scholarly journals A Network Pharmacology-Based Study on the Anti-Lung Cancer Effect of Dipsaci Radix

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiayan Wu ◽  
Shengkun Hong ◽  
Xiankuan Xie ◽  
Wangmi Liu

Objective. Dipsaci Radix (DR) has been used to treat fracture and osteoporosis. Recent reports have shown that myeloid cells from bone marrow can promote the proliferation of lung cancer. However, the action and mechanism of DR has not been well defined in lung cancer. The aim of the present study was to define molecular mechanisms of DR as a potential therapeutic approach to treat lung cancer. Methods. Active compounds of DR with oral bioavailability ≥30% and drug-likeness index ≥0.18 were obtained from the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform. The potential target genes of the active compounds and bone were identified by PharmMapper and GeneCards, respectively. The compound-target network and protein-protein interaction network were built by Cytoscape software and Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes webserver, respectively. GO analysis and pathway enrichment analysis were performed using R software. Results. Our study demonstrated that DR had 6 active compounds, including gentisin, sitosterol, Sylvestroside III, 3,5-Di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, cauloside A, and japonine. There were 254 target genes related to these active compounds as well as to bone. SRC, AKT1, and GRB2 were the top 3 hub genes. Metabolisms and signaling pathways associated with these hub genes were significantly enriched. Conclusions. This study indicated that DR could exhibit the anti-lung cancer effect by affecting multiple targets and multiple pathways. It reflects the traditional Chinese medicine characterized by multicomponents and multitargets. DR could be considered as a candidate for clinical anticancer therapy by regulating bone physiological functions.

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenjie Zhuang ◽  
Tong Lin ◽  
Lixia Luo ◽  
Weixin Zhou ◽  
Junmao Wen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background. Aidi injection (ADI) is an effective Traditional Chinese medicine preparation widely used for lung cancer. However, the pharmacological mechanisms of ADI on lung cancer remain to be elucidated. Methods. A network pharmacology (NP)-based approach and the molecular docking validation were conducted to explore underlying mechanisms of ADI on lung cancer. The compounds and target genes were screened by Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular mechANism of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Batman-TCM) database. The STRING database was utilized for protein interaction network construction. The R package clusterProfiler was used for bioinformatics annotation of hub target genes. The gene expression analysis and survival analysis were performed based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. The Autodock Vina was used for molecular docking validation. Results. A total of five key compounds with 324 putative target genes were screened out, and 14 hub target genes were identified for treating lung cancer. Six hub genes could influence the survival of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Of these hub genes, the expression pattern of EGFR, MYC, PIK3CA, and SMAD3 were significantly higher in the LUSC, while PIK3CA and RELA expressed lower in the LUAD group and LUSC group, respectively. These six hub genes had good docking affinity with the key compounds of ADI. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis showed that ADI may exert therapeutic effects on lung cancer by regulating critical pathways including the thyroid hormone signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Conclusions. The present study explored the potential pharmacological mechanisms of ADI on lung cancer, promoting the clinical application of ADI in treating lung cancer, and providing references for advanced researches.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenjie Zhuang ◽  
Qianying Chen ◽  
Cihui Huang ◽  
Junmao Wen ◽  
Haifu Huang ◽  
...  

Background. HeChan tablet (HCT) is a traditional Chinese medicine preparation extensively prescribed to treat lung cancer in China. However, the pharmacological mechanisms of HCT on lung cancer remain to be elucidated. Methods. A comprehensive network pharmacology-based strategy was conducted to explore underlying mechanisms of HCT on lung cancer. Putative targets and compounds of HCT were retrieved from TCMSP and BATMAN-TCM databases; related genes of lung cancer were retrieved from OMIM and DisGeNET databases; known therapeutic target genes of lung cancer were retrieved from TTD and DrugBank databases; PPI networks among target genes were constructed to filter hub genes by STRING. Furthermore, the pathway and GO enrichment analysis of hub genes was performed by clusterProfiler, and the clinical significance of hub genes was identified by The Cancer Genome Atlas. Result. A total of 206 compounds and 2,433 target genes of HCT were obtained. 5,317 related genes of lung cancer and 77 known therapeutic target genes of lung cancer were identified. 507 unique target genes were identified among HCT-related genes of lung cancer and 34 unique target genes were identified among HCT-known therapeutic target genes of lung cancer. By PPI networks, 11 target genes AKT1, TP53, MAPK8, JUN, EGFR, TNF, INS, IL-6, MYC, VEGFA, and MAPK1 were identified as major hub genes. IL-6, JUN, EGFR, and MYC were shown to associate with the survival of lung cancer patients. Five compounds of HCT, quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, beta-sitosterol, and baicalein were recognized as key compounds of HCT on lung cancer. The gene enrichment analysis implied that HCT probably benefitted patients with lung cancer by modulating the MAPK and PI3K-Akt pathways. Conclusion. This study predicted pharmacological and molecular mechanisms of HCT against lung cancer and could pave the way for further experimental research and clinical application of HCT.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Qi Jin ◽  
Xiao-Feng Hao ◽  
Li-Ke Xie ◽  
Jing Xu ◽  
Mei Sun ◽  
...  

