2.Treadmill exercise alleviates neuropathic pain by regulating mitophagy of the anterior cingulate cortex in rats.
Cui LI ; Xiao-Ge WANG ; Shuai YANG ; Yi-Hang LYU ; Xiao-Juan GAO ; Jing CAO ; Wei-Dong ZANG
Acta Physiologica Sinica 2023;75(2):160-170
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			This study aimed to investigate the effect of treadmill exercise on neuropathic pain and to determine whether mitophagy of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) contributes to exercise-mediated amelioration of neuropathic pain. Chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve (CCI) was used to establish a neuropathic pain model in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Von-Frey filaments were used to assess the mechanical paw withdrawal threshold (PWT), and a thermal radiation meter was used to assess the thermal paw withdrawal latency (PWL) in rats. qPCR was used to evaluate the mRNA levels of Pink1, Parkin, Fundc1, and Bnip3. Western blot was used to evaluate the protein levels of PINK1 and PARKIN. To determine the impact of the mitophagy inducer carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) on pain behaviors in CCI rats, 24 SD rats were randomly divided into CCI drug control group (CCI+Veh group), CCI+CCCP low-dose group (CCI+CCCP0.25), CCI+CCCP medium-dose group (CCI+CCCP2.5), and CCI+CCCP high-dose group (CCI+CCCP5). Pain behaviors were assessed on 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after modeling. To explore whether exercise regulates pain through mitophagy, 24 SD rats were divided into sham, CCI, and CCI+Exercise (CCI+Exe) groups. The rats in the CCI+Exe group underwent 4-week low-moderate treadmill training one week after modeling. The mechanical pain and thermal pain behaviors of the rats in each group were assessed on 0, 7, 14, 21, and 35 days after modeling. Western blot was used to detect the levels of the mitophagy-related proteins PINK1, PARKIN, LC3 II/LC3 I, and P62 in ACC tissues. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the ultrastructure of mitochondrial morphology in the ACC. The results showed that: (1) Compared with the sham group, the pain thresholds of the ipsilateral side of the CCI group decreased significantly (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, the mRNA and protein levels of Pink1 were significantly higher, and those of Parkin were lower in the CCI group (P < 0.05). (2) Compared with the CCI+Veh group, each CCCP-dose group showed higher mechanical and thermal pain thresholds, and the levels of PINK1 and LC3 II/LC3 I were elevated significantly (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). (3) The pain thresholds of the CCI+Exe group increased significantly compared with those of the CCI group after treadmill intervention (P < 0.001, P < 0.01). Compared with the CCI group, the protein levels of PINK1 and P62 were decreased (P < 0.001, P < 0.01), and the protein levels of PARKIN and LC3 II/LC3 I were increased in the CCI+Exe group (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Rod-shaped mitochondria were observed in the ACC of CCI+Exe group, and there were little mitochondrial fragmentation, swelling, or vacuoles. The results suggest that the mitochondrial PINK1/PARKIN autophagy pathway is blocked in the ACC of neuropathic pain model rats. Treadmill exercise could restore mitochondrial homeostasis and relieve neuropathic pain via the PINK1/PARKIN pathway.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Rats
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mitophagy/physiology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Rats, Sprague-Dawley
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Carbonyl Cyanide m-Chlorophenyl Hydrazone/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Gyrus Cinguli
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Neuralgia
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Protein Kinases
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Membrane Proteins/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mitochondrial Proteins/metabolism*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
3.Effect of recombinant human fibroblast growth factor 21 on the mineralization of cementoblasts and its related mechanism.
Hao WU ; Ying LI ; Yuzhuo WANG ; Jize YU ; Xingfu BAO ; Min HU
West China Journal of Stomatology 2023;41(2):140-148
		                        		
		                        			OBJECTIVES:
		                        			To investigate the effect of recombinant human fibroblast growth factor 21 (rhFGF21) on the proliferation and mineralization of cementoblasts and its mechanism.
		                        		
		                        			METHODS:
		                        			Hematoxylin eosin, immunohistochemical staining, and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression and distribution of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in rat periodontal tissues and cementoblasts (OCCM-30), separately. Cell Counting Kit-8 was used to detect the proliferation of OCCM-30 under treatment with rhFGF21. Alkaline phosphatase staining and Alizarin Red staining were used to detect the mineralization state of OCCM-30 after 3 and 7 days of mineralization induction. The transcription and protein expression of the osteogenic-related genes Runx2 and Osterix were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot analysis. The expression levels of genes of transforming growth factor β (TGFβ)/bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway in OCCM-30 were detected through PCR array analysis.
