scholarly journals Network Pharmacology-based Approach to Comparatively Predict the Active Ingredients and Molecular Targets of Compound Xueshuantong Capsule and Hexuemingmu Tablet in the Treatment of Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyan Yao ◽  
Danli Xin ◽  
Zongyi Zhan ◽  
Zijing Li

Abstract Background Compound Xueshuantong capsule (CXC) and Hexuemingmu tablet (HXMMT) are two important Chinese patent medicines (CPMs) frequently used to treat proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), especially when complicated with vitreous hemorrhage (VH). However, a network pharmacology approach to understand the therapeutic mechanisms of these two CPMs in PDR has not been applied. The aim of the study was to identify differences in active ingredients between CXC and HXMMT and to comparatively predict and further analyze the molecular targets shared by these CPMs and PDR. Materials and methods The differentially expressed messenger RNAs (mRNAs) between normal retinal tissues in healthy individuals and active fibrovascular membranes in PDR patients were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The active ingredients of CXC and HXMMT and the targets of these ingredients were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database. The intersections of the CPM (CXC and HXMMT) targets and PDR targets were determined. Then, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed, and the ingredient-target networks, protein-protein interaction networks and KEGG-target (KEGG-T) networks were constructed. Results There CXC contains 4 herbal drugs in CXC, and HXMMT contains 19. Radix salviae is the only herbal drug common to both. CXC had 34 potential therapeutic targets in PDR, while HXMMT had these 34 and 10 additional targets. Both CPMs shared the following main processes: response to reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress, regulation of blood vessel diameter and size, vasoconstriction, smooth muscle contraction, hemostasis and blood coagulation. The shared pathways included the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, TNF signaling pathway, relaxin signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, etc. Conclusions Both CXC and HXMMT include components effective in treating PDR. Radix salviae, the only herbal drug common to both CPMs, contains many useful active ingredients. HXMMT has more therapeutic targets shared by different active ingredients and more abundant gene functions than CXC. Moreover, the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications was the most significantly enriched pathway in both networks. However, these findings should be verified through further research.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Hongyan Yao ◽  
Danli Xin ◽  
Zongyi Zhan ◽  
Zijing Li

Background. Compound Xueshuantong capsule (CXC) and Hexuemingmu tablet (HXMMT) are two important Chinese patent medicines (CPMs) frequently used to treat proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), especially when complicated with vitreous hemorrhage (VH). However, a network pharmacology approach to understand the therapeutic mechanisms of these two CPMs in PDR has not been applied. Objective. To identify differences in the active ingredients between CXC and HXMMT and to comparatively predict and further analyze the molecular targets shared by these CPMs and PDR. Materials and methods. The differentially expressed messenger RNAs (mRNAs) between normal retinal tissues in healthy individuals and active fibrovascular membranes in PDR patients were retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The active ingredients of CXC and HXMMT and the targets of these ingredients were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database. The intersections of the CPM (CXC and HXMMT) targets and PDR targets were determined. Then, Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed, and the ingredient-target networks, protein-protein interaction networks, and KEGG-target (KEGG-T) networks were constructed. Results. CXC contains 4 herbs, and HXMMT contains 19. Radix salviae is the only herb common to both. CXC had 34 potential therapeutic targets in PDR, while HXMMT had these 34 and 10 additional targets. Both CPMs shared the following main processes: response to reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress, regulation of blood vessel diameter and size, vasoconstriction, smooth muscle contraction, hemostasis, and blood coagulation. The shared pathways included the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, TNF signaling pathway, relaxin signaling pathway, and IL-17 signaling pathway. Conclusions. Both CXC and HXMMT include components effective at treating PDR and affect the following main processes: response to reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress, regulation of blood vessels, and blood coagulation. Radix salviae, the only herb common to both CPMs, contains many useful active ingredients. The PDR-CXC and PDR-HXMMT networks shared 34 common genes (RELA, HSPA8, HSP90AA, HSP90AB1, BRCA, EWSR1, CUL7, HNRNPU, MYC, CTNNB1, MDM2, YWHAZ, CDK2, AR, FN1, HUWE1, TP53, TUBB, EP300, GRB2, VCP, MCM2, EEF1A1, NTRK1, TRAF6, EGFR, PRKDC, SRC, HDAC5, APP, ESR1, AKT1, UBC, and COPS5), and the PDR-HXMMT network has 10 additional genes (RNF2, VNL, RPS27, COPS5, XPO1, PARP1, RACK1, YWHAB, and ITGA4). The top 5 pathways with the highest gene ratio in both networks were the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, TNF signaling pathway, relaxin signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, and focal adhesion. Additional pathways such as neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, chemokine signaling pathway, and AMPK signaling pathway were enriched with HXMMT targets. Thus, HXMMT has more therapeutic targets shared by different active ingredients and more abundant gene functions than CXC, which may be two major reasons why HXMMT is more strongly recommended than CXC as an auxiliary treatment for new-onset VH secondary to PDR. However, the underlying mechanisms still need to be further explored.


