[Objectives]To explore the effects of the compatibility of Radix Puerariae and Radix Rehmanniae on blood glucose and blood lipids in diabetic mouses.[Methods]Diabetic mouse model was established.The body weight and fa...[Objectives]To explore the effects of the compatibility of Radix Puerariae and Radix Rehmanniae on blood glucose and blood lipids in diabetic mouses.[Methods]Diabetic mouse model was established.The body weight and fasting blood glucose of mice were measured after 7 and 14 d of administration,and the biochemical indicators of blood lipids(TC,HDL-C,and LDL-C)were detected after 14 d of administration.[Results]Compared with the Radix Puerariae group and Radix Rehmanniae group,the compatibility group(1:2)had the best hypoglycemic effect(P<0.05),and TC and LDL-C in the compatibility group(2:1)significantly decreased(P<0.05),while HDL-C in the compatibility group(1:1)significantly increased(P<0.05).[Conclusions]Radix Puerariae,Radix Rehmanniae and their combination can reduce the blood glucose of diabetic mice.The compatibility group(1:2)had a significant hypoglycemic effect(P<0.05),and LDL-C in the compatibility group(2:1)significantly declined,while HDL-C in the compatibility group(1:1)rose significantly.展开更多
In this paper,the anti-tumor effects of Aconiti Radix were reviewed and summarized,and the clinical feasibility of Aconiti Radix as a potential anti-tumor drug was analyzed,in order to provide a useful reference for t...In this paper,the anti-tumor effects of Aconiti Radix were reviewed and summarized,and the clinical feasibility of Aconiti Radix as a potential anti-tumor drug was analyzed,in order to provide a useful reference for the future research and development of new anti-cancer drugs of Aconiti Radix.展开更多
BACKGROUND Diabetic kidney disease(DKD)is one of the serious complications of diabetes mellitus,and the existing treatments cannot meet the needs of today's patients.Traditional Chinese medicine has been validated...BACKGROUND Diabetic kidney disease(DKD)is one of the serious complications of diabetes mellitus,and the existing treatments cannot meet the needs of today's patients.Traditional Chinese medicine has been validated for its efficacy in DKD after many years of clinical application.However,the specific mechanism by which it works is still unclear.Elucidating the molecular mechanism of the Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma-rhubarb drug pair(NRDP)for the treatment of DKD will provide a new way of thinking for the research and development of new drugs.AIM To investigate the mechanism of the NRDP in DKD by network pharmacology combined with molecular docking,and then verify the initial findings by in vitro experiments.METHODS The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology(TCMSP)database was used to screen active ingredient targets of NRDP.Targets for DKD were obtained based on the Genecards,OMIM,and TTD databases.The VENNY 2.1 database was used to obtain DKD and NRDP intersection targets and their Venn diagram,and Cytoscape 3.9.0 was used to build a"drug-component-target-disease"network.The String database was used to construct protein interaction networks.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis and Gene Ontology analysis were performed based on the DAVID database.After selecting the targets and the active ingredients,Autodock software was used to perform molecular docking.In experimental validation using renal tubular epithelial cells(TCMK-1),we used the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay to detect the effect of NRDP on cell viability,with glucose solution used to mimic a hyperglycemic environment.Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell cycle progression and apoptosis.Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of STAT3,p-STAT3,BAX,BCL-2,Caspase9,and Caspase3.RESULTS A total of 10 active ingredients and 85 targets with 111 disease-related signaling pathways were obtained for NRDP.Enrichment analysis of KEGG pathways was performed to determine advanced glycation end products(AGEs)-receptor for AGEs(RAGE)signaling as the core pathway.Molecular docking showed good binding between each active ingredient and its core targets.In vitro experiments showed that NRDP inhibited the viability of TCMK-1 cells,blocked cell cycle progression in the G0/G1 phase,and reduced apoptosis in a concentrationdependent manner.Based on the results of Western blot analysis,NRDP differentially downregulated p-STAT3,BAX,Caspase3,and Caspase9 protein levels(P<0.01 or P<0.05).In addition,BAX/BCL-2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 ratios were reduced,while BCL-2 and STAT3 protein expression was upregulated(P<0.01).CONCLUSION NRDP may upregulate BCL-2 and STAT3 protein expression,and downregulate BAX,Caspase3,and Caspase9 protein expression,thus activating the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway,inhibiting the vitality of TCMK-1 cells,reducing their apoptosis.and arresting them in the G0/G1 phase to protect them from damage by high glucose.展开更多
Objective:To explore and validate the potential targets of Paeoniae Radix Alba(P.Radix,Bai Shao)in protecting against chemical liver injury through network pharmacology,molecular docking technology,and in vitro cell e...Objective:To explore and validate the potential targets of Paeoniae Radix Alba(P.Radix,Bai Shao)in protecting against chemical liver injury through network pharmacology,molecular docking technology,and in vitro cell experiments.Methods:Network pharmacology was used to identify the common potential targets of P.Radix and chemical liver injury.Molecular docking was used to fit the components,which were subsequently verified in vitro.A cell model of hepatic fibrosis was established by activating hepatic stellate cell(HSC)-LX2 cells with 10 ng/mL transforming growth factor-β1.The cells were exposed to different concentrations of total glucosides of paeony(TGP),the active substance of P.Radix,and then evaluated using the cell counting kit-8 assay,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and western blot.Results:Analysis through network pharmacology revealed 13 key compounds of P.Radix,and the potential targets for preventing chemical liver injury were IL-6,AKT serine/threonine kinase 1,jun protooncogene,heat shock protein 90 alpha family class A member 1(HSP90AA1),peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma(PPARG),PTGS2,and CASP3.Gene Ontology(GO)enrichment analysis indicated the involvement of response to drugs,membrane rafts,and peptide binding.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis revealed that the main pathways involved lipid and atherosclerosis and chemical carcinogenesis-receptor activation.Paeoniflorin and albiflorin exhibited strong affinity for HSP90AA1,PTGS2,PPARG,and CASP3.Different concentrations of TGP can inhibit the expression of COL-I,COL-III,IL-6,TNF-a,IL-1β,HSP-90a,and PTGS2 while increasing the expression of PPAR-γand CASP3 in activated HSC-LX2 cells.Conclusion:P.Radix primarily can regulate targets such as HSP90AA1,PTGS2,PPARG,CASP3.TGP,the main active compound of P.Radix,protects against chemical liver injury by reducing the inflammatory response,activating apoptotic proteins,and promoting the apoptosis of activated HSCs.展开更多
OBJECTIVE:To decipher the antidepressant targets and mechanisms of Huangqin(Radix Scutellariae Baicalensis)(RSB)by a novel computational system based on prediction and experimental verification.METHODS:The putative ta...OBJECTIVE:To decipher the antidepressant targets and mechanisms of Huangqin(Radix Scutellariae Baicalensis)(RSB)by a novel computational system based on prediction and experimental verification.METHODS:The putative targets of RSB against depression were identified from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology(TCMSP)and Drug Bank.Next,protein-protein interaction network of the anti-depression targets of RSB were identified,and differentially expressed genes(DEGs)of depression were mined from the NCBI database.Then,Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and Gene Ontology were used to analysis the common targets.Finally,the selected pathways and functions were verified by experimentation.RESULTS:Thirty active compounds in RSB were predicted with high confidence by TCMSP and DrugBank,and seventy-one DEGs were identified in the GEO database.Besides,eight core target proteins were screened out by descending order of degree value,including ACHE,IL6,SLC6A4,FOS,SLC6A3,MAOB,DPP4,and JUN.These target genes were further found to be associated with pathways involved in neuronal apoptosis,such as pathways in cancer,Toll-like receptor signaling pathway,and TNF signaling.The cell proliferation assay and wound-healing assay results showed that RSB does not affect PC12 cell proliferation and chemotaxis.Unexpectedly,RSB protected PC12 cells from oxidative stress induced by H2O2 via inhibiting autophagy and apoptosis.We revealed significant changes in mice treated with 400 mg/kg RSB compared with the lipopolysaccharide mice.The possible mechanism for the antidepressive action of RSB is by reducing the expression of LC3-B in CA1 neurons.CONCLUSIONS:Our research partially expounds the mechanism of the antidepressant effect of RSB by the combination of network pharmacology prediction and experimental verification.Furthermore,it is also conducive to the application of Traditional Chinese Medicine within modern medicine.展开更多