		                        		
		                        			RESULTS:
		                        			FGF21 was expressed in rat periodontal tissues and OCCM-30. Although rhFGF21 had no significant effect on the proliferation of OCCM-30, treatment with 50 ng/mL rhFGF21 could promote the mineralization of OCCM-30 cells after 7 days of mineralization induction. The transcriptional levels of Runx2 and Osterix increased significantly at 3 days of mineralization induction and decreased at 5 days of mineralization induction. Western blot analysis showed that the protein expression levels of Runx2 and Osterix increased during mineralization induction. rhFGF21 up-regulated Bmpr1b protein expression in cells.
		                        		
		                        			CONCLUSIONS
		                        			rhFGF21 can promote the mineralization ability of OCCM-30. This effect is related to the activation of the TGFβ/BMP signaling pathway.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Rats
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Dental Cementum
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Differentiation
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Bone Morphogenetic Proteins/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Transforming Growth Factor beta/pharmacology*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
4.Acteoside promotes autophagy and apoptosis of hepatoma cells by regulating JNK signaling pathway.
Yu-Jing HE ; Ying ZHENG ; Chu-Yi LI ; Liu-Lu GAO ; Jun-Ke WANG ; Bin LI ; Li-Xia LU ; Pan WANG ; Xiao-Hui YU ; Jiu-Cong ZHANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(9):2343-2351
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			This study explored the molecular mechanism of acteoside against hepatoma 22(H22) tumor in mice through c-Jun N-terminal kinase(JNK) signaling pathway. H22 cells were subcutaneously inoculated in 50 male BALB/c mice, and then the model mice were classified into model group, low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose acteoside groups, and cisplatin group. The administration lasted 2 weeks for each group(5 consecutive days/week). The general conditions of mice in each group, such as mental status, diet intake, water intake, activity, and fur were observed. The body weight, tumor volume, tumor weight, and tumor-inhibiting rate were compared before and after administration. Morphological changes of liver cancer tissues were observed based on hematoxylin and eosin(HE) staining, and the expression of phosphorylated(p)-JNK, JNK, B-cell lymphoma-2(Bcl-2), Beclin-1, and light chain 3(LC3) in each tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. qRT-PCR was performed to detect the mRNA expression of JNK, Bcl-2, Beclin-1, and LC3. The general conditions of mice in model and low-dose acteoside groups were poor, while the general conditions of mice in the remaining three groups were improved. The body weight of mice in medium-dose acteoside group, high-dose acteoside group, and cisplatin group was smaller than that in model group(P<0.01). The tumor volume in model group was insignificantly different from that in low-dose acteoside group, and the volume in cisplatin group showed no significant difference from that in high-dose acteoside group. Tumor volume and weight in medium-dose and high-dose acteoside groups and cisplatin group were lower than those in the model group(P<0.001). The tumor-inhibiting rates were 10.72%, 40.32%, 53.79%, and 56.44% in the low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose acteoside groups and cisplatin group, respectively. HE staining showed gradual decrease in the count of hepatoma cells and increasing sign of cell necrosis in the acteoside and cisplatin groups, and the necrosis was particularly obvious in the high-dose acteoside group and cisplatin group. Immunohistochemical results suggested that the expression of Beclin-1, LC3, p-JNK, and JNK was up-regulated in acteoside and cisplatin groups(P<0.05). The results of immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and qRT-PCR indicated that the expression of Bcl-2 was down-regulated in the medium-dose and high-dose acteoside groups and cisplatin group(P<0.01). Western blot showed that the expression of Beclin-1, LC3, and p-JNK was up-regulated in acteoside and cisplatin groups(P<0.01), and there was no difference in the expression of JNK among groups. qRT-PCR results showed that the levels of Beclin-1 and LC3 mRNA were up-regulated in the acteoside and cisplatin groups(P<0.05), and the level of JNK mRNA was up-regulated in medium-dose and high-dose acteoside groups and cisplatin group(P<0.001). Acteoside promotes apoptosis and autophagy of H22 cells in mice hepatoma cells by up-regulating the JNK signaling pathway, thus inhibiting tumor growth.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Male
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Mice
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cisplatin/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			MAP Kinase Signaling System
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Beclin-1
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Apoptosis
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Liver Neoplasms/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Necrosis
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Line, Tumor
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			RNA, Messenger/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Autophagy
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
5.Stellera chamaejasme extract against multidrug resistance of breast cancer cell line MCF-7.
