Network pharmacology and molecular docking reveal the mechanism of resveratrol in oral squamous cell carcinoma treatment / 口腔疾病防治

Objective@#To explore the molecular mechanism of resveratrol (RES) in the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) through the use of biological information methods such as network pharmacology and molecular docking and to provide a theoretical reference for the clinical application of RES in the treatment of OSCC.@*Methods@#The Swiss Target Prediction(http://www.swisstargetprediction.ch), SEA (http://sea.bkslab.org)database, and Pharm mapper database(http://lilab-ecust.cn) were used to retrieve RES-related targets, and the DISGENET (www.disgenet.org), OMIM (https://omim.org) and GeneCards (https://www.genecards.org) databases were used to screen OSCC disease targets. The intersection of drugs and disease targets was determined, and Cytoscape 3.7.2 software was used to construct a "drug-diseasetarget pathway" network. The Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) database was used to construct a target protein interaction network, and the DAVID database was used for enrichment analysis of key proteins. Finally, molecular docking validation of key proteins was performed using AutoDock and PyMOL. The enrichment analysis and molecular docking results were integrated to predict the possible molecular mechanisms of RES treatment in OSCC; western blot was used to determine the effect of resveratrol at different concentrations (50, 100) μmol/L on the expression of Src tyrosine kinase (SRC), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), estrogen receptor gene 1 (ESR1), and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) signaling pathway proteins in OSCC HSC-3 cells.@*Results@#A total of 243 targets of RES drugs and 6 094 targets of OSCC were identified. A total of 116 potential common targets were obtained by intersecting drugs with disease targets. These potential targets mainly participate in biological processes such as in vivo protein self-phosphorylation, peptide tyrosine phosphorylation, transmembrane receptor protein tyrosine kinase signaling pathway, and positive regulation of RNA polymerase Ⅱ promoter transcription, and they interfere with the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway to exert anti-OSCC effects. The docking results of resveratrol with OSCC molecules indicated that key targets, such as EGFR, ESR1, and SRC, have good binding activity. The results of cell-based experiments showed that resveratrol inhibited the protein expression of SRC, EGFR, ESR1, p-PI3K, and p-AKT in HSC-3 cells in a dose-dependent manner.@*Conclusion@#RES can inhibit the expression of its targets EGFR, ESR1, SRC, p-PI3K, and p-AKT in OSCC cells.

Effect of South African Herb Hoodia gordonii on Liver Glucolipid Metabolism and PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 Signalling Pathway in db/db Mice / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of the South African herb Hoodia gordonii （HG） on glucolipid metabolism in diabetic db/db mice and explore the possible mechanisms of HG on the liver of db/db mice based on the phosphoinositide-3 kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/factor forkhead protein O1 （FoxO1） signaling pathway. MethodA total of 30 db/db mice were randomly divided into five groups according to fasting blood glucose： model group， metformin group （0.195 g·kg-1）， and low dose （0.39 g·kg-1）， medium dose （0.78 g·kg-1）， and high dose （1.56 g·kg-1） HG groups， with six m/m mice in each group， and another six m/m mice were set as normal group. The mice in the normal and model groups were given saline of 9 mL·kg-1 by gavage. Body weight， water intake， and fasting blood glucose of the mice in each group were measured weekly. After six weeks of continuous administration， serum insulin （FINS）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL）， total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， urea， and creatinine （CREA） were measured， and liver sections were embedded and stained with hematoxylin-eosin （HE）， periodic acid-Schiff （PAS）， and oil red O. Protein expression of PI3K p85， p-Akt， and p-FoxO1 in liver was detected by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA expression of PI3K， Akt， and FoxO1 in liver tissue was detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）. ResultAfter six weeks of administration intervention， it was found that fasting blood glucose was significantly downregulated in mice in the three HG groups （P<0.05）. The level of islet resistance index was significantly reduced in both the low and medium dose HG groups （P<0.05）. The expression levels of TC， TG， and LDL were reduced in all HG groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Pathologically， HG could alleviate hepatocyte steatosis， reduce the volume and content of lipid droplets in liver， and increase the distribution of glycogen granules in liver to some extent in mice. Immunohistochemical assays revealed that PI3K p85 protein expression was significantly increased in the low， medium， and high dose HG groups compared with the model group （P<0.01）. p-Akt protein expression was significantly increased in the medium and high dose HG groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. p-FoxO1 protein expression was significantly increased in the low， medium， and high dose HG groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， PI3K mRNA was increased in low dose， medium dose， and high dose HG groups （P<0.05）， and Akt mRNA was increased in high dose HG group （P<0.05）. FoxO1 mRNA was decreased in low dose， medium dose， and high dose HG groups （P<0.05）. ConclusionHG can ameliorate the disorder of glucolipid metabolism in db/db mice， which may be related to its activation of the hepatic PI3K/Akt/FoxO1 signaling pathway.

Analysis of Antidepressant Quality Markers of Bupleuri Radix Before and After Vinegar-processing Based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and Network Pharmacology / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo analyze the antidepressant quality markers（Q-Marker） of Bupleuri Radix（BP） before and after vinegar-processing by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS）， multivariate statistical analysis and network pharmacology. MethodUPLC-Q-TOF-MS was used to analyze the chemical basis of raw and vinegar-processed products of BP， and principal component analysis（PCA） orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis（OPLS-DA） were used to identify the differential components in BP that changed significantly before and after vinegar-processing， which were regarded as candidate quality markers（Q-Marker）. Then the disease-drug-component-target network related to antidepressant effect of BP was constructed by network pharmacology， and the antidepressant Q-Marker of raw and vinegar-processed products of BP was determined. Rats were randomly divided into blank group， model group， fluoxetine group（2.67 mg·kg-1） and total saponin group（0.72 mg·kg-1）， except the blank group， rats in the other groups were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress（CUMS）. Three weeks after the start of modeling， rats in each administration group were given the corresponding dose of drugs once a day for 4 weeks， and rats in the blank and model groups were given normal saline with dose of 10 mL·kg-1. At 1 day before modeling， 21 days and 28 days after administration， body mass weighing， sucrose preference test and open field test were performed on each group . After 28 days of administration， real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression levels of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase（PI3K）， protein kinase B（Akt）， mammalian target of rapamycin（mTOR）， glycogen synthase kinase-3β（GSK-3β）， forkhead box transcription factor O3a（FoxO3a） and β-catenin in hippocampal tissues of rats in each group， while protein expression levels of PI3K， Akt， mTOR and FoxO3a in hippocampal tissues of rats in each group were detected by Western blot. ResultThere were 19 components in BP showed significant changes before and after vinegar-processing， and 9 components such as saikosaponin A， saikosaponin B1， saikosaponin B2， saikosaponin C and saikosaponin D were identified as potential Q-Marker through S-plot differential marker screening. Combined with the disease-drug-component-target network， saikosaponin A， saikosaponin B1， saikosaponin B2 and saikosaponin D were identified as antidepressant Q-Marker of raw and vinegar-processed products of BP. According to the results of pharmacodynamic tests， after 28 d of administration， compared with the blank group， the body mass， sucrose preference index and open field total score of rats in model group， fluoxetine group and total saponin group decreased significantly（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the body mass， sucrose preference index and open field total score in total saponin group increased significantly（P<0.01）. Compared with the blank group， mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， mTOR and β-catenin in hippocampus of rats in the model group decreased significantly（P<0.05）， while mRNA expression levels of GSK-3β and FoxO3a increased significantly（P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， mTOR and β-catenin in hippocampus of rats in the total saponin group were increased significantly（P<0.05）， while mRNA expression levels of GSK-3β and FoxO3a decreased significantly（P<0.05）. Compared with the blank group， the protein expression levels of Akt and mTOR in hippocampus of the model group decreased significantly（P<0.01）， while the protein expression levels of PI3K and FoxO3a increased significantly（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the expression level of Akt in hippocampus of the total saponin group increased significantly（P<0.01）， the mTOR expression level was increased but not statistically significant， while the protein expression levels of PI3K and FoxO3a decreased significantly（P<0.01）. ConclusionThe chemical constituents of BP changed greatly after vinegar-processing， and the antidepressant Q-Marker of raw and vinegar-processed products of BP was determined by chemical basis， pharmacodynamics， network pharmacology and signaling pathway， which provided a reference for further research on quality control， pharmacodynamic substance basis and processing mechanism of BP.