The effect of Radix Scutellariae treated on type 2 diabetic rats has been investigated by a liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS) based urinary quantitative approach.In this research,mu...The effect of Radix Scutellariae treated on type 2 diabetic rats has been investigated by a liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS) based urinary quantitative approach.In this research,multiple reactions monitoring mode of MS/MS in LC-MS/MS analysis was used to quantitatively analyze the concentrations of 7 endogenous compounds in urine of normal control group,type 2 diabetic model group and Radix Scutellariae-treated group,and multivariate statistical analysis was utilized for MS data processing.The above-mentioned three groups can be distinguished via pattern recognition.The obtained results indicated that Radix Scutellariae affect the urinary metabolic profiling of type 2 diabetic rats on the polyol pathway,protein glycation reaction and amino acids metabolism pathway.According to these results,Radix Scutellariae should have the pharmacological effect on preventing or delaying the onset and progression of diabetes and its complications.展开更多
AIM:To investigate the effect of Scutellariae Radix extract(SRE)on ulcerative colitis(UC)in rats induced by dextran-sulfate sodium(DSS).METHODS:Colitis was induced in male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats(170-180 g)by 4% dextra...AIM:To investigate the effect of Scutellariae Radix extract(SRE)on ulcerative colitis(UC)in rats induced by dextran-sulfate sodium(DSS).METHODS:Colitis was induced in male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats(170-180 g)by 4% dextran sulfate sodium(DSS,wt/v;MW 54 000)in drinking water for 8 d.The treated rats received 4% DSS and SRE orally(100 mg/kg per day).Control rats received either tap water or SRE only.Macroscopic assessment which included body weight changes,fecal occult blood and stool consistency were determined daily.At the appointed time,the rats were sacrificed and the entire colons were removed.The colon length and the myeloperoxidase(MPO)activity were measured.The severity of colitis was graded by morphological and histological assessments.The ion transport activity of the colonic mucosa was assessed by electrophysiological technique.RESULTS:Rats treated with oral administration of 4% DSS regularly developed clinical and macroscopic signs of colitis.Treatment with SRE relieved the symptoms,including the reduction in body weight,shortening and ulceration of the colon.Administration of SRE also significantly reduced the histological damage induced by DSS.Moreover,the ISC responses of the colonic mucosato forskolin were suppressed after the induction of colitis.The stimulated ion transport activity of DSS-rats treated with SRE displayed significant improvement in the secretory responsiveness.CONCLUSION:SRE was effective in treating acute DSS-induced ulcerative colitis,as gauged by reduced clinical disease,improved macroscopic and histological damage scores,and enhanced recovery of normal colonic secretory function.展开更多
Breast cancer(BCa)is one of the most common malignant tumors that seriously affect women’s physical and mental health and even endanger their lives.Establishing a primary prevention program for BCa remains a challeng...Breast cancer(BCa)is one of the most common malignant tumors that seriously affect women’s physical and mental health and even endanger their lives.Establishing a primary prevention program for BCa remains a challenge.Traditional Chinese medicine,Scutellariae Radix(SR),has been used to treat BCa while its pharmacological mechanism is still unclear.This study aims to reveal the pharmacological mechanism of SR in the treatment of BCa.Chemical constituents of SR were obtained and the targets of the compound were identified via Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database(TCMSP).GeneCards and DrugBank databases were used to collect BCa’s related target genes.Disease-compound common target protein interaction network was established by using the STRING database.The network diagrams of the active component-action target and protein-protein interaction(PPI)networks were constructed by Cytoscape software.Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analyses were carried out to further explore the BCa mechanism and therapeutic effect of SR.As a result,121 active compounds were obtained.The Venn diagram results showed that SR and BCa had 57 intersection targets,the more frequently targeted ones are TP53,JUN,CCND1,AKT1,which could affect biological processes such as response to steroid hormone and positive regulation of cell death.KEGG analysis revealed that these targets were related to IL-17 signaling pathway,p53 signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.In conclusion,this study preliminarily verified the target and mode of action of SR in the treatment of BCa,laying a foundation for further research on its mechanism.展开更多
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential chronic liver toxicity of oral administration of ethanol extract of Huangqin(Radix Scutellariae Baicalensis)(SBE) in Wistar rats.METHODS: SBE was administered to rats by gavage ...OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential chronic liver toxicity of oral administration of ethanol extract of Huangqin(Radix Scutellariae Baicalensis)(SBE) in Wistar rats.METHODS: SBE was administered to rats by gavage for 26 weeks, at doses of 300, 1250, or 2500 mg·kg-1·d-1 respectively. The rats were euthanized at the end of 13 and 26 weeks daily oral dosing and following 4 weeks of recovery time. The changes of hematology, urinary, blood biochemistry and histomorphology were examined at each time point and focus on liver function and histological changes.RESULTS: When SBE at a dose of up to 2500 mgkg-1 d-1 was fed to male and female rats for 2··6 weeks, the liver tissue showed some inflammatory change that predominated by leukocyte infiltrationbut returned to normal after withdrawal. In addition, high-dose SBE treatment of 26 weeks in rats,glucose, electrolyte and lipid levels also have some changes. In addition, there are no other functional or organic lesions related to SBE treatment.CONCLUSIONS: Long-term and high-dose SBE may cause liver damage, however, the structural damage of the liver can be restored after the ethanol extract stopping. SBE will be well-tolerated for long-term use as a drug or health food, but in order to ensure drug safety, liver function, and serum glucose, electrolyte and lipid levels should be monitored when using SBE long term.展开更多
