scholarly journals Study of the Active Components and Molecular Mechanism of Tripterygium wilfordii in the Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Wang ◽  
Zheyi Wang ◽  
Zhihua Yang ◽  
Kang Yang ◽  
Hongtao Yang
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Resistance ◽  
Diabetic Nephropathy ◽  
Molecular Mechanism ◽  
Biological Process ◽  
Venn Diagram ◽  
Endothelial Cell Proliferation ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Tripterygium Wilfordii ◽  
Active Ingredients ◽  
Network Diagram

We aimed to explore the active ingredients and molecular mechanism of Tripterygium wilfordii (TW) in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy (DN) through network pharmacology and molecular biology. First, the active ingredients and potential targets of TW were obtained through the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and related literature materials, and Cytoscape 3.7.2 software was used to construct the active ingredient-target network diagram of TW. Second, the target set of DN was obtained through the disease database, and the potential targets of TW in the treatment of DN were screened through a Venn diagram. A protein interaction network diagram (PPI) was constructed with the help of the String platform and Cytoscape 3.7.2. Third, the ClueGO plug-in tool was used to enrich the GO biological process and the KEGG metabolic pathway. Finally, molecular docking experiments and cell pathway analyses were performed. As a result, a total of 52 active ingredients of TW were screened, and 141 predicted targets and 49 target genes related to DN were identified. The biological process of GO is mediated mainly through the regulation of oxygen metabolism, endothelial cell proliferation, acute inflammation, apoptotic signal transduction pathway, fibroblast proliferation, positive regulation of cyclase activity, adipocyte differentiation and other biological processes. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the main pathways involved were AGE-RAGE, vascular endothelial growth factor, HIF-1, IL-17, relaxin signalling pathway, TNF, Fc epsilon RI, insulin resistance and other signaling pathways. It can be concluded that TW may treat DN by reducing inflammation, reducing antioxidative stress, regulating immunity, improving vascular disease, reducing insulin resistance, delaying renal fibrosis, repairing podocytes, and reducing cell apoptosis, among others, with multicomponent, multitarget and multisystem characteristics.

scholarly journals Based on Network Pharmacology Tools to Investigate the Molecular Mechanism of Cordyceps sinensis on the Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Yan Li ◽  
Lei Wang ◽  
Bojun Xu ◽  
Liangbin Zhao ◽  
Li Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Insulin Resistance ◽  
Diabetic Nephropathy ◽  
Inflammatory Response ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Cordyceps Sinensis ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Active Ingredients

Background. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus and is a major cause of end-stage kidney disease. Cordyceps sinensis (Cordyceps, Dong Chong Xia Cao) is a widely applied ingredient for treating patients with DN in China, while the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study is aimed at revealing the therapeutic mechanisms of Cordyceps in DN by undertaking a network pharmacology analysis. Materials and Methods. In this study, active ingredients and associated target proteins of Cordyceps sinensis were obtained via Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database (TCMSP) and Swiss Target Prediction platform, then reconfirmed by using PubChem databases. The collection of DN-related target genes was based on DisGeNET and GeneCards databases. A DN-Cordyceps common target interaction network was carried out via the STRING database, and the results were integrated and visualized by utilizing Cytoscape software. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed to determine the molecular mechanisms and therapeutic effects of Cordyceps on the treatment of DN. Results. Seven active ingredients were screened from Cordyceps, 293 putative target genes were identified, and 85 overlapping targets matched with DN were considered potential therapeutic targets, such as TNF, MAPK1, EGFR, ACE, and CASP3. The results of GO and KEGG analyses revealed that hub targets mainly participated in the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, TNF signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, and IL-17 signaling pathway. These targets were correlated with inflammatory response, apoptosis, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and other biological processes. Conclusions. Our study showed that Cordyceps is characterized as multicomponent, multitarget, and multichannel. Cordyceps may play a crucial role in the treatment of DN by targeting TNF, MAPK1, EGFR, ACE, and CASP3 signaling and involved in the inflammatory response, apoptosis, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance.

scholarly journals Molecular mechanism underlying the hypolipidemic effect of Shanmei Capsule based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 239-256
Author(s):  
Qian Wang ◽  
Lijing Du ◽  
Jiana Hong ◽  
Zhenlin Chen ◽  
Huijian Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Docking ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Molecular Mechanism ◽  
Kegg Pathway ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Pathway Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Signal Pathways ◽  
Hypolipidemic Effect ◽  
Active Ingredients ◽  
Pathway Enrichment

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.

scholarly journals Mechanism of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis based on network pharmacology