Effect of Qiwei Baizhusan on Cognitive Dysfunction in Rats with Diabetic Encephalopathy Based on PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the therapeutic effect of Qiwei Baizhusan（QWBZS） on diabetic encephalopathy（DE） rat model， and to explore the possible mechanism of QWBZS in the treatment of DE based on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase（PI3K）/protein kinase B（Akt）/glycogen synthase kinase-3β（GSK-3β） signaling pathway. MethodForty-eight SPF male Wistar rats were randomly divided into blank group（8 rats） and high-fat diet group（40 rats）. After 12 weeks of feeding， rats in the high-fat diet group were intraperitoneally injected with 35 mg·kg-1 of 1% streptozotocin（STZ） for 2 consecutive days to construct a DE model， and rats in the blank group were injected with the same amount of sodium citrate buffer. After successful modeling， according to blood glucose and body weight， model rats were randomly divided into model group， low， medium and high dose groups of QWBZS（3.15， 6.3， 12.6 g·kg-1）， combined western medicine group（metformin+rosiglitazone， 0.21 g·kg-1）， with 6 rats in each group. The administration group was given the corresponding dose of drug by gavage， and the blank group and the model group were given an equal volume of 0.9% sodium chloride solution by gavage， 1 time/day for 6 weeks. Morris water maze was used to detect the spatial memory ability of DE rats. Fasting insulin （FINS） level was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay（ELISA） and insulin resistance index（HOMA-IR） was calculated. Hematoxylin-eosin（HE） staining was used to observe the morphological changes of hippocampus in rats， ELISA was used to detect the indexes of oxidative stress in hippocampal tissues， real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） was used to detect mRNA expression levels of PI3K， Akt， nuclear transcription factor-κB（NF-κB）， tumor necrosis factor-α（TNF-α） and interleukin-1β（IL-1β） in hippocampus， and Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of PI3K， Akt， phosphorylated（p）-Akt， GSK-3β and p-GSK-3β in hippocampus of rats. ResultCompared with the blank group， FINS and HOMA-IR values of the model group were significantly increased（P<0.01）， the path of finding the original position of the platform was significantly increased， and the escape latency was significantly prolonged（P<0.01）， the morphology of neuronal cells in hippocampal tissues was disrupted， the levels of reactive oxygen species（ROS） and malondialdehyde（MDA） in hippocampus of rats were increased， and the activity of superoxide dismutase（SOD） was decreased（P<0.05， P<0.01）， mRNA expression levels of PI3K and Akt were decreased（P<0.01）， mRNA expression levels of NF-κB， TNF-α and IL-1β were increased（P<0.05， P<0.01）， the protein expression levels of PI3K， p-Akt and p-GSK-3β were significantly decreased， and the protein expression of GSK-3β was significantly increased（P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the FINS and HOMA-IR values of the medium dose group of QWBZS and the combined western medicine group were significantly decreased（P<0.01）， the path of finding the original position of the platform and the escape latency were significantly shortened（P<0.01）， the hippocampal tissue structure of rats was gradually recovered， and the morphological damage of nerve cells was significantly improved， the contents of ROS and MDA in hippocampus of rats decreased and the level of SOD increased（P<0.01）， the mRNA expression levels of PI3K and Akt were increased（P<0.01）， and the mRNA expression levels of NF-κB， TNF-α and IL-1β were decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， the protein expression levels of PI3K， p-Akt and p-GSK-3β were significantly increased（P<0.01）， and the expression of GSK-3β was significantly decreased（P<0.01）. ConclusionQWBZS can alleviate insulin resistance in DE rats， it may repair hippocampal neuronal damage and improve learning and cognitive ability of DE rats by activating PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β signaling pathway.

Earthworm Protein Protects Vascular Endothelial Function in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats via PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the effect of earthworm protein on the expression of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B/nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 （PI3K/Akt/Nrf2） pathway in the aorta of spontaneously hypertensive rats （SHR） and explore mechanism of earthworm protein in treating hypertensive vascular endothelial dysfunction （VED）. MethodTen 10-week-old Wistar Kyoto （WKY） rats and fifty SHR rats were selected for a week of adaptive feeding. WKY rats were selected as the normal group， and fifty SHR rats were randomized according to body weight into model， valsartan （8×10-3 g·kg-1·d-1）， and high-， medium-， and low-dose （0.2， 0.1， 0.05 g·kg-1·d-1， respectively） earthworm protein groups. The normal and model groups were administrated with equal volume of double distilled water by gavage. During the drug intervention period， the general situations of rats in each group were observed and their blood pressure was monitored at specific time points every other week before and after administration. After 8 weeks of drug intervention， enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was employed to measure the levels of angiotensin-Ⅱ （Ang-Ⅱ） and endothelin-1 （ET-1） in the serum of rats in each group. The corresponding kits were used to determine the levels of nitric oxide （NO）， malondialdehyde （MDA）， glutathione peroxidase （GPX）， superoxide dismutase （SOD）， and ferrous ion （Fe2+）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was employed to observe the changes in the intima of the aorta. Fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was employed to measure the mRNA levels of PI3K， Akt， Nrf2， heme oxygenase-1 （HO-1）， and glutathione peroxidase 4 （GPX4） in the aortic tissue. Western blotting was used to determine the protein levels of p-PI3K （Tyr467/199）， PI3K， p-Akt （Ser473）， Akt， Nrf2， HO-1， and GPX4 in the thoracic aorta. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group had decreased body mass， increased irritability， severe endothelial damage， elevated blood pressure and serum levels of Ang-Ⅱ， ET1， MDA， and Fe2+ （P<0.01）， lowered NO level （P<0.01）， and down-regulated mRNA and protein levels of p-PI3K （Tyr467/199）， PI3K， p-Akt （Ser473）， Akt， Nrf2， HO-1， and GPX4 in the aortic tissue （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， drug intervention caused no significant change in the body mass， calmed the rats， alleviated the endothelial damage， lowered blood pressure and serum levels of Ang-Ⅱ， ET1， MDA， and Fe2+ （P<0.01）， elevated the NO level （P<0.05）， and up-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of p-PI3K （Tyr467/199）， PI3K， p-Akt （Ser473）， Akt， Nrf2， HO-1， and GPX4 （P<0.05）. ConclusionThe earthworm protein can exert antihypertensive effects by ameliorating VED in SHR. Specifically， it may regulate the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2 signaling pathway to inhibit oxidative stress and ferroptosis.