2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yonghui Yu ◽  
Fang Yang ◽  
Hong Liu

Abstract XiaoLuoWan (XLW) is a classical formula in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that has satisfactory therapeutic effects for uterine fibroids (UFs). However, its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To elucidate the pharmacological actions of XLW in treating UFs, an ingredient–target–disease framework was proposed based on network pharmacology strategies. The active ingredients in XLW and their putative targets were obtained from the TCM systems pharmacology database and analysis platform (TCMSP) and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular mechANism of Traditional Chinese Medicine (BATMAN-TCM) platforms. The known therapeutic targets of UFs were acquired from the DigSee and DrugBank databases. Then, the links between putative XLW targets and therapeutic UF targets were identified to establish interaction networks by Cytoscape. Finally, Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses of overlapping gene targets were performed in the STRING database and visualized in R software. In total, 9 active compounds were obtained from 74 ingredients, with 71 curative targets predicted in XLW. Moreover, 321 known therapeutic targets were closely related to UFs, with 29 targets overlapping with XLW and considered interacting genes. Pathway enrichment revealed that the calcium signaling pathway was significantly enriched and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, cAMP signaling pathway, cancer and vascular smooth muscle contraction pathways, cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway were closely associated with XLW intervention for UFs. In conclusion, the network pharmacology detection identified 9 available chemicals as the active ingredients in XLW that may relieve UFs by regulating 29 target genes involved in the calcium signaling pathway, MAPK pathway and cAMP pathway. Network pharmacology analyses may provide more convincing evidence for the investigation of classical TCM prescriptions, such as XLW.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Meiqi Wei ◽  
He Li ◽  
Qifang Li ◽  
Yi Qiao ◽  
Qun Ma ◽  
...  

Background. Gegen Qinlian (GGQL) decoction is a common Chinese herbal compound for the treatment of ulcerative colitis (UC). In this study, we aimed to identify its molecular target and the mechanism involved in UC treatment by network pharmacology and molecular docking. Material and Methods. The active ingredients of Puerariae, Scutellariae, Coptis, and Glycyrrhiza were screened using the TCMSP platform with drug ‐ like   properties   DL ≥ 0.18 and oral   availability   OB ≥ 30 % . To find the intersection genes and construct the TCM compound-disease regulatory network, the molecular targets were determined in the UniProt database and then compared with the UC disease differential genes with P value < 0.005 and ∣ log 2   fold   change ∣ > 1 obtained in the GEO database. The intersection genes were subjected to protein-protein interaction (PPI) construction and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis. After screening the key active ingredients and target genes, the AutoDock software was used for molecular docking, and the best binding target was selected for molecular docking to verify the binding activity. Results. A total of 146 active compounds were screened, and quercetin, kaempferol, wogonin, and stigmasterol were identified as the active ingredients with the highest associated targets, and NOS2, PPARG, and MMP1 were the targets associated with the maximum number of active ingredients. Through topological analysis, 32 strongly associated proteins were found, of which EGFR, PPARG, ESR1, HSP90AA1, MYC, HSPA5, AR, AKT1, and RELA were predicted targets of the traditional Chinese medicine, and PPARG was also an intersection gene. It was speculated that these targets were the key to the use of GGQL in UC treatment. GO enrichment results showed significant enrichment of biological processes, such as oxygen levels, leukocyte migration, collagen metabolic processes, and nutritional coping. KEGG enrichment showed that genes were particularly enriched in the IL-17 signaling pathway, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway, toll-like receptor signaling pathway, tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway, transcriptional deregulation in cancer, and other pathways. Molecular docking results showed that key components in GGQL had good potential to bind to the target genes MMP3, IL1B, NOS2, HMOX1, PPARG, and PLAU. Conclusion. GGQL may play a role in the treatment of ulcerative colitis by anti-inflammation, antioxidation, and inhibition of cancer gene transcription.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mingxu Zhang ◽  
Jiawei Yang ◽  
Xiulan Zhao ◽  
Ying Zhao ◽  
Siquan Zhu

AbstractDiabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of irreversible blindness globally. Qidengmingmu Capsule (QC) is a Chinese patent medicine used to treat DR, but the molecular mechanism of the treatment remains unknown. In this study, we identified and validated potential molecular mechanisms involved in the treatment of DR with QC via network pharmacology and molecular docking methods. The results of Ingredient-DR Target Network showed that 134 common targets and 20 active ingredients of QC were involved. According to the results of enrichment analysis, 2307 biological processes and 40 pathways were related to the treatment effects. Most of these processes and pathways were important for cell survival and were associated with many key factors in DR, such as vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA), hypoxia-inducible factor-1A (HIF-1Α), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα). Based on the results of the PPI network and KEGG enrichment analyses, we selected AKT1, HIF-1α, VEGFA, TNFα and their corresponding active ingredients for molecular docking. According to the molecular docking results, several key targets of DR (including AKT1, HIF-1α, VEGFA, and TNFα) can form stable bonds with the corresponding active ingredients of QC. In conclusion, through network pharmacology methods, we found that potential biological mechanisms involved in the alleviation of DR by QC are related to multiple biological processes and signaling pathways. The molecular docking results also provide us with sound directions for further experiments.


Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 1245
Author(s):  
Shu Zhang ◽  
Qi Ge ◽  
Liang Chen ◽  
Keping Chen

Diabetes mellitus (DM), as a chronic disease caused by insulin deficiency or using obstacles, is gradually becoming a principal worldwide health problem. Pueraria lobata is one of the traditional Chinese medicinal and edible plants, playing roles in improving the cardiovascular system, lowering blood sugar, anti-inflammation, anti-oxidation, and so on. Studies on the hypoglycemic effects of Pueraria lobata were also frequently reported. To determine the active ingredients and related targets of Pueraria lobata for DM, 256 metabolites were identified by LC/MS non targeted metabonomics, and 19 active ingredients interacting with 51 DM-related targets were screened. The results showed that puerarin, quercetin, genistein, daidzein, and other active ingredients in Pueraria lobata could participate in the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway, insulin resistance, HIF-1 signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway by acting on VEGFA, INS, INSR, IL-6, TNF and AKT1, and may regulate type 2 diabetes, inflammation, atherosis and diabetes complications, such as diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, and diabetic cardiomyopathy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 239-256
Author(s):  
Qian Wang ◽  
Lijing Du ◽  
Jiana Hong ◽  
Zhenlin Chen ◽  
Huijian Liu ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: Shanmei Capsule is a famous preparation in China. However, the related mechanism of Shanmei Capsule against hyperlipidemia has yet to be revealed. OBJECTIVE: To elucidate underlying mechanism of Shanmei Capsule against hyperlipidemia through network pharmacology approach and molecular docking. METHODS: Active ingredients, targets of Shanmei Capsule as well as targets for hyperlipidemia were screened based on database. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment were performed via Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) 6.8 database. Ingredient-target-disease-pathway network was visualized utilizing Cytoscape software and molecular docking was performed by Autodock Vina. RESULTS: Seventeen active ingredients in Shanmei Capsule were screened out with a closely connection with 34 hyperlipidemia-related targets. GO analysis revealed 40 biological processes, 5 cellular components and 29 molecular functions. A total of 15 signal pathways were enriched by KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. The docking results indicated that the binding activities of key ingredients for PPAR-α are equivalent to that of the positive drug lifibrate. CONCLUSIONS: The possible molecular mechanism mainly involved PPAR signaling pathway, Bile secretion and TNF signaling pathway via acting on MAPK8, PPARγ, MMP9, PPARα, FABP4 and NOS2 targets.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 2217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Parviz Mammadzada ◽  
Juliette Bayle ◽  
Johann Gudmundsson ◽  
Anders Kvanta ◽  
Helder André