Radix Bupleuri(RB)is commonly used to treat depression,but it can also lead to hepatotoxicity after longterm use.In many anti-depression prescriptions,RB is often used in combination with Radix Paeoniae Alba(RPA)as an...Radix Bupleuri(RB)is commonly used to treat depression,but it can also lead to hepatotoxicity after longterm use.In many anti-depression prescriptions,RB is often used in combination with Radix Paeoniae Alba(RPA)as an herb pair.However,whether RPA can alleviate RB-induced hepatotoxicity remain unclear.In this work,the results confirmed that RB had a dose-dependent antidepressant effect,but the optimal antidepressant dose caused hepatotoxicity.Notably,RPA effectively reversed RB-induced hepatotoxicity.Afterward,the mechanism of RB-induced hepatotoxicity was confirmed.The results showed that saikosaponin A and saikosaponin D could inhibit GSH synthase(GSS)activity in the liver,and further cause liver injury through oxidative stress and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-kB)/NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3)pathway.Furthermore,the mechanisms by which RPA attenuates RBinduced hepatotoxicity were investigated.The results demonstrated that RPA increased the abundance of intestinal bacteria with glycosidase activity,thereby promoting the conversion of saikosaponins to saikogenins in vivo.Different from saikosaponin A and saikosaponin D,which are directly combined with GSS as an inhibitor,their deglycosylation conversion products saikogenin F and saikogenin G exhibited no GSS binding activity.Based on this,RPA can alleviate the inhibitory effect of saikosaponins on GSS activity to reshape the liver redox balance and further reverse the RB-induced liver inflammatory response by the NFkB/NLRP3 pathway.In conclusion,the present study suggests that promoting the conversion of saikosaponins by modulating gut microbiota to attenuate the inhibition of GSS is the potential mechanism by which RPA prevents RB-induced hepatotoxicity.展开更多
OBJECTIVE:To establish and optimize the propagation of Nianmaohuangqin(Radix Scutellariae Viscidulae) and induce and characterize polyploidy of Nianmaohuangqin(RadixScutellariaeViscidulae).METHODS: Buds from germinati...OBJECTIVE:To establish and optimize the propagation of Nianmaohuangqin(Radix Scutellariae Viscidulae) and induce and characterize polyploidy of Nianmaohuangqin(RadixScutellariaeViscidulae).METHODS: Buds from germinating seed-derived explants were induced by tissue culture. With an orthogonal test, different concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine(BAP), indole-3-acetic acid(IAA) and kinetin(KT) were used to determine the optimal concentrations for the propagation of Nianmaohuangqin(Radix Scutellariae Viscidulae). The different concentrations of IAA and rooting powder(ABT) were used to induce rooting. A 0.3% w/v colchicine solution was used to induce polyploidy and the induced buds was identified by root-tip chro-mosome determination and stomatal apparatus observation.RESULTS: A large number of buds could be induced directly from epicotyl and hypocotyl explants on Murashige and Skoog(MS)(Murashige and Skoog 1962) medium supplemented with1.1-1.3 mg/L BAP and 0.2 mg/L IAA. Root induction anddevelopmentcouldbeobservedwithin20 days of inoculation on 1/2 MS medium supplemented with 0.2 mg/L IAA and 0.1 mg/L ABT. Furthermore,27 lines of autotetraploid individuals were obtained with a plantlet chromosome number of 2n=4x=36.CONCLUSION: Autotetraploid lines could be obtained through induction with colchicine in vitro,proving that this method might be used for plant selection and breeding.展开更多
Background:Bupleuri Radix is a common Chinese medicinal material in traditional Chinese medicine.Currently,the therapeutic effect of treating schizophrenia is relatively well understood.However,there are fewer studies...Background:Bupleuri Radix is a common Chinese medicinal material in traditional Chinese medicine.Currently,the therapeutic effect of treating schizophrenia is relatively well understood.However,there are fewer studies examining the underlying mechanisms of its treatment.The objective of the study was to investigate the primary mechanisms of Bupleuri Radix in treating schizophrenia through network pharmacology and clinical validation.Method:Network pharmacology revealed possible molecular mechanisms,followed by clinical verification.Sixty-seven schizophrenia patients undergoing treatment at the Hunan Brain Hospital between October and November 2022 were recruited and randomly divided into the olanzapine group and the olanzapine+Bupleuri Radix group.Additionally,32 healthy people undergoing physical examinations during the same period were included as the control group.The patient’s positive and negative symptom scale scores were compared.qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of ESR1,mTOR,EIF4E,and SMAD4 in peripheral blood.Results:Through network pharmacological analysis,it was concluded in this study that Bupleuri Radix might regulate the mTOR,PI3K-Akt,and HIF-1 signaling pathways.Clinical experiments indicated that compared with before treatment,the positive and negative symptom scale scores and total scores of the two treatment groups were significantly decreased after treatment(P<0.01).In addition,the positive and negative symptom scale scores and total scores in the olanzapine+Bupleuri Radix group were significantly decreased(P<0.01)compared to the olanzapine group after treatment.Before treatment,ESR1 mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood were significantly higher in the two treatment groups than in the control group,whereas the mRNA expression levels of mTOR,EIF4E,and SMAD4 in peripheral blood were significantly lower(P<0.01).The mRNA expression levels of mTOR,EIF4E,and SMAD4 in peripheral blood were significantly higher after therapy than before treatment,whereas the mRNA expression levels of ESR1 in peripheral blood were significantly lower(P<0.01).After therapy,the olanzapine+Bupleuri Radix group’s mRNA expression levels of mTOR,EIF4E,and SMAD4 were significantly higher than those of the olanzapine group,whereas the mRNA expression levels of ESR1 were significantly lower(P<0.01).Conclusion:The mechanism of Bupleuri Radix’s therapeutic efficacy in schizophrenia may involve the up-regulation of mTOR,EIF4E,and SMAD4 mRNA expression and the down-regulation of ESR1 mRNA expression in peripheral blood.展开更多
[Objectives]This study was conducted to clarify the action mechanism of Pseudostellariae Radix in regulating angiogenesis by using network pharmacology and a dual-screening system,and to provide a basis for its clinic...[Objectives]This study was conducted to clarify the action mechanism of Pseudostellariae Radix in regulating angiogenesis by using network pharmacology and a dual-screening system,and to provide a basis for its clinical treatment of cardiovascular diseases.[Methods]The TCMSP database was used for preliminary screening to obtain the active compounds of Pseudostellariae Radix and the protein targets of its action.GeneCards and OMIM databases were used to search for targets related to angiogenesis.Cytoscape 3.9.1 was used to construct a drug-target network and protein interaction network of Pseudostellariae Radix in angiogenesis.The GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis of the targets of Pseudostellariae Radix in angiogenesis were carried out on Metascape platform.The effects of the screened active compounds were verified using a dual-screening system.[Results]Six active components of Pseudostellariae Radix,luteolin,acetin,beta-sitosterol,linarin,schottenol and 1-monolinolein,were screened by TCMSP database;and the six active components were predicted with 78 common target proteins related to angiogenesis,of which 19 were core targets.Pseudostellariae Radix mainly intervened in angiogenesis through domain specific binding,ubiquitin-like protein ligase binding,kinase binding and other molecular functions to regulate biological processes such as membrane microdomain,plasma membrane raft and caveola.The results of KEGG enrichment indicated that pathways in cancer,lipid and atherosclerosis,hepatitis B,apoptosis,toxoplasmosis and other key pathways might be the mechanism for the intervention of angiogenesis.The results of the dual-screening system showed that luteolin,acacetin,beta-sitosterol and linarin protected HUVECs and promoted zebrafish angiogenesis.[Conclusions]This study preliminarily demonstrated that luteolin,acacetin,beta-sitosterol and linarin could intervene in angiogenesis through multiple targets and multiple pathways,providing ideas and a scientific basis for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.展开更多
