Anti-Osteogenic Effect of Danshensu in Ankylosing Spondylitis: An in Vitro Study Based on Integrated Network Pharmacology

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by abnormal bone metabolism, with few effective treatments available. Danshensu [3-(3,4-dihydroxy-phenyl) lactic acid) is a bioactive compound from traditional Chinese medicine with a variety of pharmacologic effects. In the present study, we investigated the pharmacologic effect and molecular mechanism of Danshensu in AS. Potential targets of Danshensu were identified in four drugs-genes databases; and potential pharmacologic target genes in AS were identified in three diseases-genes databases. Differentially expressed genes related to AS were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Overlapping targets of Danshensu and AS were determined and a disease–active ingredient–target interaction network was constructed with Cytoscape software. Enrichment analyses of the common targets were performed using Bioconductor. To test the validity of the constructed network, an in vitro model was established by treating osteoblasts from newborn rats with low concentrations of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Then, the in vitro model and AS fibroblasts were treated with Danshensu (1–10 μM). Osteogenesis was evaluated by alkaline phosphatase staining and activity assay, alizarin red staining, quantitative PCR, and western blotting. We identified 2944 AS-related genes and 406 Danshensu targets, including 47 that were common to both datasets. The main signaling pathways associated with the targets were the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways. A low concentration of TNF-α (0.01 ng/ml) promoted the differentiation of osteoblasts; this was inhibited by Danshensu, which had the same effect on AS fibroblasts but had the opposite effect on normal osteoblasts. Danshensu also decreased the phosphorylation of JNK and ERK in AS fibroblasts. There results provide evidence that Danshensu exerts an anti-osteogenic effect via suppression of JNK and ERK signaling, highlighting its therapeutic potential for the treatment of AS.

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CircHmbox1 Targeting miRNA-1247-5p Is Involved in the Regulation of Bone Metabolism by TNF-α in Postmenopausal Osteoporosis

Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology ◽

10.3389/fcell.2020.594785 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Zhuochao Liu ◽

Changwei Li ◽

Ping Huang ◽

Fangqiong Hu ◽

Min Jiang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Postmenopausal Osteoporosis ◽

B Cell Lymphoma ◽

Luciferase Reporter ◽

Circular Rnas ◽

Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽

Alizarin Red ◽

Alkaline Phosphatase Staining ◽

Tnf Α ◽

Osteoblasts Differentiation

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) promotes osteoclasts differentiation to enhance bone resorption and inhibits osteoblasts differentiation to impair bone formation, which plays a central role in the development of postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP). Recent studies implicated an important role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in osteoporosis. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether circRNAs might be implicated in TNF-α-regulated osteoclasts differentiation and osteoblasts differentiation in PMOP. QRT-PCR was applied to detect expression of circRNA-circHmbox1 and miR-1247-5p in TNF-α-induced osteoclasts differentiation. Western blot, TRAP staining, alkaline phosphatase staining, alizarin red S staining, transwell and cell transfection were conducted to confirm that TNF-α inhibited osteoblasts differentiation by exosomal with low circHmbox1 expression from osteoclasts. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase reporter revealed the mechanisms of the circHmbox1/miR-1247-5p/B cell lymphoma 6 (Bcl6) interaction. In this study, we found that the level of circRNA-circHmbox1 was obviously reduced in TNF-α-induced osteoclast formation in vivo and in vitro. CircHmbox1 could inhibit RANKL-induced osteoclasts differentiation primarily through binding to microRNA-1247-5p. TNF-α decreased osteoblasts differentiation by exosomal with low circHmbox1 expression from osteoclasts. Mechanistic studies showed that microRNA-1247-5p regulated osteoclasts differentiation and osteoblasts differentiation by targeting Bcl6, which was confirmed to play opposite roles in osteoblasts differentiation and osteoclasts differentiation. Our results provide evidence that circHmbox1-targeting miR-1247-5p is involved in the regulation of bone metabolisms by TNF-α in PMOP.