Mechanism Exploration of TG Regulating PI3K/Akt to Improve Insulin Resistance in Liver of T2DM Rats Based on Transcriptomics / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of Tangzhi pills on the improvement of insulin resistance （IR） in the liver with type 2 diabetes （T2DM） by regulating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway based on differential genes and its possible molecular mechanism. MethodT2DM rat models were prepared by high fat （HFD） diet combined with streptozotocin （STZ） intraperitoneal injection. The experiment was divided into blank group， model group， metformin hydrochloride group （0.18 g·kg-1）， Tangzhi pills high （1.08 g·kg-1）， medium （0.54 g·kg-1） and low （0.27 g·kg-1） dose groups. Rat serum， liver， and pancreatic tissue were collected， and the pathological tissue of the liver and pancreas was observed using hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. The fasting blood glucose level （FBG） was detected， and oral glucose tolerance （OGTT） tests were conducted. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect fasting serum insulin （FINS） and glycated hemoglobin （GHb） levels in rats. IR homeostasis model index （HOMA-IR）， β cellular homeostasis index （HOMA-β）， and insulin sensitivity index （ISI） were calculated. Biochemical methods were used to determine the levels of triglyceride （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， low-density lipoprotein （LDL-C）， and high-density lipoprotein （HDL-C） in rat serum. Transcriptomics obtained differentially expressed mRNA from liver tissue and enriched differentially expressed pathways. Real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of cyclic adenylate responsive element binding protein 3-like protein 2 antibody （CREB3l2）， B-lymphocyte tumor 2 （Bcl-2）， Toll-like receptor 2 （TLR2）， cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A （CDNK1A）， and DNA damage induced transcription factor 4-like protein （DDIT4） in liver tissue. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of phosphorylated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （p-PI3K）， phosphorylated protein kinase B （p-Akt）， glucose transporter 4 （GLUT4）， insulin receptor （INSR）， and insulin receptor substrate 2 （IRS2）. ResultThe pharmacodynamic experiment results showed that compared with model group， Tangzhi pills groups repaired liver and pancreatic tissue to varying degrees， reduced blood sugar （P<0.01）， and promoted a decrease in serum FINS， GHb， and HOMA-IR （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In addition， HOMA-β and ISI increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The levels of TC， TG， and LDL-C decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the levels of HDL-C increased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The transcriptomics experimental results confirmed that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway was significantly expressed in both the blank group and model group， as well as in the high-dose Tangzhi pills group and model group. CDNK1A， DDIT4， CREB3l2， Bcl-2， and TLR2 were significantly differentially expressed mRNA during TG intervention in T2DM. Compared with the model group， the protein expression of p-PI3K， p-Akt， GLUT4， INSR， and IRS2 increased in all Tangzhi pills groups （P<0.01）. The mRNA expression of CREB3l2， Bcl-2， and TLR2 increased （P<0.01）， while that of CDNK1A and DDIT4 decreased （P<0.01）. ConclusionTangzhi pills may regulate the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway based on the differential mRNA expression of CREB3l2， Bcl-2， TLR2， CDNK1A， and DDIT4， thereby improving IR in the liver with T2DM.

Modified Tongqiao Huoxuetang Down-regulates PI3K/Akt Pathway to Treat Basilar Artery Dolichoectasia / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo establish a mouse model of basilar artery dolichoectasia （BAD） and explore the mechanism of modified Tongqiao Huoxuetang （JTQHX） in regulating BAD via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） pathway. MethodSixty C57/BL6 female mice were randomized into sham operation （injected with 10 U·mL-1 inactivate elastase）， model， atorvastatin calcium tablets （2.6 mg·kg·d-1）， and low- and high-dose （crude drug 3.4， 17 g·kg-1·d-1， respectively） JTQHX groups. The mouse model of BAD was established by injection with 10 U·mL-1 elastase. After 14 days of modeling， the sham operation group and model group were administrated with equal volumes of pure water by gavage， and other groups with corresponding drugs for 2 months. The levels of interleukin-6 （IL-6） and calpain （LpA） in the serum were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Verhoeff 's Van Gieson （EVG） staining was employed to observe the pathological changes of blood vessels. Terminal-deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated nick end labeling （TUNEL） was employed to examine the apoptosis rate of vascular smooth muscle cells （VSMCs）. Image Pro Plus was used to observe and calculate the curvature index， elongation length， percentage increase in vessel diameter， and curvature angle of the basilar artery vessels in mice. Western blot was employed to determine the expression levels of PI3K and Akt in the vascular tissue. ResultCompared with the sham operation group， the model group showed lowered IL-6 level （P<0.01）， no significant change in LpA level， increased apoptosis of VSMCs （P<0.01）， and increased curvature index， elongation length， percentage increase in vessel diameter， and curvature angle （P<0.01）. Furthermore， the modeling up-regulated the protein levels of PI3K and Akt in blood vessels （P<0.01） and aggravated the destruction of the inner elastic layer， atrophy of the muscular layer， and hyaline changes in the connective tissue of the medial membrane of the basilar artery wall. Compared with the model group， 2 months of treatment with JTQHX elevated the IL-6 level （P<0.01）， reduced the apoptosis of VSMCs （P<0.01）， decreased the curvature index， elongation length， percentage increase in vessel diameter， and curvature angle （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and down-regulated the protein levels of PI3K and Akt in blood vessels （P<0.01）. In addition， the treatment alleviated the destruction of the inner elastic layer， atrophy of the muscular layer， and hyaline changes in the connective tissue of the medial membrane of the basilar artery wall. ConclusionJTQHX inhibits the elongation， expansion， and curvature of basilar artery vessels and alleviates the pathological changes by reducing the apoptosis of VSMCs and down-regulating the expression of PI3K/Akt pathway.

