scholarly journals Network Pharmacology Revealed the mechanism of Platycodon grandiflorum in Lung Cancer Treatment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiang-Jing Chen ◽  
Ran Zhang ◽  
Ren-Zhong Wang ◽  
Cheng-Fang Yao

Abstract Background: Traditional Chinese Medicine has demonstrated increasingly unique advantages in the treatment of lung cancer. Through literature review, it was found out that Platycodon grandiflorum had immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects, and it had a special targeting effect on the lung. Purpose:In order to determine the molecular mechanism of Platycodon grandiflorum in lung cancer treatment. Network pharmacology theory was used to do a systematic study.Methods: The active compounds of Platycodon grandiflorum were screened from TCMSP database. Then, compounds targets were predicted with the assistance of Swiss Target Prediction and STITCH. The targets of lung cancer were screened form TTD and DisGeNET database. The common targets of compounds and lung cancer were screened out for following analysis. A Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) Network was constructed by STRING. Subsequent to topological analysis, the hub targets were screened out for KEGG pathway and GO Enrichment. Molecular docking by AutoVina was performed to investigate the binding ability between the hub targets and compounds. Results: There were 4 active compounds screened out, including Acacetin, Spinasterol, cis-Dihydroquercetin and Luteolin. There were 80 targets screened as the common target of compounds and lung cancer. After topological analysis TP53, AKT1, VEGFA, CASP3, IL6, EGFR and MAPK1 were identified as hub targets. The 7 hub targets might be involved in 81 biological annotation and in the regulation of 23 pathways to intervene lung cancer. The main functional annotation was negative regulation of apoptotic process. Almost all of the pathways were directly or indirectly associated with the PI3K-Akt signal pathway and MAPK signal pathway. According to Affinity score of molecular docking the best binding protein for Luteolin was EGFR, and the best binding protein for Acacetin was CASP3. This meant that the Platycodon grandiflorum was easier to combine these two targets than other targets.Conclusion: Our study affirmed the effectiveness of Platycodon grandiflorum in treatment of lung cancer from molecular level. And we found that EGFR and CASP3 were the most likely targets for the direct action of Platycodon grandiflorum. The most important pathways that Platycodon grandiflori might interfere with were PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yaling Deng ◽  
Xianwen Ye ◽  
Yufan Chen ◽  
Hongmin Ren ◽  
Lanting Xia ◽  
...  

Objective: The technology, network pharmacology and molecular docking technology of the ultra performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) were used to explore the potential molecular mechanism of Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) in the treatment of lung cancer (LC).Methods: UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technology was used to analyze the ingredients of PG and the potential LC targets were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology database, and the Analysis Platform (TCMSP), GeneCards and other databases. The interaction network of the drug-disease targets was constructed with the additional use of STRING 11.0. The pathway enrichment analysis was carried out using Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) in Metascape, and then the “Drug-Ingredients-Targets-Pathways-Disease” (D-I-T-P-D) network was constructed using Cytoscape v3.7.1. Finally, the Discovery Studio 2016 (DS) software was used to evaluate the molecular docking.Results: Forty-seven compounds in PG, including triterpenoid saponins, steroidal saponins and flavonoids, were identified and nine main bioactive components including platycodin D were screened. According to the method of data mining, 545 potential drug targets and 2,664 disease-related targets were collected. The results of topological analysis revealed 20 core targets including caspase 3 (CASP3) and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) suggesting that the potential signaling pathway potentially involved in the treatment of LC included MAPK signaling pathway and P13K-AKT signaling pathway. The results of molecular docking proved that the bound of the ingredients with potential key targets was excellent.Conclusion: The results in this study provided a novel insight in the exploration of the mechanism of action of PG against LC.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoling Li ◽  
Baixin Lin ◽  
Zhiping Lin ◽  
Yucui Ma ◽  
Qu Wang ◽  
...  

