ABSTRACT
The material basis and mechanism of Chaenomelis Fructus in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis(RA) were explored by network pharmacology, and the potential anti-RA targets of Chaenomelis Fructus were verified by molecular docking and animal experiments. The active components and targets of Chaenomelis Fructus were searched against the Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform. GeneCards, DisGeNET, and OMIM were used to obtain RA-related targets. The common targets shared by Chaenomelis Fructus and RA were considered as the potential targets of Chaenomelis Fructus in the treatment of RA. Cytoscape 3.9.0 was employed to establish a "traditional Chinese medicine-active component-common target-disease" network. The protein-protein interaction(PPI) network was established by STRING, and the core genes were visualized by RStudio 4.1.0. DAVID was used for Gene Ontology(GO) annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment to predict and visualize the involved signaling pathways. Molecular docking was carried out with the active components screened out as ligands and RA core genes as the targets. Finally, the prediction results were verified by animal experiments. Four main active components of Chaenomelis Fructus were obtained, which corresponded to 137 targets. Chaenomelis Fructus and RA shared 37 common targets. GO annotation yielded 239 terms(P<0.05), and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis screened out 94 signaling pathways(P<0.05), mainly involving interleukin-17(IL-17), tumor necrosis factor, Toll-like receptor, and nuclear factor-kappa B(NF-κB) signaling pathways. Molecular docking results showed that the main active components of Chaenomelis Fructus bound well with the core targets of RA. The results of animal experiments proved that Chaenomelis Fructus can alleviate joint swelling in the mice with RA. The results of ELISA showed that Chaenomelis Fructus lowered the levels of interleukin-6(IL-6) and interleukin-1β(IL-1β). Western blot showed that Chaenomelis Fructus down-regulated the protein level of vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGFA). Chaenomelis Fructus exerts anti-inflammatory effect and reduces pannus formation by regulating the core targets such as VEGFA, IL-1β, and IL6 in the treatment of RA. The findings of this study provide new ideas for the future treatment of RA with Chaenomelis Fructus.
Subject(s)
Animals , Mice , Network Pharmacology , Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A , Molecular Docking Simulation , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/genetics , Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha , NF-kappa B , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use , Medicine, Chinese TraditionalABSTRACT
Objective To observe the morphological changes in the testes and ovaries of adult 12th-generation Oncomelania hupensis bred for 12 winters in Weishan Lake areas. Methods The offspring of the adult O. hupensis snails bred in the Weishan Lake that were originated from the Yangzhou section of the Yangtze River was defined as the experiment group, while uninfected, adult O. hupensis snails captured from the marshland of the Yangzhou section of the Yangtze River served as the control group. Snails were dissected and intact testicular and ovarian specimens were sampled, routinely fixed, dehydrated, embedded, polymerized in an oven and sliced on an ultramicrotome. The sections were visualized under a transmission electron microscope, and the ultrastructure of the snail gonad was compared between the experiment and control groups. Results Transmission electron microscopy showed “9 + 2” microtubules on the transverse sections of the tails of sperm cells in the testes of male snails in the control group, with triangular acrosomes and spiral, dense nuclei seen in the tip, while in the experiment group, the “9 + 2” microtubules disappeared on the transverse sections of the tails of sperm cells in the testes of male snails, with low chromatin density found in the tip. Transmission electron microscopy revealed clear nucleolus and nuclear membranes in the ova of female snail ovaries, and displayed yolk body, liposomes and endoplasmic reticulum in the cytoplasm, bilayer twists of nuclear membrane and a uniform nucleolus in the control group, while in the experiment group, smooth nuclear membrane and unclear nucleolus were observed in the ova of female snail ovaries, with few contents seen within cells. Conclusions Following breeding for 12 winters in the Weishan Lake, the 12th-generation O. hupensis snails fail to fully adapt to the natural environment in northern China, and the remarkable changes in the ultrastructure of the snail gonad may be a cause of gradual decline and even extinction of O. hupensis in the Weishan Lake areas.
ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo prepare high specific monoclonal antibodies(mAbs) against BP26 of Brucella(B.)melitensis.Methods A recombinant plasmid pET-28a-BP26 was constructed and transformed into competent Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3),and then the bacteria were induced by 1 mmol/L isopropylthio-β-D-galactoside (IPTG).After induction,the recombinant BP26 protein (rBP26) was purified by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis(SDS-PGAE) and nickel ion affinity chromatography(Ni-NTA).Mice were inoculated with rBP26 antigens for three times at 2-week intervals.The first subcutaneous injection contained 100 μg rBP26 with 0.1 ml complete Freund adjuvant.The second subcutaneous injection was 50 μg rBP26 with 0.1 ml incomplete Freund adjuvant.The antibody titers to rBP26 were determined 2 weeks after each reimmunization.Three days before cell fusion,the mice with the highest titer were intraperitoneally injected with 50 μg rBP26 in 0.1 ml PBS.Pre- and post-immunization sera were collected and used as negative or positive controls for screening mAbs.Mice with the highest titer were sacrificed and spleen cells were isolated.The spleen cells of rBP26 immunized mice were fused with SP2/0 myeloma cells in a ratio of 5 ∶ 1 by polyethylene glycol(PEG) 1450.Antibody-producing hybridomas were primarily screened by an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbnent assay(ELISA) with rBP26.Reactive hybridomas were subcloned for 3 times,then the strains of hybridoma cells secreting antibodies against BP26 were obtained.Supernatant of cloned hybridoma cultures was collected for mAb analyses.These mAbs were named by the hybridoma clone number and tested their reactivity to membrane proteins extracted(NMP) from B.melitensis vaccine strain(M5-90) by Western blotting and Dot-ELISA.mAbs isotyping and kappa(κ) or lambda(λ) light chain was identified by Mouse Monoclonal Antibody Isotyping Kit.Results A total of two mAbs reactive to rBP26 of B.melitensis were selected from antibody screening hybridomas by indirect-ELISA.The two mAbs were named 3C3 and 5A5,and identified as IgG1 (κ) and IgG2(κ),respectively.They could react with NMP from M5-90.Conclusions Results of identification show that two mAbs against rBP26 can be produced.The two mAbs can recognize natural BP26 protein,giving the experimental materials for further research on identification of its epitopes.
ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the expression of Sp3 gene of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients in Guizhou and the relationship between Sp3 gene expression and immunological function. Methods Two pairs of primers were used to amplify cDNAs generated from 31 MS patients and 30 healthy controls. The serum levels of sIL-2R were measured in 27 patients with MS and 30 healthy controls by sandwiched ELISA. Results The deficient expression of Sp3 gene in MS patients was significantly higher than that in control (41.9% ( 12/31 ) vs 6. 7% (2/30) ,x2 =7. 133 ,P =0. 008). The sIL-2R levels in MS patients were significantly higher than those in control (( 2788.5 ± 1079. 8 ), ( 1270. 7 ± 489. 4) μg/L, t = 6. 170, P = 0. 001 ). The concentration of sIL-2R in MS with negative ((3364.0 ± 1252.3) μg/L) and positive((2450.0 ± 827.0) μg/L) expression of Sp3 gene were significantly increased compared with control (F = 32. 059, P < 0. 05 ). The sIL-2R levels were significantly rising in MS patients with negative expression of Sp3 gene compared with MS patients with positive expression of Sp3 gene ( q = 4. 213, P < 0. 05 ). Conclusions A remarkable deficient expression of Sp3 gene in PBMC has been found in MS patients in Guizhou. sIL-2R may take part in the process of MS. The expression of Sp3 gene is not affected by immune state, however, MS patients with Sp3 deficient expression tend to have a more serious impairment in immunological functions.