scholarly journals Antidepressant Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formula Xiaoyaosan in CUMS-Induced Depressed Mouse Model via RIPK1-RIPK3-MLKL Mediated Necroptosis Based on Network Pharmacology Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhi-Yi Yan ◽  
Hai-Yan Jiao ◽  
Jian-Bei Chen ◽  
Kai-Wen Zhang ◽  
Xi-Hong Wang ◽  
...  

Background: Depression is a stress-related disorder that seriously threatens people’s physical and mental health. Xiaoyaosan is a classical traditional Chinese medicine formula, which has been used to treat mental depression since ancient times. More and more notice has been given to the relationship between the occurrence of necroptosis and the pathogenesis of mental disorders.Objective: The purpose of present study is to explore the potential mechanism of Xiaoyaosan for the treatment of depression using network pharmacology and experimental research, and identify the potential targets of necroptosis underlying the antidepressant mechanism of Xiaoyaosan.Methods: The mice model of depression was induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) for 6 weeks. Adult C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into five groups, including control group, chronic unpredictable mild stress group, Xiaoyaosan treatment group, necrostatin-1 (Nec-1) group and solvent group. Drug intervention performed from 4th to 6th week of modeling. The mice in Xiaoyaosan treatment group received Xiaoyaosan by intragastric administration (0.254 g/kg/d), and mice in CUMS group received 0.5 ml physiological saline. Meanwhile, the mice in Nec-1 group were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with Nec-1 (10 mg/kg/d), and the equivalent volume of DMSO/PBS (8.3%) was injected into solvent group mice. The behavior tests such as sucrose preference test, forced swimming test and novelty-suppressed feeding test were measured to evaluate depressive-like behaviors of model mice. Then, the active ingredients in Xiaoyaosan and the related targets of depression and necroptosis were compiled through appropriate databases, while the “botanical drugs-active ingredients-target genes” network was constructed by network pharmacology analysis. The expressions of RIPK1, RIPK3, MLKL, p-MLKL were detected as critical target genes of necroptosis and the potential therapeutic target compounds of Xiaoyaosan. Furthermore, the levels of neuroinflammation and microglial activation of hippocampus were measured by detecting the expressions of IL-1β, Lipocalin-2 and IBA1, and the hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stained was used to observe the morphology in hippocampus sections.Results: After 6-weeks of modeling, the behavioral data showed that mice in CUMS group and solvent group had obvious depressive-like behaviors, and the medication of Xiaoyaosan or Nec-1 could improve these behavioral changes. A total of 96 active ingredients in Xiaoyaosan which could regulate the 23 key target genes were selected from databases. Xiaoyaosan could alleviate the core target genes in necroptosis and improve the hippocampal function and neuroinflammation in depressed mice.Conclusion: The activation of necroptosis existed in the hippocampus of CUMS-induced mice, which was closely related to the pathogenesis of depression. The antidepressant mechanism of Xiaoyaosan included the regulation of multiple targets in necroptosis. It also suggested that necroptosis could be a new potential target for the treatment of depression.

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Ping Liu ◽  
Ping Yang ◽  
Lan Zhang

Background. Although the traditional Chinese medicine Shan-Zhu-Yu may be efficacious against depression, its mechanism of action is unknown. In this study, we aimed to explore the possible mechanisms of action of Shan-Zhu-Yu in the treatment of depression using network pharmacology. Methods. The active ingredients and targets of Shan-Zhu-Yu were obtained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Database (TCMSP) database and converted into gene names using UniProt. Then, the target genes of depression were collected using GeneCards and OMIM. Drug disease intersection genes were obtained using a Venn tool, and a protein-protein interaction network was constructed using STRING. Cytoscape was used to construct an active ingredients-targets-drug-disease network. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed using DAVID. Furthermore, Autodock was used to evaluate drug and target binding and explore possible molecular mechanisms. Results. We identified 9721 disease genes, 13 active ingredients, 50 target genes, and 48 drug disease intersecting genes. The results of the GO enrichment analysis suggested that Shan-Zhu-Yu affects the activity of G protein-coupled amine, neurotransmitter, steroid hormone, nuclear, and G protein-coupled neurotransmitter receptors in the treatment of depression by acting on hormone and nuclear receptor binding. The main signaling pathways were associated with neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, calcium, cGMP-PKG, apoptosis, estrogen, p53, and AGE-RAGE. Molecular docking confirmed that the active components of Shan-Zhu-Yu (e.g., telocinobufagin and β-sitosterol) docked suitably with NR3C1, Bax, Bcl-2, and caspase-3. Shan-Zhu-Yu may exert its therapeutic effects on depression via multiple targets and pathways. Conclusions. The present study elucidates that Shan-Zhu-Yu suppresses the expression of Bax and caspase-3 and promotes that of NR3C1 and Bcl-2 through neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and apoptosis signaling pathways. Therefore, Shan-Zhu-Yu is a potential treatment option for depression, and the results of this study will provide new reference points for future experimental research and a scientific basis for its widespread clinical application.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiewen Zhou ◽  
Qiuyan Wang ◽  
Zhinan Xiang ◽  
Qilin Tong ◽  
Jun Pan ◽  
...  

