Transcriptional analysis on biomarkers of liver injury induced by anti-tuberculosis drugs / 上海预防医学

ObjectiveThe study utilized human transcriptome microarray to explore biomarkers for diagnosing drug-induced liver injury （DILI） caused by anti-tuberculosis drugs. MethodsA 6-month follow-up study was conducted on 152 patients treated with anti-tuberculosis drugs in designated hospitals in Shanghai. The blood samples were collected at the 0， 2， 4， 8， 12 and 24 weeks after treatment. According to the clinical biochemical indicators， the research subjects were divided into DILI cases （34 cases） and Control cases （118 cases）. Single factor analysis was conducted on the influencing factors between the two groups. In a 1∶1 matched DILI-control study， RNA samples of 13 pairs of cases were sequenced by the whole transcript expression mRNA array. Differentially expressed genes （DEGs） were screened by Hotelling's T2 value sequencing and the expression trend analysis of genes by STEM （short-time series expression miner）， and the functional enrichment and pathway analysis of DEGs were carried out. ResultsIn total 152 clinical cases， weight of patients was a risk factor for the occurrence of hepatotoxicity caused by anti-tuberculous drugs. Based on the analysis results of mRNA array， 513 DEGs were screened by Hotelling's T2 value sequencing method， which were enriched in 32 annotations of GO （Gene Ontology） analysis and 10 pathways of KEGG （Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes） analysis. One differential expression pattern was screened by STEM， which was enriched in 2 biological process notes of GO. Among them， the key genes AIM2， CD86， CXCL10 and non-coding RNAs SCARNA10， SNHG10 and SNORD105 are potential biomarkers of DILI caused by anti-tuberculosis drugs. ConclusionIn this research for biomarkers conducted on cases with liver injury caused by anti-tuberculosis drugs， biological pathways associated with hepatotoxicity are identified and a series of key genes related with drug-induced liver injury are found， which provides the basis for mechanism study and searching for earlier and more sensitive biomarkers.

Study on intermittent fasting changing fecal metabolism pattern of mice based on metabolomics technique / 药学学报

Increasingly researches suggested that intermittent fasting (IF) can be part of a healthy lifestyle, which can improve risk factors associated with obesity and diabetes. Based on LC-MS metabolomics technology, this study preliminarily discussed the effect of IF on the metabolism of mice under normal physiological conditions by detecting the fecal metabolites. All experiments were approved by the Animal Research Committee of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Animal welfare and the animal experimental protocols were strictly consistent with related ethics regulations of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The mice were subjected to intermittent fasting for 10 weeks by fasting for 24 hours on alternate days, and their feces at 5 and 10 weeks were collected. The results show that the weight, food and water intake was not significant altered in mice with IF, but fasting blood glucose level was decreased. We found that fecal metabolites change was present at 5-week, being more prominent in 10-week. Relative to the control mice, we detected 17 and 108 metabolites in two time points, respectively. These metabolites were mainly enriched in the pathways of linoleic acid metabolism and bile acid biosynthesis. We further found that 10 metabolites may be a close correlation with IF, which had the same change trend at two time points. In conclusion, the present study provides a new approach to study the metabolism mechanism in IF treatment of related diseases.

Effects of Angong Niuhuang Pills against heart failure based on cross-scale polypharmacological study / 中国中药杂志

