scholarly journals Virtual Screening of Potential AEC2 Inhibitors for COVID-19 from Traditional Chinese Medicine

Author(s):  
Xiang He ◽  
JUNYI WANG ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Qin Ran ◽  
Anying Xiong ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), a negative regulator of the renin-angiotensin system and the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and SARS-CoV-2 receptor, plays an important role in viral genome replication and immune response. ACE2 has been proposed as a potential therapeutic target. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) could be considered as a promising complementary therapeutic option in the management of COVID-19. However, the active components and action mechanisms that account for its therapeutic effects remain controversial. Methods: ACE2 was employed as a target related to COVID-19 to explore the active ingredients from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) database. And the PharmMapper database and TCMSP database were used to predict the targets of the compounds. Moreover, the potential therapeutic targets of COVID-19 were acquired by intersection among genes differentially expressed in COVID-19 patients, genes screened from five public databases and genes targeted by active compounds. Finally, molecular docking verification and function analysis were performed.Results: In this study, puerarin, the common active compound for targeting ACE2 across the five TCMs (Radix Cyathulae, Flos Puerariac, Radix Bupleuri, Radix Puerariac and Radix Hemerocallis), was found. Due to the comprehensive analysis, we revealed that puerarin might prevent the entrance of SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells by blocking ACE2, chiefly modulated the T cell immunity and regulate pro-inflammatory cytokine response by affecting TNF, STAT1 and RNASE3. Conclusion: Taken together, the present study found that puerarin might have a therapeutic effect on COVID-19 through regulation of the immune system, inhibition of inflammation and prevention of virus entry into cells.

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Zhang ◽  
Hao Yang ◽  
Jing An ◽  
Rui Zhang ◽  
Bo Chen ◽  
...  

Objective. Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating neurological disorder caused by trauma. Pathophysiological events occurring after SCI include acute, subacute, and chronic phases, while complex mechanisms are comprised. As an abundant source of natural drugs, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) attracts much attention in SCI treatment recently. Hence, this review provides an overview of pathophysiology of SCI and TCM application in its therapy.Methods. Information was collected from articles published in peer-reviewed journals via electronic search (PubMed, SciFinder, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and CNKI), as well as from master’s dissertations, doctoral dissertations, and Chinese Pharmacopoeia.Results. Both active ingredients and herbs could exert prevention and treatment against SCI, which is linked to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, or antiapoptosis effects. The detailed information of six active natural ingredients (i.e., curcumin, resveratrol, epigallocatechin gallate, ligustrazine, quercitrin, and puerarin) and five commonly used herbs (i.e., Danshen, Ginkgo, Ginseng, Notoginseng, and Astragali Radix) was elucidated and summarized.Conclusions. As an important supplementary treatment, TCM may provide benefits in repair of injured spinal cord. With a general consensus that future clinical approaches will be diversified and a combination of multiple strategies, TCM is likely to attract greater attention in SCI treatment.


2016 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 1955-1963 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianchun Huang ◽  
Xiaojun Tang ◽  
Fangxing Ye ◽  
Junhui He ◽  
Xiaolong Kong

Background/Aims: Coronary heart disease is characterized by vascular stenosis or occlusion resulting in myocardial ischemia, hypoxia and necrosis. In China, the combination of aspirin and Fufang Danshen Diwan (FDD), a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has been suggested in the treatment of coronary heart disease. There have been several studies comparing the effectiveness of aspirin alone and in combination with FDD to treat coronary artery disease; however, it remains unclear whether combined aspirin therapy is superior. This study was thus designed to clarify this issue through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: Databases including PubMed, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, Wanfang Data and VIP Information were searched. Papers were reviewed systematically by two researchers and analyzed using Cochrane software Revman 5.1. Results: Fourteen randomized controlled trials enrolling 1367 subjects were included. Meta-analyses revealed that aspirin in combination with FDD was significantly more effective at alleviating angina pectoris and improving electrocardiogram (ECG) results relative to aspirin therapy alone, reflected by the summary effects for the clinical markedly effective (OR = 2.45; 95% CI 1.95-3.08) and the total effective (OR = 3.92; 95% CI 2.87-5.36) rates. In addition, combined aspirin and FDD was significantly more efficacious than aspirin monotherapy at improving blood lipid levels, as indicated by the following outcomes: 1) reduction of TC level (SMD −1.12; 95% CI −1.49 to −0.76); 2) reduction of TG level (SMD −0.94; 95% CI −1.15 to -0.74); 3) reduction of LDL level (SMD -0.68; 95% CI -0.88 to -0.48); and 4) improvement of HDL level (SMD 0.52; 95% CI 0.04 to 0.99 ). No serious adverse events were reported in any of the included trials. Conclusion: The present meta-analysis demonstrated that aspirin in combination with FDD was more effective than aspirin alone for treating coronary heart disease. More full-scale randomized clinical trials with reliable designs are recommended to further evaluate the clinical benefits and long-term effectiveness of FDD for the treatment of coronary heart disease.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zefeng Wang ◽  
Haitong Wan ◽  
Jinhui Li ◽  
Hong Zhang ◽  
Mei Tian

With the speeding tendency of aging society, human neurological disorders have posed an ever increasing threat to public health care. Human neurological diseases include ischemic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and spinal cord injury, which are induced by impairment or specific degeneration of different types of neurons in central nervous system. Currently, there are no more effective treatments against these diseases. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is focused on, which can provide new strategies for the therapy in neurological disorders. TCM, including Chinese herb medicine, acupuncture, and other nonmedication therapies, has its unique therapies in treating neurological diseases. In order to improve the treatment of these disorders by optimizing strategies using TCM and evaluate the therapeutic effects, we have summarized molecular imaging, a new promising technology, to assess noninvasively disease specific in cellular and molecular levels of living models in vivo, that was applied in TCM therapy for neurological diseases. In this review, we mainly focus on applying diverse molecular imaging methodologies in different TCM therapies and monitoring neurological disease, and unveiling the mysteries of TCM.


2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 816-820 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shao Zhongxing ◽  
Lei Guilan ◽  
Cheng Jia ◽  
Zhang Guangqin ◽  
Tang Xiaoping ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chin Ee Ho ◽  
You Li Goh ◽  
Chang Zhang

Rhizoma Coptidis (RC), commonly known ashuanglian, is a herb frequently used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) prescriptions. Known to have “clearing damp-heat, quenching fire and counteracting poison” properties, it was widely used in the Chinese community in Singapore. Berberine, an alkaloid isolated from RC, is known to have a wide array of therapeutic effects including antimicrobial, antineoplastic, and hepatoprotective effects. In 1978, RC was implicated in causing neonatal jaundice (NNJ) and kernicterus in neonates suffering from glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, leading to the banning of RC and berberine in Singapore. More than three decades later, accumulating evidence-based studies pointing to the safety of RC for general public and better understanding of G6PD deficiency, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in Singapore reviewed and lifted the prohibition on RC and berberine, turning a brand new chapter in the history of TCM in Singapore. This paper aims to review the safety of RC and berberine, using the prohibition of use and subsequent lifting of ban on RC and berberine in Singapore as an illustration to highlight the importance of evidence-based studies in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).


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