Xi-He CUI ; Rui ZENG ; Yuan-Long ZANG ; Qing YANG ; Xiao-Xin ZHU ; Ya-Jie WANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(9):2360-2367
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			This study explored the effect and underlying mechanism of Stellera chamaejasme extract(SCE) on multidrug resistance of breast cancer. The chemotherapy-sensitive breast cancer cell line MCF-7 and adriamycin(ADR)-resistant cell line MCF-7/ADR were used as experimental subjects. MTT assay was used to detect cell proliferation activity. Pi staining was used to detect the cell cycle. 4',6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole, dihydrochloride(DAPI) staining and flow cytometry were used to detect apoptosis. Dansylcadaverine(MDC) staining and GFP-LC3B-Mcherry adenovirus transfection were used to detect autophagy. The protein expression of Bcl-2, Bax, caspase-9, caspase-3, LC3B, p62, and Beclin-1 was detected by Western blot. The results showed that SCE could significantly inhibit the proliferation of both sensitive and resistant breast cancer cell lines. The drug resistance factor was 0.53, which was significantly lower than 59 of ADR. Meanwhile, the proportion of sensitive/resistant cells in the G_0/G_1 phase increased significantly after SCE treatment. In addition, DAPI staining showed that a series of apoptosis phenomena such as nuclear pyknosis, staining deepening, and nuclear fragmentation appeared in sensitive/resistant cell lines after SCE administration. Moreover, the results of flow cytometry double staining showed that the proportion of apoptotic cells in sensitive/resistant cell lines increased significantly after SCE administration. Besides, Western blot showed that the protein expression levels of caspase-3, caspase-9, and Bcl-2 significantly decreased and the expression level of Bax protein significantly increased in both breast cancer cell lines after SCE administration. Furthermore, SCE could also increase the positive fluorescent spots after MDC staining and yellow fluorescent spots after GFP-LC3B-mcherry transfection, and up-regulate the expression levels of autophagy-related proteins LC3B-Ⅱ, p62, and Beclin-1 in breast cancer cells. In summary, SCE may play the role of anti-multidrug resistance by blocking the cell cycle of breast cancer multidrug-resistant cells, blocking autophagy flow, and ultimately interfering with the apoptosis resistance of drug-resistant cells.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Female
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Breast Neoplasms/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			MCF-7 Cells
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Caspase 3/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Caspase 9/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Beclin-1/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Apoptosis
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Line, Tumor
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Drug Resistance, Neoplasm
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Proliferation
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
6.Effect of Erxian Decoction-containing serum on H_2O_2-induced proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells via BK channels.
Ming-Shi REN ; Yu DING ; Zi-Han LI ; Yu-Meng WU ; Si-Min HUANG ; Lan-Lan LUO ; Yu-Jing ZHANG ; Min SHI ; Xun-Li XIA ; Bo LIU
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(9):2522-2529
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			This study aimed to investigate the effects of Erxian Decoction(EXD)-containing serum on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells under oxidative stress through BK channels. The oxidative stress model was induced in MC3T3-E1 cells by H_2O_2, and 3 mmol·L~(-1) tetraethylammonium(TEA) chloride was used to block the BK channels in MC3T3-E1 cells. MC3T3-E1 cells were divided into a control group, a model group, an EXD group, a TEA group, and a TEA+EXD group. After MC3T3-E1 cells were treated with corresponding drugs for 2 days, 700 μmol·L~(-1) H_2O_2 was added for treatment for another 2 hours. CCK-8 assay was used to detect cell proliferation activity. The alkaline phosphatase(ALP) assay kit was used to detect the ALP activity of cells. Western blot and real-time fluorescence-based quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR) were used to detect protein and mRNA expression, respectively. Alizarin red staining was used to detect the mineralization area of osteoblasts. The results showed that compared with the control group, the model group showed significantly blunted cell proliferation activity and ALP activity, reduced expression of BK channel α subunit(BKα), collagen Ⅰ(COL1), bone morphogenetic protein 2(BMP2), osteoprotegerin(OPG), and phosphorylated Akt, decreased mRNA expression levels of Runt-related transcription factor 2(RUNX2), BMP2, and OPG, and declining area of calcium nodules. EXD-containing serum could significantly potentiate the cell proliferation activity and ALP activity, up-regulate the protein expression of BKα, COL1, BMP2, OPG, and phosphorylated Akt, and forkhead box protein O1(FoxO1), promote the mRNA expression of RUNX2, BMP2, and OPG, and enlarge the area of calcium nodules. However, BK channel blockage by TEA reversed the effects of EXD-containing serum in promoting the protein expression of BKα, COL1, BMP2, OPG, and phosphorylated Akt and FoxO1, increasing the mRNA expression of RUNX2, BMP2, and OPG, and enlarging the area of calcium nodules. EXD-containing serum could improve the proliferation activity, osteogenic differentiation, and mineralization ability of MC3T3-E1 cells under oxidative stress, which might be related to the regulation of BK channels and downstream Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Osteogenesis
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Core Binding Factor Alpha 1 Subunit/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Large-Conductance Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Calcium/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Differentiation
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			RNA, Messenger/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Cell Proliferation
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Osteoblasts
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
7.Mechanism of Marsdenia tenacissima against ovarian cancer based on network pharmacology and experimental verification.