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In Vitro Evaluation of the Anti-Inflammatory Effect of KMUP-1 and in Vivo Analysis of Its Therapeutic Potential in Osteoarthritis

Biomedicines ◽

10.3390/biomedicines9060615 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 615

Author(s):

Shang-En Huang ◽

Erna Sulistyowati ◽

Yu-Ying Chao ◽

Bin-Nan Wu ◽

Zen-Kong Dai ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Articular Cartilage ◽

Inflammatory Responses ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Antioxidant Properties ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Gene Expressions ◽

Tnf Α ◽

Anti Inflammatory

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative arthropathy that is mainly characterized by dysregulation of inflammatory responses. KMUP-1, a derived chemical synthetic of xanthine, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Here, we aimed to investigate the in vitro anti-inflammatory and in vivo anti-osteoarthritis effects of KMUP-1. Protein and gene expressions of inflammation markers were determined by ELISA, Western blotting and microarray, respectively. RAW264.7 mouse macrophages were cultured and pretreated with KMUP-1 (1, 5, 10 μM). The productions of TNF-α, IL-6, MMP-2 and MMP- 9 were reduced by KMUP-1 pretreatment in LPS-induced inflammation of RAW264.7 cells. The expressions of iNOS, TNF-α, COX-2, MMP-2 and MMP-9 were also inhibited by KMUP-1 pretreatment. The gene expression levels of TNF and COX families were also downregulated. In addition, KMUP-1 suppressed the activations of ERK, JNK and p38 as well as phosphorylation of IκBα/NF-κB signaling pathways. Furthermore, SIRT1 inhibitor attenuated the inhibitory effect of KMUP-1 in LPS-induced NF-κB activation. In vivo study showed that KMUP-1 reduced mechanical hyperalgesia in monoiodoacetic acid (MIA)-induced rats OA. Additionally, KMUP-1 pretreatment reduced the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in MIA-injected rats. Moreover, macroscopic and histological observation showed that KMUP-1 reduced articular cartilage erosion in rats. Our results demonstrated that KMUP-1 inhibited the inflammatory responses and restored SIRT1 in vitro, alleviated joint-related pain and cartilage destruction in vivo. Taken together, KMUP-1 has the potential to improve MIA-induced articular cartilage degradation by inhibiting the levels and expression of inflammatory mediators suggesting that KMUP-1 might be a potential therapeutic agent for OA.

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A Network Pharmacology Approach to Predict the Proangiogenesis Mechanism of Huangqi-Honghua Herb Pair after Cerebral Ischemia

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2021/9834856 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Jinyi Cao ◽

Lu Lei ◽

Kai Wang ◽

Jing Sun ◽

Yi Qiao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Ischemia ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Target Genes ◽

Blood Stasis ◽

Blood Stasis Syndrome ◽

Network Pharmacology ◽

Western Blot Assay ◽

Medicinal Value ◽

Pharmacological Method

Objective. Huangqi-Honghua herb pair is known for its medicinal value to treat Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome with a long history in clinical practice. To understand its possible mechanism in a systematic study, a network pharmacological method was addressed. Methods. Detailed information on the HH compounds was obtained from two public databases, and oral bioavailability (OB) and drug-like (DL) of the compounds were evaluated. A correlation between HH compounds, its potential targets, and known targets was extrapolated, and the herb-compound-target-disease (H-C-T-D) network was established. Next, the pathway enrichment and essential genes were analyzed. Then, three key genes (VEGFA, VEGFR2, and eNOS), highly associated with angiogenesis, were screened and verified through western blot assay. Results. Out of 276 compounds, 21 HH compounds and 78 target genes regulating the major pathways associated with CI in the network are analyzed. The bioactive compounds in HH were active in various signal transduction pathways such as the toll-like receptor signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, and HIF-1 signaling pathway are important pathways that may regulate anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, immune correlation, and antioxidative effects. The core genes are PTGS2, TNF, NOS2, IL6, BCL2, IL1B, SOD2, NOS3, SOD1, MMP9, and VEGFA. The in vitro results suggested that HH treatment could significantly elevate the expression of proangiogenic genes such as VEGFA, VEGFR2, and eNOS compared with OGD groups. Conclusions. Our results predict that HH may regulate the expression of VEGFA, VEGFR2, and eNOS via the VEGF and HIF-1 signaling pathway to promote angiogenesis and alleviate cerebral ischemia injury.