Renshen Baidusan Combined with Yurui Enema Treats Intestinal Mucosal Injury in Rat Model of Ulcerative Colitis via PI3K/Akt/NF-κB Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the mechanisms of internal treatment （Renshen Baidusan）， external treatment （Yurui Enema）， and combination of the two methods in treating intestinal mucosal injury in the rat model of ulcerative colitis （UC） from the changes of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） pathway. MethodFifty SPF-grade SD rats were randomized into blank， model， Renshen Baidusan （15.6 g·kg-1）， Yurui Enema （25 g·kg-1）， and combined treatment （15.6 g·kg-1 Renshen Baidusan + 25 g·kg-1 Yurui Enema） groups （n=10）. The rat model of UC was established in other groups except the blank group by 2，4， 6-trinitrosulfonic acid （TNBS）/ethanol. The rats were administered with corresponding drugs once a day for 14 consecutive days since the 8th day after modeling. The histopathological changes of colon were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to measure the levels of tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， interferon （IFN）-γ， interleukin （IL）-4， and IL-10 in the colon tissue. The apoptosis of colon epithelial cells was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labeling （TUNEL）. The location and expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， TNF-α， and IL-6 in the colon tissue were examined by immunohistochemistry. Real-time quantitative fluorescence polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot were employed to determine the mRNA and protein levels， respectively， of the proteins in the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB pathway in the colon tissue. ResultIn the model group， HE staining showed a large number of inflammatory cell infiltration in the mucosa and submucosa. Compared with the blank group， the model group showed elevated levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ and lowered levels of IL-4 and IL-10 in the colon tissue， increased apoptosis rate of colon epithelial cells， increased positive expression of Bax， TNF-α， and IL-6， and decreased positive expression of Bcl-2 （P<0.05）. Moreover， the model group showed up-regulated mRNA levels of PI3K， Akt， and NF-κB and protein levels of PI3K， p-PI3K， Akt， p-Akt， p65， p-p65， Bax， and cleaved Caspase-3， increased Bax/Bcl-2 and cleaved Caspase-3/Caspase-3 ratios， and down-regulated protein levels of NF-κB suppressor protein α（IκBα）， Bcl-2， and Caspase-3 in the colon tissue （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， the internal treatment， the external treatment， and the combination （referred to as the three groups） alleviated the colonic mucosal injury， lowered the levels of TNF-α and IFN-γ and elevated the levels of IL-4 and IL-10 in the colon tissue， decreased the apoptosis rate of colon cells， inhibited the positive expression of Bax， TNF-α， and IL-6， and promoted the positive expression of Bcl-2 （P<0.05）. Furthermore， the combination group down-regulated the mRNA level of PI3K （P<0.05）. The three groups down-regulated the mRNA levels of Akt and NF-κB and the protein levels of p-PI3K， Akt， p-Akt， p65， p-p65， Bax， and cleaved Caspase-3 in the colon tissue， decreased the Bax/Bcl-2 and cleaved Caspase-3/Caspase-3 ratios， and up-regulated the protein levels of IκBα， Bcl-2， and Caspase-3 （P<0.05）. ConclusionRenshen Baidusan， Yurui Enema， and their combination may inhibit the activation of PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway and regulate the expression of genes and proteins related to this pathway to achieve anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects， thus restoring the intestinal mucosal barrier function of UC rats.

Effects of neuropilin and tolloid-like 2 on proliferation, migration, cell cycle and apoptosis of gallbladder carcinoma cells and related mechanism / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the effects and molecular mechanism of neuropilin and tolloid-like 2 (NETO2) on proliferation, migration, cell cycle, and apoptosis in gallbladder cancer (GBC).Methods:The NETO2 mRNA and protein expression in GBC-SD, ZJU-0430, NOZ GBC cells were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blot. NETO2 overexpression and knockdown stable cell lines were constructed by plasmid transfection. Cell counting kit-8 assay, colony formation assay, transwell assay, flow cytometry and WB assay were performed to evaluate proliferation, migration, cell cycle, apoptosis, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and changes of phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway.Results:GBC-SD and ZJU-0430 cells with NETO2 gene overexpression and NOZ cells with NETO2 gene knockdown were effectively constructed. NETO2 overexpression in gallbladder cancer cell lines significantly improved cell proliferation and migration, advanced cell cycle progression from G0/G1 to S phase, and inhibited cell apoptosis. In the ZJU-0430 and GBC-SD cells, the clone number increased from (78.5±9.2), (217.0±6.4) to (213.5±10.3), (296.3±9.3)( t=10.98, 6.51; P=0.008, 0.023); The number of migrating cells increased from (198.6±8.4), (233.3±11.0) to (382.7±12.4), (379.0±7.3) ( t=16.98, 16.85, both P<0.001); The total apoptosis rate reduced from (29.7±0.9)%, (35.6±1.1)% to (19.2±0.5)%, (29.1±0.4)% ( t=9.74, 9.05; both P<0.001); The expression of EMT related proteins such as N-cadherin, Vimentin, Snail, and Slug were upregulated, while E-cadherin expression was downregulated. Phosphorylated PI3K (p-PI3K) and Akt (p-Akt) protein expression were significantly increased (all P<0.05). In contrast, NETO2 knockdown had the opposite effect on all these parameters. Conclusion:NETO2 influences the EMT process by regulating the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, thus promotes GBC cell proliferation, migration and cell cycle progression, and inhibits cancer cell apoptosis.

Sivelestat protects acute kidney injury by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT pathway in septic rats / 中华危重病急救医学