Angong Niuhuang Pills(AGNHP) are effective in clearing heat, removing the toxin, and eliminating phlegm for resuscitation. Clinically, it is widely used to treat various diseases such as febrile convulsion due to heat attacking pericardium, but its therapeutic effects on heart failure(HF) have not been well recognized. In this study, the profiles of differential metabolites regulated by AGNHP were identified by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). The underlying mechanism of AGNHP against HF was illustrated based on the integrated analysis of pharmacological data and metabolic molecular network. The HF model was induced by isoproterenol in mice. After oral administration of AGNHP for one week, cardiac functions in HF mice were evaluated by echocardiography, and serum samples of mice were collected for metabolomics analysis. Eight differential metabolites of AGNHP against HF were screened out through partial least square discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) and input into MetaboAnalyst for the analysis of metabolic pathways. Moreover, the critical metabolic pathways regulated by AGNHP were enriched according to the potential targets of major compounds in AGNHP. After AGNHP treatment, the recovered index of relative content of some metabolites underwent cross-scale fusion analysis with therapeutic efficacy data, followed by "compound-reaction-enzyme-gene" network analysis. It is inferred that the anti-HF effects of AGNHP may be attributed to the metabolism of arachidonic acid, amino acid, glycerophospholipid, and linoleic acid. The cross-scale polypharmacological analysis method developed in this study provides a new method to interpret scientific principles of AGNHP against HF with modern technologies.

Effect of Kansui Radix stir-fried with vinegar on fecal metabolomics in Walker-256 rats with ascites / 中国中药杂志

Utilizing metabolomics technology, this study explored the change of fecal endogenous metabolites in Walker-256 rats with malignant ascites after the administration with Kansui Radix(KR) stir-fried with vinegar(VKR), sought the potential biomarkers in feces which were related to the treatment of malignant ascites by VKR and revealed the biological mechanism of water-expelling effect of VKR. Ultra-fast liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UFLC-Q-TOF-MS) was employed to detect the feces of rats in all groups. Principle component analysis(PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) were conducted to achieve pattern recognition. Combining t-test and variable importance in the projection(VIP) enabled the screening of potential biomarkers for the malignant ascites. Metabolic pathway analysis was accomplished with MetaboAnalyst. Correlation analysis was finally conducted integrating the sequencing data of gut microbiota to elucidate the mechanism underlying the water-expelling effect of VKR. The results showed that both KR and VKR could restore the abnormal metabolism of model rats to some extent, with VKR being inferior to KR in the regulation. Eleven potential biomarkers were identified to be correlated with the malignant ascites and five metabolic pathways were then enriched. Four kinds of gut microbiota were significantly related to the potential biomarkers. The water-expelling effect of VKR may be associated with the regulation of phenylalanine metabolism, biosynthesis of phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan, tryptophan metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and glycosylphosphatidylinositol(GPI)-anchor biosynthesis. This study can provide a scientific basis for comprehensive understandings of the interaction between gut microbiota and host which has relation to the water-expelling effect of VKR and guide the reasonable clinical application of VKR.

A graph-theory-based method for processing of currency metabolites in metabolic networks / 生物工程学报

Graph-theory-based pathway analysis is a commonly used method for pathway searching in genome-scale metabolic networks. However, such searching often results in many pathways biologically infeasible due to the presence of currency metabolites (e.g. H+, H2O, CO2, ATP etc.). Several methods have been proposed to address the problem but up to now there is no well-recognized methods for processing the currency metabolites. In this study, we proposed a new method based on the function of currency metabolites for transferring of functional groups such as phosphate. We processed most currency metabolites as pairs rather than individual metabolites, and ranked the pairs based on their importance in transferring functional groups, in order to make sure at least one main metabolite link exists for any reaction. The whole process can be done automatically by programming. Comparison with existing approaches indicates that more biologically infeasible pathways were removed by our method and the calculated pathways were more reliable, which may facilitate the graph-theory-based pathway design and visualization.

Mechanism of Shouhui Tongbian Capsules in treating constipation based on network pharmacology and molecular docking / 中国中药杂志