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Identification of the Active Constituents and Significant Pathways of Shen-qi-Yi-zhu Decoction on Antigastric Cancer: A Network Pharmacology Research and Experimental Validation

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2021/6642171 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Shuhong Zeng ◽

Zhibao Yu ◽

Xintian Xu ◽

Yuanjie Liu ◽

Jiepin Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Experimental Validation ◽

Target Genes ◽

Cell Model ◽

Network Pharmacology ◽

Disease Network ◽

Systematic Method ◽

Protein Protein Interaction ◽

Ppi Networks ◽

Underlying Mechanisms

Shen-qi-Yi-zhu decoction (SQYZD) is an empirical prescription with antigastric cancer (GC) property created by Xu Jing-fan, a National Chinese Medical Master. However, its underlying mechanisms are still unclear. Based on network pharmacology and experimental verification, this study puts forward a systematic method to clarify the anti-GC mechanism of SQYZD. The active ingredients of SQYZD and their potential targets were acquired from the TCMSP database. The target genes related to GC gathered from GeneCards, DisGeNET, OMIM, TTD, and DrugBank databases were imported to establish protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks in GeneMANIA. Cytoscape was used to establish the drug-ingredients-targets-disease network. The hub target genes collected from the SQYZD and GC were parsed via GO and KEGG analysis. Our findings from network pharmacology were successfully validated using an in vitro HGC27 cell model experiment. In a word, this study proves that the combination of network pharmacology and in vitro experiments is effective in clarifying the potential molecular mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

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Enhancing c-MYC degradation via 20S proteasome activation induces in vivo anti-tumor efficacy

10.1101/2020.08.24.265470 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Evert Njomen ◽

Theresa A. Lansdell ◽

Allison Vanecek ◽

Vanessa Benham ◽

Matt P. Bernard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Therapeutic Strategy ◽

Target Genes ◽

Intrinsically Disordered Proteins ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Human Cancer ◽

Disordered Proteins ◽

20S Proteasome ◽

Intrinsically Disordered

SUMMARYEnhancing proteasome activity is a potential new therapeutic strategy to prevent the accumulation of aberrant high levels of protein that drive the pathogenesis of many diseases. Herein, we examine the use of small molecules to activate the 20S proteasome to reduce aberrant signaling by the undruggable oncoprotein c-MYC, to treat c-MYC driven oncogenesis. Overexpression of c-MYC is found in more than 50% of all human cancer but remains undruggable because of its highly dynamic intrinsically disordered 3-D conformation, which renders traditional therapeutic strategies largely ineffective. We demonstrate herein that small molecule activation of the 20S proteasome targets dysregulated intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs), including c-MYC, and reduces cancer growth in vitro and in vivo models of multiple myeloma, and is even effective in bortezomib resistant cells and unresponsive patient samples. Genomic analysis of various cancer pathways showed that proteasome activation results in downregulation of many c-MYC target genes. Moreover, proteasome enhancement was well tolerated in mice and dogs. These data support the therapeutic potential of 20S proteasome activation in targeting IDP-driven proteotoxic disorders, including cancer, and demonstrate that this new therapeutic strategy is well tolerated in vivo.

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Pharmacological Inhibition of Caspase-8 Suppresses Inflammation-Induced Angiogenesis in the Cornea

Biomolecules ◽

10.3390/biom10020210 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 210

Author(s):

Yunzhe Tian ◽

He Li ◽

Xiuxing Liu ◽

Lihui Xie ◽

Zhaohao Huang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Corneal Neovascularization ◽

