scholarly journals Medical Significance of Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma Patients Infected With SARS-CoV-2 and Pharmacological Characteristics of Plumbagin

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongming Li ◽  
Songzuo Yu ◽  
Yu Li ◽  
Xiao Liang ◽  
Min Su ◽  
...  

BackgroundClinically, evidence shows that uterine corpus endometrial carcinoma (UCEC) patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) may have a higher death-rate. However, current anti-UCEC/coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) treatment is lacking. Plumbagin (PLB), a pharmacologically active alkaloid, is an emerging anti-cancer inhibitor. Accordingly, the current report was designed to identify and characterize the anti-UCEC function and mechanism of PLB in the treatment of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 via integrated in silico analysis.MethodsThe clinical analyses of UCEC and COVID-19 in patients were conducted using online-accessible tools. Meanwhile, in silico methods including network pharmacology and biological molecular docking aimed to screen and characterize the anti-UCEC/COVID-19 functions, bio targets, and mechanisms of the action of PLB.ResultsThe bioinformatics data uncovered the clinical characteristics of UCEC patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, including specific genes, health risk, survival rate, and prognostic index. Network pharmacology findings disclosed that PLB-exerted anti-UCEC/COVID-19 effects were achieved through anti-proliferation, inducing cytotoxicity and apoptosis, anti-inflammation, immunomodulation, and modulation of some of the key molecular pathways associated with anti-inflammatory and immunomodulating actions. Following molecular docking analysis, in silico investigation helped identify the anti-UCEC/COVID-19 pharmacological bio targets of PLB, including mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and urokinase-type plasminogen activator (PLAU).ConclusionsBased on the present bioinformatic and in silico findings, the clinical characterization of UCEC/COVID-19 patients was revealed. The candidate, core bio targets, and molecular pathways of PLB action in the potential treatment of UCEC/COVID-19 were identified accordingly.

Jurnal Kimia ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 221
Author(s):  
N. M. P. Susanti ◽  
N. P. L. Laksmiani ◽  
N. K. M. Noviyanti ◽  
K. M. Arianti ◽  
I K. Duantara

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory disease that begins with endothelial dysfunction, it caused fat accumulation and plaque growth in the inner arteries walls. Endothelial dysfunction will activate the Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathway involving ERK1, ERK2, JNK1, JNK2, and p38MAPK proteins, as well as the Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-kB) pathway involving IKK proteins. Terpinen-4-ol is constituent found in the bangle rhizome. The purpose of this study were to determine the affinity and mechanisms of terpinen-4-ol against ERK1, ERK2, JNK1, JNK2, and p38MAPK proteins as anti-inflammatory in atherosclerosis performed using molecular docking method. The study was conducted exploratively with several steps such as preparation and optimization of terpinen-4-ol structure, preparation of 3D ERK1, ERK2, JNK1, JNK2, and p38MAPK proteins, validation method of molecular docking, and docking terpinen-4-ol in these proteins. The docking result are assessed from the binding energy and hydrogen bonds formed between terpinen-4-ol and proteins. The smaller value of binding energy terpinen-4-ol with target proteins showed the complex that form more stable. The result showed that terpinen-4-ol and has activity in inhibiting the inflammatory process because it is able to disturb ERK1, ERK2, JNK1, JNK2, and p38MAPK proteins with respective bond energy values -5,12; -5,24; -5,08; -5,88; and -4,99 Kcal/mol. The molecular mechanism in inhibiting the activity of ERK1, ERK2, JNK1, JNK2, and p38MAPK proteins is through the formation of hydrogen bonds in these proteins. These results show that terpinen-4-ol have the potential to inhibit inflammatory process and the formation of atherosclerotic plaque can be obstructed. Keywords : atherosclerosis, terpinen-4-ol, molecular docking, in silico


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Jinyuan Chang ◽  
Lixing Liu ◽  
Yaohan Wang ◽  
Yutong Sui ◽  
Hao Li ◽  
...  

Gu-tong formula (GTF) has achieved good curative effects in the treatment of cancer-related pain. However, its potential mechanisms have not been explored. We used network pharmacology and molecular docking to investigate the molecular mechanism and the effective compounds of the prescription. Through the analysis and research in this paper, we obtained 74 effective compounds and 125 drug-disease intersection targets to construct a network, indicating that quercetin, kaempferol, and β-sitosterol were possibly the most important compounds in GTF. The key targets of GTF for cancer-related pain were Jun proto-oncogene (JUN), mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), and RELA proto-oncogene (RELA). 2204 GO entries and 148 pathways were obtained by GO and KEGG enrichment, respectively, which proved that chemokine, MAPK, and transient receptor potential (TRP) channels can be regulated by GTF. The results of molecular docking showed that stigmasterol had strong binding activity with arginine vasopressin receptor 2 (AVPR2) and C-X3-C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CX3CL1) and cholesterol was more stable with p38 MAPK, prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), and transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1). In conclusion, the therapeutic effect of GTF on cancer-related pain is based on the comprehensive pharmacological effect of multicomponent, multitarget, and multichannel pathways. This study provides a theoretical basis for further experimental research in the future.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-xiong Gan ◽  
Lin-kun Zhong ◽  
Fei Shen ◽  
Jian-hua Feng ◽  
Ya-yi Li ◽  
...  