[Objectives] To explore the potential targets and action mechanism of radix aucklandiae (RA) in the treatment of gastric ulcer (GU) by network pharmacology. [Methods] Gene targets were obtained through TCMSP, DisGeNet...[Objectives] To explore the potential targets and action mechanism of radix aucklandiae (RA) in the treatment of gastric ulcer (GU) by network pharmacology. [Methods] Gene targets were obtained through TCMSP, DisGeNet, OMIM, GeneCards databases, which related to GU and the active components of RA. The mutual potential functional targets were selected through Venny to constitute the PPI protein interaction network. The DAVID database was applied for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of the common targets to construct the "Active component-Target-Pathway" network and analyze the relationship between them. [Results] There are 31 active components, 82 related targets and 16 common targets in the treatment of GU. The active components in Ra may exert anti-ulcer effects through six signaling pathways, including NF-κB, Toll-like receptors, VEGF and HIF-1. In addition, PTGS2, TNF, TLR4, JUN, IL2, SRC, RELA, KDR, NOS2 and PLAU may be the 10 key targets of Ra in the treatment of GU. [Conclusions] Ra controls GU through the synergies of multiple components, targets and pathways. It can provide a theoretical basis for further study on the mechanism of RA in treating GU.展开更多
Radix Phytolaccae is the dried root of Phytolacca acinosa Roxb or P.ameri-cana L,which is commonly used as a traditional Chinese medicine to treat diseases like cirrhotic ascites,hepatitis B,nephrotic syndrome,psorias...Radix Phytolaccae is the dried root of Phytolacca acinosa Roxb or P.ameri-cana L,which is commonly used as a traditional Chinese medicine to treat diseases like cirrhotic ascites,hepatitis B,nephrotic syndrome,psoriasis,etc.However,there is no exact basis for its clinical application safety.In this paper,the toxic effects and mechanism of Saponin A(EsA),the main component of Radix Phytolaccae,were summarized by searching the results and reports of toxicology related to the plant from 1991 to 2023 on CNKI and pubmed,aiming to provide reference for the toxicological research and future research direction of Radix Phytolaccae,so that Radix Phytolaccae can be safely and effectively used in clinical practice.展开更多
Radix Pueraria(RP)has a long history of dual-use in medicine and food,and is well known as“Asian ginseng”.Recently,some studies about the effect of RP against glioma have been reported.However,little is elucidated a...Radix Pueraria(RP)has a long history of dual-use in medicine and food,and is well known as“Asian ginseng”.Recently,some studies about the effect of RP against glioma have been reported.However,little is elucidated about the molecular mechanism of interaction.This study used network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques to clarify the molecular mechanism of RP in the treatment of glioma.Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP)was applied to screen potential active ingredients of RP and their targets.Targets for glioma were obtained from Genecards,OMIM,and Therapeutic Target Database(TTD).The topological analysis of cross-target and core target interaction was conducted using protein-protein interaction analysis(PPI).With the application of bioinformatics,GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were further carried out.Molecular docking was used then to validate the binding affinity between active components and key targets.This study successfully identified 6 potential active ingredients,namely beta-sitosterol,daidzein,formononetin,genistein,ononin,and puerarin.The hub targets were AKT1,TP53,VEGRA,EGFR,and MAPK3.These targets were mainly involved in biological processes,such as RNA polymerase II-specific DNA-binding transcription factor binding,and positive regulation of cell migration in the membrane raft,and were regulated by PI3K-Akt pathway.Further study showed that almost all the compounds had good binding abilities with above-mentioned targets.In short,this study systematically revealed the anti-glioma mechanism of RP to provide reference for the treatment of glioma.展开更多
Background:In this study,we analyzed the potential active components,related crucial targets and possible signaling pathway mechanisms of Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus and Saposhnikoviae Radix(AOF-SR)herb pairs in the t...Background:In this study,we analyzed the potential active components,related crucial targets and possible signaling pathway mechanisms of Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus and Saposhnikoviae Radix(AOF-SR)herb pairs in the treatment of diabetic kidney disease(DKD)using network pharmacology and verification experiments.Methods:The active compounds and potential targets of AOF-SR were derived from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform,The Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine,and PubChem databases,and the potential therapeutic targets of DKD were derived from the OMIM,Drugbank,and DisGeNET databases.The“compounds-diseases-targets”network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.6.0.ClusterMaker functionality in Cytoscape is being used to screen important targets for AOF-SR treatment of DKD.Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis of important targets were performed using DAVID database.In addition,according to the predicted results of network pharmacology,HK-2 cells were used to construct DKD model for verification experiment.HK-2 cells were divided into control group,high glucose(HG)group and AOF-SR(HG+AOF-SR)group to detect survival rate and expression of key proteins in NF-κB and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways.Results:A total of 38 compounds were selected from AOF-SR,of which 23 were Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus and 15 were Saposhnikoviae Radix.Through enrichment analysis of 82 important targets,88 signaling pathways were identified;some of these pathways,such as the NF-κB,PI3K-Akt,IL-17,and JAK/STAT signaling pathways,regulate the pathological process of DKD.In verification experiment,the HK-2 cells survival rate was higher in the HG+AOF-SR group than in the HG group(P<0.05).Moreover,western blotting results showed that the expression levels of NF-κB,p-PI3K,and p-Akt in HG+AOF-SR group were significantly lower than those in HG group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Overall,this study revealed the active compounds,important targets and possible mechanisms of AOF-SR treatment for DKD,and conducted preliminary verification experiments on its correctness,provided novel insights into the treatment of DKD by AOF-SR.展开更多
Backgroud:Parkinson’s disease(PD)is a neurodegenerative disorder with an increasing global prevalence.However,the development of drugs for PD treatment has not kept pace with the continuously growing number of patien...Backgroud:Parkinson’s disease(PD)is a neurodegenerative disorder with an increasing global prevalence.However,the development of drugs for PD treatment has not kept pace with the continuously growing number of patients.Currently,the search for new effective substances from natural drugs is a major research direction.Two Chinese medicinal materials,Saposhnikoviae Radix(Fangfeng)and Chuanxiong Rhizoma(Chuanxiong),are commonly used in the treatment of PD in China.However,the mechanism of their combination is not clear,and further research is needed.Methods:Data were collected from publicly available databases:TCMSP,UnitProt,GeneCards OMIM,PharmGKB,Therapeutic Target Database and DrugBank.Network pharmacology and molecular docking methods was used to analyze the data to discover the possible pharmacological effects of the two drugs in the treatment of PD.Results:Beta-sitosterol,Mandenol and Wallichilide were the active components of Saposhnikoviae Radix and Chuanxiong Rhizoma(FC),and they stably bonded with PD targets,including PTGS2,CASP3,AKT1 and JUN.The target genes of FC were significantly enriched in PD-associated pathways,including calcium signaling and apoptosis pathways.Moreover,the study revealed that the active components of FC may affect cellular structures,such as membrane rafts,membrane microdomains,membrane regions,and postsynaptic membranes,which,in turn,affect a variety of molecular functions and biological processes.Conclusion:The results of this study indicate the direction for clarifying the pharmacodynamic substances of FC,the extraction method of pharmacodynamic substances,as well as the mechanism and efficacy of pharmacodynamic substances.Importantly,this study provides a strategy for developing new therapeutic drugs for PD.展开更多
基金Supported by the National Innovation Planning Project for University Students in 2022 in Guangxi(S202210599012).