Caspase 8 ◽

Inhibitory Effects ◽

Toll Like Receptor 4 ◽

Pharmacological Inhibition ◽

Cytokines And Chemokines ◽

Tnf Α

Inflammation-induced angiogenesis is closely related to many diseases and has been regarded as a therapeutic target. Caspase-8 has attracted increasing attention for its immune properties and therapeutic potential in inflammatory disorders. The aim of our study is to investigate the clinical application of pharmacological inhibition of caspase-8 and the underlying molecular mechanisms in inflammation-induced angiogenesis in the cornea. A model of alkali burn (AB)-induced corneal neovascularization (CNV) in C57BL/6 wild-type (WT) mice and toll-like receptor 4 knockout (Tlr4-/-) mice was used. We found that AB increased caspase-8 activity and the pharmacological inhibition of caspase-8 exerted substantial inhibitory effects on CNV, with consistent decreases in caspase-8 activity, inflammatory cell infiltration, macrophage recruitment and activation, VEGF-A, TNF-α, IL-1β, MIP-1, and MCP-1 expression in the cornea. In vitro, caspase-8 mediated TLR4–dependent chemokines and VEGF-A production by macrophages. The TLR4 knockout significantly alleviated CNV, suppressed caspase-8 activity and downregulated expression of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines after AB. Taken together, these findings provide the first demonstration that the pharmacological inhibition of caspase-8 suppresses inflammation-induced angiogenesis and support the use of a pharmacological caspase-8 inhibitor as a novel clinical treatment for CNV and other angiogenic disorders.

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Identification of potential TNF-α inhibitors: from in silico to in vitro studies

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-77750-3 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Komal Zia ◽

Sajda Ashraf ◽

Almas Jabeen ◽

Maria Saeed ◽

Mohammad Nur-e-Alam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Small Molecule ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Pharmacophore Model ◽

Docking Studies ◽

Immune Functions ◽

Binding Interaction ◽

Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽

Tnf Α ◽

Potential Inhibitors

AbstractTumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α) is a pleiotropic pro-inflammatory cytokine. It act as central biological regulator in critical immune functions, but its dysregulation has been linked with a number of diseases. Inhibition of TNF-α has considerable therapeutic potential for diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and especially autoimmune diseases. Despite the fact that many small molecule inhibitors have been identified against TNF-α, no orally active drug has been reported yet which demand an urgent need of a small molecule drug against TNF-α. This study focuses on the development of ligand-based selective pharmacophore model to perform virtual screening of plant origin natural product database for the identification of potential inhibitors against TNF-α. The resultant hits, identified as actives were evaluated by molecular docking studies to get insight into their potential binding interaction with the target protein. Based on pharmacophore matching, interacting residues, docking score, more affinity towards TNF-α with diverse scaffolds five compounds were selected for in vitro activity study. Experimental validation led to the identification of three chemically diverse potential compounds with the IC50 32.5 ± 4.5 µM, 6.5 ± 0.8 µM and 27.4 ± 1.7 µM, respectively.

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Endotoxin stimulated cytokine production in rat vascular smooth muscle cells

AJP Heart and Circulatory Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpheart.2001.281.2.h661 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 281 (2) ◽

pp. H661-H668 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Kristina Detmer ◽

Zhongbiao Wang ◽

Debra Warejcka ◽

Sandra K. Leeper-Woodford ◽

Walter H. Newman

Keyword(s):

Smooth Muscle ◽

Vascular Smooth Muscle ◽

Smooth Muscle Cells ◽

Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells ◽

Target Genes ◽

Interleukin 1 ◽

Muscle Cells ◽

Nuclear Factor Κb ◽

Tnf Α

Because inflammatory processes may promote the development of atherosclerosis, we examined the activation of cytokine genes in rat vascular smooth muscle cells in vitro after treatment with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) mRNA increased in response to LPS. Activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) presumably results in NF-κB binding to regulatory regions of target genes and activating transcription. We therefore compared the kinetics of NF-κB activation, cytokine message production, and TNF-α secretion. Maximum active NF-κB was found at 30 min after the addition of LPS and decreased thereafter. Increased IL-6 mRNA was detected at 30 min, increased TNF-α mRNA at 60 min, and increased IL-1 mRNA at 120 min. Secretion of TNF-α was dependent on LPS concentration and was first detected 120 min after LPS addition. Aspirin, which has been shown to inhibit NF-κB activation and cytokine secretion in other cell types, did not inhibit NF-κB activation or TNF-α secretion. However, aspirin reduced the amount of both TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA present 30 min after LPS addition by half ( P < 0.05).