Xiao Ke Yin Shui (XKYS) formula is a traditional Chinese medicine formula treating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). XKYS formula consists of four herbs, i.e., Coptidis rhizoma, Liriopes radix, bitter melon, and Cassiae semen. Herein, the chemical profiles of four herb extracts were investigated, and further analysis of the underlying mechanism of XKYS formula treating T2DM was performed using network pharmacology. The main components were selected for our network-based research. Targets of XKYS formula were mainly collected from two databases, SwissTargetPrediction and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), and the text-mining method was also implemented. T2DM relating genes and therapeutic targets were collected from five databases. Subsequently, STRING and Cytoscape were employed for the analysis of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Functional annotation and pathway analysis were conducted to investigate the functions and relating pathways of target genes. The content of 12 compounds in the herb extracts was determined. With the analysis of PPI networks, a total of 76 genes were found to be important nodes and could be defined as the main target genes regulated by XKYS formula in the treatment of T2DM and its complications. Components in XKYS formula mainly regulate proteins including protein kinase B (Akt), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), insulin receptor substrate (IRS), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). XKYS formula exerts therapeutic effects in a synergetic manner and exhibits antidiabetic effect mainly via reducing insulin resistance. These findings could be guidelines in the further investigation of this formula.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252508
Author(s):  
Jingyun Jin ◽  
Bin Chen ◽  
Xiangyang Zhan ◽  
Zhiyi Zhou ◽  
Hui Liu ◽  
...  

Background and objective We aimed to predict the targets and signal pathways of Xiao-Chai-Hu-Tang (XCHT) in the treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) based on network pharmacology, just as well as to further analyze its anti-CRC material basis and mechanism of action. Methods We adopted Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database (TCMSP) and Traditional Chinese Medicine Integrated Database (TCMID) databases to screen the active ingredients and potential targets of XCHT. CRC-related targets were retrieved by analyzing published microarray data (accession number GSE110224) from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The common targets were used to construct the “herb-active ingredient-target” network using the Cytoscape 3.8.0 software. Next, we constructed and analyzed protein-to-protein interaction (PPI) using BisoGenet and CytoNCA plug-in in Cytoscape. We then performed Gene Ontology (GO) functional and the Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of target genes using the R package of clusterProfiler. Furthermore, we used the AutoDock Tools software to conduct molecular docking studies on the active ingredients and key targets to verify the network pharmacological analysis results. Results We identified a total of 71 active XCHT ingredients and 20 potential anti-CRC targets. The network analysis revealed quercetin, stigmasterol, kaempferol, baicalein, and acacetin as potential key compounds, and PTGS2, NR3C2, CA2, and MMP1 as potential key targets. The active ingredients of XCHT interacted with most CRC disease targets. We showed that XCHT’s therapeutic effect was attributed to its synergistic action (multi-compound, multi-target, and multi-pathway). Our GO enrichment analysis showed 46 GO entries, including 20 biological processes, 6 cellular components, and 20 molecular functions. We identified 11 KEGG signaling pathways, including the IL-17, TNF, Toll-like receptor, and NF-kappa B signaling pathways. Our results showed that XCHT could play a role in CRC treatment by regulating different signaling pathways. The molecular docking experiment confirmed the correlation between five core compounds (quercetin, stigmasterol, kaempferol, baicalein, and acacetin) just as well as PTGS2, NR3C2, CA2, and MMP1. Conclusion In this study, we described the potential active ingredients, possible targets, and key biological pathways responsible for the efficacy of XCHT in CRC treatment, providing a theoretical basis for further research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiayan Wu ◽  
Shengkun Hong ◽  
Xiankuan Xie ◽  
Wangmi Liu