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can provide insight into the pathophysiological states of ocular tissues such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). In this study, differences in miRNA expression in vitreous from PDR patients with and without incidence of recurrent vitreous hemorrhage (RVH) after the initial pars-plana vitrectomy (PPV) were analyzed, with the aim of identifying biomarkers for RVH. Fifty-four consented vitreous samples were analyzed from patients undergoing PPV for PDR, of which eighteen samples underwent a second surgery due to RVH. Ten of the sixty-six expressed miRNAs (miRNAs-19a, -20a, -22, -27a, -29a, -93, -126, -128, -130a, and -150) displayed divergences between the PDR vitreous groups and to the control. A significant increase in the miRNA-19a and -27a expression was determined in PDR patients undergoing PPV as compared to the controls. miRNA-20a and -93 were significantly upregulated in primary PPV vitreous samples of patients afflicted with RVH. Moreover, this observed upregulation was not significant between the non-RVH and control group, thus emphasizing the association with RVH incidence. miRNA-19a and -27a were detected as putative vitreous biomarkers for PDR, and elevated levels of miRNA-20a and -93 in vitreous with RVH suggest their biomarker potential for major PDR complications such as recurrent hemorrhage incidence.


2010 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 308-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua Yan ◽  
Jing Cui ◽  
Yingjuan Lu ◽  
Jinguo Yu ◽  
Song Chen ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiye Chen ◽  
Yongjian Zhang ◽  
Yongcheng Wang ◽  
Ping Jiang ◽  
Guofeng Zhou ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Guizhi decoction (GZD), a classical Chinese herbal formula, has been widely used to treat hypertension, but its underlying mechanisms remain elusive. The present study aimed to explore the potential mechanisms and therapeutic effects of GZD on hypertension by integrating network pharmacology and experimental validation. Methods The active ingredients and corresponding targets were collected from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP). The targets related to hypertension were identified from the CTD, GeneCards, OMIM and Drugbank databases. Multiple networks were constructed to identify the key compounds, hub targets, and main biological processes and pathways of GZD against hypertension. The Surflex-Dock software was used to validate the binding affinity between key targets and their corresponding active compounds. The Dahl salt-sensitive rat model was used to evaluate the therapeutic effects of GZD against hypertension. Results A total of 112 active ingredients, 222 targets of GZD and 341 hypertension-related targets were obtained. Furthermore, 56 overlapping targets were identified, five of which were determined as the hub targets for experimental verification, including interleukin 6 (IL-6), C–C motif chemokine 2 (CCL2), IL-1β, matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2), and MMP-9. Pathway enrichment analysis results indicated that 56 overlapping targets were mainly enriched in several inflammation pathways such as the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling pathway and nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) signaling pathway. Molecular docking confirmed that most active compounds of GZD could bind tightly to the key targets. Experimental studies revealed that the administration of GZD improved blood pressure, reduced the area of cardiac fibrosis, and inhibited the expression of IL-6, CCL2, IL-1β, MMP-2 and MMP-9 in rats. Conclusion The potential mechanisms and therapeutic effects of GZD on hypertension may be attributed to the regulation of cardiac inflammation and fibrosis.


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