153 key targets of MSM and UC-related were obtained. JUN, Akt1, and MAPK1 were identified as the “hub targets” involved in the effects of Modified Sanmiaosan on ulcerative colitis. Hub targets were mainly involved in inflammatory response and oxidative stress. As the results of GO analysis, biological processes such as DNA-binding transcription and RNA polymerization may participate in the treatment process; KEGG pathway analysis showed that hub targets were mainly involved in IL-17 signal pathway and TNF signal pathway of ulcerative colitis. The high affinity and activity of the active compounds and targets were verified through molecular docking.

Conclusion

These findings demonstrate the active ingredients in Modified Sanmiaosan reduce inflammatory response by TNF and IL-17 signaling pathways to treat ulcerative colitis. Anti-inflammation and immune regulation may be the main mechanism of Modified Sanmiaosan in the treatment of ulcerative colitis. This study not only provide new insights into the development of a natural therapy for the prevention and treatment of ulcerative colitis but also proves a feasible method for discovering potential activated compounds from Chinese herbs.