Yu-Jie HU ; Lan-Yi WEI ; Juan ZHAO ; Qin-Fang ZHU ; Zhao-Yang MENG ; Jing-Jing MENG ; Jun-Jun CHEN ; Ling-Yan XU ; Yang-Yun ZHOU ; Yong-Long HAN
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(8):2222-2232
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			The present study aimed to explore the main active components and underlying mechanisms of Marsdenia tenacissima in the treatment of ovarian cancer(OC) through network pharmacology, molecular docking, and in vitro cell experiments. The active components of M. tenacissima were obtained from the literature search, and their potential targets were obtained from SwissTargetPrediction. The OC-related targets were retrieved from Therapeutic Target Database(TTD), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM), GeneCards, and PharmGKB. The common targets of the drug and the disease were screened out by Venn diagram. Cytoscape was used to construct an "active component-target-disease" network, and the core components were screened out according to the node degree. The protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of the common targets was constructed by STRING and Cytoscape, and the core targets were screened out according to the node degree. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of potential therapeutic targets were carried out with DAVID database. Molecular docking was used to determine the binding activity of some active components to key targets by AutoDock. Finally, the anti-OC activity of M. tenacissima extract was verified based on SKOV3 cells in vitro. The PI3K/AKT signaling pathway was selected for in vitro experimental verification according to the results of GO function and KEGG pathway analyses. Network pharmacology results showed that 39 active components, such as kaempferol, 11α-O-benzoyl-12β-O-acetyltenacigenin B, and drevogenin Q, were screened out, involving 25 core targets such as AKT1, VEGFA, and EGFR, and the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway was the main pathway of target protein enrichment. The results of molecular docking also showed that the top ten core components showed good binding affinity to the top ten core targets. The results of in vitro experiments showed that M. tenacissima extract could significantly inhibit the proliferation of OC cells, induce apoptosis of OC cells through the mitochondrial pathway, and down-regulate the expression of proteins related to the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. This study shows that M. tenacissima has the characteristics of multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway synergistic effect in the treatment of OC, which provides a theoretical basis for in-depth research on the material basis, mechanism, and clinical application.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Female
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Marsdenia
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Molecular Docking Simulation
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Network Pharmacology
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Ovarian Neoplasms/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Databases, Genetic
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Plant Extracts
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
8.Effects and mechanisms of total flavones of Abelmoschus manihot in improving insulin resistance and podocyte epithelial-mesenchymal transition in diabetic kidney disease based on IRS1/PI3K/Akt pathway.
