Network pharmacology and animal experiments reveal molecular mechanisms of Cordyceps sinensis in ameliorating heart aging and injury in mice by regulating Nrf2/HO-1/NF-κB pathway.
10.19540/j.cnki.cjcmm.20241014.701
- Author:
Si-Yi LIU
1
;
Yue TU
2
;
Wei-Ming HE
3
;
Wen-Jie LIU
1
;
Kai-Zhi WEN
4
;
Cheng-Juan LI
4
;
Chao HAN
4
;
Xin-Yu LIANG
1
Author Information
1. School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina & School of Health Preservation and Rehabilitation, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing 210023, China.
2. School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina & School of Health Preservation and Rehabilitation, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing 210023, China Jiangsu Provincial Traditional Chinese Medicine Technology Engineering Research Center of Health and Health Preservation Nanjing 210023, China.
3. Department of Nephrology, Jiangsu Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine Nanjing 210029, China.
4. First Clinical Medical College, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing 210023, China.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Cordyceps sinensis;
Nrf2/HO-1/NF-κB pathway;
apoptosis;
heart aging and injury;
network pharmacology;
oxidative stress
- MeSH:
Animals;
Cordyceps/chemistry*;
Mice;
NF-E2-Related Factor 2/genetics*;
NF-kappa B/genetics*;
Aging/genetics*;
Male;
Signal Transduction/drug effects*;
Network Pharmacology;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*;
Heme Oxygenase-1/genetics*;
Heart/drug effects*;
Humans;
Myocardium/metabolism*;
Membrane Proteins/genetics*
- From:
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica
2025;50(4):1063-1074
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
This study aims to explore the effects and mechanisms of the traditional Chinese medicine Cordyceps sinensis(CS) in ameliorating heart aging and injury in mice based on animal experiments and network pharmacology. A mouse model of heart aging was established by continuously subcutaneous injection of D-galactose(D-gal). Thirty mice were randomly assigned into a normal group, a model group, a low-dose CS(CS-L) group, a high-dose CS(CS-H) group, and a vitamin E(VE) group. Mice in these groups were administrated with normal saline, different doses of CS suspension, or VE suspension via gavage daily. After 60 days of treatment with D-gal and various drugs, all mice were euthanized, and blood and heart tissue samples were collected for determination of the indicators related to heart aging and injury in mice. Experimental results showed that both high and low doses of CS and VE ameliorated the aging phenotype, improved the heart index and myocardial enzyme spectrum, restored the expression levels of proteins associated with cell cycle arrest and senescence-associated secretory phenotypes(SASP), and alleviated the fibrosis and histopathological changes of the heart tissue in model mice. From the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP),259 active ingredients of CS were retrieved. From Gene Cards and OMIM, 2 568 targets related to heart aging were identified, and 133common targets shared by CS and heart aging were obtained. The Gene Ontology(GO) functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes( KEGG) pathway enrichment revealed that the pathways related to heart aging involved oxidative stress,apoptosis, inflammation-related signaling pathways, etc. The animal experiment results showed that both high and low doses of CS and VE ameliorated oxidative stress and apoptosis in the heart tissue to varying degrees in model mice. Additionally, CS-H and VE activated the nuclear factor E2-related factor 2(Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1(HO-1) pathway and inhibited the expression of key proteins in the nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB) pathway in the heart tissue of model mice. In conclusion, this study demonstrated based on network pharmacology and animal experiments that CS may alleviate heart aging and injury in aging mice by reducing oxidative stress,apoptosis, and inflammation in the heart via the Nrf2/HO-1/NF-κB pathway.