To explore the mechanism of Shouhui Tongbian Capsules in treating constipation by means of network pharmacology and molecular docking approach. Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP) and Bioinfoematics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine(BATMAN) were applied to obtain chemical components and potential targets of eight herbs in Shouhui Tongbian Capsules according to the screening principles of oral availability(OB)≥30% and drug-like property(DL)≥0.18. Disease targets relating to constipation were screened out through GeneCards, PharmGkb and other databases, drug targets were integrated with disease targets, and intersection targets were exactly the potential action targets of Shouhui Tongbian Capsules for treating constipation; PPI network of potential targets was constructed using STRING platform, and GO(gene ontology) analysis and KEGG(Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes) pathway data were obtained to conduct enrichment analysis and predict its mechanism of action. Cytoscape 3.6.1 was used to construct a network of "medicinal materials-chemical components-drug targets", and the network topology analysis was carried out on the PPI network to obtain its main components and key targets. Molecular docking between components and key targets of Shouhui Tongbian Capsules verified the accuracy of network pharmacological analysis results. The PPI network analysis showed 92 chemical components, including quercetin, stigmaste-rol, aloe-emodin, rhein, and key targets for instance AKT1, MAPK1, IL6, JUN, TNF and TP53. The enrichment analysis of KEGG screened out 157 signal pathways(P<0.01), mainly involving interleukin 17 signaling pathway, AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, thyroid hormone signaling pathway. Quercetin, resveratrol and lysine with top degree value had a rational conformation in docking site of protein crystal complexes. This study preliminarily showed that various active ingredients in Shouhui Tongbian Capsules could regulate multiple signaling pathways, increase intestinal smoothness and peristalsis function, ensure smooth intestinal lumen, and play a role in treating constipation by acting on key targets, such as AKT1, MAPK1, IL6 and JUN.

Comprehensive molecular insights into the stress response dynamics of rice (Oryza sativa L.) during rice tungro disease by RNA-seq-based comparative whole transcriptome analysis

The nucleotide derivatives (p)ppGpp, comprising ppGpp and pppGpp, are important signalling molecules thatcontrol various facets of gene regulation and protein synthesis in Escherichia coli. Their synthesis is catalysedby RelA (in response to amino acid limitation) and by SpoT (in response to the limitation of carbon source orfatty acids). SpoT is also a hydrolase for degradation of both ppGpp and pppGpp, while GppA catalyses theconversion of pppGpp to ppGpp. Here we provide evidence to show that pppGpp exerts heightened toxicitycompared to that by ppGpp. Thus, gppA spoT double mutants exhibited lethality under conditions in which thesingle mutants were viable. The extent of RelA-catalysed (p)ppGpp accumulation in the gppA spoT strain wassubstantially greater than that in its isogenic gppA? derivative. The data is interpreted in terms of a model inwhich toxicity of pppGpp in the gppA spoT mutants is mediated by its activation of RelA so as to result in avicious cycle of (p)ppGpp synthesis.

Network analysis on Rab7a gene in breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells / 吉林大学学报(医学版)

Objective: To investigate the changes of expressions of the related genes in the triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) MDA-MB-231 cells after knockout of Rab7a gene, and to elucidate the roles of Rab7a-related genes in TNBC. Methods: The breast cancer ZR-75-30, MCF-7, T-47D, MDA-MB-231 and HCC-1937 cells in the logarithmic phase were selected. The expression levels of Rab7a protein in the breast cancer ZR-75-30, MCF-7, T-47D, MDA-MB-231, and HCC-1937 cells were detected by Western blotting method. The Rab7a gene in the MDA-MB-231 cells was knockout with lentivirus and the cells were divided into negative control group and Rab7a knockout group. According to the four different knockout Rab7a sequences, the Rab7a knockout group was divided into KD1 group, KD2 group, KD3 group and KD4 group. The knockout efficiencies of Rab7a gene in the MDA-MB-231 cells in various groups were detected by qPCR method, the differential genes in the highest knockout efficiency group (KD2 group) and negative control group were detected by full gene expression microarray, and the interaction between Rab7a gene and other genes was analyzed by integrated pathway analysis (IPA) software. Results: The Rab7a protein was expressed in the TNBC MDA-MB-231 cells. Compared with negative control group, the knockout efficiency of Rab7a gene in the MDA-MB-231 cells in KD2 group was the highest (P

