The Pharmacological Rationales and Molecular Mechanisms of Ganoderma lucidum Polysaccharides for the Therapeutic Applications of Multiple Diseases

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-38
Author(s):  
Hua Luo ◽  
Dechao Tan ◽  
Bo Peng ◽  
Siyuan Zhang ◽  
Chi Teng Vong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ganoderma Lucidum ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Chinese Herb ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Molecular Signaling ◽  
Transmission Mechanisms ◽  
Ganoderma Lucidum Polysaccharides ◽  
Anti Oxidant ◽  
Antibacterial And Antifungal

As a versatile Chinese herb, Ganoderma lucidum (Leyss. ex Fr.) Karst (G. lucidum) has been applied to treat multiple diseases in clinics and improve the quality of life of patients. Among all of its extracts, the main bioactive components are G. lucidum polysaccharides (GLPs), which possess many therapeutic effects, such as antitumor, immunoregulatory, anti-oxidant, antidiabetic, antibacterial, and antifungal effects and neuroprotection activities. This review briefly summarized the recent studies of the pharmacological rationales of GLPs and their underlying molecular signaling transmission mechanisms in treating diseases. Until now, the clear mechanisms of GLPs for treating diseases have not been reported. In this review, we used the keywords of “Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides” and “tumor” to search in PubMed (years of 1992–2020), then screened and obtained 160 targets of antitumor activities in the literatures. The network pharmacology and mechanism framework were employed in this study as powerful approaches to systematically analyze the complicated potential antitumor mechanisms and targets of GLPs in cancer. We then found that there are 69 targets and 21 network pathways in “Pathways in cancer”. Besides, we summarized the effects of GLPs and the models and methods used in the research of GLPs. In conclusion, GLPs have been studied extensively, but more in-depth research is still needed to determine the exact mechanisms and pathways. Therefore, this review might provide new insights into the vital targets and pathways for researchers to study the pharmacological mechanisms of GLPs for the treatment of diseases.

scholarly journals Elucidation of the active compounds and molecular mechanisms of Smilacis Chinae Rhizoma for treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease based on network pharmacology and MMGBSA-docking

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunsen Zhang ◽  
Zikuang Zhao ◽  
Wenxiang Wang ◽  
Qi Li ◽  
Huimin Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Inflammatory Disease ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Binding Free Energy ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Active Ingredients ◽  
Active Compounds ◽  
Bidirectional Regulation

Abstract Background Smilacis Chinae Rhizoma (SCR) is widely used in the treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). However, its active ingredients and the mechanisms against PID remain elusive. This study aimed to clarify the active ingredients and explore their molecular mechanisms on PID. Method Network pharmacology and MMGBSA-docking exploited the active compounds and mechanisms against PID, as well as validating the binding mode of candidate targets.Results Network pharmacology revealed 32 active compounds and 718 compound-related targets mapped to 91 pathways which were clustered 7 genres (e.g., immunoregulation). C-T-P network and PPI analysis illustrated 17 PID-related targets, indicating that SCR may decrease inflammation, ameliorate fibrosis, and inhibit microorganisms via bidirectionally regulating IL-17 signaling pathway. Furthermore, active compounds were uncovered that bound to prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2, matrix metalloprotein-9, lipocalin, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3, myeloperoxidase, and tumor necrosis factor. 19 active compounds (e.g., rutin (-66.43 kcal/mol), moracin M (-37.01 kcal/mol) and oxyresveratrol (-38.84 kcal/mol)) were found to show excellent binding free energy, demonstrating that H-bond, Pi electron cloud and electrostatic potential as the main binding ability to these targets. Conclusion Approach of network pharmacology and MMGBSA-docking revealed the active ingredients, such as rutin, moracin M, and oxyresveratrol, in SCR and dissected it exhibits the therapeutic effects (e.g., decrease inflammation, ameliorate fibrosis, and inhibit microorganisms) of PID by the bidirectional regulation of IL-17 signaling pathway.

scholarly journals A Network Pharmacology Approach to Uncover the Molecular Mechanisms of Herbal Formula Ban-Xia-Xie-Xin-Tang

