Dataset Information

A Network Pharmacology Approach to Uncover the Multiple Mechanisms of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. on Colorectal Cancer.

ABSTRACT: Background:As one of the most frequently diagnosed cancer diseases globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) remains an important cause of cancer-related death. Although the traditional Chinese herb Hedyotis diffusa Willd. (HDW) has been proven to be effective for treating CRC in clinical practice, its definite mechanisms have not been completely deciphered. Objective:The aim of our research is to systematically explore the multiple mechanisms of HDW on CRC. Methods:This study adopted the network pharmacology approach, which was mainly composed of active component gathering, target prediction, CRC gene collection, network analysis, and gene enrichment analysis. Results:The network analysis showed that 10 targets might be the therapeutic targets of HDW on CRC, namely, HRAS, PIK3CA, KRAS, TP53, APC, BRAF, GSK3B, CDK2, AKT1, and RAF1. The gene enrichment analysis implied that HDW probably benefits patients with CRC by modulating pathways related to cancers, infectious diseases, endocrine system, immune system, nervous system, signal transduction, cellular community, and cell motility. Conclusions:This study partially verified and predicted the pharmacological and molecular mechanism of HDW against CRC from a holistic perspective, which will also lay a foundation for the further experimental research and clinical rational application of HDW.

SUBMITTER: Liu X

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5829364 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A Network Pharmacology Approach to Uncover the Multiple Mechanisms of <i>Hedyotis diffusa</i> Willd. on Colorectal Cancer.

Liu Xinkui X Wu Jiarui J Zhang Dan D Wang Kaihuan K Duan Xiaojiao X Zhang Xiaomeng X

Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM 20180212

<h4>Background</h4>As one of the most frequently diagnosed cancer diseases globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) remains an important cause of cancer-related death. Although the traditional Chinese herb <i>Hedyotis diffusa</i> Willd. (HDW) has been proven to be effective for treating CRC in clinical practice, its definite mechanisms have not been completely deciphered.<h4>Objective</h4>The aim of our research is to systematically explore the multiple mechanisms of HDW on CRC.<h4>Methods</h4>This stu ...[more]

PMID: 29619072

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Project description:Hedyotis diffusa Willd (HDW) possesses heat-clearing, detoxification, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, its effects on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) remain under-researched. In this study, we identified potential targets of HDW and collected differentially expressed genes of RA from the GEO dataset GSE77298, leading to the construction of a drug-component-target-disease regulatory network. The intersecting genes underwent GO and KEGG analysis. A PPI protein interaction network was established in the STRING database. Through LASSO, RF, and SVM-RFE algorithms, we identified the core gene MMP9. Subsequent analyses, including ROC, GSEA enrichment, and immune cell infiltration, correlated core genes with RA. mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA regulatory networks were predicted using databases like TargetScan, miRTarBase, miRWalk, starBase, lncBase, and the GEO dataset GSE122616. Experimental verification in RA-FLS cells confirmed HDW's regulatory impact on core genes and their ceRNA expression. We obtained 11 main active ingredients of HDW and 180 corresponding targets, 2150 RA-related genes, and 36 drug-disease intersection targets. The PPI network diagram and three machine learning methods screened to obtain MMP9, and further analysis showed that MMP9 had high diagnostic significance and was significantly correlated with the main infiltrated immune cells, and the molecular docking verification also showed that MMP9 and the main active components of HDW were well combined. Next, we predicted 6 miRNAs and 314 lncRNAs acting on MMP9, and two ceRNA regulatory axes were obtained according to the screening. Cellular assays indicated HDW inhibits RA-FLS cell proliferation and MMP9 protein expression dose-dependently, suggesting HDW might influence RA's progression by regulating the MMP9/miR-204-5p/MIAT axis. This innovative analytical thinking provides guidance and reference for the future research on the ceRNA mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of RA.