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoqing Shi ◽  
Haosheng Zhang ◽  
Yue Hu ◽  
Xiaochen Li ◽  
Songjiang Yin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Docking ◽  
Knee Osteoarthritis ◽  
Molecular Mechanism ◽  
Tanshinone Iia ◽  
Inflammatory Factors ◽  
Venn Diagram ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Bioinformatics Analyses ◽  
Salviae Miltiorrhizae ◽  
Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix

Abstract Objective: The molecular mechanism of Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (SMRR) in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) was analyzed based on network pharmacology.Methods: Active components and potential targets of SMRR were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP). KOA targets were obtained from the OMIM, DisGeNET, DrugBank, PharmGKB and GeneCards Databases. The potential targets of SMRR in the treatment of KOA were identified by Venn diagram. A protein-protein interaction network was generated with the STRING database. Visualization of the interactions in a potential pharmacodynamic component-target network was accomplished with Cytoscape software. The DAVID database and R software were used for Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway annotation analyses of common targets. Molecular docking of the potential leading components, as determined by efficacy with the core target molecules, was performed with Discovery Studio.Results: Fifty-seven potential pharmacodynamic components and 58 potential targets of SMRR in the treatment of KOA were found. Bioinformatics analyses showed that the IL-17, HIF-1 and TNF signaling pathways, as well as the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in cases of diabetic complications, are related to the molecular mechanism of SMRR in the treatment of KOA. Molecular docking results showed that luteolin, Tanshinone IIA, Cryptotanshinone and other components of SMRR had strong affinity for MYC, STAT3, CASP3, JUN, CCND1, PTGS2, EGFR, MAPK1, AKT1, VEGFA and other targets.Conclusion: SMRR indirectly regulates IL-17, HIF-1, TNF and other signal transduction pathways by regulating the expression of proteins including PTGS2, MAPK1, EGFR and CASP3, thus playing a role in promoting chondrocyte proliferation, improving microcirculation, eliminating free radicals, and inhibiting inflammatory factors.

scholarly journals Network Pharmacology-Based Strategy for Predicting Therapy Targets of Tripterygium wilfordii on Acute Myeloid Leukemia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tingting Fang ◽  
Lanqin Liu ◽  
wenjun liu
Keyword(s):  
Acute Myeloid Leukemia ◽  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Myeloid Leukemia ◽  
Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Overlapping Genes ◽  
Tripterygium Wilfordii ◽  
Active Ingredients ◽  
Acute Myeloid

Abstract Background. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a common malignant tumor of the hematopoietic system. How to extend the survival time of AML patients and improve their prognosis is still a major medical problem. Chinese medicine has a long history in treating AML. Tripterygium wilfordii (TW) is a traditional Chinese medicine. With the deepening of pharmacological research of traditional Chinese medicine, triptolide, one of its active ingredients, has been proven to have a positive effect on the treatment of AML. Therefore，this study aimed on studying the potential therapeutic targets and pharmacological mechanism of TW in Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) based on network pharmacology.Methods. The active components of TW were obtained by network pharmacology through oral bioavailability, drug-likeness filtration. Comparative analysis was used to study the overlapping genes between active ingredient’s targets and AML treatment-related targets. Using STRING database to analyze interactions between overlapping genes. KEGG pathway analysis and Gene Ontology enrichment analysis were conducted in DAVID. These genes were analyzed for survival in OncoLnc database.Key findings. We screened 53 active ingredients, the results of comparative analysis showed that 8 active ingredients had an effect on AML treatment. Based on the active ingredients and overlapping genes, we constructed the Drug-Compounds-Genes-Disease Network. Survival analysis of overlapping genes indicated that some targets possess a significant influence on patients’ survival and prognosis. The enrichment analysis showed that the main pathways of targets are Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, NF-kappa B signaling pathway and HIF-1 signaling pathway.Conclusion. This study, using a network pharmacologic approach, provides another strategy that can help us to understand the mechanisms by which TW treats AML comprehensively.

scholarly journals Deciphering the Active Ingredients and Molecular Mechanisms of Tripterygium hypoglaucum (Levl.) Hutch against Rheumatoid Arthritis Based on Network Pharmacology

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunbin Jiang ◽  
Mei Zhong ◽  
Fei Long ◽  
Rongping Yang
Keyword(s):  
Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Venn Diagram ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Pathway Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Clinical Effects ◽  
Overlapping Genes ◽  
Active Ingredients ◽  
Tripterygium Hypoglaucum