文摘[Objectives]To explore the effects of the compatibility of Radix Puerariae and Radix Rehmanniae on blood glucose and blood lipids in diabetic mouses.[Methods]Diabetic mouse model was established.The body weight and fasting blood glucose of mice were measured after 7 and 14 d of administration,and the biochemical indicators of blood lipids(TC,HDL-C,and LDL-C)were detected after 14 d of administration.[Results]Compared with the Radix Puerariae group and Radix Rehmanniae group,the compatibility group(1:2)had the best hypoglycemic effect(P<0.05),and TC and LDL-C in the compatibility group(2:1)significantly decreased(P<0.05),while HDL-C in the compatibility group(1:1)significantly increased(P<0.05).[Conclusions]Radix Puerariae,Radix Rehmanniae and their combination can reduce the blood glucose of diabetic mice.The compatibility group(1:2)had a significant hypoglycemic effect(P<0.05),and LDL-C in the compatibility group(2:1)significantly declined,while HDL-C in the compatibility group(1:1)rose significantly.
基金Supported by Science and Technology Innovation Plan for Medical Workers in Shandong Province(SDYWZGKCJH2023095)Clinical Pharmacy Research Project of Shandong Provincial Medical Association(YXH2022ZX010)+1 种基金Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Development Project of Shandong Province(2019-0400&2021Q097)Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Program of Qingdao City(2020-zyy031)Medical Research Guidance Plan of Qingdao City(2020-WJZD087).
文摘In this paper,the anti-tumor effects of Aconiti Radix were reviewed and summarized,and the clinical feasibility of Aconiti Radix as a potential anti-tumor drug was analyzed,in order to provide a useful reference for the future research and development of new anti-cancer drugs of Aconiti Radix.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81573695,No.81860894,and No.81674096Ningxia Key Research and Development Plan Project,No.2021BEG03106.
文摘BACKGROUND Diabetic kidney disease(DKD)is one of the serious complications of diabetes mellitus,and the existing treatments cannot meet the needs of today's patients.Traditional Chinese medicine has been validated for its efficacy in DKD after many years of clinical application.However,the specific mechanism by which it works is still unclear.Elucidating the molecular mechanism of the Nardostachyos Radix et Rhizoma-rhubarb drug pair(NRDP)for the treatment of DKD will provide a new way of thinking for the research and development of new drugs.AIM To investigate the mechanism of the NRDP in DKD by network pharmacology combined with molecular docking,and then verify the initial findings by in vitro experiments.METHODS The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology(TCMSP)database was used to screen active ingredient targets of NRDP.Targets for DKD were obtained based on the Genecards,OMIM,and TTD databases.The VENNY 2.1 database was used to obtain DKD and NRDP intersection targets and their Venn diagram,and Cytoscape 3.9.0 was used to build a"drug-component-target-disease"network.The String database was used to construct protein interaction networks.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis and Gene Ontology analysis were performed based on the DAVID database.After selecting the targets and the active ingredients,Autodock software was used to perform molecular docking.In experimental validation using renal tubular epithelial cells(TCMK-1),we used the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay to detect the effect of NRDP on cell viability,with glucose solution used to mimic a hyperglycemic environment.Flow cytometry was used to detect the cell cycle progression and apoptosis.Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of STAT3,p-STAT3,BAX,BCL-2,Caspase9,and Caspase3.RESULTS A total of 10 active ingredients and 85 targets with 111 disease-related signaling pathways were obtained for NRDP.Enrichment analysis of KEGG pathways was performed to determine advanced glycation end products(AGEs)-receptor for AGEs(RAGE)signaling as the core pathway.Molecular docking showed good binding between each active ingredient and its core targets.In vitro experiments showed that NRDP inhibited the viability of TCMK-1 cells,blocked cell cycle progression in the G0/G1 phase,and reduced apoptosis in a concentrationdependent manner.Based on the results of Western blot analysis,NRDP differentially downregulated p-STAT3,BAX,Caspase3,and Caspase9 protein levels(P<0.01 or P<0.05).In addition,BAX/BCL-2 and p-STAT3/STAT3 ratios were reduced,while BCL-2 and STAT3 protein expression was upregulated(P<0.01).CONCLUSION NRDP may upregulate BCL-2 and STAT3 protein expression,and downregulate BAX,Caspase3,and Caspase9 protein expression,thus activating the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway,inhibiting the vitality of TCMK-1 cells,reducing their apoptosis.and arresting them in the G0/G1 phase to protect them from damage by high glucose.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82074036).
文摘Objective:To explore and validate the potential targets of Paeoniae Radix Alba(P.Radix,Bai Shao)in protecting against chemical liver injury through network pharmacology,molecular docking technology,and in vitro cell experiments.Methods:Network pharmacology was used to identify the common potential targets of P.Radix and chemical liver injury.Molecular docking was used to fit the components,which were subsequently verified in vitro.A cell model of hepatic fibrosis was established by activating hepatic stellate cell(HSC)-LX2 cells with 10 ng/mL transforming growth factor-β1.The cells were exposed to different concentrations of total glucosides of paeony(TGP),the active substance of P.Radix,and then evaluated using the cell counting kit-8 assay,enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay,and western blot.Results:Analysis through network pharmacology revealed 13 key compounds of P.Radix,and the potential targets for preventing chemical liver injury were IL-6,AKT serine/threonine kinase 1,jun protooncogene,heat shock protein 90 alpha family class A member 1(HSP90AA1),peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma(PPARG),PTGS2,and CASP3.Gene Ontology(GO)enrichment analysis indicated the involvement of response to drugs,membrane rafts,and peptide binding.Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis revealed that the main pathways involved lipid and atherosclerosis and chemical carcinogenesis-receptor activation.Paeoniflorin and albiflorin exhibited strong affinity for HSP90AA1,PTGS2,PPARG,and CASP3.Different concentrations of TGP can inhibit the expression of COL-I,COL-III,IL-6,TNF-a,IL-1β,HSP-90a,and PTGS2 while increasing the expression of PPAR-γand CASP3 in activated HSC-LX2 cells.Conclusion:P.Radix primarily can regulate targets such as HSP90AA1,PTGS2,PPARG,CASP3.TGP,the main active compound of P.Radix,protects against chemical liver injury by reducing the inflammatory response,activating apoptotic proteins,and promoting the apoptosis of activated HSCs.