Project description:BackgroundGlobally, gastric cancer (GC) is recognized as the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths and the fifth most prevalent malignant disease. Multiple studies have indicated that Hedyotis diffusa Willd, in pinyin, called Bai Hua She Cao (BHSSC), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an herbal remedy for cancer treatment. However, the specific mechanisms underlying its anti-tumor properties and mode of action are still unclear.MethodsTo determine the role of BHSSC in GC, candidate target genes were selected from The Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ETCM) and analyzed using network pharmacology, bioinformatics, and experimental validation. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with gastric cancer were obtained from RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data sourced from The Cancer Genome Atlas-Stomach adenocarcinoma (TCGA-STAD). The Reactome Pathway was examined using Analysis Tools, while KEGG pathways were analyzed using KOBAS. Gene Ontology (GO) evaluations were performed using WebGestalt and DAVID. The relationships between proteins were investigated using the STRING database. Furthermore, cell viability, colony formation, and cell migration ability were conducted in gastric cancer cells, BGC-823 and MGC-803.ResultsNetwork pharmacology and bioinformatics analyses revealed a significant association between BHSSC and metabolic pathways. In vitro experiments demonstrated that BHSSC effectively suppressed gastric cancer cell proliferation and colony formation, inhibited cell migration, and activated the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Furthermore, it was found that enhancement of the expression of IRE1α and BIP is the mechanism by which BHSSC activates ER stress.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that BHSSC exerts its effects through modulation of metabolic pathways, leading to the suppression of cell proliferation, inhibition of cell migration, and activation of the endoplasmic reticulum. These results provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of BHSSC in GC and support its potential as a novel treatment option.

Project description:Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is characterized by poor diagnosis and high mortality. Novel and efficient therapeutic agents are urgently needed for the treatment. Hedyotis diffusa Willd (HDW) is used to treat cancers, especially HCC in China. Purpose The study aimed to identify the main anti-HCC extract in HDW and to explore the mechanism of the active extract. Materials and Methods The high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTOF-MS) method was used for the simultaneous determination of main compounds in the ethyl acetate fraction of HDW (EHDW). The toxicity test of different HDW fractions was carried out on larvae at 2 day-post-fertilization (dpf) for 72 h. The in vivo anti-HCC effect of different HDW fractions was evaluated on a zebrafish tumor model by immersion administration. The antiproliferative effect of HDW fractions was determined with MTT assay, as well as hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining assay. Hoechst 33258 staining was used to observe changes in nucleus morphology. Flow cytometry analysis was used to investigate apoptosis induction. Western blot analysis was used to examine apoptosis-related proteins, and key proteins in JNK/Nur77 signaling pathway. SP600125 was served to validate the apoptotic mechanism. Results EHDW showed the strongest tumor cell growth inhibitory effect on zebrafish tumor model. Further study revealed that EHDW induced apoptosis in zebrafish tumor model and in cultured Hep3B cells. Meanwhile, it has been shown that the levels of BCL2-associated X (Bax), cytochrome c (cyto c), cleaved-caspase 3, and poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) cells were upregulated. In contrast, the level of antiapoptotic B cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) was downregulated in Hep3B cells. Additionally, EHDW activated JNK/Nur77 pathway by increasing the levels of p-JNK(Thr183/Tyr185) and p-Nur77(Ser351). Further study showed that blockage of JNK by SP600125 reversed EHDW-induced JNK/Nur77 pathway and the downstream apoptotic proteins. Conclusion In conclusion, EHDW exerted the anti-HCC effect, which may be attributed to the activation of JNK/Nur77 pathway. This study supported the rationale of HDW as an HCC therapeutic agent.

