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In Silico and In Vivo Studies on the Mechanisms of Chinese Medicine Formula (Gegen Qinlian Decoction) in the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis.

ABSTRACT: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease, and Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GQD), a Chinese botanical formula, has exhibited beneficial efficacy against UC. However, the mechanisms underlying the effect of GQD still remain to be elucidated. In this study, network pharmacology approach and molecular docking in silico were applied to uncover the potential multicomponent synergetic effect and molecular mechanisms. The targets of ingredients in GQD were obtained from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular mechANism of TCM (BATMAN-TCM) database, while the UC targets were retrieved from Genecards, therapeutic target database (TTD) and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database. The topological parameters of Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) data were used to screen the hub targets in the network. The possible mechanisms were investigated with gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. Molecular docking was used to verify the binding affinity between the active compounds and hub targets. Network pharmacology analysis successfully identified 77 candidate compounds and 56 potential targets. The targets were further mapped to 20 related pathways to construct a compound-target-pathway network and an integrated network of GQD treating UC. Among these pathways, PI3K-AKT, HIF-1, VEGF, Ras, and TNF signaling pathways may exert important effects in the treatment of UC via inflammation suppression and anti-carcinogenesis. In the animal experiment, treatment with GQD and sulfasalazine (SASP) both ameliorated inflammation in UC. The proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) induced by UC were significantly decreased by GQD and SASP. Moreover, the protein expression of EGFR, PI3K, and phosphorylation of AKT were reduced after GQD and SASP treatment, and there was no significance between the GQD group and SASP group. Our study systematically dissected the molecular mechanisms of GQD on the treatment of UC using network pharmacology, as well as uncovered the therapeutic effects of GQD against UC through ameliorating inflammation via downregulating EGFR/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway and the pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6.

SUBMITTER: Liu X

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8232523 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundThe Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GGQLD) is a renowned traditional Chinese medicinal formula that has been used for centuries to effectively treat asymptomatic Hyperuricemia (HUA). This study aims to investigate the underlying mechanism of GGQLD's therapeutic effects on HUA.MethodsThe study enrolled a total of 25 healthy participants and 32 middle-aged and elderly individuals with asymptomatic HUA. All asymptomatic HUA participants were treated with GGQLD. Venous blood samples were collected from all participants to isolate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), which were then analyzed for biological profiles using flow cytometry. Network pharmacology analysis was utilized to identify the potential pathways involved in the therapeutic effects of GGQLD. Transcriptomic patterns of cultured proximal tubule epithelial cells (PTECs) were evaluated via bulk RNA-seq, and critical differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and verified through ELISA. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation were employed to investigate the potential compounds in GGQLD that may be involved in treating HUA.ResultsNetwork pharmacology analysis revealed that immune-related pathways might be involved in the therapeutic mechanism of GGQLD. RNA-seq analysis confirmed the involvement of innate lymphoid cell (ILC) development-related genes and clock genes. Polychromatic flow cytometric analysis demonstrated that GGQLD treatment reduced the proportion of ILC3s in total ILCs in asymptomatic HUA patients. ELISA results showed that GGQLD treatment reduced the levels of activating factors, such as ILC3-IL-18 and IL-1β, in the plasma of HUA patients. GGQLD was also found to regulate circadian clock gene expression in PBMCs to treat asymptomatic HUA. Furthermore, the interaction between 40 compounds in GGQLD and HDAC3 (Histone Deacetylase 3), NLRP3 (NOD-like receptor protein 3), RORA (RAR-related orphan receptor A), and REV-ERBα (nuclear receptor subfamily 1) revealed that GGQLD may regulate ILCs and clock genes to treat asymptomatic HUA.ConclusionsThe regulation of circadian clock gene expression and the proportion of ILC cells may be involved in the therapeutic effects of GGQLD on asymptomatic HUA patients.

Project description:BackgroundResistance to chemotherapeutic drugs, such as oxaliplatin (OXA), can lead to unsatisfactory chemotherapy results during the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). Therefore, we investigated the potential targets and mechanisms of Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GQD) against OXA-resistant CRC through network pharmacology and performed molecular docking and experimental verification.MethodsWe collected potential compounds, targets, and related disease genes from public databases. The pharmacology model of the compound-target-pathway network and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were established. The potential active components and mechanisms underlying GQD reversing OXA-resistant CRC were systematically predicted, and the key targets were verified by performing molecular docking and in vitro and in vivo experiments.ResultsA total of 160 active ingredients, 407 potential targets, and 406 CRC drug resistance genes were collected. 16 intersecting genes, which included ABCG2 and belonged to 139 active compounds including baicalin and wogonin. They were enriched in 12 signaling pathways, including ABC transport and metabolism. Along with network topology analysis, ABCB1 and ABCC2 were identified as key targets and proved that various active components of GQD combined well with them. GQD alone and synergized with OXA could inhibit the protein and mRNA of ABC transporters in vivo and in vitro, decrease the IC50 of OXA-resistant CRC to OXA with a good synergistic index at different treatment times and concentrations, improve the sensitivity of OXA-resistant CRC to OXA, inhibit drug efflux, decrease tumor volume, and increase the weight of nude mice at the late stage of treatment.ConclusionsGQD can target ATP-binding proteins, inhibit ABC transporters, reverse OXA resistance, increase the sensitivity of OXA-resistant CRC cells to OXA, decrease tumor volume, alleviate toxic side effects, improve prognosis, and have good synergistic therapeutic effects. These results provide an effective research tool to elucidate ethnomedicine for modernizing refractory diseases.

Project description:PurposeGegen Qinlian decoction (GQD) has been used to treat gastrointestinal diseases, such as diarrhea and ulcerative colitis (UC). A recent study demonstrated that GQD enhanced the effect of PD-1 blockade in colorectal cancer (CRC). This study used network pharmacology analysis to investigate the mechanisms of GQD as a potential therapeutic approach against CRC.Materials and methodsBioactive chemical ingredients (BCIs) of GQD were collected from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database. CRC-specific genes were obtained using the gene expression profile GSE110224 from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Target genes related to BCIs of GQD were then screened out. The GQD-CRC ingredient-target pharmacology network was constructed and visualized using Cytoscape software. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was subsequently constructed and analyzed with BisoGenet and CytoNCA plug-in in Cytoscape. Gene Ontology (GO) functional and the Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis for target genes were then performed using the R package of clusterProfiler.ResultsOne hundred and eighteen BCIs were determined to be effective on CRC, including quercetin, wogonin, and baicalein. Twenty corresponding target genes were screened out including PTGS2, CCNB1, and SPP1. Among these genes, CCNB1 and SPP1 were identified as crucial to the PPI network. A total of 212 GO terms and 6 KEGG pathways were enriched for target genes. Functional analysis indicated that these targets were closely related to pathophysiological processes and pathways such as biosynthetic and metabolic processes of prostaglandins and prostanoids, cytokine and chemokine activities, and the IL-17, TNF, Toll-like receptor, and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways.ConclusionThe study elucidated the "multiingredient, multitarget, and multipathway" mechanisms of GQD against CRC from a systemic perspective, indicating GQD to be a candidate therapy for CRC treatment.

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In Silico and In Vivo Studies on the Mechanisms of Chinese Medicine Formula (Gegen Qinlian Decoction) in the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis.

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