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming Yang ◽  
Jialei Chen ◽  
Liwen Xu ◽  
Xiufeng Shi ◽  
Xin Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Disease Genes ◽  
Traditional Theory ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Proximity Analysis ◽  
Path Distance ◽  
Therapeutic Mechanisms ◽  
Shortest Path Distance

Ban-Xia-Xie-Xin-Tang (BXXXT) is a classical formula from Shang-Han-Lun which is one of the earliest books of TCM clinical practice. In this work, we investigated the therapeutic mechanisms of BXXXT for the treatment of multiple diseases using a network pharmacology approach. Here three BXXXT representative diseases (colitis, diabetes mellitus, and gastric cancer) were discussed, and we focus on in silico methods that integrate drug-likeness screening, target prioritizing, and multilayer network extending. A total of 140 core targets and 72 representative compounds were finally identified to elucidate the pharmacology of BXXXT formula. After constructing multilayer networks, a good overlap between BXXXT nodes and disease nodes was observed at each level, and the network-based proximity analysis shows that the relevance between the formula targets and disease genes was significant according to the shortest path distance (SPD) and a random walk with restart (RWR) based scores for each disease. We found that there were 22 key pathways significantly associated with BXXXT, and the therapeutic effects of BXXXT were likely addressed by regulating a combination of targets in a modular pattern. Furthermore, the synergistic effects among BXXXT herbs were highlighted by elucidating the molecular mechanisms of individual herbs, and the traditional theory of “Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi” of TCM formula was effectively interpreted from a network perspective. The proposed approach provides an effective strategy to uncover the mechanisms of action and combinatorial rules of BXXXT formula in a holistic manner.

scholarly journals Mechanism of Dark Plum In Treatment of Sjögren's Syndrome Based On Network Pharmacology And Molecular Docking​

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongli Sun ◽  
Lilin Deng ◽  
Zhoujie Xu ◽  
Kun Yang ◽  
Penglong Yu
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Docking ◽  
Sjögren’S Syndrome ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Sjögren's Syndrome ◽  
Sjogren’S Syndrome ◽  
Sjogren's Syndrome ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Active Components ◽  
Sjögren‘S Syndrome

Abstract Background: Modern medicine has no cure for the xerostomia caused by the early onset of Sjögren's syndrome (SS).Dark plum is a common Chinese herbal medicine used to relieve xerostomia. However, the molecular mechanisms of the effects of dark plum are unknown. In this study, network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to investigate the mechanisms of action of dark plum on SS.Materials and method: The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP) database was used to identify the active components and targets of dark plum, and the UniProt database was used to identify the genes encoding these targets. SS-related targets were also identified from the GeneCards and OMIM databases. By finding the intersection of the targets of the compounds and the targets of SS, the predicted targets of dark plum in the treatment of SS were obtained. Further investigation of the active compounds and their targets was carried out by constructing a network of "medicine-candidate compound-target-disease" using Cytoscape 3.7.2, the Protein-Protein Interaction(PPI) network using the STRING database and Cytoscape 3.7.2, and key targets were identified by Gene Ontology( GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis on R software. Finally, molecular docking was used to verify the affinity of the candidate compounds to the key targets.Results: Quercetin, beta-sitosterol, and kaempferol in dark plum interact with AKT1, IL-6, IL-1B, JUN, CASP3, and MAPK8. These results suggest that dark plum exerts its therapeutic effects on the peripheral gland injury of SS and its secondary cardiovascular disease and tumorigenesis through anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-tumor pathways.Conclusion: With network pharmacology, this study systematically identified the main active components, targets, and specific mechanisms of the therapeutic effects of dark plum on SS, providing both a theoretical basis and research direction for further investigations on dark plum.

scholarly journals Network Pharmacology-Based Investigation For Predicting Active Ingredients And Potential Targets Of Strychnos Nux-Vomica L. In Treating Multiple Myeloma