AbstractFucosterol, a sterol isolated from brown algae, has been demonstrated to have anti-cancer properties. However, the effects and underlying molecular mechanism of fucosterol on non-small cell lung cancer remain to be elucidated. In this study, the corresponding targets of fucosterol were obtained from PharmMapper, and NSCLC related targets were gathered from the GeneCards database, and the candidate targets of fucosterol-treated NSCLC were predicted. The mechanism of fucosterol against NSCLC was identified in DAVID6.8 by enrichment analysis of GO and KEGG, and protein–protein interaction data were collected from STRING database. The hub gene GRB2 was further screened out and verified by molecular docking. Moreover, the relationship of GRB2 expression and immune infiltrates were analyzed by the TIMER database. The results of network pharmacology suggest that fucosterol acts against candidate targets, such as MAPK1, EGFR, GRB2, IGF2, MAPK8, and SRC, which regulate biological processes including negative regulation of the apoptotic process, peptidyl-tyrosine phosphorylation, positive regulation of cell proliferation. The Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway initiated by GRB2 showed to be significant in treating NSCLC. In conclusion, our study indicates that fucosterol may suppress NSCLC progression by targeting GRB2 activated the Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway, which laying a theoretical foundation for further research and providing scientific support for the development of new drugs.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dianna Liu ◽  
Shicheng Lin ◽  
Yuan Li ◽  
Tian Zhou ◽  
Kaiwen Hu ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundLung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is one of the most common malignancies with a rise in new cases worldwide each year. Recurrence significantly influences the survival in patients with LUAD. Yin-Huo-Tang (YHT) is a classic traditional Chinese prescription, used to prevent lung cancer relapse by “nourishing yin and clearing heat”. MethodsIn this study, the mechanism of YHT in LUAD recurrence was investigated. Firstly, the bioactive compounds-targets network and the protein–protein interaction network were constructed, and functional annotation and pathway enrichment analyses were performed. Pivotal compounds and hub genes were selected from the networks. Subsequently, the effectiveness of YHT was confirmed in lewis lung carcinoma mice. RNA sequencing was used to explore the mRNA expression differences between tumor tissues in the model mouses and YHT-treated mouses. The pathways screened by network pharmacology and RNA sequencing analysis at the same time were considered the most important pathways. At last, qualitative phytochemical analysis, molecular docking technology, PCR and WB analysis were used to validate the pivotal active ingredients, hub genes and main pathways.ResultsThere were 128 active compounds, 419 targets interacting with LUAD recurrence. Network analysis identified 4 pivotal compounds, 28 hub genes and 30 main pathways. Target genes mainly focused on inflammation, metabolism, immune responses and apoptosis. We confirmed that YHT could inhibit the recurrence of lung adenocarcinoma through animal experimental study. Sphingolipid signaling pathway was the common main pathway in network pharmacology and RNA sequencing results. The hub genes related with the sphingolipid signaling pathway was S1PR5. Qualitative phytochemical analysis of the water extract of YHT confirmed the presence of 3 pivotal compounds, namely stigmasterol, nootkatone and ergotamine. The results of molecular docking verified the pivotal compounds of YHT could good affinity with the S1PR5. The PCR and WB analysis verified YHT suppressed lewis lung cancer cells proliferation by inhibiting S1P/S1PR5/Gi/Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway, and inhibited migration through S1P/S1PR5/Gi/PI3K/RAC pathway.ConclusionThe results confirmed the therapeutic effect of YHT on the recurrence of LUAD by multi-component-multi-target mode, the sphingolipid signaling pathway was one of the most relevant potential signaling pathways.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rong-Bin Chen ◽  
Ying-Dong Yang ◽  
Kai Sun ◽  
Shan Liu ◽  
Wei Guo ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) is a global chronic and metabolic bone disease, which poses huge challenges to individuals and society. Ziyin Tongluo Formula (ZYTLF) has been proved effective in the treatment of PMOP. However, the material basis and mechanism of ZYLTF against PMOP have not been thoroughly elucidated.Methods: Online databases were used to identify the active ingredients of ZYTLF and corresponding putative targets. Genes associated with PMOP were mined, and then mapped with the putative targets to obtain overlapping genes. Multiple networks were constructed and analyzed, from which the key genes were selected. The key genes were imported to the DAVID database to performs GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Finally, AutoDock Tools and other software were used for molecular docking of core compounds and key proteins. Results: Ninety-two active compounds of ZYTLF corresponded to 243 targets, with 129 target genes interacting with PMOP, and 50 key genes were selected. Network analysis showed the top 5 active ingredients including quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, scutellarein, and formononetin., and the top 50 key genes such as VEGFA, MAPK8, AKT1, TNF, ESR1. Enrichment analysis uncovered two significant types of KEGG pathways in PMOP, hormone-related signaling pathways (estrogen , prolactin, and thyroid hormone signaling pathway) and inflammation-related pathways (TNF, PI3K-Akt, and MAPK signaling pathway). Moreover, molecular docking analysis verified that the main active compounds were tightly bound to the core proteins, further confirming the anti-PMOP effects. Conclusions: Based on network pharmacology and molecular docking technology, this study initially revealed the mechanisms of ZYTLF on PMOP, which involves multiple targets and multiple pathways.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuo Zhang ◽  