Purpose:Prunella vulgaris (PV), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used to treat patients with thyroid disease for centuries in China. The purpose of the present study was to investigate its bioactive ingredients and mechanisms against Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology to provide some basis for experimental research.Methods: Ingredients of the PV formula were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database. Additionally, HT-related genes were retrieved from the UniProt and GeneCards databases. Cytoscape constructed networks for visualization. A protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was constructed, and a PPI network was built using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING) database. These key targets of PV were enriched and analyzed by molecular docking verification, Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment.Results: The compound–target network included 11 compounds and 66 target genes. Key targets contained Jun proto-oncogene (JUN), hsp90aa1.1 (AKI), mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), and tumor protein p53 (TP53). The main pathways included the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway, the TNF signaling pathway, the PI3K–Akt signaling pathway, and the mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway. The molecular docking results revealed that the main compound identified in the Prunella vulgaris was luteolin, followed by kaempferol, which had a strong affinity for HT.Conclusion: Molecular docking studies indicated that luteolin and kaempferol were bioactive compounds of PV and might play an essential role in treating HT by regulating multiple signaling pathways.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. 1934578X2097291
Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Yi Xie ◽  
Bing Yu ◽  
Chong Yuan ◽  
Zixin Yuan ◽  
...  

Shu-Feng-Jie-Du Capsules (SFJDCs) have been clinically proven to have a good therapeutic effect on COVID-19 in China. This study aimed to analyze the common mechanisms of SFJDC in the treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and COVID-19 via network pharmacology and molecular docking. We further explored the potential application value of SFJDC in the treatment of coronavirus infection. All components of SFJDC were collected from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform. The viral associated targets of the active components were forecast using the Pharmmapper database and GeneCards. The Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery and KOBAS 3.0 system were used for gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis of SFJDC’s core targets. Further, the protein–protein interaction network was built using STRING database. The herb–component network and component–target–pathway network were constructed using Cytoscape 3.7.2. The core active components of SFJDC were docked with core targets and COVID-19 coronavirus 3 Cl hydrolase and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) via Discovery Studio 2016 software. A total of 110 active components were filtered from SFJDC, with 47 core targets, including epidermal growth factor receptor, mitogen-activated protein kinase 1, mitogen-activated protein kinase 3, and interleukin 6. There were 416 GO items in the GO enrichment analysis ( P < .05) and 57 signaling pathways ( P < .05) in KEGG, mainly including pathways in cancer, pancreatic cancer, colorectal cancer, apoptosis, and neurotrophin signaling pathway, among others. The results of molecular docking showed that luteolin and rhein had a higher docking score with 3 Cl, ACE2, and core targets of SFJDC for antiviral effect. SFJDC is characterized by multicomponent, multitarget, and multisignaling pathways for the treatment of coronavirus infection. The mechanism of action of SFJDC in the treatment of MERS, SARS, and COVID-19 may be associated with the regulation of genes coexpressed with ACE2 and immune- related signaling pathways.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Xiangjun Qi ◽  
Hongbin Xu ◽  
Peng Zhang ◽  
Guoming Chen ◽  
Zhiqiang Chen ◽  
...  

Background. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common gastrointestinal tumors, which accounts for approximately 10% of all diagnosed cancers and cancer deaths worldwide per year. Scutellariae barbatae Herba (SBH) is one of the most frequently used traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the treatment of CRC. Although many experiments have been carried out to explain the mechanisms of SBH, the mechanisms of SBH have not been illuminated fully. Thus, we constructed a network pharmacology and molecular docking to investigate the mechanisms of SBH. Methods. We adopted active constituent prescreening, target predicting, protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, differentially expressed gene analysis, and molecular docking to establish a system pharmacology database of SBH against CRC. Results. A total of 64 active constituents of SBH were obtained and 377 targets were predicted, and the result indicated that quercetin, luteolin, wogonin, and apigenin were the main active constituents of SBH. Glucocorticoid receptor (NR3C1), pPhosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha isoform (PIK3CA), cellular tumor antigen p53 (TP53), transcription factor AP-1 (JUN), mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), Myc protooncogene protein (MYC), cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), and broad substrate specificity ATP-binding cassette transporter ABCG2 (ABCG2) were the major targets of SBH in the treatment of CRC. GO analysis illustrated that the core biological process regulated by SBH was the regulation of the cell cycle. Thirty pathways were presented and 8 pathways related to CRC were involved. Molecular docking presented the binding details of 3 key targets with 6 active constituents. Conclusions. The mechanisms of SBH against CRC depend on the synergistic effect of multiple active constituents, multiple targets, and multiple pathways.


