Objective To investigate the role and mechanism of bergapten in treating osteoarthritis(OA)based on network pharmacology,molecular docking and in vitro experiments.Methods The functional targets of bergapten and the related targets of OA disease were obtained by searching Super-Pred,Swiss Target Prediction,Drug Bank.The obtained targets were intersected with Venny2.1.0,protein-protein interaction(PPI)analysis was performed using the STRING database,and molecular docking was conducted by AutoDock Vina.Subsequently,human chondrocyte C28/I2 cells were subjected in the following validation experiments.After the cells were treated with 0～50 μmol/L bergapten for 24,48 or 72 h,CCK-8 assay,RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence assay were used to detect the proliferation and apoptosis,and the expression of the molecules related to proliferation,inflammation and senescence(senescence associated secretory phenotype,SASP).Senescence β-galactosidase(SA-β-Gal)staining kit was employed to detect the change of SA-β-Gal level in the cells.Results There obtained 145 potential targets of bergapten for OA.PPI analysis revealed 4 potential core targets,HSP90AA1,EGFR,HIF1A,and PIK3CA,and they could form relatively stable complex with bergapten.CCK-8 assay showed that 10 μmol/L bergapten treatment for 48 h resulted in the highest proliferative activity of C28/12 cells(P＜0.05).Immunofluorescence assay,RT-qPCR and Western blotting indicated that bergapten treatment induced significant increases in the expression of cell proliferation markers such as PCNA,CCND1 and CCNE1(P＜0.05),while decreases in the expression of apoptosis markers Caspase3 and BAX(P＜0.05).Meanwhile,the expression levels of IL-1β-induced inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α were reduced,while those of anti-inflammatory factors IL-4 and IL-10 were elevated after bergapten treatment(P＜0.05).The levels of SASP factors,such as P16,P21,MMP9 and MMP13 were also significantly declined(P＜0.05).SA-β-Gal staining displayed that the level of SA-β-Gal in C28/I2 cells was significantly enhanced after IL-1β induction(P＜0.05),while bergapten treatment could decrease the positive cell rate of the staining(P＜0.05).Conclusion Bergapten can reduce the expression of SASP factors such as IL-6,TNF-α,P16,P21,MMP9 and MMP13 in IL-1 β-stimulated chondrocytes,and thus exerts its anti-inflammatory and anti-aging effects in delaying the progression of OA.

Objective To investigate the expression level of Gas6 in patients with Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) and its clinical significance.Methods The experimental group was peripheral blood samples collected from 35 cases diagnosed with ITP in hematology department of Changhai Hospital in Shanghai from October 2013 to December 2015.Control group was peripheral blood from 35 healthy examined individuals at the same time.After separating plasm from the two group samples,the protein level of Gas6,IFN-α,IL-4,IFN-γ and IL-17 were measured by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA),comparison of expressional level of the two groups was measured by t test.Pearson correlation analysis was used to decide the relation between Gas6 and cytokines such as IFN-α.Results The expression level of Gas6 in experimental and control groups was 27.28±7.56 ng/ml vs 20.51±5.39 ng/ml (t=4.314,P＜0.000 1);IFN-γ was 221.67±57.64 pg/ml vs 45.32 ±16.79 pg/ml (t=17.38,P＜0.000 1);IL-4 was 113.86±26.48 pg/ml vs 49.87±14.98 pg/ml (t=12.44,P＜0.000 1);IL-17 was 168.96±47.88 pg/ml vs 109.56±28.97 pg/ml (t=6.28,P＜0.000 1);IFN-α was 34.83±8.12 pg/ml vs 29.89 ± 5.76 pg/ml (t=2.936,P=0.004 5),all with statistical differences (P＜0.05).Pearson analysis showed that Gas6 was positively related with IL-17,IL-4,IFN γ (r=0.564,0.486,0.449,P＜0.05) and there was difference statistically,but Gas6 was not correlated with IFN-α.Conclusion Gas6 may participate in the disease formation of ITP through affection on cytokines secreted by Th cell subsets,and it was the potential therapeutic and predicted target for this disease clinically.