基金Supported by Scientific research project of TCM administration of Hebei province:Based on AC-c AMP-PKA-CREB-BDNF Pathway to Explore the Anti-Epilepsy and Improving Learning and Memory Mechanism of Turbid and Detoxifying Prescriptions(No.2020176)National key research and development projects:Demonstration Study on Large-Scale Cultivation and Targeted Poverty Alleviation of High-Quality Genuine Medicinal Materials Forsythia Suspensa,Sour Jujube and Scutellaria in Taihang Mountain-Collection,Evaluation and Screening of Germplasm Resources of Forsythia Suspensa,Sour Jujube and Huangqin(Radix Scutellariae Baicalensis)(No.2017YFC1701700)the Postgraduate Innovation Funding Project of Hebei University of Chinese Medicine:Study on the Mechanism of Huazhuo Jiedu Shugan Prescription Regulating the Cerebral Interstitial Fluid Microenvironment on the Occurrence and Behavioral Changes of Epilepsy(No.XCXZZBS2021016)。
文摘OBJECTIVE:To decipher the antidepressant targets and mechanisms of Huangqin(Radix Scutellariae Baicalensis)(RSB)by a novel computational system based on prediction and experimental verification.METHODS:The putative targets of RSB against depression were identified from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology(TCMSP)and Drug Bank.Next,protein-protein interaction network of the anti-depression targets of RSB were identified,and differentially expressed genes(DEGs)of depression were mined from the NCBI database.Then,Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and Gene Ontology were used to analysis the common targets.Finally,the selected pathways and functions were verified by experimentation.RESULTS:Thirty active compounds in RSB were predicted with high confidence by TCMSP and DrugBank,and seventy-one DEGs were identified in the GEO database.Besides,eight core target proteins were screened out by descending order of degree value,including ACHE,IL6,SLC6A4,FOS,SLC6A3,MAOB,DPP4,and JUN.These target genes were further found to be associated with pathways involved in neuronal apoptosis,such as pathways in cancer,Toll-like receptor signaling pathway,and TNF signaling.The cell proliferation assay and wound-healing assay results showed that RSB does not affect PC12 cell proliferation and chemotaxis.Unexpectedly,RSB protected PC12 cells from oxidative stress induced by H2O2 via inhibiting autophagy and apoptosis.We revealed significant changes in mice treated with 400 mg/kg RSB compared with the lipopolysaccharide mice.The possible mechanism for the antidepressive action of RSB is by reducing the expression of LC3-B in CA1 neurons.CONCLUSIONS:Our research partially expounds the mechanism of the antidepressant effect of RSB by the combination of network pharmacology prediction and experimental verification.Furthermore,it is also conducive to the application of Traditional Chinese Medicine within modern medicine.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81373952,81473537)the Jilin province science and technology development projects(No.20150311039YY)
文摘The effect of Radix Scutellariae treated on type 2 diabetic rats has been investigated by a liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry(LC-MS/MS) based urinary quantitative approach.In this research,multiple reactions monitoring mode of MS/MS in LC-MS/MS analysis was used to quantitatively analyze the concentrations of 7 endogenous compounds in urine of normal control group,type 2 diabetic model group and Radix Scutellariae-treated group,and multivariate statistical analysis was utilized for MS data processing.The above-mentioned three groups can be distinguished via pattern recognition.The obtained results indicated that Radix Scutellariae affect the urinary metabolic profiling of type 2 diabetic rats on the polyol pathway,protein glycation reaction and amino acids metabolism pathway.According to these results,Radix Scutellariae should have the pharmacological effect on preventing or delaying the onset and progression of diabetes and its complications.
基金a direct grant for research from The ChineseUniversity of Hong Kong,No. 2041075 awarded to Wing-HungKo
文摘AIM:To investigate the effect of Scutellariae Radix extract(SRE)on ulcerative colitis(UC)in rats induced by dextran-sulfate sodium(DSS).METHODS:Colitis was induced in male Sprague-Dawley(SD)rats(170-180 g)by 4% dextran sulfate sodium(DSS,wt/v;MW 54 000)in drinking water for 8 d.The treated rats received 4% DSS and SRE orally(100 mg/kg per day).Control rats received either tap water or SRE only.Macroscopic assessment which included body weight changes,fecal occult blood and stool consistency were determined daily.At the appointed time,the rats were sacrificed and the entire colons were removed.The colon length and the myeloperoxidase(MPO)activity were measured.The severity of colitis was graded by morphological and histological assessments.The ion transport activity of the colonic mucosa was assessed by electrophysiological technique.RESULTS:Rats treated with oral administration of 4% DSS regularly developed clinical and macroscopic signs of colitis.Treatment with SRE relieved the symptoms,including the reduction in body weight,shortening and ulceration of the colon.Administration of SRE also significantly reduced the histological damage induced by DSS.Moreover,the ISC responses of the colonic mucosato forskolin were suppressed after the induction of colitis.The stimulated ion transport activity of DSS-rats treated with SRE displayed significant improvement in the secretory responsiveness.CONCLUSION:SRE was effective in treating acute DSS-induced ulcerative colitis,as gauged by reduced clinical disease,improved macroscopic and histological damage scores,and enhanced recovery of normal colonic secretory function.
文摘Breast cancer(BCa)is one of the most common malignant tumors that seriously affect women’s physical and mental health and even endanger their lives.Establishing a primary prevention program for BCa remains a challenge.Traditional Chinese medicine,Scutellariae Radix(SR),has been used to treat BCa while its pharmacological mechanism is still unclear.This study aims to reveal the pharmacological mechanism of SR in the treatment of BCa.Chemical constituents of SR were obtained and the targets of the compound were identified via Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database(TCMSP).GeneCards and DrugBank databases were used to collect BCa’s related target genes.Disease-compound common target protein interaction network was established by using the STRING database.The network diagrams of the active component-action target and protein-protein interaction(PPI)networks were constructed by Cytoscape software.Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analyses were carried out to further explore the BCa mechanism and therapeutic effect of SR.As a result,121 active compounds were obtained.The Venn diagram results showed that SR and BCa had 57 intersection targets,the more frequently targeted ones are TP53,JUN,CCND1,AKT1,which could affect biological processes such as response to steroid hormone and positive regulation of cell death.KEGG analysis revealed that these targets were related to IL-17 signaling pathway,p53 signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.In conclusion,this study preliminarily verified the target and mode of action of SR in the treatment of BCa,laying a foundation for further research on its mechanism.
基金Supported by Major National Science and Technology Projects of China(No.2015ZX09501004No.2014 ZX09304307001+1 种基金No.2014ZX09201022-004)Beijing Science and Technology Projects(No.Z161100004916025,No.Z151100000115012)
文摘OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential chronic liver toxicity of oral administration of ethanol extract of Huangqin(Radix Scutellariae Baicalensis)(SBE) in Wistar rats.METHODS: SBE was administered to rats by gavage for 26 weeks, at doses of 300, 1250, or 2500 mg·kg-1·d-1 respectively. The rats were euthanized at the end of 13 and 26 weeks daily oral dosing and following 4 weeks of recovery time. The changes of hematology, urinary, blood biochemistry and histomorphology were examined at each time point and focus on liver function and histological changes.RESULTS: When SBE at a dose of up to 2500 mgkg-1 d-1 was fed to male and female rats for 2··6 weeks, the liver tissue showed some inflammatory change that predominated by leukocyte infiltrationbut returned to normal after withdrawal. In addition, high-dose SBE treatment of 26 weeks in rats,glucose, electrolyte and lipid levels also have some changes. In addition, there are no other functional or organic lesions related to SBE treatment.CONCLUSIONS: Long-term and high-dose SBE may cause liver damage, however, the structural damage of the liver can be restored after the ethanol extract stopping. SBE will be well-tolerated for long-term use as a drug or health food, but in order to ensure drug safety, liver function, and serum glucose, electrolyte and lipid levels should be monitored when using SBE long term.
基金This study is funded by the National Nature Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.:82074323,and 81673572)Key Research and Development Program of Shanxi Province(Program No.:202102130501010)+2 种基金The major science and technology project for“Significant New Drugs Creation”(Project No.:2017ZX09301047)Research Project Supported by Shanxi Scholarship Council of China(Project No.:2020019)The special fund for Science and Technology Innovation Teams of Shanxi Province(Grant No.:202204051002011).