Mechanism of Yiwei Decoction on interventing gastric precancerous lesions based on metabolomics and bioinformatics / 中草药

Objective: To study the potential mechanisms of Yiwei Decoction on intervening gastric precancerous lesions by using metabolomics technology combined with ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA). Methods: Gastric precancerous lesion rat model induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) was established and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) was utilized to detect and characterize rat serum metabolites. Metabolites with significant changes in model group and Yiwei Decoction group were screened out; The IPA software was used to analyze the potential targets and mechanisms. Results: Yiwei Decoction effectively interfered with the progress of gastric precancerous lesions. A total of 23 metabolites in the serum of gastric precancerous lesion rat model were significantly changed (P < 0.05), 13 metabolites were significantly regulated to normal level in Yiwei Decoction group (P < 0.05), the metabolic pathways mainly involved in the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, biosynthesis of valine, leucine and isoleucine, sphingolipid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism and steroid hormone synthesis, etc. The effect of Yiwei Decoction on intervening with the progression of gastric precancerous lesions was related to the inhibition of ET-1 and IL-8 signaling pathway. Conclusion: Yiwei Decoction can inhibit the progress of gastric precancerous lesions and improve the inflammatory environment by regulating arachidonic acid metabolism and inhibiting ET-1 and IL-8 signaling pathways.

Molecular mechanism analysis of Erzhi Wan in treatment of aging based on network pharmacology / 中国中药杂志

This present study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism of Erzhi Wan(a prescription of nourishing Yin and toni-fying liver and kidney) in treatment of aging by network pharmacology. The active constituents and target proteins of Erzhi Wan were searched from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database(TCMSP) and PubChem databases respectively. Aging-related genes were searched from Gene and HAGR databases. Based on the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis(IPA), we analyzed the common molecular network, biological pathway and interaction sites between these two parts, and verified some of them by Western blot. Twelve active constituents of Erzhi Wan were screened by TCMSP databases, 69 protein targets were predicted through PubChem, and 148 aging-related genes were found in Gene and HAGR databases. IPA comparison showed that the molecular networks of these two were complex, with diversity of biological functions. The common pathways involved 292 pathways, mainly related to tumors. They acted on hypoxia inducible factor-1α gene(HIF1α), nuclear factor-E2 related factor(Nrf2/NFE2 L2), tumor necrosis factor(TNF) and other sites. Western blot results suggested that Erzhi Wan could down-regulate the expression of HIF1α, with statistical difference(P<0.05). It was concluded that, Erzhi Wan could intervene aging through improving pseudo-hypoxic microenvironment and inflammation. The molecular mechanism of Erzhi Wan in delaying aging was preliminarily revealed, which laid a foundation for further stu-dying the anti-aging mechanism of Erzhi Wan, and also provided a reference for the compatibility mechanism and extended application of Chinese medicine compounds.

Study on mechanisms of anti-Alzheimer's disease action of absorbed components of Gardeniae Fructus based on network pharmacology / 中国中药杂志

Gardeniae Fructus has the traditional effects of promoting intelligence and inducing resuscitation, but its mechanism is unclear. In this study, the relationship between Gardeniae Fructus's traditional effect of promoting intelligence and inducing resuscitation and anti-Alzheimer's disease effect was taken as the starting point to investigate the anti-Alzheimer's disease mechanism of the major absorbed components in Gardeniae Fructus by the network pharmacology method. The network pharmacology research model of "absorbed composition-target-pathway-disease" was adopted. In this study, the active components screening and target prediction technology were used to determine the active components and targets of Gardeniae Fructus in treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The enrichment pathway and biological process of Gardeniae Fructus were studied by using the bioinformatics annotation database(DAVID), and the results of molecular docking validation network analysis were used to elaborate the mechanism of Gardeniae Fructus in treatment of Alzheimer's disease. It was found that 35 absorbed components of Gardeniae Fructus not only regulated 48 targets such as cholines-terase(BCHE) and carbonic anhydrase 2(CA2), but also affected 11 biological processes(e.g. transcription factor activity, nuclear receptor activity, steroid hormone receptor activity, amide binding and peptide binding) and 7 metabolic pathways(MAPK signaling pathway, Alzheimer disease and estrogen signaling pathway, etc.). Molecular docking results showed that more than 60% of the active components could be well docked with key targets, and the relevant literature also showed that the active components could inhibit the MAPK1 expression of key targets, indicating a high reliability of results. These results indicated that Gardeniae Fructus may play its anti-Alzheimer's disease action via a "multi-ingredients-multi-targets and multi-pathways" mode, providing a scientific basis for further drug research and development.