Background. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) includes a series of typical lesions affected by retinal microvascular damage caused by diabetes mellitus (DM), which not only seriously damages the vision, affecting the life’s quality of patients, but also brings a considerable burden to the family and society. Astragalus Membranaceus (AM) is a commonly used medicine in clinical therapy of eye disorders in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). In recent years, it is also used for treating DR, but the specific mechanism is unclear. Therefore, this study explores the potential mechanism of AM in DR treatment by using network pharmacology. Methods. Based on the oral bioavailability (OB) and drug likeness (DL) of two ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, excretion) parameters, Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database (TCMSP), Swiss Target Prediction platform, GeneCards, and OMIM database were used to predict and screen the active compounds of AM, the core targets of AM in DR treatment. The Metascape data platform was used to perform Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis on the core targets. Results. 24 active compounds were obtained, such as quercetin, kaempferol, and astragaloside IV. There were 169 effective targets of AM in DR treatment, and the targets were further screened and finally, 38 core targets were obtained, such as VEGFA, AKT1, and IL-6. EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and other metabolic pathways participated in oxidative stress, cell apoptosis, angiogenesis signal transduction, inflammation, and other biological processes. Conclusion. AM treats DR through multiple compounds, multiple targets, and multiple pathways. AM may play a role in the treatment of DR by targeting VEGFA, AKT1, and IL-6 and participating in oxidative stress, angiogenesis, and inflammation.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun-Li Piao ◽  
Jin-Li Luo ◽  
De Jin ◽  
Cheng Tang ◽  
Li Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction Radix Salviae (Dan-shen in pinyin), a classic Chinese herb, has been extensively used to treat diabetic retinopathy in clinical practice in China for many years. However, the pharmacological mechanisms of Radix Salviae remain vague. The aim of this study was to decrypt the underlying mechanisms of Radix Salviae in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy using a systems pharmacology approach. Methods A network pharmacology-based strategy was proposed to elucidate the underlying multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway mode of action of Radix Salviae against diabetic retinopathy. First, we collected putative targets of Radix Salviae based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology database and a network of the interactions among the putative targets of Radix Salviae and known therapeutic targets of diabetic retinopathy was built. Then, two topological parameters, “degree” and “closeness certainty” were calculated to identify the major targets in the network. Furthermore, the major hubs were imported to the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery to perform a pathway enrichment analysis. Results A total of 130 nodes, including 18 putative targets of Radix Salviae, were observed to be major hubs in terms of topological importance. The results of pathway enrichment analysis indicated that putative targets of Radix Salviae mostly participated in various pathways associated with angiogenesis, protein metabolism, inflammatory response, apoptosis, and cell proliferation. The putative targets of Radix Salviae (vascular endothelial growth factor, matrix metalloproteinases, plasminogen, insulin-like growth factor-1, and cyclooxygenase-2) were recognized as active factors involved in the main biological functions of treatment, which implied that these were involved in the underlying mechanisms of Radix Salviae on diabetic retinopathy. Conclusions Radix Salviae could alleviate diabetic retinopathy via the molecular mechanisms predicted by network pharmacology. This research demonstrates that the network pharmacology approach can be an effective tool to reveal the mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine from a holistic perspective.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming-Fei Guo ◽  
Ya-Ji Dai ◽  
Jia-Rong Gao ◽  
Pei-Jie Chen