文摘Radix Bupleuri(RB)is commonly used to treat depression,but it can also lead to hepatotoxicity after longterm use.In many anti-depression prescriptions,RB is often used in combination with Radix Paeoniae Alba(RPA)as an herb pair.However,whether RPA can alleviate RB-induced hepatotoxicity remain unclear.In this work,the results confirmed that RB had a dose-dependent antidepressant effect,but the optimal antidepressant dose caused hepatotoxicity.Notably,RPA effectively reversed RB-induced hepatotoxicity.Afterward,the mechanism of RB-induced hepatotoxicity was confirmed.The results showed that saikosaponin A and saikosaponin D could inhibit GSH synthase(GSS)activity in the liver,and further cause liver injury through oxidative stress and nuclear factor kappa B(NF-kB)/NOD-like receptor thermal protein domain associated protein 3(NLRP3)pathway.Furthermore,the mechanisms by which RPA attenuates RBinduced hepatotoxicity were investigated.The results demonstrated that RPA increased the abundance of intestinal bacteria with glycosidase activity,thereby promoting the conversion of saikosaponins to saikogenins in vivo.Different from saikosaponin A and saikosaponin D,which are directly combined with GSS as an inhibitor,their deglycosylation conversion products saikogenin F and saikogenin G exhibited no GSS binding activity.Based on this,RPA can alleviate the inhibitory effect of saikosaponins on GSS activity to reshape the liver redox balance and further reverse the RB-induced liver inflammatory response by the NFkB/NLRP3 pathway.In conclusion,the present study suggests that promoting the conversion of saikosaponins by modulating gut microbiota to attenuate the inhibition of GSS is the potential mechanism by which RPA prevents RB-induced hepatotoxicity.
基金Supported by the Natural Science Fund of Anhui University of Chinese Medicine (No.2010zr011B)the Natural Science Fund of Education Department of Anhui Province,China (No.KJ2011A191)
文摘OBJECTIVE:To establish and optimize the propagation of Nianmaohuangqin(Radix Scutellariae Viscidulae) and induce and characterize polyploidy of Nianmaohuangqin(RadixScutellariaeViscidulae).METHODS: Buds from germinating seed-derived explants were induced by tissue culture. With an orthogonal test, different concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine(BAP), indole-3-acetic acid(IAA) and kinetin(KT) were used to determine the optimal concentrations for the propagation of Nianmaohuangqin(Radix Scutellariae Viscidulae). The different concentrations of IAA and rooting powder(ABT) were used to induce rooting. A 0.3% w/v colchicine solution was used to induce polyploidy and the induced buds was identified by root-tip chro-mosome determination and stomatal apparatus observation.RESULTS: A large number of buds could be induced directly from epicotyl and hypocotyl explants on Murashige and Skoog(MS)(Murashige and Skoog 1962) medium supplemented with1.1-1.3 mg/L BAP and 0.2 mg/L IAA. Root induction anddevelopmentcouldbeobservedwithin20 days of inoculation on 1/2 MS medium supplemented with 0.2 mg/L IAA and 0.1 mg/L ABT. Furthermore,27 lines of autotetraploid individuals were obtained with a plantlet chromosome number of 2n=4x=36.CONCLUSION: Autotetraploid lines could be obtained through induction with colchicine in vitro,proving that this method might be used for plant selection and breeding.
基金funded by the Key Research and Development Program of Hunan Province(No.2022SK2163)Research Project of Hunan Provincial Health Commission(No.D202319017874,202214052635)+2 种基金Chinese Medicine Science&Research Project of Hunan Province(No.2021045)Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province,China(No.2023JJ30339,2023JJ60292)grateful for the support by the Institute of Diagnostics of TCM,Hunan University of Chinese Medicine,Changsha,China.
文摘Background:Bupleuri Radix is a common Chinese medicinal material in traditional Chinese medicine.Currently,the therapeutic effect of treating schizophrenia is relatively well understood.However,there are fewer studies examining the underlying mechanisms of its treatment.The objective of the study was to investigate the primary mechanisms of Bupleuri Radix in treating schizophrenia through network pharmacology and clinical validation.Method:Network pharmacology revealed possible molecular mechanisms,followed by clinical verification.Sixty-seven schizophrenia patients undergoing treatment at the Hunan Brain Hospital between October and November 2022 were recruited and randomly divided into the olanzapine group and the olanzapine+Bupleuri Radix group.Additionally,32 healthy people undergoing physical examinations during the same period were included as the control group.The patient’s positive and negative symptom scale scores were compared.qPCR was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of ESR1,mTOR,EIF4E,and SMAD4 in peripheral blood.Results:Through network pharmacological analysis,it was concluded in this study that Bupleuri Radix might regulate the mTOR,PI3K-Akt,and HIF-1 signaling pathways.Clinical experiments indicated that compared with before treatment,the positive and negative symptom scale scores and total scores of the two treatment groups were significantly decreased after treatment(P<0.01).In addition,the positive and negative symptom scale scores and total scores in the olanzapine+Bupleuri Radix group were significantly decreased(P<0.01)compared to the olanzapine group after treatment.Before treatment,ESR1 mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood were significantly higher in the two treatment groups than in the control group,whereas the mRNA expression levels of mTOR,EIF4E,and SMAD4 in peripheral blood were significantly lower(P<0.01).The mRNA expression levels of mTOR,EIF4E,and SMAD4 in peripheral blood were significantly higher after therapy than before treatment,whereas the mRNA expression levels of ESR1 in peripheral blood were significantly lower(P<0.01).After therapy,the olanzapine+Bupleuri Radix group’s mRNA expression levels of mTOR,EIF4E,and SMAD4 were significantly higher than those of the olanzapine group,whereas the mRNA expression levels of ESR1 were significantly lower(P<0.01).Conclusion:The mechanism of Bupleuri Radix’s therapeutic efficacy in schizophrenia may involve the up-regulation of mTOR,EIF4E,and SMAD4 mRNA expression and the down-regulation of ESR1 mRNA expression in peripheral blood.
基金Supported by Project of Science and Technology Department of Guizhou Province(ZK[2021]-546)Project of Science and Technology Department of Guizhou Province([2019]1401)+1 种基金Guizhou Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine(QZYY-2021-03)Guizhou Provincial Health Commission(gzwkj2021-464).
文摘[Objectives]This study was conducted to clarify the action mechanism of Pseudostellariae Radix in regulating angiogenesis by using network pharmacology and a dual-screening system,and to provide a basis for its clinical treatment of cardiovascular diseases.[Methods]The TCMSP database was used for preliminary screening to obtain the active compounds of Pseudostellariae Radix and the protein targets of its action.GeneCards and OMIM databases were used to search for targets related to angiogenesis.Cytoscape 3.9.1 was used to construct a drug-target network and protein interaction network of Pseudostellariae Radix in angiogenesis.The GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis of the targets of Pseudostellariae Radix in angiogenesis were carried out on Metascape platform.The effects of the screened active compounds were verified using a dual-screening system.[Results]Six active components of Pseudostellariae Radix,luteolin,acetin,beta-sitosterol,linarin,schottenol and 1-monolinolein,were screened by TCMSP database;and the six active components were predicted with 78 common target proteins related to angiogenesis,of which 19 were core targets.Pseudostellariae Radix mainly intervened in angiogenesis through domain specific binding,ubiquitin-like protein ligase binding,kinase binding and other molecular functions to regulate biological processes such as membrane microdomain,plasma membrane raft and caveola.The results of KEGG enrichment indicated that pathways in cancer,lipid and atherosclerosis,hepatitis B,apoptosis,toxoplasmosis and other key pathways might be the mechanism for the intervention of angiogenesis.The results of the dual-screening system showed that luteolin,acacetin,beta-sitosterol and linarin protected HUVECs and promoted zebrafish angiogenesis.[Conclusions]This study preliminarily demonstrated that luteolin,acacetin,beta-sitosterol and linarin could intervene in angiogenesis through multiple targets and multiple pathways,providing ideas and a scientific basis for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
基金Supported by Natural Science Foundation of Yunnan Province(202101AZ070001-210)Scientific Research Foundation of Education Department of Yunnan Province(2022Y268)Research Project of Pharmacy Innovation Foundation of Anhui Medical University(YXCX202201).