2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Mohd Fakharul Zaman Raja Yahya ◽  
Hasidah Mohd Sidek

Malaria parasites, Plasmodium can infect a wide range of hosts including humans and rodents. There are two copies of mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in Plasmodium, namely MAPK1 and MAPK2. The MAPKs have been studied extensively in the human Plasmodium, P. falciparum. However, the MAPKs from other Plasmodium species have not been characterized and it is therefore the premise of presented study to characterize the MAPKs from other Plasmodium species-P. vivax, P. knowlesi, P. berghei, P. chabaudi and P.yoelli using a series of publicly available bioinformatic tools. In silico data indicates that all Plasmodium MAPKs are nuclear-localized and contain both a nuclear localization signal (NLS) and a Leucine-rich nuclear export signal (NES). The activation motifs of TDY and TSH were found to be fully conserved in Plasmodium MAPK1 and MAPK2, respectively. The detailed manual inspection of a multiple sequence alignment (MSA) construct revealed a total of 17 amino acid stack patterns comprising of different amino acids present in MAPKJ and MAPK2 respectively, with respect to rodent and human Plasmodia. It is proposed that these amino acid stack patterns may be useful in explaining the disparity between rodent and human Plasmodium MAPKs. 


2013 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. BBI.S12449 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajit K. Sharma ◽  
Abhilasha Mansukh ◽  
Ashok Varma ◽  
Nikhil Gadewal ◽  
Sanjay Gupta

Histone modifications occur in precise patterns, with several modifications known to affect the binding of proteins. These interactions affect the chromatin structure, gene regulation, and cell cycle events. The dual modifications on the H3 tail, serine10 phosphorylation, and lysine14 acetylation (H3Ser10PLys14Ac) are reported to be crucial for interaction with 14-3-3ζ. However, the mechanism by which H3Ser10P along with neighboring site-specific acetylation(s) is targeted by its regulatory proteins, including kinase and phosphatase, is not fully understood. We carried out molecular modeling studies to understand the interaction of 14-3-3ζ, and its regulatory proteins, mitogen-activated protein kinase phosphatase-1 (MKP1), and mitogen- and stress-activated protein kinase-1 (MSK1) with phosphorylated H3Ser10 alone or in combination with acetylated H3Lys9 and Lys14. In silico molecular association studies suggested that acetylated Lys14 and phosphorylated Ser10 of H3 shows the highest binding affinity towards 14-3-3ζ. In addition, acetylation of H3Lys9 along with Ser10PLys14Ac favors the interaction of the phosphatase, MKP1, for dephosphorylation of H3Ser10P. Further, MAP kinase, MSK1 phosphorylates the unmodified H3Ser10 containing N-terminal tail with maximum affinity compared to the N-terminal tail with H3Lys9AcLys14Ac. The data clearly suggest that opposing enzymatic activity of MSK1 and MKP1 corroborates with non-acetylated and acetylated, H3Lys9Lys14, respectively. Our in silico data highlights that site-specific phosphorylation (H3Ser10P) and acetylation (H3Lys9 and H3Lys14) of H3 are essential for the interaction with their regulatory proteins (MKP1, MSK1, and 14-3-3ζ) and plays a major role in the regulation of chromatin structure.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sudeep Gaudi ◽  
Jane L. Messina

Intensive research in recent years has begun to unlock the mysteries surrounding the molecular pathogenesis of melanoma, the deadliest of skin cancers. The high-penetrance, low-frequency susceptibility gene CDKN2A produces tumor suppressor proteins that function in concert with p53 and retinoblastoma protein to thwart melanomagenesis. Aberrant CDKN2A gene products have been implicated in a great many cases of familial cutaneous melanoma. Sporadic cases, on the other hand, often involve constitutive signal transduction along the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, with particular focus falling upon mutated RAS and RAF protooncogenes. The proliferative effects of the MAPK pathway may be complemented by the antiapoptotic signals of the PI3K/AKT pathway. After skin, melanoma most commonly affects the eye. Data for the constitutive activation of the MAPK pathway in uveal melanoma exists as well, however, not through mutations of RAS and RAF. Rather, evidence implicates the proto-oncogene GNAQ. In the following discussion, we review the major molecular pathways implicated in both familial and sporadic cutaneous melanomagenesis, the former accounting for approximately 10% of cases. Additionally, we discuss the molecular pathways for which preliminary evidence suggests a role in uveal melanomagenesis.


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