Mechanism of E Lian Granule Reversing Chronic Atrophic Gastritis With Intestinal Metaplasia Based on Integrated Pharmacology and GEO Gene Chip

Author(s):  
Sizhen Gu ◽  
Yan Xue ◽  
Shigui Xue ◽  
Yini Tang ◽  
Zhehao Hu ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: This study aimed to explore the main components and targets of E-Lian granule through which it reversed chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia, based on the traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Pharmacology Network Computing Research Platform V2.0 (TCMIP V2.0) combined with GEO gene chips. It also aimed to construct various networks to predict and analyze the mechanism of E-Lian granule in treating gastric precancerous lesions. Methods: The effective traditional Chinese medicine components and targets of E-Lian granule prescription were obtained using TCMIP V2.0. The disease targets were collected using the TCMIP V2.0 platform and the verified gene chips in the GEO database, and the “drug components–targets” network, “compound–targets protein interaction network,” and “core compound targets–pathways network” were constructed using Cytoscape 3.6.1. The reliability of the predicted components and targets was verified using Pymol 1.7.2.1 and Autodock Vina 1.1.2 reverse molecular docking. Results: A total of 262 unique active components and 680 potential active targets of E-Lian granule were obtained. Moreover, 2247 unique disease targets of chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia were obtained by searching the “Disease/Symptom Target Database” combined with the GEO chip (GSE78523) and GeneCard database. Further, 178 complex targets and 38 complex core targets were obtained using Venn and Filter, respectively, such as ALB, TNF, PTGS2, RHOA, ESR1, HRAS, JUN, FOS, CASP3 and so forth. The GO and KEGG nrichment analyses showed that E-Lian granule reversed gastric precancerous lesions not only through the direct intervention of the cancer pathway, gastric cancer pathway, and epithelial signal transduction in Helicobacter pylori infection but also through PI3K/AKT, VEGF, MAPK, cAMP, cGMP, Th1/Th2,and other pathways. It also had a significant correlation with cholinergic, 5-hydroxytryptamine, dopaminergic, and other gastrointestinal hormone-related signals. Finally, the core target verified in the GSE78523 chip was successfully used to dock with the active components of E-Lian granules. The reliability of the prediction was also verified. Conclusions: The components and molecular mechanism of E-Lian granule in reversing chronic atrophic gastritis with intestinal metaplasia were predicted by integrated pharmacology, GEO chip, and reverse molecular docking, providing an important theoretical basis for further study of the effective substances and mechanism of E-Lian granule in treating chronic atrophic gastritis.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhijian Gu ◽  
Jun Cong ◽  
Biao Gong ◽  
Rong Cen ◽  
Yongqi Chen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Multifocal atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia are considered to be important links of the gastric precancerous cascade. But, there is a lack of definite therapeutic drugs for them. Many studies have shown traditional Chinese medicine is effective and no serious side effects have been identified. However, the studies that have been carried out were not scientifically rigorous trials. Our aim is to design a high-quality trial for a Chinese patent medicine, Elian granules, to investigate the efficacy and safety of this drug in treating chronic atrophic gastritis patients with or without intestinal metaplasia.Methods: This is a phase Ⅱ, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical trial. A total of 240 participants will be assigned to treatment group or placebo control group with a 1:1 ratio. Then, the experimental drug or placebo will be taken with boiling water,2 small bags (24.2g) each time, twice times a day, half an hour after each meal for 24 weeks. The primary outcome is to observe gastric mucosal histological changes after 6 months in patients with atrophic gastritis with or without intestinal metaplasia based on OLGA/OLGIM. The secondary outcome included dyspepsia symptom score and quality of life scale.Discussion: This study is designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Elian granule in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter manner. This trial may not only provide evidence for a phase III clinical trial, but also a vision of an alternative option for chronic atrophic gastritis(CAG) treatment.Trial registration: The registration number, ChiMCTR2000003929, was assigned by the Registry Platform For Evidence Based Traditional Chinese Medicine on 13 September 2020.


2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 419-432
Author(s):  
Yao Wang ◽  
Junbo Zou ◽  
Yanzhuo Jia ◽  
Yulin Liang ◽  
Xiaofei Zhang ◽  
...  

Aim and Objective: The common disease of insomnia has complex and diverse clinical manifestations. Lavender represents an effective treatment of insomnia, but the molecular mechanism underlying the effectiveness of this treatment is not clear. The purpose of this study is to investigate the active components, target proteins and molecular pathways of lavender in the treatment of insomnia, thus explaining its possible mechanism. Materials and Methods: Firstly, 54 active components of lavender were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The target protein of lavender was predicted by the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacological Database and Analysis Platform and the SwissTargetPredicating tool, and the target protein of insomnia was predicted by the DisGeNET and DrugBank databases. Then, the "component-target-disease" network diagram was constructed using the Cytoscape 3.7.1 software. KEGG and GO enrichments were analyzed using the R statistical language. Finally, the key target proteins were verified by collecting and verifying the target protein GEO data using the Discovery Studio 3.5 molecular docking verification software. Results: 906 target proteins of lavender were predicted by the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacological Database and Analysis Platform and the SwissTargetPredicating tool, and 182 insomnia target proteins were predicted by the DisGeNET and DrugBank databases. The results of GO enrichment analysis showed that it included the reaction process of ammonium ion, the regulation of the membrane potential and the secretion of catecholamine, while the results of KEGG enrichment included the calcium signaling pathway, serotonin synapse, morphine addiction and many more. Finally, using the Discovery Studio3.5 molecular docking verification software, it was verified that the key target proteins are ADRB1 and HLA-DRB1. Conclusion: The components in the lavender essential oil include the Ethyl 2-(5-methyl-5-vinyltetrahydrofuran- 2-yl)propan-2-ylcarbonate (0.774); 5-Oxatricyclo[8.2.0.04,6]dodecane, 4,12,12-trimethyl- 9-methylene-, (1R,4R,6R,10S)-(0.147); P-Cymen-7-ol (0.063); .alpha-Humulenem (0.317); Acetic acid, hexyl ester (1.374); etc. The role lavender plays in the treatment of insomnia might be accomplished through the regulation of the key targets ADRB1 and HLA-DRB1.