Jiang-lin Xu ◽  
Ming-qing Wei ◽  
Ting Li ◽  
Jing Shi

Abstract Background and objective: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been a worldwide problem, not only the treatment but also the prevention. As a commonly used Chinese Herbal Formula, Xixin Decoction (XXD) has significant therapeutic effect on AD but without clear mechanism. This study was aimed to predict the main active compounds and targets of XXD in the treatment of AD and to explore the potential mechanism by using network pharmacology and molecular docking. Methods: The compounds of XXD were searched in the TCMSP and the TCMID database, and the active compounds were screened based on the ADME model and SwissADME platform. SwissTargetPrediction platform was used to search for the primary candidate targets of XXD. The common targets related to AD obtained by two databases (GeneCards and DisGeNET) were determined as candidate proteins involved in AD. To acquire the related targets of XXD in the treatment of AD, the target proteins related to AD were intersected with the predicted targets of XXD. Then these overlapping targets were imported into the STRING database to build PPI network including hub targets; Cytoscape 3.7.2 software was used to construct the topology analysis for the herb-compound-target network diagram while one of it’s plug-in called CytoNCA was used to calculate degree value to screen the main active compounds of XXD. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were conducted to explore the core mechanism of action and biological pathways associated with the decoction via Metascape platform. We used AutoDock Vina and PyMOL 2.4.0 softwares for molecular docking of hub targets and main compounds.Results: We determined 114 active compounds which meet the conditions of ADME screening, 973 drug targets, and 973 disease targets. However, intersection analysis screened out 208 shared targets. PPI network identified 9 hub targets, including TP53, PIK3CA, MAPK1, MAPK3, STAT3, AKT1, etc. The 10 main active compounds play a major role in treatment of AD by XXD. Hub targets were found to be enriched in 10 KEGG pathways, involving the Pathways in cancer, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, Alzheimer's disease, Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, Dopaminergic synapse, Serotonergic synapse and MAPK signaling pathway. The docking results indicated that the 8 hub targets exhibit good binding activity with the 9 main active compounds of XXD.Conclusions: We found the advantages of multi-compounds-multi-targets-multi-pathways regulation to reveal the mechanism of XXD for treating AD based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. Our study provided a theorical basis for further clinical application and experimental research of XXD for anti-AD in the future.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiqiang Chen ◽  
Tong Lin ◽  
Xiaozhong Liao ◽  
Zeyun Li ◽  
Ruiting Lin ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Cholangiocarcinoma refers to an epithelial cell malignancy with poor prognosis. Yinchenhao decoction (YCHD) showed positive effects on cancers, and associations between YCHD and cholangiocarcinoma remain unclear. This study aimed to screen out the effective active components of Yinchenhao decoction (YCHD) using network pharmacology, estimate their potential targets, screen out the pathways, as well as delve into the potential mechanisms on treating cholangiocarcinoma. Methods: By the traditional Chinese medicine system pharmacology database and analysis platform (TCMSP) as well as literature review, the major active components and their corresponding targets were estimated and screened out. Using the software Cytoscape 3.6.0, a visual network was established using the active components of YCHD and the targets of cholangiocarcinoma. Based on STRING online database, the protein interaction network of vital targets was built and analyzed. With the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) server, the gene ontology (GO) biological processes and the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) signaling pathways of the targets enrichment were performed. The AutoDock Vina was used to perform molecular docking and calculate the binding affinity. The PyMOL software was utilized to visualize the docking results of active compounds and protein targets. In vivo experiment, the IC50 values and apoptosis rate in PI-A cells were detected using CCK-8 kit and Cell Cycle Detection Kit. The predicted targets were verified by the real-time PCR and western blot methods. Results: 32 effective active components with anti-tumor effects of YCHD were sifted in total, covering 209 targets, 96 of which were associated with cancer. Quercetin, kaempferol, beta-sitosterol, isorhamnetin, and stigmasterol were identified as the vital active compounds, and AKT1, IL6, MAPK1, TP53 as well as VEGFA were considered as the major targets. The molecular docking revealed that these active compounds and targets showed good binding interactions. These 96 putative targets exerted therapeutic effects on cancer by regulating signaling pathways (e.g., hepatitis B, the MAPK signaling pathway, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and MicroRNAs in cancer). Our in vivo experimental results confirmed that YCHD showed therapeutic effects on cholangiocarcinoma by decreasing IC50 values, down-regulating apoptosis rate of cholangiocarcinoma cells, and lowering protein expressions. Conclusion:As predicted by network pharmacology strategy and validated by the experimental results, YCHD exerts anti-tumor effectsthrough multiple components, targets, and pathways, thereby providing novel ideas and clues for the development of preparations and the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huiqin Qian ◽  
Qianqian Jin ◽  
Yichen Liu ◽  
Ning Wang ◽  
Yuru Chu ◽  
...  