The mechanism of the anti-depression effect of the Radix Bupleuri-Radix Paeoniae Alba herb pair determined by liver metabolomics / 药学学报

This study analyzed the effect of the Radix Bupleuri-Radix Paeoniae Alba herb pair on endogenous metabolites in rats with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression by using LC-MS liver metabolomics. Rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: a normal control group, a CUMS model group, a venlafaxine-positive group, and a high-low dose group for the Radix Bupleuri-Radix Paeoniae Alba herb pair, with continuous modeling and administration over 28 days. The efficacy of Radix Bupleuri-Radix Paeoniae Alba herb pair was evaluated by measuring traditional pharmacodynamic indicators of depression (body weight, open field test, sucrose preference test and forced swimming test). Animal experimentation was approved by the Committee on the Ethics of Animal Experiments of Shanxi University (SXULL2016036). Liver metabolic profiles were obtained by the UHPLC-Q Exactive Orbitrap-MS metabolomics technique. The results show that the Radix Bupleuri-Radix Paeoniae Alba herb pair can significantly decrease depression-like behavior of rats in the CUMS model group. Increases in 25 depression-related metabolites were identified by LC-MS metabonomics, and the Radix Bupleuri-Radix Paeoniae Alba herb pair could significantly decrease 16 of them. Metabolic pathway analysis showed that D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, and glutathione metabolism were the main metabolic pathways altered by this herb pair in CUMS model rats.

Study on therapeutic mechanism of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata- Corni Fructus in sequelae of ischemic stroke based on network pharmacology technology / 中国中药杂志

In ischemic stroke sequela phase, Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus drug pair has the effect in protecting damaged neurons, but its mechanism has not been clear. In this study, network pharmacology was used to predict the mechanism of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus in the treatment of ischemic stroke sequela. Through database search and literature retrie-val, 40 active ingredients of Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata and Corni Fructus were obtained, and their targets were obtained through STITCH and TCMSP databases. The targets of ischemic stroke sequela were obtained through OMIM,GAD,TTD and DrugBank databases. By screening the intersections of active ingredients targets and stroke treatment targets, 21 potential targets were obtained. The DAVID database was used for GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis of potential targets. GO enrichment analysis showed that Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus were mainly involved in regulation of blood pressure, negative regulation of extrinsic apoptotic signaling and positive regulation of angiogenesis. KEGG pathway analysis showed that Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus could inhibit inflammatory response and apoptosis signaling pathway by regulating HIF-VEGFA signaling pathway in neural stem cell proliferation, TNF signaling pathway and NF-kappaB signaling pathway. Molecular docking technique was used to verify that Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus component has a good binding activity with potential targets. The results showed that in ischemic stroke sequela phase, Rehmanniae Radix Praeparata-Corni Fructus drug pair could play an important role in recovering neural function, promoting the proliferation of neural stem cells, angiogenesis, preventing neural cells apoptosis and regulating inflammatory factors.