2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-78
Author(s):  
Zhaowei Zhai ◽  
Xinru Tao ◽  
Mohammad Murtaza Alami ◽  
Shaohua Shu ◽  
Xuekui Wang

Hypertension is a cardiovascular disease that causes great harm to health and life, affecting the function of important organs and accompanied by a variety of secondary diseases, which need to be treated with drugs for a long time. P. ternata alone or combination with western medicine has played an important role in traditional Chinese medicine. Although P. ternata is used clinically to treat hypertension, its functional molecular mechanism and pharmacological mechanism have not been elucidated. Therefore, in this study, the potentially effective components, and targets of P. ternata in the treatment of hypertension were screened by the method of network pharmacology, and the mechanism of P. ternata in the treatment of hypertension was analyzed by constructing a component-target relationship network, PPI interaction network, targets’ function analysis, and molecular docking. In the study, 12 potentially effective components and 88 targets were screened, and 3 potential protein modules were found and analyzed after constructing a PPI network using targets. In addition, 10 targets were selected as core targets of the PPI network. After that, the targets were analyzed by Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Finally, the molecular docking method is used to study the interaction between the targets and the active components. The above evidence shows that the mechanism of P. ternata in the treatment of hypertension is complicated, as it acts in many ways, mainly by affecting nerve signal transmission, cell proliferation, and apoptosis, calcium channels, and so on. The binding between targets and active components mainly depends on Pi bonds and hydrogen bonds. Using the method of network pharmacology and molecular docking to analyze the mechanism of P. ternata in the treatment of hypertension will help to provide a better scientific basis for the combined use of traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine, and will better help to improve the quality of P. ternata and point out its direction.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuepeng Jiang ◽  
Xiaoxuan Zhao ◽  
Jie Yu ◽  
Qiao Wang ◽  
Chengping Wen ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Sha-Shen-Mai-Dong decoction (SSMD) is a classical prescription widely used in primary Sjogren’s Syndrome (pSS) therapy. This study aims to explore the potential pharmacological mechanism of SSMD on pSS. Methods Active components of SSMD were obtained from Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrative Database and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology databases and targets of SSMD were predicted by Pharmmapper and STITCH database. Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were carried out to explore the function characteristics of SSMD. The expression matrix of microarray of pSS was obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus and we obtained 162 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed to identify the hub targets. Principal component analysis (PCA) and molecular docking were conducted to further elucidate the possibility of SSMD for pSS. Results SSMD contained a total of 1056 active components, corresponding to 88 targets, among which peripheral myelin protein 2(PMP2), androgen receptor (AR) and glutamic acid decarboxylase 1(GAD1) are associated with multiple active components in SSMD and may be the core targets. Moreover, these targets were closely related to tissue pathological injury in SS, such as lacrimal gland, salivary gland and nervous system injury. GO and KEGG analysis showed that 88 targets enriched in REDOX process, transcriptional regulation and negative regulation of apoptosis process. Besides, SSMD may influence the cell proliferation, gene transcription through regulating Ras and cAMP-related signaling pathways. In addition, SSMD may show effects on immune regulation, such as macrophage differentiation, Toll-like receptor 4 signaling pathway and T-helper 1 in SS. Moreover, PPI network suggested that FN1, MMP-9 may be the hub targets in SSMD. Result of PCA and molecular docking analysis further determined the feasibility of SSMD in treating pSS. Conclusion SSMD can regulate multiple biological processes by virtue of its multiple active components, thus showing prominent advantage in the treatment of pSS. The discovery of active ingredients and targets in SSMD provides valuable resources for drug research and development for pSS.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Shuyue Wang ◽  
Fei Guo ◽  
Xiaochen Sun ◽  
Xiao Song ◽  
Yaohui Yuan ◽  
...  

Background. Hypertensive vascular remodeling (HVR) is the pathophysiological basis of hypertension, which is also an important cause of vascular disease and target organ damage. Treatment with Fructus Tribuli (FT), a traditional Chinese medicine, has a positive effect on HVR. However, the pharmacological mechanisms of FT are still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to reveal the potential mechanisms involved in the effects of FT on HVR based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. Materials and Methods. We selected the active compounds and targets of FT according to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and the Swiss Target Prediction database, and the targets of HVR were collected from the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM), GeneCards, and DrugBank databases. The protein-protein interaction network (PPI) was established using the STRING database. Moreover, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses and network analysis were performed to further explore the potential mechanisms. Finally, molecular docking methods were used to evaluate the affinity between the active compounds and the main target. Results. Seventeen active compounds of FT  and 164 potential targets for the treatment of HVR were identified. Component-target and PPI networks were constructed, and 12 main active components and 33 main targets were identified by analyzing the topological parameters. Additionally, GO analysis indicated that the potential targets were enriched in 483 biological processes, 52 cellular components, and 110 molecular functions. KEGG analysis revealed that the potential targets were correlated with 122 pathways, such as the HIF-1 signaling pathway, ErbB signaling pathway, and VEGF signaling pathway. Finally, molecular docking showed that the 12 main active components had a good affinity for the top five main targets. Conclusion. This study demonstrated the multiple compounds, targets, and pathway characteristics of FT in the treatment of HVR. The network pharmacology method provided a novel research approach to analyze potential mechanisms.


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