Objective. Dipsaci Radix (DR) has been used to treat fracture and osteoporosis. Recent reports have shown that myeloid cells from bone marrow can promote the proliferation of lung cancer. However, the action and mechanism of DR has not been well defined in lung cancer. The aim of the present study was to define molecular mechanisms of DR as a potential therapeutic approach to treat lung cancer. Methods. Active compounds of DR with oral bioavailability ≥30% and drug-likeness index ≥0.18 were obtained from the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform. The potential target genes of the active compounds and bone were identified by PharmMapper and GeneCards, respectively. The compound-target network and protein-protein interaction network were built by Cytoscape software and Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes webserver, respectively. GO analysis and pathway enrichment analysis were performed using R software. Results. Our study demonstrated that DR had 6 active compounds, including gentisin, sitosterol, Sylvestroside III, 3,5-Di-O-caffeoylquinic acid, cauloside A, and japonine. There were 254 target genes related to these active compounds as well as to bone. SRC, AKT1, and GRB2 were the top 3 hub genes. Metabolisms and signaling pathways associated with these hub genes were significantly enriched. Conclusions. This study indicated that DR could exhibit the anti-lung cancer effect by affecting multiple targets and multiple pathways. It reflects the traditional Chinese medicine characterized by multicomponents and multitargets. DR could be considered as a candidate for clinical anticancer therapy by regulating bone physiological functions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 5886-5897 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wan Qu ◽  
Shuo Liu ◽  
Weijie Zhang ◽  
Huawei Zhu ◽  
Qian Tao ◽  
...  

Gut microbiota dysbiosis is a recognized contributing factor to many noncommunicable diseases, but more evidence is still needed to illustrate its causative impact on mental and brain health disorders and mechanism(s) for targeted mitigation.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Li ◽  
Guhang Wei ◽  
Zhenkun Zhuang ◽  
Mingtai Chen ◽  
Changjian Yuan ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundCorydalis Rhizoma(CR) showed a high efficacy for coronary heart disease (CHD). However, the interaction between the active ingredients of CR and the targets of CHD has not been unequivocally explained in previous researches. To study the active components and potential targets of Corydalis Rhizoma and to determine the mechanism underlying the exact effect of Corydalis Rhizoma on coronary heart disease, a method of network pharmacology was used.Materials and MethodsThe active components of CR and targets corresponding to each component were scanned out from Traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform (TCMSP), and target genes of CHD were searched on GeneCards database and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM) database. The active components and common targets of CR and CHD were used to build the “CR-CHD” network through Cytoscape (version 3.2.1) software as well as protein-protein interaction(PPI) network on String database. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis was executed by clusterProfiler(version 3.8) and DOSE(version 3.6) package on R platform.Results49 active ingredients and 394 relevant targets of CR and the 7173 CHD-related genes were retrieved. 40 common genes were selected for subsequent analysis. Crucial biological processes and pathways were obtained and analyzed, including DNA-binding transcription activator activity, RNA polymerase II-specific, RNA polymerase II transcription factor binding, kinase regulator activity, ubiquitin-like protein ligase binding, fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis, TNF signaling pathway, apoptosis, MAPK signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.ConclusionsOverall, CR could alleviate CHD through the mechanisms predicted by network pharmacology, laying the foundation for future development of new drugs from traditional Chinese medicine on CHD.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
qiu tiantian ◽  
Li DongHua ◽  
Liu Yu ◽  
Gao LiFang ◽  
Wei Chao ◽  
...  

Abstract Backgroud: Uterine fibroids (ULs) are the most common benign tumors of the reproductive tract in gynecology and their clinical presentations include menorrhagia, pelvic pressure, dysmenorrhea, and anemia. Surgical resection and the hormonal drug administration are the primary treatment. The plant Astragalus membranaceus (astragalus) has a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine and studies have shown that it has antitumor effects. However, the role and mechanism of astragalus in ULs are not completely clear. The present study aimed to investigate the astragalus mechanism of action against ULs based on network pharmacology approach, in order to provid insights for the development of a safe and effective drug for the ULs treatment.Methods: The astragalus active ingredients and the potential drug targets were screened by the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Database and Analytical Platform (TCMSP). The gene expression profiles of ULs were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The intersection of astragalus components target genes and differentially expressed genes between UL and normal patients were obtained using Perl software to provide the astragalus-ULs drug regulatory network. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was established using the STRING online database and Cytoscape software, followed by the topological properties analysis of the PPI networks. GO (Gene ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) enrichment analyses were conducted by R software. The KEGG relational network was constructed using Cytoscape software. Results: A total of 21 astragalus active ingredients and 406 drug targets were obtained from the TCMSP. Seventeen of these targets overlap with ULs disease targets and were considered potential targets for the ULs treatment by astragalus. The analysis of the regulatory network showed that the astragalus active components with the most targets are quercetin, kaempferol, mangiferin, tetrodotoxin and isorhamnetin. Target genes with the highest Dgree values obtained from the PPI network analysis are estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), tumor suppressor factor p53 (TP53), neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor 1 (NTRK1) and E3 ubiquitin ligase protein (CUL3). GO and KEGG enrichment analyses indicate that these targets are mainly involved in biological processes related to cellular response to reactive oxygen species, oxidative stress and response to lipopolysaccharides. The main signal transduction pathways involved include the IL-17 and TNF signaling pathways, the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications and proteoglycans in cancer.Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that the astragalus therapeutic use against ULs have multicomponent and multi-target properties, providing a novel approach to further investigate the astragalus mechanism of action in the treatment of ULs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peicheng Zhong ◽  
Lijun Song ◽  
Mengyue Gao ◽  
Xiaotong Wang ◽  
Wenpan Tan ◽  
...  