Background. Diabetic nephropathy (DN), characterized by hyperglycemia, hypertension, proteinuria, and edema, is a unique microvascular complication of diabetes. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Astragalus membranaceus (AM) has been widely used for DN in China while the pharmacological mechanisms are still unclear. This work is aimed at undertaking a network pharmacology analysis to reveal the mechanism of the effects of AM in DN. Materials and Methods. In this study, chemical constituents of AM were obtained via Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database (TCMSP), and the potential targets of AM were identified using the Therapeutic Target Database (TTD). DisGeNET and GeneCards databases were used to collect DN-related target genes. DN-AM common target protein interaction network was established by using the STRING database. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were carried out to further explore the DN mechanism and therapeutic effect of AM. The network diagrams of the active component-action target and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed using Cytoscape software. Results. A total of 16 active ingredients contained and 78 putative identified target genes were screened from AM, of which 42 overlapped with the targets of DN and were considered potential therapeutic targets. The analysis of the network results showed that the AM activity of component quercetin, formononetin, calycosin, 7-O-methylisomucronulatol, and quercetin have a good binding activity with top ten screened targets, such as VEGFA, TNF, IL-6, MAPK, CCL3, NOS3, PTGS2, IL-1β, JUN, and EGFR. GO and KEGG analyses revealed that these targets were associated with inflammatory response, angiogenesis, oxidative stress reaction, rheumatoid arthritis, and other biological process. Conclusions. This study demonstrated the multicomponent, multitarget, and multichannel characteristics of AM, which provided a novel approach for further research of the mechanism of AM in the treatment of DN.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yin Qu ◽  
Zhijun Zhang ◽  
Yafeng Lu ◽  
De Zheng ◽  
Yang Wei

Background. The healing process of the surgical wound of anal fistulotomy is much slower because of the presence of stool within the wound. Cuyuxunxi (CYXX) prescription is a Chinese herbal fumigant that is being used to wash surgical wound after anal fistulotomy. This study aimed at investigating the molecular mechanism of CYXX prescription using a network pharmacology-based strategy. Materials and Methods. The active compounds in each herbal medicine were retrieved from the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology (TCMSP) database and in Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Database (TCMID) analysis platform based on the criteria of oral bioavailability ≥40% and drug-likeness ≥0.2. The disease-related target genes were extracted from the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database. Protein-protein interaction network was built for the overlapped genes as well as functional enrichment analysis. Finally, an ingredient-target genes-pathway network was built by integrating all information. Results. A total of 375 chemical ingredients of the 5 main herbal medicines in CYXX prescription were retrieved from TCMSP database and TCMID. Among the 375 chemical ingredients, 59 were active compounds. Besides, 325 target genes for 16 active compounds in 3 herbal medicines were obtained. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that these overlapped genes were significantly related with immune response, biosynthesis of antibiotics, and complement and coagulation cascades. A comprehensive network which contains 133 nodes (8 disease nodes, 3 drug nodes, 8 ingredients, 103 target gene nodes, 7 GO nodes, and 4 pathway nodes) was built. Conclusion. The network built in this study might aid in understanding the action mechanism of CYXX prescription at molecular level to pathway level.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leping Liu ◽  
Xinyi Xu ◽  
Xueshuai Cao ◽  
Xi Long ◽  
Yanwei Luo ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Huanglian Jiedu Decoction (HLJDD) is a traditional Chinese prescription for the treatment of influenza, inflammation and other ailments related to heat-syndrome, a typical pathological symptom in Traditional Chinese Medicine. It was recommended as one of the basic prescriptions among the Proposed Diagnoses and Treatment issued by China’s National Health Commission. In this work we investigated the molecular mechanism of action of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction in the treatment of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) through network pharmacology and molecular docking approaches. Methods The chemical constituents and action targets of Coptis chinensis, Scutellaria baicalensis, Phellodendron amurense, Gardenia jasminoides in HLJDD were retrieved on Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP). The database of UniProt and GeneCards were used to query the target genes that corresponding to the active compounds, and then a compound-target network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.7.2. GO database was used to annotate GO functions. Reactome was used to analyze KEGG enrichment pathway, predicting the possible mechanisms of active compounds. DAVID database was used to analysis the tissue enrichment. The main active ingredient is molecularly docked with the SARS-CoV-2, ACE2 and TMPRSS2. Results We screened 84 compounds and obtained 341 corresponding target genes in the network. Gene annotation showed that the targets were involved mainly in 457 biological functions. 306 signaling pathways was enriched, involving chemokine and cytokine signaling pathways that mediate inflammation, interferon-γ signaling pathway, p53 pathway. And the targets mainly distributed in the lung liver and placenta, involving a variety of immune cells, such as T cells, B cells. The molecular docking results showed that core compounds such as beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol and quercetin had high affinity with SARS-CoV-2, ACE2 and TMPRSS2, which was comparable with drugs like abidol used to COVID-19 treatment by. Conclusions The active compounds in HLJDD may have a therapeutic effect on COVID-19 through regulating multiple signal pathways by targeting genes such as VEGF, NOS2, IL6, MMP9, IL10, and TGFB1.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Fanyu Fu ◽  
Zeqing Huang ◽  
Hengli Ye ◽  
Biao Tan ◽  
Rongtian Wang ◽  
...  