Objective:To explore the protective effect of sivelestat (SV) against sepsis-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) and its molecular mechanism.Methods:According to the random number table method, 64 male Wistar rats were divided into sham operation group (Sham group), sepsis due to cecal ligation and puncture group (CLP group), low dose of SV treatment group (SL group, 50 mg/kg SV was injected into the tail vein at 12 hours and 24 hours after CLP), and high dose of SV treatment group (SH group, 100 mg/kg SV was injected into the tail vein at 12 hours and 24 hours after CLP), with 16 rats in each group. 48 hours after CLP, the 48-hour survival of rats were recorded, all rats were sacrificed and samples were harvested. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the serum levels of kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1), interleukins (IL-1β, IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and neutrophil elastase (NE). Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe histopathological changes and assess renal tubule injury score. Masson staining was used to detect the collagen volume fraction (CVF) of kidney tissue. Western blotting was used to detect the protein expressions of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), phosphorylation PI3K (p-PI3K), protein kinase B (AKT), phosphorylation AKT (p-AKT), nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65) and NE. The protein expressions of p-PI3K, p-AKT, NF-κB p65 were detected by immunohistochemistry.Results:Compared with Sham group, the 48-hour survival rate of CLP group was significantly reduced. Histopathological results showed that large tubular epithelial cells and brush margins were shed, tubular casts were formed, some tubular atrophy, glomerular hyperemia, renal interstitial inflammatory cell infiltration and increased renal tubular injury score. Renal interstitial fibrosis was obvious and CVF increased. The levels of KIM-1, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and NE in serum were significantly elevated in the CLP group. The proteins expression of inflammatory pathway-related p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, NF-κB p65 and NE were significantly increased in kidney tissue. It suggested that septic rats had renal injury and the PI3K/AKT inflammatory pathway was activated. Compared with CLP group, there was no significant difference in 48-hour survival in SL group and SH group (68.75%, 75.00% vs. 56.25%, both P > 0.05), but kidney injury was significantly relieved. Specifically: renal tubular injury score and CVF significantly decreased [tubular injury score: 2 (1, 2), 1 (1, 1) vs. 2 (2, 3); CVF: (22.36±0.86)%, (18.74±1.05)% vs. (58.38±0.79)%, all P < 0.05]; the serum levels of KIM-1, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α and NE also decreased significantly [KIM-1 (ng/L): 145.03±8.88, 117.58±7.02 vs. 158.22±12.00; IL-1β (ng/L): 108.32±9.00, 92.98±8.06 vs. 133.78±8.48; IL-6 (ng/L): 124.33±10.11, 115.42±8.17 vs. 165.19±5.70; TNF-α (ng/L): 321.56±19.29, 289.68±21.57 vs. 424.88±22.76, NE (mol/L): 93.84±9.14, 75.01±10.56 vs. 113.45±6.39, all P < 0.05]; the proteins expression of inflammatory pathway-related p-PI3K/PI3K, p-AKT/AKT, NF-κB p65 and NE were significantly decreased (p-PI3K/PI3K: 0.93±0.06, 0.67±0.04 vs. 1.27±0.08; p-AKT/AKT: 0.78±0.09, 0.47±0.05 vs. 0.96±0.12; NF-κB p65/GAPDH: 1.43±0.13, 0.85±0.08 vs. 1.88±0.17; NE/GAPDH: 1.45±0.06, 0.91±0.04 vs. 1.71±0.08, all P < 0.05), the positive expressions of p-PI3K, p-AKT and NF-κB p65 in kidney tissue were decreased [p-PI3K positive expression area: (13.36±1.84)%, (8.03±1.12)% vs. (21.56±1.20)%; p-AKT positive expression area: (21.57±0.91)%, (15.21±2.76)% vs. (30.81±2.12)%; NF-κB p65 positive expression area: (25.17±1.38)%, (17.07±2.11)% vs. (37.85±2.50)%, all P < 0.05]. Serum inflammatory factor level, and PI3K/AKT pathway related protein, NF-κB p65, NE protein expression level and p-PI3K, p-AKT, NF-κB p65 positive area and other indicators in renal tissue in SH group were further lower than those in SL group (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:SV can ameliorate sepsis-induced AKI. The mechanism may be related to the inhibition of PI3K/AKT pathway, and high dose of SV has better efficacy.

Effect of Ursolic Acid on Proliferation and Apoptosis of Colorectal Cancer Cells Based on Akt/FoxO Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects and molecular mechanism of ursolic acid on the proliferation and apoptosis of colorectal cancer cells. MethodThe proliferation inhibition rate of human colorectal cancer RKO cells treated with different concentrations of ursolic acid （0， 5， 10， 15， 20， 25， 30 μmol·L-1） was detected by cell counting kit-8 （CCK-8）， and the half maximal inhibitory concentration （IC50） at 24 h and 48 h was calculated. According to the IC50 of RKO cells treated with ursolic acid for 24 h， two concentrations were selected for subsequent experiments. The colony formation assay was used to detect the proliferation ability of the cells and flow cytometry was used to detect the apoptosis rate and cell cycle arrest after treatment of RKO cells with ursolic acid. After treatment of RKO cells with ursolic acid for 24 hours， the expression of B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）-associated X protein （Bax） in RKO cells， Bcl-2 in Raji cells， PMA responsive gene in T lymphocyte （Noxa）， cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1A （p21）， cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B （p27）， cyclin-dependent kinase 4 （CDK4）， protein kinase B （Akt）， phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt）， forkhead transcription factor O3a （FoxO3a）， and phosphorylated FoxO3a （p-FoxO3a） was determined by Western blot. ResultCompared with the blank group， the ursolic acid groups could inhibit the viability of RKO cells （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the colony formation rates of RKO cells in the ursolic acid groups were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01） in a concentration-dependent manner. The cells in the ursolic acid group （20 μmol·L-1） experienced cell cycle arrest， which increased in the early stage of synthesis， ie， the G0/G1 phase （P<0.05） as compared with the results in the blank group. Compared with the blank group， the ursolic acid groups （15 and 20 μmol·L-1） showed increased protein expression of p21 and p27， decreased expression of CDK4 protein （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and increased apoptosis rate， and the ursolic acid group （20 μmol·L-1） showed increased protein expression of Bax and Noxa and decreased expression of Bcl-2 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. In terms of mechanism， compared with the blank group， the ursolic acid group （20 μmol·L-1） down-regulated the expression of p-Akt protein and up-regulated the expression of p-FoxO3a （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and there was no significant change in the total protein of Akt and FoxO3a. ConclusionUrsolic acid can effectively inhibit the proliferation of colorectal cancer RKO cells and promote cell apoptosis， which may be related to the Akt/FoxO pathway.

circSNRK alleviates ischemia-reperfusion injury in renal tubular epithelial cell by up-regulating Akt pathway / 器官移植