Yu WANG ; Dong-Wei CAO ; Yi-Gang WAN ; Geng-Lin MU ; Wei WU ; Qi-Jun FANG ; Ya-Jing LI ; Si-Yu CHA ; Yue TU ; Zi-Yue WAN
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(10):2646-2656
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			This study aimed to explore the effects and mechanisms of total flavones of Abelmoschus manihot(TFA), the extracts from traditional Chinese medicine indicated for kidney diseases, on insulin resistance(IR) and podocyte epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT) in diabetic kidney disease(DKD), and further to reveal the scientific connotation. Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into a normal group, a model group, a TFA group, and a rosiglitazone(ROS) group. The modified DKD model was induced in rats by methods including high-fat diet feeding, unilateral nephrectomy, and streptozotocin(STZ) intraperitoneal injection. After modeling, the rats in the four groups were given double-distilled water, TFA suspension, and ROS suspension correspondingly by gavage every day. At the end of the 8th week of drug administration, all rats were sacrificed, and the samples of urine, blood, and kidney tissues were collected. The parameters and indicators related to IR and podocyte EMT in the DKD model rats were examined and observed, including the general condition, body weight(BW) and kidney weight(KW), the biochemical parameters and IR indicators, the protein expression levels of the key signaling molecules and structural molecules of slit diaphragm in the renal insulin receptor substrate(IRS) 1/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase(PI3K)/serine-threonine kinase(Akt) pathway, foot process form and glomerular basement membrane(GBM) thickness, the expression of the marked molecules and structural molecules of slit diaphragm in podocyte EMT, and glomerular histomorphological characteristics. The results showed that for the DKD model rats, both TFA and ROS could improve the general condition, some biochemical parameters, renal appearance, and KW. The ameliorative effects of TFA and ROS were equivalent on BW, urinary albumin(UAlb)/urinary creatinine(UCr), serum creatinine(Scr), triglyceride(TG), and KW. Secondly, they could both improve IR indicators, and ROS was superior to TFA in improving fast insulin(FIN) and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR). Thirdly, they could both improve the protein expression levels of the key signaling molecules in the IRS1/PI3K/Akt pathway and glomerulosclerosis in varying degrees, and their ameliorative effects were similar. Finally, both could improve podocyte injury and EMT, and TFA was superior to ROS. In conclusion, this study suggested that podocyte EMT and glomerulosclerosis could be induced by IR and the decreased activation of the IRS1/PI3K/Akt pathway in the kidney in DKD. Similar to ROS, the effects of TFA in inhibiting podocyte EMT in DKD were related to inducing the activation of the IRS1/PI3K/Akt pathway and improving IR, which could be one of the scientific connotations of TFA against DKD. This study provides preliminary pharmacological evidence for the development and application of TFA in the field of diabetic complications.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Rats
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Animals
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Diabetic Nephropathies/drug therapy*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/metabolism*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Abelmoschus/chemistry*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Podocytes
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Rats, Sprague-Dawley
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Flavones/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Insulin Resistance
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Reactive Oxygen Species
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Diabetes Mellitus
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
9.Molecular mechanism of ginsenoside Rg_1 against radiation enteritis: based on network pharmacology and in vitro experiment.
Yu-Guo WANG ; Yong-Qi DOU ; Zi-Qiao YAN ; Yue GAO
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(10):2810-2819
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			Via network pharmacology, molecular docking, and cellular experiment, this study explored and validated the potential molecular mechanism of ginsenoside Rg_1(Rg_1) against radiation enteritis. Targets of Rg_1 and radiation enteritis were retrieved from BATMAN-TCM, SwissTargetPrediction, and GeneCards. Cytoscape 3.7.2 and STRING were employed for the construction of protein-protein interaction(PPI) network for the common targets, and screening of core targets. DAVID was used for Gene Ontology(GO) term and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment to predict the possible mechanism, followed by molecular docking of Rg_1 with core targets and cellular experiment. For the cellular experiment, ~(60)Co-γ irradiation was performed for mo-deling of IEC-6 cells, which were then treated with Rg_1, protein kinase B(AKT) inhibitor LY294002, and other drugs to verify the effect and mechanism of Rg_1. The results showed that 29 potential targets of Rg_1, 4 941 disease targets, and 25 common targets were screened out. According to the PPI network, the core targets were AKT1, vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA), heat shock protein 90 alpha family class A member 1(HSP90AA1), Bcl-2-like protein 1(BCL2L1), estrogen receptor 1(ESR1), etc. The common targets were mainly involved in the GO terms such as positive regulation of RNA polymerase Ⅱ promoter transcription, signal transduction, positive regulation of cell proliferation, and other biological processes. The top 10 KEGG pathways included phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K)/AKT pathway, RAS pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK) pathway, Ras-proximate-1(RAP1) pathway, and calcium pathway, etc. Molecular docking showed that Rg_1 had high binding affinity to AKT1, VEGFA, HSP90AA1, and other core targets. Cellular experiment indicated that Rg_1 can effectively improve cell viability and survival, decrease apoptosis after irradiation, promote the expression of AKT1 and B-cell lymphoma-extra large(BCL-XL), and inhibit the expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Bcl-2-associated X protein(BAX). In conclusion, through network pharmacology, molecular docking, and cellular experiment, this study verified the ability of Rg_1 to reduce radiation enteritis injury. The mechanism was that it regulated PI3K/AKT pathway, thereby suppressing apoptosis.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Humans
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Network Pharmacology
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Ginsenosides/pharmacology*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases/genetics*
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Molecular Docking Simulation
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Radiation Injuries
		                        			;
		                        		
		                        			Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
10.Neuroprotective effect of ginsenoside Re on drosophila model of Parkinson's disease.