The Tao-Hong-Si-Wu-Tang (THSWT) formula, a classic prescription of traditional Chinese medicine, has long been used for the treatment of osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH). However, its mechanisms of action and molecular targets are not comprehensively clear. In the present study, the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology (TCMSP) database was employed to retrieve the active compounds of each herb included in the THSWT formula. After identifying the drug targets of active compounds and disease targets of ONFH, intersection analysis was conducted to screen out the shared targets. The protein-protein network of the shared targets was built for further topological analysis. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis were then carried out. A gene pathway network was constructed to screen the core target genes. We identified 61 active compounds, 155 drug targets, and 5443 disease targets. However, intersection analysis only screened out 37 shared targets. Kaempferol, luteolin, and baicalein regulated the greatest number of targets associated with ONFH. The THSWT formula may regulate osteocyte function through specific biological processes, including responses to toxic substances and oxidative stress. The regulated pathways included the relaxin, focal adhesion, nuclear factor-κB, toll-like receptor, and AGE/RAGE signaling pathways. RELA, VEGFA, and STAT1 were the important target genes in the gene network associated with the THSWT formula for the treatment of ONFH. Therefore, the present study suggested that the THSWT formula has an action mechanism involving multiple compounds and network targets for the treatment of ONFH.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daqiu Chen ◽  
Yanqing Wu ◽  
Yixing Chen ◽  
Qiaoxing Chen ◽  
Xianhua Ye ◽  
...  

Background: Suxiao Xintong dropping pills (SXXTDP), a traditional Chinese medicine, is widely applied for treating myocardial infarction (MI). However, its therapy mechanisms are still unclear. Therefore, this research is designed to explore the molecular mechanisms of SXXTDP in treating MI. Methods: The active ingredients of SXXTDP and their corresponding genes of the active ingredients were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database. MI-related genes were identified via analyzing the expression profiling data (accession number: GSE97320). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed to study the shared genes of drug and disease. Through protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and the Cytoscape plugin cytoHubba, the hub genes were screened out. The compounds and hub targets binding were simulated through molecular docking method. Results: We obtained 21 active compounds and 253 corresponding target genes from TCMSP database. 1833 MI-related genes were identified according to P<0.05 and |log2FC| ≥ 0.5. 27 overlapping genes between drug and disease were acquired. GO analysis indicated that overlapping genes were mainly enriched in MAP kinase activity and antioxidant activity. KEGG analysis indicated that overlapping genes were mainly enriched in IL-17 signaling pathway and TNF signaling pathway. We obtained 10 hub genes via cytoHubba plugin. Six of the 10 hub genes, including PTGS2, MAPK14, MMP9, MAPK1, NFKBIA, and CASP8, were acted on molecular docking verification with their corresponding compounds of SXXTDP. Conclusion: SXXTDP may exert cardioprotection effect through regulating multiple targets and multiple pathways in MI.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Yujie Zhang ◽  
Xiaolin Zhang ◽  
Xi Zhang ◽  
Yi Cai ◽  
Minghui Cheng ◽  
...  

Background. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia and is associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity. The traditional Chinese medicine Wenxin Keli (WXKL) can effectively improve clinical symptoms and is safe for the treatment of AF. However, the active substances in WXKL and the molecular mechanisms underlying its effects on AF remain unclear. In this study, the bioactive compounds in WXKL, as well as their molecular targets and associated pathways, were evaluated by systems pharmacology. Materials and Methods. Chemical constituents and potential targets of WXKL were obtained via the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP). The TTD, DrugBank, DisGeNET, and GeneCards databases were used to collect AF-related target genes. Based on common targets related to both AF and WXKL, a protein interaction network was generated using the STRING database. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGGs) pathway enrichment analyses were performed. Network diagrams of the active component-target and protein-protein interactions (PPIs) were constructed using Cytoscape. Results. A total of 30 active ingredients in WXKL and 219 putative target genes were screened, including 83 genes identified as therapeutic targets in AF; these overlapping genes were considered candidate targets for subsequent analyses. The effect of treating AF was mainly correlated with the regulation of target proteins, such as IL-6, TNF, AKT1, VEGFA, CXCL8, TP53, CCL2, MMP9, CASP3, and NOS3. GO and KEGG analyses revealed that these targets are associated with the inflammatory response, oxidative stress reaction, immune regulation, cardiac energy metabolism, serotonergic synapse, and other pathways. Conclusions. This study demonstrated the multicomponent, multitarget, and multichannel characteristics of WXKL, providing a basis for further studies of the mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of WXKL in AF.


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