Objective To investigate the role and mechanism of circular RNA SNRK (circSNRK) in ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI). Methods A hypoxia-reoxygenation (IRI) cell model was established. The expression level of circSNRK after IRI treatment and the effect of overexpression of circSNRK on cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected. The targets of circSNRK were identified. HK2 cells were divided into the blank group (Mock group), IRI group, control plasmid+IRI group (IRI+NC group), human circSNRK overexpression+IRI group (IRI+circSNRK group), human circSNRK overexpression+IRI+protein kinase B (Akt) inhibitor group (IRI+circSNRK+MK2206 group) and control plasmid group (NC group). Cell proliferation and apoptosis were detected in the Mock, IRI, IRI+NC and IRI+circSNRK groups. The gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of the target of circSNRK were carried out. The expression levels of CDKN1A, Akt, B-cell lymphoma (Bcl)-2, cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase (Caspase)-9 messenger RNA (mRNA), and those of p21, Bcl-2, Caspase-9, Akt and p-Akt proteins were detected in the Mock, IRI, IRI+NC and IRI+circSNRK groups, respectively. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were determined in the NC, IRI+NC, IRI+circSNRK and IRI+circSNRK+MK2206 groups. Results Compared with the Mock group, the expression level of circSNRK was lower, and cell proliferation capability of HK2 cells was decreased and cell apoptosis was increased in the IRI group. In the IRI+circSNRK group, cell proliferation capability was higher, whereas cell apoptosis was lower than those in the IRI+NC group. circSNRK could act on 648 targets through 51 microRNAs (miRNAs). GO enrichment analysis revealed that the targets of circSNRK were mainly enriched in biological processes (such as cell process and biological regulation), cell components (such as cell parts, cells and extracellular parts), and molecular functions (such as binding, binding proteins and enzymes). KEGG enrichment analysis showed that the targets of circSNRK were mainly enriched in cancer signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling pathway, miRNA in cancer and other related signaling pathways. Compared with the Mock group, the relative expression levels of CDKN1A and Caspase-9 mRNA were higher, the expression level of miR-99a-5p RNA was higher and the relative expression levels of Akt and Bcl-2 mRNA were lower in the IRI group. Compared with the IRI+NC group, the relative expression levels of CDKN1A and Caspase-9 mRNA were lower, those of Akt and Bcl-2 mRNA were higher, and the expression level of miR-99a-5p RNA was lower in the IRI+circSNRK group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Compared with the Mock group, the expression levels of p21 and Caspase-9 proteins were higher, while those of p-Akt, Akt and Bcl-2 proteins were lower in the IRI group. Compared with the IRI+NC group, the expression levels of p21 and Caspase-9 proteins were lower, whereas those of p-Akt, Akt and Bcl-2 proteins were higher in the IRI+circSNRK group. The miR-99a-5p binding sites were observed in circSNRK and Akt. Compared with the NC group, cell proliferation capability was declined in the IRI+NC group. Compared with the IRI+NC group, cell proliferation capability was elevated in the IRI+circSNRK group. Compared with the IRI+circSNRK group, cell proliferation capability was declined in the IRI+circSNRK+MK2206 group (all P < 0.05). The cell apoptosis level in the IRI+NC group was higher than that in the NC group. The cell apoptosis level in the IRI+circSNRK group was lower compared with that in the IRI+NC group. The cell apoptosis level in the IRI+circSNRK+MK2206 group was higher than that in the IRI+circSNRK group. Conclusions Under IRI conditions, circSNRK may affect the proliferation and apoptosis of HK2 cells probably via the Akt signaling pathway.

Effect and Mechanism of Zuojinwan on DSS-induced Ulcerative Colitis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the effect and mechanism of Zuojinwan （ZJW） in the treatment of ulcerative colitis （UC） through network pharmacology and experimental validation. MethodUsing network pharmacology and molecular docking， the active components and potential mechanism of ZJW in treating UC were preliminarily identified. Forty-eight male C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into a normal group， a model group， a sulfasalazine group （300 mg·kg-1）， and low-， medium-， and high-dose ZJW groups （1.82， 3.64， 7.28 g·kg-1）. The UC model was induced by dextran sulfate sodium （DSS）， and oral administration of drugs began on the third day of modeling， lasting for 7 days. The general condition of mice was observed daily， and the disease activity index （DAI） was evaluated. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was performed to observe histopathological changes in colon tissue. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to measure the levels of tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， interleukin （IL）-6， and IL-10 in mouse serum. The molecular mechanism was validated using Western blot. ResultNetwork pharmacology predicted that the phosphoinositide 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway might be a key pathway in the regulation of UC by ZJW. Molecular docking results showed good binding ability between the key components of ZJW and core targets. Animal experiment results showed that compared with the normal group， the model group had shortened colon length （P<0.01）， increased DAI scores， spleen index， colon tissue pathology scores， and levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in serum （P<0.05， P<0.01）， increased PI3K， phosphorylated Akt （p-Akt）， and B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）-associated X protein （Bax） expression in colon tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and decreased serum IL-10 levels and colon tissue Bcl-2 protein expression （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the ZJW groups showed significant improvement in UC symptoms， relieved colon tissue pathological damage， downregulated levels of inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 in serum （P<0.01）， inhibited expression of PI3K， p-Akt， and Bax proteins in colon tissue （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and increased serum IL-10 levels and colon tissue Bcl-2 protein expression （P<0.01）， with the high-dose group showing the best effect. ConclusionZJW effectively alleviates DSS-induced UC， and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and regulation of apoptosis-related protein expression.

Bushen Jianpi Prescription Regulates Autophagy in Patients with Aplastic Anemia / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the effects of Bushen Jianpi prescription on the autophagy and phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin （PI3K/Akt/mTOR） signaling pathway in the patients with aplastic anemia （AA）. MethodA total of 30 AA patients admitted to Xiyuan Hospital and 6 healthy donors who were prepared to undergo peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in 304 Hospital from September 2020 to August 2021 were enrolled and assigned into an AA group and a control group. The AA group was treated with Bushen Jianpi prescription combined with cyclosporin A （CsA） and androgen for 3 months. The mononuclear cells from bone marrow in the AA group before and after treatment and the peripheral blood of the control group were collected. Transmission electron microscopy was then employed to detect autophagosomes. Western blotting was employed to determine the protein levels of microtuble-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3）Ⅰ， LC3Ⅱ， mTOR， phosphorylated （p）-mTOR， Akt， p-Akt， PI3K， and p-PI3K， and real-time polymerase chain reaction （PCR） to determine the mRNA levels of LC3， mTOR， Akt， and PI3K. ResultIn the AA group， the treatment was completed in 29 patients， and the total response rate was 51.72% （15/29）. ① The AA group showed lower levels of white blood cell （WBC）， hemoglobin （HGB）， platelet （PLT）， and absolute neutrophil count （ANC） in the peripheral blood （P<0.01） and lower number of intracellular autophagosomes than the control group before treatment. Moreover， the AA group showed lower mRNA level of LC3 （P<0.01） and protein levels of LC3Ⅰ and LC3Ⅱ （P<0.01） and higher mRNA levels of mTOR， Akt， and PI3Kα （P<0.01） and protein levels of Akt， p-Akt， PI3K， p-PI3K， mTOR， and p-mTOR （P<0.01） than the control group. ② In AA group， the levels of HGB and PLT elevated （P<0.05） and the number of intracellular autophagosomes increased after treatment compared with those before treatment. Moreover， the mRNA level of LC3 and the protein levels of LC3Ⅰ and LC3Ⅱ were up-regulated （P<0.01）， the mRNA levels of mTOR， Akt， and PI3Kα （P<0.01） and the protein levels of Akt， p-PI3K （P<0.01）， p-Akt， PI3K， mTOR， p-mTOR （P<0.05） were down-regulated after treatment. ConclusionAA patients show lower autophagy levels， while Bushen Jianpi prescription can effectively improve the autophagy level and down-regulated the expression of PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway in AA patients.