Project description:ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the hepatoprotective effect and molecular mechanism of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. ethanol extract (HDWE) against isoniazid (INH)-induced liver injury in the zebrafish model.MethodsINH-induced liver injury model was established by adding an immersion bath of INH in 3 days post-fertilisation (dpf) healthy transgenic zebrafish with liver-specific fluorescence (L-FABP: EGFP). HDWE and INH were given to the zebrafish to observe liver morphology and pathology, fluorescence intensity, and the activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), as well as the content of glutathione (GSH). The chemical composition of HDWE was analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with a quadrupole-time-of flight hybrid mass spectrometer (HPLC-Q-TOF-MS). The bioactive compounds, molecular targets and signalling pathways of HDWE were predicted using network pharmacology. Subsequently, molecular docking was adopted to analyze the affinities between the bioactive components and targets by Autodock. Finally, in vitro experiments were conducted to further verify the findings.ResultsOur findings showed that HDWE had a remarkable protective effect on INH-induced liver injury in zebrafish. Twenty compounds in HDWE were identified. Nineteen hub targets were identified as possible targets of HDWE, and a compound-target-pathway network was constructed. Nine bioactive compounds, ten molecular targets, and seven key signalling pathways were found to play a pivotal role in the hepatoprotective effect of HDWE against INH-induced liver injury. In vitro studies revealed that the important bioactive compound quercetin-3-O-sambubioside (QSA) could significantly reverse INH-induced cell viability decreases and had a significant effect on the associated targets predicted by network pharmacology and molecular docking.ConclusionIn this study, through the research of hepatoprotective effect of HDWE and bioinformatics analysis, the bioactive compounds, important pathways and key molecular targets were discovered. These findings could provide scientific evidence for the use of HDW in liver injury and prove to help explore its efficacy and the mechanism of action.

Project description:Hedyotis Diffusa Willd, used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, is a treatment for various diseases including cancer, owing to its mild effectiveness and low toxicity. The aim of this study was to identify the main anticancer components in Hedyotis Diffusa Willd, and explore mechanisms underlying their activity. Hedyotis Diffusa Willd was extracted and fractionated using ethyl acetate to obtain the H-Ethyl acetate fraction, which showed higher anticancer activity than the other fractions obtained against HepG2 cells with sulforhodamine B assays. The active component of the H-Ethyl acetate fraction was identified to be 1,3-dihydroxy-2-methylanthraquinone (DMQ) with much high inhibitory rate up to 48.9 ± 3.3% and selectivity rate up to 9.4 ± 4.5 folds (p<0.01) at 125 μmol/L. HepG2 cells treated with the fraction and DMQ visualized morphologically using light and fluorescence microscopy. Annexin V--fluorescein isothiocyanate / propidium iodide staining flow cytometry, DNA ladder and cell cycle distribution assays. Mechanistic studies showed up-regulation of caspase-3, -8, and -9 proteases activities (p<0.001), indicating involvement of mitochondrial apoptotic and death receptor pathways. Further studies revealed that reactive oxygen species in DMQ and the fraction treated HepG2 cells increased (p<0.01) while mitochondrial membrane potential reduced significantly (p<0.001) compared to the control by flow cytometry assays. Western blot analysis showed that Bax, p53, Fas, FasL, p21 and cytoplasmic cytochrome C were up-regulated (p<0.01), while Bcl-2, mitochondrial cytochrome C, cyclin E and CDK 2 were down-regulated dose-dependently (p<0.01). The reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction showed that mRNA expressions of p53 and Bax increased (p<0.001) while that of Bcl-2 decreased (p<0.001). Pre-treatment with caspase-8 inhibitor Z-IETD-FMK, or caspase-9 inhibitor Z-LEHD-FMK, attenuated the growth-inhibitory and apoptosis-inducing effects of DMQ and the fraction on HepG2 cells. These results suggested that DMQ and the H-Ethyl acetate fraction of Hedyotis Diffusa Willd showed potential anticancer effects. Furthermore, the mechanisms of action may involve mitochondrial apoptotic and death receptor pathways.

Dataset Information

A Network Pharmacology Approach to Uncover the Multiple Mechanisms of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. on Colorectal Cancer.

Publications

A Network Pharmacology Approach to Uncover the Multiple Mechanisms of <i>Hedyotis diffusa</i> Willd. on Colorectal Cancer.

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