Sanmiao pill (SMP), a Chinese traditional formula, had been used to treat gouty arthritis (GA). However, the active compounds and underlying mechanism remained unclear. Hence, network pharmacology and molecular docking were utilized to explore bioactive compounds and potential mechanism of action of SMP in treating GA. In the study, the compounds of SMP, corresponding targets, and GA-related targets were mined from various pharmacological databases. Then, herb-compound-target, compound-target, PPI, and target-pathway networks were constructed. Ultimately, molecular docking was carried out to verify the predicted results. The results indicated that 47 active compounds, 338 targets, and 144 disease targets were collected. Network analysis implied that Phellodendron chinense Schneid. played a vital role in the whole formula. Moreover, 7 compounds (quercetin, kaempferol, wogonin, rutaecarpine, baicalein, beta-sitosterol, and stigmasterol) and 4 targets (NFKB1, RELA, MAPK1, and TNF) might be the kernel compounds and targets of SMP against GA. According to GOBP and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis and target-pathway network, SMP might exert a therapeutic role in GA by regulating numerous biological processes and pathways, including lipopolysaccharide-mediated signaling pathway, positive regulation of transcription, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, JAK-STAT signaling pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway. The results of molecular docking showcased that 11 pairs of compound with targets had tight binding strength. Thereinto, 4 compounds of MAPK1 and 5 compounds of NFKB1 possessed a better combination, suggesting that MAPK1 and NFKB1 might be considered as therapeutic targets in treatment of GA. This study verified that SMP had synergistic effect on GA by multicomponents, multitargets, and multipathways.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengqiu Wei ◽  
Jun Liu ◽  
Jun Lai ◽  
Meifang Leng ◽  
Zebing Ye ◽  
...  

Abstract Baolier Capsule (BLEC) is a Traditional Mongolian Medicine comprising of fifteen herbs. In China, this medicine has been used to treat CAD for many years. However, the molecular mechanism of BLEC in the treatment of CAD is not yet fully understood. Hence, this study aims to illustrate the synergistic mechanism of BLEC in the treatment of CAD by using network pharmacology method and molecular docking. Searching and screening the active ingredients of different herbs in BLEC and target genes related to CAD in multiple databases. Subsequently, STRING and Cytoscape were used to analyze and construct the PPI network. In addition, clustering and topological analysis are used to analyze the PPI network. Then, using R project for GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. Finally, AutoDock was used to verify the binding ability between the active ingredient and the key target through molecular docking. There are 144 active components and 80 CAD-related targets that are identified in BLEC in the treatment of CAD. What is more, 8 core genes (AKT1, EGFR, FOS, etc.) were obtained by clustering and topological analysis. Further, GO and KEGG analysis showed that fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis is the key pathways for RWW to treat CAD. These results were validated by molecular docking method. Our research firstly revealed the basic pharmacological effects and relevant mechanisms of the BLEC in the treatment of CAD. The prediction results might facilitate the development of BLEC or its active compounds as alternative therapy for CAD. Our research first revealed the basic pharmacological effects and related mechanisms of BLEC in the treatment of CAD. The predicted results provide some theoretical support for BLEC or its important active ingredients to treat CAD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Zhencheng Xiong ◽  
Can Zheng ◽  
Yanan Chang ◽  
Kuankuan Liu ◽  
Li Shu ◽  
...  