Wendantang Treats Inflammation in Obesity （Syndrome of Phlegm-dampness） by Regulating PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway-mediated Adipocyte Autophagy / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Wendantang on the expression of inflammatory cytokines， autophagy markers， and key molecules of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin （PI3K/Akt/mTOR） signaling pathway in the adipocytes of the rat model of obesity （syndrome of phlegm-dampness） and to explore the material basis of inflammation in obesity （syndrome of phlegm-dampness） and the underlying mechanism of Wendantang intervention. MethodA total of 126 SD rats were randomized into 2 groups： 16 rats in the blank group and 110 rats in the modeling group. The blank group was fed with a basic diet while the modeling group with a high-fat diet to establish the animal model of obesity （syndrome of phlegm-dampness） for 8 weeks. After successful modeling， 48 obese rats were selected according to their body mass and randomized into a model control group， an orlistat （ORLI， 32.40 mg·kg-1） group， a rapamycin （RAPA， 2 mg·kg-1） group， and low-， medium-， and high-dose （4.45， 8.90， 17.80 g·kg-1， respectively） Wendantang groups， with 8 rats in each group. In addition， 8 rats were randomly selected from the blank group to be set as the normal control group. The corresponding agents in each group were administrated by gavage and the model and control groups were administrated with equal amounts of distilled water once daily for 6 weeks. The body mass， Lee's index， body fat ratio， and obesity rate were measured or calculated. The expression of UNC51-like kinase-1 （ULK1）， Beclin1， human autophagy-related protein 5 （Atg5）， p62， and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 （LC3） Ⅰ/Ⅱ （markers of autophagy in adipocytes） was detected by the immunohistochemical two-step method. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to determine the expression of tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-1β， monocyte chemotactic protein-1 （MCP-1）， IL-4， IL-10， IL-13， and transforming growth factor （TGF）-β in adipocytes. Western blot was employed to measure the protein levels of classⅠ-PI3K， phosphatidylinositol triphosphate （PIP3）， Akt， mTORC1， ULK1， TSC1， and TSC2 in adipocytes. ResultCompared with the blank group， the modeling group showed increased body mass and Lee's index （P<0.01）， the obesity rate >20%， and phlegm-dampness syndrome manifestations such as physical obesity， decreased mobility， decreased appetite， lusterless and tight fur， loose stools， decreased responsiveness to the outside world， and decreased water intake. Compared with the normal control group， the model control group showed increased body mass， Lee's index， body fat ratio， adipocyte autophagy marker expression， pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine levels （P<0.05， P<0.01）， down-regulated protein levels of classⅠ-PI3K， PIP3， Akt， mTORC1， TSC1， and TSC2 （P<0.01）， and up-regulated protein level of ULK1 （P<0.01）. The intervention groups showed lower body mass， body fat ratio， adipocyte autophagy marker protein expression， and protein levels of TNF-α， IL-6， IL-1β， MCP-1， IL-4， and IL-13 than the model control group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Moreover， the RAPA and Wendantang （medium and high dose） groups showed lowered levels of IL-10 and TGF-β （P<0.01）， and the ORLI group showed down-regulated expression of TGF-β （P<0.01）. The expression of key molecules of the signaling pathway was up-regulated （P<0.05， P<0.01） while that of ULK1 was down-regulated （P<0.01） in all the intervention groups. Compared with the RAPA group， the Wendantang groups showed up-regulated expression of all autophagy marker proteins in adipocytes （P<0.01）. In addition， the low-dose Wendantang group showed elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines （except TNF-α） （P<0.05， P<0.01） and down-regulated expression of all key molecules of the signaling pathway （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The levels of inflammatory cytokines （except IL-16， MCP-1， and IL-10） were elevated in the medium-dose Wendantang group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The expression of key molecules except PI3K of the signaling pathway was down-regulated in the medium- and high-dose Wendantang groups （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the ORLI group， low- and medium-dose Wendantang groups showed up-regulated expression of autophagy markers in adipocytes （P<0.01）， and the low-dose group showed elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines （IL-6， IL-4， and TGF-β） （P<0.01） and down-regulated expression of all key molecules of the signaling pathway （P<0.01）. The medium-dose Wendantang group showed up-regulated expression of IL-4 （P<0.01） and down-regulated expression of key molecules except PI3K of the signaling pathway （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The high-dose Wendantang group showed increased body mass， up-regulated expression levels of autophagy markers （ULK1， LC3 Ⅰ/Ⅱ） （P<0.05， P<0.01）， down-regulated expression of PIP3， mTORC1， and TSC1 （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and lowered levels of Beclin1， Atg5， TNF-α， and IL-13 （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionThe inflammation in obesity （syndrome of phlegm-dampness） is closely associated with the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway-mediated adipocyte autophagy. Wendantang can treat the chronic inflammation in obese rats with the syndrome of phlegm-dampness by regulating this signaling pathway and thus improve adipocyte autophagy.