Yan XU ; Xue MENG ; Wen-Xue ZHAO ; Dong-Guang LIU ; Jian-Guo ZHU ; Ru YAO ; Jing-Chun YAO ; Gui-Min ZHANG
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica 2023;48(7):1927-1935
		                        		
		                        			
		                        			This study aims to explore the neuroprotective mechanism of ginsenoside Re(GS-Re) on drosophila model of Parkinson's disease(PD) induced by rotenone(Rot). To be specific, Rot was used to induce PD in drosophilas. Then the drosophilas were grouped and respectively treated(GS-Re: 0.1, 0.4, 1.6 mmol·L~(-1); L-dopa: 80 μmol·L~(-1)). Life span and crawling ability of drosophilas were determined. The brain antioxidant activity [content of catalase(CAT), malondialdehyde(MDA), reactive oxygen species(ROS), superoxide dismutase(SOD)], dopamine(DA) content, and mitochondrial function [content of adenosine triphosphate(ATP), NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase subunit B8(NDUFB8) Ⅰ activity, succinate dehydrogenase complex, subunit B(SDHB) Ⅱ activity] were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). The number of DA neurons in the brains of drosophilas was measured with the immunofluorescence method. The levels of NDUFB8 Ⅰ, SDHB Ⅱ, cytochrome C(Cyt C), nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2(Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1(HO-1), B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 2(Bcl-2)/Bcl-2-assaciated X protein(Bax), and cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3 in the brain were detected by Western blot. The results showed that model group [475 μmol·L~(-1) Rot(IC_(50))] demonstrated significantly low survival rate, obvious dyskinesia, small number of neurons and low DA content in the brain, high ROS level and MDA content, low content of SOD and CAT, significantly low ATP content, NDUFB8 Ⅰ activity, and SDHB Ⅱ activity, significantly low expression of NDUFB8 Ⅰ, SDHB Ⅱ, and Bcl-2/Bax, large amount of Cyt C released from mitochondria to cytoplasm, low nuclear transfer of Nrf2, and significantly high expression of cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3 compared with the control group. GS-Re(0.1, 0.4, and 1.6 mmol·L~(-1)) significantly improved the survival rate of PD drosophilas, alleviated the dyskinesia, increased DA content, reduced the loss of DA neurons, ROS level, and MDA content in brain, improved content of SOD and CAT and antioxidant activity in brain, maintained mitochondrial homeostasis(significantly increased ATP content and activity of NDUFB8 Ⅰ and SDHB Ⅱ, significantly up-regulated expression of NDUFB8 Ⅰ, SDHB Ⅱ, and Bcl-2/Bax), significantly reduced the expression of Cyt C, increased the nuclear transfer of Nrf2, and down-regulated the expression of cleaved caspase-3/caspase-3. In conclusion, GS-Re can significantly relieve the Rot-induced cerebral neurotoxicity in drosophilas. The mechanism may be that GS-Re activates Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway by maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis, improves antioxidant capacity of brain neurons, then inhibits mitochondria-mediated caspase-3 signaling pathway, and the apoptosis of neuronal cells, thereby exerting the neuroprotective effect.
		                        		
		                        		
		                        		
		                        			Animals
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		                        			Reactive Oxygen Species/metabolism*
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		                        			Antioxidants/pharmacology*
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		                        			Oxidative Stress
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		                        			NF-E2-Related Factor 2/metabolism*
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		                        			Caspase 3/metabolism*
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		                        			Parkinson Disease/genetics*
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		                        			bcl-2-Associated X Protein/metabolism*
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		                        			Neuroprotective Agents/pharmacology*
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		                        			Kelch-Like ECH-Associated Protein 1/metabolism*
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		                        			Drosophila/metabolism*
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		                        			Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/metabolism*
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		                        			Apoptosis
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		                        			Superoxide Dismutase/metabolism*
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		                        			Adenosine Triphosphate/pharmacology*
		                        			
		                        		
		                        	
            
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