Ethnopharmacological Relevance. Gegen Qinlian decoction (GGQLD) is an effective formula treatment for rotavirus enteritis (RVE), which has been applied for 1900 years. It consists of 4 herbal medicines corresponding to the four roles “monarch, minister, assistant, and guide,” which is the basic rule of prescription composition in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). However, its active ingredients and therapeutic mechanism on RVE have not been fully investigated. Materials and Methods. In this study, a network pharmacology-based strategy was used to elucidate the mechanism of GGQLD for the treatment of RVE. Oral bioavailability and drug-likeness were taken as the judgment criteria to search the active ingredients of GGQLD in traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform (TCMSP). The affinity between protein and ingredients was further determined using the similarity ensemble approach to find the corresponding targets. According to the genes related to enteritis in GeneCards database, the key targets were screened by intersections between drug and disease targets. And the therapeutic mechanism was predicted using the protein-protein interactions (PPIs), the Gene Ontology (GO), and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database, which was verified by detecting calcium ion concentration with the fluorescent probe. Result. 130 active ingredients were screened from GGQLD, including (R)-canadine, moupinamide, formononetin, and other flavonoids. They act on a total of 366 targets, which is mainly distributed in the biological process of hormone binding or signaling pathways of neuroactive ligand receptor interaction, serotonergic synapse, and calcium signaling pathway. Furthermore, serotonin receptors, adrenergic receptors, cholinergic receptors, and dopamine receptors in the enteric nervous system may be the key targets of RVE treatment by GGQLD. Conclusion. This study demonstrated that the potential mechanism that GGQLD can effectively improve the symptoms of RVE may depend on the regulation of calcium ions, serotonin, and gastrointestinal hormone ion that could mutually affect the intestinal nervous system.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Junmin Chen ◽  
Jianyong Chen ◽  
Jingrong Lu

Oroxylum indicum (O. indicum) is an important traditional Chinese medicine that exerts a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities. However, the pharmacological effect of O. indicum and its mechanism of action have not to be systematically elucidated yet. In this study, the druggability for active compounds of O. indicum was assessed via Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database (TCMSP), and the potential drug targets of O. indicum were identified using PharmMapper database. Additionally, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed via WebGestalt. Drug-target-pathway networks were constructed using Cytoscape to give a visual view. Our findings revealed that O. indicum has extremely superb druggability with 41 putative identified target genes. GO, KEGG, and network analyses showed that these targets were associated with inflammatory immunoreactions, cancer, and other biological processes. In summary, O. indicum is predicted to target multiple genes/proteins and pathways that shape a network which can exert systematic pharmacological effects.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Yingyin Chen ◽  
Xinyi Chai ◽  
Ying Zhao ◽  
Xinqian Yang ◽  
Caiting Zhong ◽  
...  

Background. Zishen Yutai Pills (ZSYTP) is a prescription based on traditional Chinese medicine used to treat kidney-deficient pattern in traditional Chinese medicine. It is also widely used clinically for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) with positive results. This study aims to explore the potential pharmacological mechanism of ZSYTP for the treatment of PCOS by a network pharmacology approach. Methods. Compounds were collected from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine and TCM Database@ Taiwan, and the corresponding targets were retrieved from PubChem, Swiss Target Prediction, STITCH, and DrugBank. Meanwhile, PCOS targets were retrieved from the GeneCards database, the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man database, National Center for Biotechnology Information Database, and DrugBank. Subsequently, multiple network construction and gene enrichment analyses were conducted with Cytoscape 3.8.2 software. Based on the previous results in the study, molecular docking simulations were done. Results. 205 active compounds and 478 ZSYTP target genes were obtained after screening by ADME consideration. 1881 disease-related targets were obtained after removing duplicates. 148 intersection target genes between drug and disease targets were isolated. Gene ontology enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis highlighted multiple gene functions and different signaling pathways to treat PCOS. Further molecular docking demonstrated the practicality of in vivo action of ZSYTP to a certain extent. Conclusions. It is possible that the pharmacological effect of ZSYTP on PCOS is linked to the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) signaling pathway, improving insulin resistance, the variation on gene expression such as RNA splicing, and regulation of mRNA metabolic process. This study paves the way for further research investigating its mechanisms.


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