文摘[Objectives] To explore the potential targets and action mechanism of radix aucklandiae (RA) in the treatment of gastric ulcer (GU) by network pharmacology. [Methods] Gene targets were obtained through TCMSP, DisGeNet, OMIM, GeneCards databases, which related to GU and the active components of RA. The mutual potential functional targets were selected through Venny to constitute the PPI protein interaction network. The DAVID database was applied for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of the common targets to construct the "Active component-Target-Pathway" network and analyze the relationship between them. [Results] There are 31 active components, 82 related targets and 16 common targets in the treatment of GU. The active components in Ra may exert anti-ulcer effects through six signaling pathways, including NF-κB, Toll-like receptors, VEGF and HIF-1. In addition, PTGS2, TNF, TLR4, JUN, IL2, SRC, RELA, KDR, NOS2 and PLAU may be the 10 key targets of Ra in the treatment of GU. [Conclusions] Ra controls GU through the synergies of multiple components, targets and pathways. It can provide a theoretical basis for further study on the mechanism of RA in treating GU.
文摘Radix Phytolaccae is the dried root of Phytolacca acinosa Roxb or P.ameri-cana L,which is commonly used as a traditional Chinese medicine to treat diseases like cirrhotic ascites,hepatitis B,nephrotic syndrome,psoriasis,etc.However,there is no exact basis for its clinical application safety.In this paper,the toxic effects and mechanism of Saponin A(EsA),the main component of Radix Phytolaccae,were summarized by searching the results and reports of toxicology related to the plant from 1991 to 2023 on CNKI and pubmed,aiming to provide reference for the toxicological research and future research direction of Radix Phytolaccae,so that Radix Phytolaccae can be safely and effectively used in clinical practice.
文摘Radix Pueraria(RP)has a long history of dual-use in medicine and food,and is well known as“Asian ginseng”.Recently,some studies about the effect of RP against glioma have been reported.However,little is elucidated about the molecular mechanism of interaction.This study used network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques to clarify the molecular mechanism of RP in the treatment of glioma.Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP)was applied to screen potential active ingredients of RP and their targets.Targets for glioma were obtained from Genecards,OMIM,and Therapeutic Target Database(TTD).The topological analysis of cross-target and core target interaction was conducted using protein-protein interaction analysis(PPI).With the application of bioinformatics,GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were further carried out.Molecular docking was used then to validate the binding affinity between active components and key targets.This study successfully identified 6 potential active ingredients,namely beta-sitosterol,daidzein,formononetin,genistein,ononin,and puerarin.The hub targets were AKT1,TP53,VEGRA,EGFR,and MAPK3.These targets were mainly involved in biological processes,such as RNA polymerase II-specific DNA-binding transcription factor binding,and positive regulation of cell migration in the membrane raft,and were regulated by PI3K-Akt pathway.Further study showed that almost all the compounds had good binding abilities with above-mentioned targets.In short,this study systematically revealed the anti-glioma mechanism of RP to provide reference for the treatment of glioma.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant No.82160897,82205087)Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(grant No.820RC635)+1 种基金Scientific Research Foundation of Hainan Medical University(grant No.HYPY201924,HYPY2020037)Hainan Medical University 2020 National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program for College Students(grant No.202011810006).
文摘Background:In this study,we analyzed the potential active components,related crucial targets and possible signaling pathway mechanisms of Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus and Saposhnikoviae Radix(AOF-SR)herb pairs in the treatment of diabetic kidney disease(DKD)using network pharmacology and verification experiments.Methods:The active compounds and potential targets of AOF-SR were derived from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform,The Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine,and PubChem databases,and the potential therapeutic targets of DKD were derived from the OMIM,Drugbank,and DisGeNET databases.The“compounds-diseases-targets”network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.6.0.ClusterMaker functionality in Cytoscape is being used to screen important targets for AOF-SR treatment of DKD.Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis of important targets were performed using DAVID database.In addition,according to the predicted results of network pharmacology,HK-2 cells were used to construct DKD model for verification experiment.HK-2 cells were divided into control group,high glucose(HG)group and AOF-SR(HG+AOF-SR)group to detect survival rate and expression of key proteins in NF-κB and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways.Results:A total of 38 compounds were selected from AOF-SR,of which 23 were Alpiniae Oxyphyllae Fructus and 15 were Saposhnikoviae Radix.Through enrichment analysis of 82 important targets,88 signaling pathways were identified;some of these pathways,such as the NF-κB,PI3K-Akt,IL-17,and JAK/STAT signaling pathways,regulate the pathological process of DKD.In verification experiment,the HK-2 cells survival rate was higher in the HG+AOF-SR group than in the HG group(P<0.05).Moreover,western blotting results showed that the expression levels of NF-κB,p-PI3K,and p-Akt in HG+AOF-SR group were significantly lower than those in HG group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Overall,this study revealed the active compounds,important targets and possible mechanisms of AOF-SR treatment for DKD,and conducted preliminary verification experiments on its correctness,provided novel insights into the treatment of DKD by AOF-SR.
文摘Backgroud:Parkinson’s disease(PD)is a neurodegenerative disorder with an increasing global prevalence.However,the development of drugs for PD treatment has not kept pace with the continuously growing number of patients.Currently,the search for new effective substances from natural drugs is a major research direction.Two Chinese medicinal materials,Saposhnikoviae Radix(Fangfeng)and Chuanxiong Rhizoma(Chuanxiong),are commonly used in the treatment of PD in China.However,the mechanism of their combination is not clear,and further research is needed.Methods:Data were collected from publicly available databases:TCMSP,UnitProt,GeneCards OMIM,PharmGKB,Therapeutic Target Database and DrugBank.Network pharmacology and molecular docking methods was used to analyze the data to discover the possible pharmacological effects of the two drugs in the treatment of PD.Results:Beta-sitosterol,Mandenol and Wallichilide were the active components of Saposhnikoviae Radix and Chuanxiong Rhizoma(FC),and they stably bonded with PD targets,including PTGS2,CASP3,AKT1 and JUN.The target genes of FC were significantly enriched in PD-associated pathways,including calcium signaling and apoptosis pathways.Moreover,the study revealed that the active components of FC may affect cellular structures,such as membrane rafts,membrane microdomains,membrane regions,and postsynaptic membranes,which,in turn,affect a variety of molecular functions and biological processes.Conclusion:The results of this study indicate the direction for clarifying the pharmacodynamic substances of FC,the extraction method of pharmacodynamic substances,as well as the mechanism and efficacy of pharmacodynamic substances.Importantly,this study provides a strategy for developing new therapeutic drugs for PD.