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Neutrophil azurophilic granule exocytosis is primed by TNF-α and partially regulated by NADPH oxidase

Innate Immunity ◽

10.1177/1753425916668980 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 22 (8) ◽

pp. 635-646 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Renee M Potera ◽

Melissa J Jensen ◽

Brieanna M Hilkin ◽

Gina K South ◽

Jessica S Hook ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nadph Oxidase ◽

Tissue Damage ◽

Chronic Inflammatory Disease ◽

Host Tissue ◽

Ros Generation ◽

Oxygen Species ◽

Granule Exocytosis ◽

Azurophilic Granule ◽

Tnf Α

Neutrophil (polymorphonuclear leukocyte) activation with release of granule contents plays an important role in the pathogenesis of acute lung injury, prompting clinical trials of inhibitors of neutrophil elastase. Despite mounting evidence for neutrophil-mediated host tissue damage in a variety of disease processes, mechanisms regulating azurophilic granule exocytosis at the plasma membrane, and thus release of elastase and other proteases, are poorly characterized. We hypothesized that azurophilic granule exocytosis would be enhanced under priming conditions similar to those seen during acute inflammatory events and during chronic inflammatory disease, and selected the cytokine TNF-α to model this in vitro. Neutrophils stimulated with TNF-α alone elicited intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and mobilization of secretory vesicles, specific, and gelatinase granules. p38 and ERK1/2 MAPK were involved in these components of priming. TNF-α priming alone did not mobilize azurophilic granules to the cell surface, but did markedly increase elastase release into the extracellular space in response to secondary stimulation with N-formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (fMLF). Priming of fMLF-stimulated elastase release was further augmented in the absence of NADPH oxidase-derived ROS. Our findings provide a mechanism for host tissue damage during neutrophil-mediated inflammation and suggest a novel anti-inflammatory role for the NADPH oxidase.

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Interferon-gamma and TNF-alpha synergistically enhance the immunomodulatory capacity of Endometrial-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cell secretomes by differential microRNA and extracellular vesicle release

10.1101/2021.06.10.447490 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Maria de los Angeles de Pedro ◽

Federica Marinaro ◽

Esther Lopez ◽

Maria Pulido ◽

Francisco Miguel Sanchez Margallo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Inflammatory Cytokines ◽

Target Genes ◽

Therapeutic Potential ◽

Lymphocyte Activation ◽

Extracellular Vesicle ◽

Potent Effect ◽

Inflammatory Reactions ◽

Immunomodulatory Capacity ◽

Pro Inflammatory Cytokines

Endometrial Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (endMSCs) can be easily isolated from menstrual blood by plastic adherence. These cells have a potent pro-angiogenic and immunomodulatory capacity, and their therapeutic effect is mediated by paracrine mechanisms where secretome have a key role. In this paper, we aimed to evaluate different priming conditions in endMSCs using pro-inflammatory cytokines and Toll-Like Receptor ligands. Our in vitro results revealed a synergistic and additive effect of IFNγ and TNFα on endMSCs. The combination of these pro-inflammatory cytokines significantly increased the release of Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO1) in endMSCs. Additionally, this study was focused on the phenotype of IFNγ/TNFα-primed endMSCs (endMSCs*). Here we found that immune system-related molecules such as CD49d, CD49e, CD54, CD56, CD58, CD63, CD126, CD152, or CD274 were significantly altered in endMSCs* when compared to control cells. Afterward, our study was completed with the characterization of released miRNAs by Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). Briefly, our system biology approaches demonstrated that endMSCs* showed an increased release of 25 miRNAs whose target genes were involved in immune response and inflammation. Finally, the cellular and molecular characterization was completed with in vitro functional assays. In summary, the relevance of our results lies in the therapeutic potential of endMSCs*. The differences in cell surface molecules involved in migration, adhesion and immunogenicity, allowed us to hypothesize that endMSCs* may have an optimal homing and migration capacity towards inflammatory lesions. Secondly, the analysis of miRNAs, target genes and the subsequent lymphocyte activation assays demonstrated that IFNγ/TNFα-primed secretome may exert a potent effect on the regulation of adverse inflammatory reactions.

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