Objective. The purpose of this work is to study the mechanism of action of Duhuo Jisheng Decoction (DHJSD) in the treatment of osteoporosis based on the methods of bioinformatics and network pharmacology. Methods. In this study, the active compounds of each medicinal ingredient of DHJSD and their corresponding targets were obtained from TCMSP database. Osteoporosis was treated as search query in GeneCards, MalaCards, DisGeNET, Therapeutic Target Database (TTD), Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD), and OMIM databases to obtain disease-related genes. The overlapping targets of DHJSD and osteoporosis were identified, and then GO and KEGG enrichment analysis were performed. Cytoscape was employed to construct DHJSD-compounds-target genes-osteoporosis network and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. CytoHubba was utilized to select the hub genes. The activities of binding of hub genes and key components were confirmed by molecular docking. Results. 174 active compounds and their 205 related potential targets were identified in DHJSD for the treatment of osteoporosis, including 10 hub genes (AKT1, ALB, IL6, MAPK3, VEGFA, JUN, CASP3, EGFR, MYC, and EGF). Pathway enrichment analysis of target proteins indicated that osteoclast differentiation, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, Wnt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, JAK-STAT signaling pathway, calcium signaling pathway, and TNF signaling pathway were the specifically major pathways regulated by DHJSD against osteoporosis. Further verification based on molecular docking results showed that the small molecule compounds (Quercetin, Kaempferol, Beta-sitosterol, Beta-carotene, and Formononetin) contained in DHJSD generally have excellent binding affinity to the macromolecular target proteins encoded by the top 10 genes. Conclusion. This study reveals the characteristics of multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway of DHJSD against osteoporosis and provides novel insights for verifying the mechanism of DHJSD in the treatment of osteoporosis.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Song ◽  
Fei Guo ◽  
Xiao-Chen Sun ◽  
Shu-Yue Wang ◽  
Yao-Hui Yuan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Leukemia was listed by the World Health Organization as one of the five most intractable diseases in the world. The multi-drug resistance (MDR) of leukemia cells limits the efficacy of anti-tumor drugs and is the major reason for the chemotherapy failure and recurrence of leukemia chemotherapy. Some studies have shown that Euphorbiae semen (ES) possesses the characteristics of new therapeutic drugs for MDR. However, the molecular mechanisms and active compounds have not yet been fully clarified. Therefore, there is a need for explore its active compounds and demonstrate its mechanisms through network pharmacology and molecular docking technology.Method: First, the TCMSP database was searched and screened the active compounds of the ES, supplemented with compounds verified by literature, so as to further identify the core compounds in the active ingredient. Simultaneously, the TCMSP and Swiss database were searched to the targets of active compounds, and the targets of reverses leukemia multidrug resistance (RL-MDR) were screened in the relevant databases, such as GeneCards and DrugBank. Then, the targets of active compounds were intersected with RL-MDR targets to obtain potential targets of ES acting on MDR. The compound–target network was constructed by Cytoscape. The target protein–protein interaction network was built using STRING and Cytoscape database. Second, the R language and DAVID database were used to analyse Gene Ontology (GO) biological functions analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) signal pathways enrichment. Finally, molecular docking method was utilized to investigate the binding activity between the core targets and the active compounds of ES.Results: Compound–target network mainly contained 22 compounds and 81 corresponding targets. Finally, seven components in ES were selected and 10 core targets were identified; Key targets contained JUN, CASP3, MAOA, AR, PPARG, DRD2, ADRA2A, CHRM2, PTGS2 and MAPK14. GO enrichment analysis indicated the main biological functions of potential genes of ES in the treatment of MDR. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed the main pathways, mainly including apoptosis, pathways in cancer, p53 signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway and PI3K–Akt signaling pathway. Finally, we chose the top 10 common targets for molecular docking with the 7 active compounds of ES. The results of molecular docking indicated that the compounds of ES, which had good affinity with targets. Conclusion: The molecular mechanism of ES in the treatment of MDR showed the synergistic reaction of multi-compound, multi-target, and multi-pathway of traditional Chinese medicine, which provided ideas for further clinical research.


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