Study on the pharmacodynamics and mechanism of Blumea balsamifera total flavonoids against acute myocardial infarction model rats / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To study pharmacodynamics and potential mechanism of Blumea balsamifera total flavonoids against acute myocardial infarction （AMI） model rats. METHODS AMI model of SD rats was established by ligating anterior descending branch of left coronary artery. Fifty model rats were randomly divided into model group （0.8% carboxymethyl cellulose solution）， positive control group （Compound danshen tablet， 300 mg/kg）， B. balsamifera total flavonoids low-dose， medium-dose and high- dose groups （3， 10， 30 mg/kg）， with 10 rats in each group. Other 10 rats were included in sham operation group （0.8% carboxymethyl cellulose solution）. After 1 day of surgery， they were given relevant medicine 3 mL/kg intragastrically， once a day， for 4 consecutive weeks. The changes of S-T segment were recorded before and after operation， after weekly intragastric administration. The hemodynamic indexes of rats were all determined， i.e. systolic blood pressure （SBP）， diastolic blood pressure （DBP）， mean arterial pressure （MAP）， left ventricular systolic pressure （LVSP）， left ventricular end diastolic blood pressure （LVEDP）， maximal left ventricular pressure rising rate （+LVdp/dtmax）， maximal left ventricular pressure decreasing rate （－LVdp/ dtmax）. The levels of serum myocardial enzymes [lactate dehydrogenase （LDH）， creatine kinase isoenzyme-MB （CK-MB）] and inflammatory factors [tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-1β] were determined. The myocardial infarction rate of rats and the phosphorylation levels of phosphoinositide 3-kinase （PI3K） and protein kinase B （Akt） proteins in myocardial tissue were determined. RESULTS Compared with model group， S-T segments of electrocardiogram were all decreased significantly in administration groups （P＜0.05）. SBP， DBP， MAP， LVSP， +LVdp/dtmax， －LVdp/dtmax， and ratio of p-PI3KTyr607/ PI3K， p-AktThr308/Akt， p-Aktser473/Akt were increased significantly in B. balsamifera total flavonoids medium-dose and high-dose groups （P＜0.05）. The levels of LVEDP， serum myocardial enzymes and inflammatory factors， myocardial infarction rate were all decreased significantly （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS balsamifera total flavonoids can improve cardiac function of AMI model rats， the mechanism of which may be associated with inhibiting the expression of inflammatory factor and activating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Mechanism of PI3K/Akt Pathway in Regulating Colorectal Cancer and Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Colorectal cancer （CRC）， as the third most common cancer in the world， develops from the colonic and rectal epithelial cells. With the rapid development of the global economy， the incidence of CRC in developing countries has been increasing year by year. In the past few years， although preventive colonoscopy screening has improved the survival rate of CRC patients， the majority of cases are still detected after symptoms appear. Currently， the clinical treatment of CRC carries high surgical risks and is prone to recurrence， while radiotherapy and chemotherapy have significant side effects and cause a heavy psychological burden on patients. Therefore， there is currently no ideal treatment protocol for CRC. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B （PI3K/Akt） pathway， as a classical oncogenic pathway， provides potential for the diagnosis and treatment of various malignant diseases， and offers a new direction for the treatment of CRC. In recent years， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has become a major focus in cancer treatment due to its advantages in "preventing and treating diseases" and its multiple components， targets， and pathways. Its advantages in having fewer side effect complement western medicine in treatment. Multiple studies have shown that Chinese medicinal monomers and compound formulas can inhibit the proliferation， invasion， migration， and angiogenesis of CRC cells， promote apoptosis and autophagy of cancer cells， and slow down the development of CRC by intervening in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway， thereby achieving the therapeutic effect on CRC. In recent years， the research progress related to this has been updating rapidly. Previous literature failed to timely incorporate the latest research results， which brought many inconveniences to the literature search of many scholars. Therefore， this article summarized the relevant information from PI3K/Akt pathway， the association between the PI3K/Akt pathway and CRC， and the progress of TCM intervention in the treatment of CRC to provide references for the development of CRC in molecular biology and the clinical development of new drugs in the future.

Active Components of Chinese Medicine Against Liver Fibrosis Based on PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Hepatic fibrosis is a pathological reparative response of the liver to chronic injury and a crucial step in the progression of chronic liver disease， characterized mainly by the activation of hepatic stellate cells and diffuse deposition of extracellular matrix. Currently， there is no ideal specific drug for the treatment of liver fibrosis in clinical practice. In recent years， with the development and progress of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in the treatment of liver fibrosis， TCM has been widely recognized for its significant therapeutic effect and fewer adverse reactions. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway is an important pathway that affects the formation and development of liver fibrosis. It mainly plays a role in liver fibrosis by inhibiting the activation and proliferation of hepatic stellate cells， promoting their apoptosis， reducing oxidative stress in liver cells， decreasing the deposition of extracellular matrix， and enhancing liver cell autophagy. This article summarized the mechanisms by which Chinese medicinal monomers regulated the PI3K/Akt pathway to exert their effects on liver fibrosis and their synergistic effects with other signaling pathways， providing a theoretical basis and references for the development of new drugs for the treatment of liver fibrosis with TCM.

Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma Powder Treats Dyslipidemia via PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma powder in treating dyslipidemia by regulating the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway. MethodSixty patients with dyslipidemia （syndrome of combined phlegm and stasis） treated in the Third Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Chinese Medicine from May 2021 to June 2022 were selected in this study and randomized into two groups according to the randomized， double-blind control principle. The control group was treated with Xuezhikang capsules + Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma powder placebo and the observation group with Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma powder + Xuezhikang capsules placebo for 6 weeks. The clinical efficacy， traditional Chinese Medicine （TCM） syndrome scores， and liver and kidney function indicators were evaluated at weeks 0， 3， and 6. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was employed to determine the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF）， kinase insert domain receptor （KDR）， epidermal growth factor （EGF）， and epidermal growth factor receptor （EGFR） in the peripheral serum. Quantitative Real-time PCR was employed to measure the mRNA levels of KDR， EGFR， PI3K， and Akt in the mononuclear cells of the peripheral blood. ResultThe observation group （83.33%） showed the total effective rate comparable to that of the control group （89.66%） and no adverse reactions. Compared with before treatment， the patients in the observation group showed decreased TCM syndrome score and serum levels total cholesterol （TC）， triglyceride （TG）， and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） and after being treated for 3 and 6 weeks （P<0.05）， the level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） showed an upward trend, but the difference was not statistically significant. After treatment， the two groups showed no significant differences. Compared with that before treatment, the mRNA expression of PI3K, Akt and EGFR in peripheral blood mononuclear cell and the expression of EGF, VEGF and KDR in serum of the observation group showed a downward trend with time, in which the mRNA expression of PI3K, Akt, VEGF and KDR decreased more significantly (P<0.05)，The expression levels of KDR mRNA and serum EGFR show a trend of first increasing and then decreasing.Compared with the control group after treatment, there was no statistically significant difference in mRNA expression of PI3K, Akt, EGFR, and KDR, as well as serum levels of EGF, EGFR, VEGF, and KDR between the two groups of patients at the same time point. ConclusionNotoginseng Radix et Rhizoma powder is safe and effective in correcting dyslipidemia. It may inhibit the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by down-regulating the expression of VEGF/KDR to lower the blood lipid level.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Monomers in Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy by Regulating PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Diabetes retinopathy （DR） is an important cause that threatens the visual health of adults. There are some treatment methods of western medicine with definite efficacy， such as anti-vascular endothelial growth factor and laser photocoagulation， but they have many adverse reactions such as intraocular infection and visual field damage. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） therapies are safe and effective， which can complement western medicine. Phosphatidylinositol3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway regulates a range of processes including glucose metabolism， cell proliferation， and cell transcription and apoptosis， which is closely related to the occurrence and development of DR. Numerous studies have shown that TCM monomers can participate in maintaining the integrity of blood-retinal barrier and inhibiting retinal neovascularization and neurodegeneration in many aspects such as inhibiting oxidative stress and alleviating inflammatory reaction by regulating the PI3K/Akt pathway， so as to delay the progress of DR. Therefore， this study reviewed PI3K/Akt pathway and its relationship with DR， as well as the TCM monomers in interfering with DR based on PI3K/Akt pathway to provide some ideas for the prevention and treatment of DR in integrated TCM and western medicine.