Tripterygium hypoglaucum (Levl.) Hutch (THH) shows well clinical effect on rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but the active ingredients and molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This work was designed to explore these issues by network pharmacology. Compounds from THH were gathered by retrieving literatures. Compound-related and RA-related genes were identified using databases, and the overlapping genes were identified by Venn diagram. The active ingredients and genes of THH against RA were confirmed by dissecting interactions between overlapping genes and compounds using Cytoscape. SystemsDock website was used to further verify the combining degree of key genes with active ingredients. Pathway enrichment analysis was performed to decipher the mechanisms of THH against RA by Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery. A total of 123 compounds were collected, and 110 compounds-related and 1871 RA-related genes were identified, including 64 overlapping genes. The target genes and active ingredients of THH against RA comprised 64 genes and 17 compounds, the focus of which was PTGS2, triptolide, and celastrol. SystemsDock website indicated that the combing degree of PTGS2 with triptolide or celastrol was very good. The mechanisms of THH against RA were linked to 31 signaling pathways, and the key mechanism was related to inhibition of inflammation response through inactivating TNF and NF-kappa B signaling pathways. This work firstly explored the active ingredients and mechanisms of THH against RA by network pharmacology and provided evidence to support clinical effects of THH on RA.

scholarly journals Uncovering the Mechanism of the Effects of Pien-Tze-Huang on Liver Cancer Using Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Shanghui Liu ◽  
Run Wang ◽  
Yan Lou ◽  
Jia Liu
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Docking ◽  
Liver Cancer ◽  
Molecular Mechanism ◽  
Mechanism Of Action ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Active Ingredients ◽  
The Core ◽  
Molecular Mechanism Of Action ◽  
Pien Tze Huang ◽  
Core Genes

Pien-Tze-Huang (PTH) has a long history in the treatment of liver cancer. However, its molecular mechanism of action remains unclear. TCMSP and TCM were used to collect the active ingredients. Bioactive compounds targets were predicted by reverse pharmacophore models. The antiliver cancer targets of PTH were selected by gene comparison of liver cancer in the GEO database. Molecular docking was used to verify the binding activity of the targets and the active ingredients. The DAVID was used to analyze the gene function and signal pathway. A model was built with Cytoscape. The core genes were obtained by PPI network. We screened the 4 main medicinal ingredients of PTH to obtain 16 active ingredient, 190 potential targets, and 6 core genes. We found that active small molecules exert anticancer effects by multiple pathways. The core genes were involved in multiple biological processes. We also found that eight chemical components play a greater role in inhibiting liver cancer. PTH achieves the effect of inhibiting liver cancer through the synergistic effect of multiple components, multiple targets, and multiple pathways. This study provides a potential scientific basis for further elucidating the molecular mechanism of action of PTH against liver cancer.

scholarly journals Network Pharmacology Analysis on the Mechanism of Huangqi Sijunzi Decoction in Treating Cancer-Related Fatigue

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Yixin Cui ◽  
Haiming Wang ◽  
Decai Wang ◽  
Jiwei Mi ◽  
Gege Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Topological Analysis ◽  
Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Venn Diagram ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Pathway Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Active Ingredients ◽  
Protein Protein Interaction ◽  
Kegg Pathways ◽  
Cancer Related Fatigue ◽  
Tumor Gene Expression

Objective. This study aimed to determine the active ingredients of Huangqi Sijunzi Decoction (HQSJZD) and the targets in treating cancer-related fatigue (CRF) so as to investigate the treatment mechanism of HQSJZD for CRF. Methods. This study adopted the method of network pharmacology. The active ingredients and targets of HQSJZD were retrieved, and the targets of HQSJZD in treating CRF were obtained using a Venn diagram. Next, a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the String database. The core targets of HQSJZD in treating CRF were identified through topological analysis, and functional annotation analysis and pathway enrichment analysis were carried out. Subsequently, a compound-disease-target regulatory network was constructed using Cystoscape 3.8.0 software. Results. A total of 250 targets of HQSJZD ingredients, 1447 CRF-related genes, and 144 common targets were obtained. Through topological analysis, 61 core targets were screened. Bioinformatics annotation of these genes identified 2366 gene ontology (GO) terms and 172 enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways. Conclusion. The active ingredients in HQSJZD, that is, quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, and naringenin, may act on AKT1, IL-6, VEGFA, MAPK3, CASP3, JUN, and EGFR to regulate the PI3K-Akt, TNF, and IL-17 signaling pathways, thereby suppressing inflammatory response, tumor gene expression, and tumor angiogenesis to treat CRF. This study investigated the pharmacological basis and mechanism of HQSJZD in the treatment of CRF using systematic pharmacology, which provides an important reference for further elucidation of the anti-CRF mechanism and clinical applications of HQSJZD, and also provides a method protocol for similar studies in the future.

scholarly journals Network pharmacology to investigate the pharmacological mechanisms of muscone in Xingnaojing injections for the treatment of severe traumatic brain injury