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Zhou ◽  
Jianping Shen ◽  
Keting Jin ◽  
Chenjun Lin ◽  
Zirui Hong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Chinese Herb ◽  
Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Pathway Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Pathway Enrichment ◽  
Topological Parameters ◽  
Pharmacological Potential ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Abstract Background: Strychnos nux-vomica L. (SN)，a classic Chinese herb, have long been used for the treatment of cancer for many years, However, the pharmacological mechanisms of SN in treatment of Multiple myeloma L.remain vague.The aim of this study was to examine the network pharmacological potential effects of SN on Multiple myeloma using a systems pharmacology approach.Methods: we collected putative targets of SN based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology database，and oral bioavailability and drug-likeness was screened using absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) criteria. the network of the interactions among the putative targets of SN and known therapeutic targets of Multiple myeloma was built by using the STITCH database. Then, topological parameters, “Degree” ,“Closeness” and“Betweenness” were calculated to identify the hub targets in the network. Furthermore, the hub targets were imported to the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery to perform a pathway enrichment analysis.Results: 60 of the identified potential targets of the SN were also Multiple Myeloma- related targets, including 14 putative targets of SN were observed to be major hubs in terms of topological importance.Additionally,the results of pathway enrichment analysis indicated that targets of SN in treating Multiple Myeloma were mainly clustered into multiple biological processes by activating on several signaling pathways(PI3K-Akt, p38-MAPK, Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathways), which implied that these were involved in the underlying mechanisms of SN on Multiple Myeloma. Conclusions: Our works successfully explain the potential effects of SN for Multiple Myeloma treatment via the molecular mechanisms predicted by network pharmacology.Moreover,our present outcomes might shed light on the further clinical application of SN in treating Multiple Myeloma.

A Network Pharmacology Analysis of the Systems-Perspective Anticancer Mechanisms of the Herbal Drug FDY2004 for Breast Cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 1934578X2110491
Author(s):  
Ho-Sung Lee ◽  
In-Hee Lee ◽  
Kyungrae Kang ◽  
Sang-In Park ◽  
Tae-Wook Kwon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Pathway Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Herbal Drugs ◽  
Apoptosis Pathway ◽  
Anticancer Properties ◽  
Systems Perspective

Breast cancer is a malignant tumor with high incidence, prevalence, and mortality rates in women. In recent years, herbal drugs have been assessed as anticancer therapy against breast cancer, owing to their promising therapeutic effects and reduced toxicity. However, their pharmacological mechanisms have not been fully explored at the systemic level. Here, we conducted a network pharmacology analysis of the systems-perspective molecular mechanisms of FDY2004, an anticancer herbal formula that consists of Moutan Radicis Cortex, Persicae Semen , and Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, against breast cancer. We determined that FDY2004 may contain 28 active compounds that exert pharmacological effects by targeting 113 breast cancer-related human genes/proteins. Based on the gene ontology terms, the FDY2004 targets were involved in modulating biological processes such as cell growth, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. Pathway enrichment analysis identified various breast cancer-associated pathways that may mediate the anticancer activity of FDY2004, including the PI3K-Akt, MAPK, TNF, HIF-1, focal adhesion, estrogen, ErbB, NF-kappa B, p53, and VEGF signaling pathways. Thus, our analysis offers novel insights into the anticancer properties of herbal drugs for breast cancer treatment from a systemic perspective.

scholarly journals In Silico and In Vivo Studies on the Mechanisms of Chinese Medicine Formula (Gegen Qinlian Decoction) in the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolu Liu ◽  
Yuling Fan ◽  
Lipeng Du ◽  
Zhigang Mei ◽  
Yang Fu
Keyword(s):  
Ulcerative Colitis ◽  
Molecular Docking ◽  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
In Silico ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Tnf Α

