ABSTRACT
Digestive system cancers, including liver, gastric, colon, esophageal and pancreatic cancers, are the leading cause of cancers with high morbidity and mortality, and the question of their clinical treatment is still open. Previous studies have indicated that Ziyuglycoside II (ZYG II), the major bioactive ingredient extract from Sanguisorba officinalis L., significantly inhibits the growth of various cancer cells. However, the selective anti-tumor effects of ZYG II against digestive system cancers are not systemically investigated. In this study, we reported the anti-cancer effect of ZYG II on esophageal cancer cells (OE21), cholangiocarcinoma cells (HuCCT1), gastric cancer cells (BGC-823), liver cancer cells (HepG2), human colonic cancer cells (HCT116), and pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1). We also found that ZYG II induced cell cycle arrest, oxidative stress and mitochondrial apoptosis. Network pharmacology analysis suggested that UBC, EGFR and IKBKG are predicted targets of ZYG II. EGFR signaling was suggested as the critical pathway underlying the anti-cancer effects of ZYG II and both docking simulation and western blot analysis demonstrated that ZYG II was a potential EGFR inhibitor. Furthermore, our results showed synergistic inhibitory effects of ZYG II and chemotherapy 5-FU on the growth of cancer cells. In summary, ZYG II are effective anti-tumor agents against digestive cancers. Further systemic evaluation of the anti-cancer activities in vitro and in vivo and characterization of underlying mechanism will promote the development of novel supplementary therapeutic strategies based on ZYG II for the treatment of digestive system cancers.
ABSTRACT
Angelicae Sinensis Radix (Danggui) and Ligusticum Chuanxiong Rhizoma (Chuan Xiong) herb-pair (DC) have been frequently used in Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescriptions for hundreds of years to prevent vascular diseases and alleviate pain. However, the mechanism of DC herb-pair in the prevention of liver fibrosis development was still unclear. In the present study, the effects and mechanisms of DC herb-pair on liver fibrosis were examined using network pharmacology and mouse fibrotic model. Based on the network pharmacological analysis of 13 bioactive ingredients found in DC, a total of 46 targets and 71 pathways related to anti-fibrosis effects were obtained, which was associated with mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal pathway, hepatic inflammation and fibrotic response. Furthermore, this hypothesis was verified using carbon tetrachloride (CCl
ABSTRACT
The primary clinical manifestations of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are fever, fatigue and dry cough. Several clinical studies reported that some patients with low or medium fever, or even without obvious symptom, rapidly progressed to severe or critical illness, including severe acute respiratory syndrome, septic shock, coagulation disorders and intractable metabolic acidosis. These patients were usually associated with significant elevated serum levels of a profile of cytokines, which is similar to SARS-2003 and MERS-2015, indicating the occurrence of cytokine storm. In the present review, we summarized previous advances in the treatment of severe cases of SARS by using traditional Chinese medicines (TCM), especially those TCM targeting cytokine storm, based on literature mining. By using data mining and network pharmacology, we also investigated underlying mechanisms and biological pathways involved in the inhibitory effects of TCM against cytokine storm. This review not only provides novel insights in the precise application of TCM, appropriate integrative use of TCM in combination with western medicine, but also contributes to the discovery of novel drugs or new therapeutic strategies targeting cytokine storm to suppress progression of COVID-19 and to improve clinical prognosis and outcomes.