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11696
Author(s):  
Zhuohang Liu ◽  
Hang Li ◽  
Wenchao Ma ◽  
Shuyi Pan
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Neuronal Apoptosis ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Venn Diagram ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Active Ingredients ◽  
Hub Proteins

Background Xingnaojing injections (XNJI) are widely used in Chinese medicine to mitigate brain injuries. An increasing number of studies have shown that XNJI may improve neurological function. However, XNJI’s active ingredients and molecular mechanisms when treating traumatic brain injury (TBI) are unknown. Methods XNJI’s chemical composition was acquisited from literature and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database. We used the “absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion” (ADME) parameter-based virtual algorithm to further identify the bioactive components. We then screened data and obtained target information regarding TBI and treatment compounds from public databases. Using a Venn diagram, we intersected the information to determine the hub targets. Cytoscape was used to construct and visualize the network. In accordance with the hub proteins, we then created a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network using STRING 11.0. Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were analyzed according to the DAVID bioinformatics resource database (ver. 6.8). We validated the predicted compound’s efficacy using the experimental rat chronic constriction injury (CCI) model. The neuronal apoptosis was located using the TUNEL assay and the related pathways’ hub proteins were determined by PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemical staining. Results We identified 173 targets and 35 potential compounds belonging to XNJI. STRING analysis was used to illustrate the protein–protein interactions and show that muscone played a fundamental role in XNJI’s efficacy. Enrichment analysis revealed critical signaling pathways in these components’ potential protein targets, including PI3K/AKT1, NF-kB, and p53. Moreover, the hub proteins CASP3, BCL2L1, and CASP8 were also involved in apoptosis and were associated with PI3K/AKT, NF-kB, and p53 signaling pathways. We showed that muscone and XNJI were similarly effective 168 h after CCI, demonstrating that the muscone in XNJI significantly attenuated neuronal apoptosis through the PI3K/Akt1/NF-kB/P53 pathway. Conclusion We verified the neuroprotective mechanism in muscone for the first time in TBI. Network pharmacology offers a new approach for identifying the potential active ingredients in XNJI.

scholarly journals Therapeutic mechanism of Toujie Quwen granules in COVID-19 based on network pharmacology

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Huang ◽  
Wen-jiang Zheng ◽  
Yong-shi Ni ◽  
Mian-sha Li ◽  
Jian-kun Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Signaling Pathways ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Mapk Signaling ◽  
Venn Diagram ◽  
Network Pharmacology ◽  
Active Ingredients ◽  
Integrated Network ◽  
Therapeutic Mechanism ◽  
The World

Abstract Background Chinese medicine Toujie Quwen granule (TJQW) has proven to be effective in the treatment of mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases by relieving symptoms, slowing the progression of the disease, and boosting the recovery of patients. But the bioactive compounds and potential mechanisms of TJQW for COVID-19 prevention and treatment are unclear. This study aimed to explore the potential therapeutic mechanism of TJQW in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) based on an integrated network pharmacology approach. Methods TCMSP were used to search and screen the active ingredients in TJQW. The Swiss TargetPrediction was used to predict the potential targets of active ingredients. Genes co-expressed with ACE2 were considered potential therapeutic targets on COVID-19. Venn diagram was created to show correlative targets of TJQW against COVID-19. Cytoscape was used to construct a “drug-active ingredient-potential target” network, STRING were used to construct protein-protein interaction network, and cytoHubba performed network topology analysis. Enrichment of biological functions and signaling pathways of core targets was performed by using the clusterProfiler package in R software and ClueGO with CluePedia plugins in Cytoscape. Results A total of 156 active ingredients were obtained through oral bioavailability and drug-likeness screenings. Two hundred twenty-seven potential targets of TJQW were related to COVID-19. The top ten core targets are EGFR, CASP3, STAT3, ESR1, FPR2, F2, BCL2L1, BDKRB2, MPO, and ACE. Based on that, we obtained 19 key active ingredients: umbelliprenin, quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, praeruptorin E, stigmasterol, and oroxylin A. And the enrichment analysis obtained multiple related gene ontology functions and signaling pathways. Lastly, we constructed a key network of “drug-component-target-biological process-signaling pathway”. Our findings suggested that TJQW treatment for COVID-19 was associated with elevation of immunity and suppression of inflammatory stress, including regulation of inflammatory response, viral process, neutrophil mediated immunity, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, Jak-STAT signaling pathway, Complement and coagulation cascades, and HIF-1 signaling pathway. Conclusions Our study uncovered the pharmacological mechanism underlying TJQW treatment for COVID-19. These results should benefit efforts for people around the world to gain more knowledge about Chinese medicine TJQW in the treatment of this vicious epidemic COVID-19, and help to address this pressing problem currently facing the world.

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