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, and Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GQD), a Chinese botanical formula, has exhibited beneficial efficacy against UC. However, the mechanisms underlying the effect of GQD still remain to be elucidated. In this study, network pharmacology approach and molecular docking in silico were applied to uncover the potential multicomponent synergetic effect and molecular mechanisms. The targets of ingredients in GQD were obtained from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular mechANism of TCM (BATMAN-TCM) database, while the UC targets were retrieved from Genecards, therapeutic target database (TTD) and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database. The topological parameters of Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) data were used to screen the hub targets in the network. The possible mechanisms were investigated with gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. Molecular docking was used to verify the binding affinity between the active compounds and hub targets. Network pharmacology analysis successfully identified 77 candidate compounds and 56 potential targets. The targets were further mapped to 20 related pathways to construct a compound-target-pathway network and an integrated network of GQD treating UC. Among these pathways, PI3K-AKT, HIF-1, VEGF, Ras, and TNF signaling pathways may exert important effects in the treatment of UC via inflammation suppression and anti-carcinogenesis. In the animal experiment, treatment with GQD and sulfasalazine (SASP) both ameliorated inflammation in UC. The proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) induced by UC were significantly decreased by GQD and SASP. Moreover, the protein expression of EGFR, PI3K, and phosphorylation of AKT were reduced after GQD and SASP treatment, and there was no significance between the GQD group and SASP group. Our study systematically dissected the molecular mechanisms of GQD on the treatment of UC using network pharmacology, as well as uncovered the therapeutic effects of GQD against UC through ameliorating inflammation via downregulating EGFR/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and the pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6.

scholarly journals Analysis of Molecular Mechanism of Erxian Decoction in Treating Osteoporosis Based on Formula Optimization Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Lang Yang ◽  
Liuyi Fan ◽  
Kexin Wang ◽  
Yupeng Chen ◽  
Lan Liang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Osteoclast Differentiation ◽  
Antibody Therapy ◽  
Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Estrogen Signaling ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Pathway Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Mechanism Analysis ◽  
Erxian Decoction

Osteoporosis (OP) is a highly prevalent orthopedic condition in postmenopausal women and the elderly. Currently, OP treatments mainly include bisphosphonates, receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) antibody therapy, selective estrogen receptor modulators, teriparatide (PTH1-34), and menopausal hormone therapy. However, increasing evidence has indicated these treatments may exert serious side effects. In recent years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has become popular for treating orthopedic disorders. Erxian Decoction (EXD) is widely used for the clinical treatment of OP, but its underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear thanks to its multiple components and multiple target features. In this research, we designed a network pharmacology method, which used a novel node importance calculation model to identify critical response networks (CRNs) and effective proteins. Based on these proteins, a target coverage contribution (TCC) model was designed to infer a core active component group (CACG). This approach decoded the mechanisms underpinning EXD’s role in OP therapy. Our data indicated that the drug response network mediated by the CACG effectively retained information of the component-target (C-T) network of pathogenic genes. Functional pathway enrichment analysis showed that EXD exerted therapeutic effects toward OP by targeting PI3K-Akt signaling (hsa04151), calcium signaling (hsa04020), apoptosis (hsa04210), estrogen signaling (hsa04915), and osteoclast differentiation (hsa04380) via JNK, AKT, and ERK. Our method furnishes a feasible methodological strategy for formula optimization and mechanism analysis and also supplies a reference scheme for the secondary development of the TCM formula.

scholarly journals Mechanism of Action of Dengzhan Shengmai in Regulating Stroke from an Inflammatory Perspective: A Preliminary Analysis of Network Pharmacology

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Yiqi Yan ◽  
Chao Sun ◽  
Xiaoting Rong ◽  
Rui Han ◽  
Shan Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Mechanism Of Action ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Animal Experiments ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Chemical Components ◽  
Reference Database ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Comparative Toxicogenomics Database

