Flos Sophorae improves psoriasis in mice by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway.
10.12122/j.issn.1673-4254.2025.09.18
- Author:
Lu RAO
1
;
Jiahe DING
1
;
Jiangping WEI
1
;
Yong YANG
1
;
Xiaomei ZHANG
1
;
Jirui WANG
1
Author Information
1. Chongqing Academy of Chinese Materia Medica, Sichuan-Chongqing Joint Key Laboratory of Innovation of New Drugs of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Third-level Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Chemistry Accredited by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing 400065, China.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Flos Sophorae;
PI3K/AKT signaling pathway;
molecular docking;
network pharmacology;
psoriasis
- MeSH:
Animals;
Psoriasis/metabolism*;
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*;
Mice;
Signal Transduction/drug effects*;
Mice, Inbred BALB C;
Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism*;
Molecular Docking Simulation;
Disease Models, Animal;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use*;
Imiquimod;
Phosphorylation
- From:
Journal of Southern Medical University
2025;45(9):1989-1996
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVES:To explore the therapeutic mechanism of Flos Sophorae (FS) for treatment of psoriasis.
METHODS:The active ingredients, targets and psoriasis-related disease targets of FS were obtained from TCMSP, GeneCards, OMIM, DisGeNET and String databases, and Cytoscape 3.8.0 software was used to construct the "FS -active ingredient-key target-signaling pathway-psoriasis" network. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of the key targets were conducted, and molecular docking was performed using Discovery Studio 2019. In a BALB/c mouse model of imiquimod-induced psoriasis, the effects of vaseline, FS at high, medium and low doses (3.00, 1.50 and 0.75 g/kg, respectively) and a positive drug, given 1 week before and during modeling, were evaluated on body weight changes, spleen coefficient, psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score and skin pathological changes. Phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT proteins were detected using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting.
RESULTS:A total of 10 active components and 110 key targets were screened. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis suggested that FS improved psoriasis primarily through the PI3K/AKT, TNF, and IL-17 signaling pathways. Molecular docking showed that both quercetin and kaempferol could spontaneously bind to AKT1, TNF and other sites. In the mouse model of psoriasis, treatment with low-dose FS significantly improved epidermal thickening, increased body weight, lowered PASI score, and reduced phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT proteins.
CONCLUSIONS:The therapeutic mechanism of FS for psoriasis involves multiple components, targets, and pathways that mediate the inhibition of the phosphorylation levels of PI3K and AKT proteins to suppress the activation of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.