Stroke is a complicated disease with an increasing incidence and a very high mortality rate. A classical Chinese herbal medicine, Dengzhan Shengmai (DZSM), has shown to have therapeutic effects on stroke; however, its chemical basis and molecular mechanism are still unclear. In this study, a systems biology approach was applicable to elucidate the underlying mechanism of action of DZSM on stroke. All the compounds were obtained from databases, and pendant-related targets were obtained from various data platforms, including the TCM Systematic Pharmacology (TCMSP) database, TCM Integrated Database (TCMIP), High Throughput Experimental Reference Database (HERB), Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD), SwissTargetPredicition, and SymMap, The Human Gene Database (GENECARD) and Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) were used for stroke disease target data, followed by network pharmacology analysis to predict the potential effect of DZSM on stroke. Animal experiments were intended to validate the underlying mechanisms. A total of 846 chemical components were compiled for the targets of DZSM drug, and quercetin, kaempferol, and Wuweizisu C are the highest chemical components compiled from DZSM. Overlapping with 375 disease-specific targets and 149 core targets, the core targets include TNF, IL-6, ALB, and AKT1, which are shown to regulate the disease process from an anti-inflammatory perspective. 198 enrichment messages were obtained by KEGG enrichment analysis, and we believe that the role of the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, TNF signaling pathway, and IL-17 signaling pathway is more important. Based on rat experiments, we also demonstrated that DZSM could effectively modulate the inflammation level of brain infarct tissues and effectively alleviate behavioral characteristics. Grouped together, our study suggests that the combination of network pharmacology prediction and experimental validation can provide a useful tool to describe the molecular mechanisms of DZSM in Chinese medicine (TCM).

Predictive Biomarkers and Updated Targets of Current Guidance in Treatment of Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haibao Zhang ◽  
Guodong Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Renal Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Cell Carcinoma ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Renal Cell ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Epithelial To Mesenchymal Transition ◽  
Predictive Biomarkers ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Molecular Signaling ◽  
Mesenchymal Transition

: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most lethal urologic malignancies. Partial or radical nephrectomy are the major surgical management for localized RCC, however, almost 30% of patients will develop recurrence and metastasis after surgery. Metastatic RCC (mRCC) is a disease with very poor prognosis, and the 5-year survival is less than 10%. Unfortunately, mRCC is highly resistant to chemo and radiotherapy. Therefore, mRCC treatment has become a big challenge for researchers as well as clinicians. RCC is characterilized with clear genetic background, especially with von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) gene loss or mutation in more than 70% of the cases. A lot of molecules and signaling pathways have been discovered expressly to impact on the progression of RCC, including VHL-HIF-VEGF angiogenesis pathway, PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition related pathways, Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and many growth factor related pathways, which play crucial roles in the growth, invasiveness, metastasis and angiogenesis of renal cell carcinoma through closely synergistic regulations. Based on the further studies of the above molecular signaling pathways, several targeted drugs as well as the emerging immune check-point inhibitors have been developed in recent years, which have shown good therapeutic effects for patients with mRCC. This review illustrates the molecular mechanisms of the recent progression on the treatment for mRCC, which, with particular focusing on the strategies to improve responsiveness of drugs for patients with mRCC.

scholarly journals Computational and In Vitro Analysis of Plumbagin’s Molecular Mechanism for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanfei Wei ◽  
Yuning Lin ◽  
Wanjun Chen ◽  
Shasha Liu ◽  
Lijie Jin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Mapk Signaling ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Anticancer Properties ◽  
Vitro Analysis ◽  
Mapk Signaling Pathways

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common malignant tumor and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the world. Plumbagin (PL) is a small molecule naphthoquinone compound isolated from Plumbago zeylanica L. that has important anticancer properties, but its mechanism requires further investigation. In this study, we used a comprehensive network pharmacology approach to study the mechanism of action of PL for the treatment of HCC. The method includes the construction of multiple networks; moreover, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed to identify biological processes and signaling pathways. Subsequently, in vitro experiments were performed to verify the predicted molecular mechanisms obtained from the network pharmacology-based analysis. Network pharmacological analysis showed that PL may exert anti-HCC effects by enhancing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production to generate oxidative stress and by regulating the PI3K/Akt and MAPK signaling pathways. In vitro experiments confirmed that PL mainly mediates the production of ROS, regulates the PI3K/Akt and MAPK signaling pathways to promote apoptosis and autophagy, and shows significant therapeutic effects on HCC. In conclusion, our work proposes a comprehensive systems pharmacology approach to explore the potential mechanism of PL for the treatment of HCC.

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