Exploring pharmacological mechanism of Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex based on systems pharmacology / 中草药

Objective: To explore the pharmacological mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Magnoliae Officinalis Cortex by systems pharmacology (SP). Methods: A database of magnolia components was established by using the database of TCM ingredients and a large number of literature search. After that, ADME was used to screen the active compounds of magnolia, and these ingredients and an in silico software were used to identify targets. Finally, the pharmacological mechanism of magnolia was analyzed by SP methods network analysis and pathway analysis. Results: The most comprehensive database of magnolia ingredients to date have been established, containing a total of 144 magnolia compounds. After screening, we obtained seven magnolia active compounds which meet the conditions and identified 54 interacting targets. The network analysis showed that these targets were mainly related to intestinal motility, inflammation, diabetes and thrombus. Through pathway analysis, we found that a total of 152 biological pathways were involved in the targets of magnolia, and these pathways were involved in cancer-related mechanisms in addition to the above diseases. Conclusion: This study not only uses SP to reveal the pharmacological mechanisms of magnolia on intestinal motility, inflammation, diabetes, thrombus and cancer, but also reflects the typical “multi-component, multi-target, multi-channel” TCM characteristics of magnolia and provides a new SP technology to explore the pharmacological mechanism of TCM.

Differential expression profiles of mRNA in radioresistant non-small cell lung cancer cell line A549 model using gene expression microarray / 解剖学报

Objective To investigate the radioresistance factors in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)cell line A549, and provide new targets for radiotherapy sensitization drugs development. Methods Establish the stable model of radioresistant NSCLC cell line A549 under irradiation; investigate the whole-transcriptome alteration of radioresistance cell line and radiosensitive cell line using gene expression microarray; perform bioinformatic approaches gene ontology (GO) analysis and Pathway analysis. Results The expression profile microarray showed that 1410 differentially expressed genes (733 up-regulated and 677 down-regulated) were detected in resistant and sensitive strains; GO analysis showed that it was mainly related to cell cycle and DNA replication; Pathway significant enrichment analysis showed that mitogen-activated protein kiase(MAPK) signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B(PI3K/Akt) signaling pathway, were mainly associated with radioresistance. Conclusion Multiple genes and signaling pathways are involved in radioresistance, further studies are needed to investigate the radioresistance factors, which could provide new targets for radiotherapy sensitization drugs development.

Analysis of Molecular Mechanism of Huangliantang in Treatment of Gastritis Based on Integrated Pharmacology Platform of Traditional Chinese Medicine / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective: To investigate the effective substance basis and possible mechanism of Huangliantang in treatment of gastritis. Method: Integrated pharmacology platform of traditional Chinese medicine was employed to predict the main active ingredients and functional targets of Huangliantang in treatment of gastritis, network of composition target-disease target of Huangliantang was constructed, key nodes were screened for enrichment analysis of pathways, and the possible mechanism of Huangliantang in treatment of gastritis with multiple ingredients-multiple targets-multiple pathways was explored. Result: A total of 175 predicted active ingredients of Huangliantang interacted with 538 key targets about gastritis, the regulation and treatment of gastritis during its different pathological stages, such as Helicobacter pylori infection, gastric mucosal damage and gastric mucosal atrophy, were involved through chemokine, T cell receptor, estrogen and other signaling pathways. Conclusion: This research may reveal the potential active ingredients of Huangliantang in treatment of gastritis and its possible mechanism, and it also provides a theoretical basis for further experimental research of pharmacodynamic substance basis and mechanism of action.

Study on Molecular Mechanism of Xiaochaihu Decoction for Sepsis Based on TCMIP Platform / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE： To investigate the substance basis and mechanism of Xiaochaihu decoction in treatment of sepsis， and to provide reference for clinical application and R&D of the decoction. METHODS： Based on TCM integrative pharmacology platform （TCMIP）， chemical component analysis of Xiaochaihu decoction， disease target prediction， gene function and pathway enrichment analysis were all performed. The multi-dimensional network relationship of “TCM-chemical components-core targets-key pathways” was established， and the mechanism of Xiaochaihu decoction in treatment of sepsis was investigated. RESULTS： A total of 224 predicted chemical ingredients of Xiaochaihu decoction （including saikoside， ginsenoside， glycyrrhizin， etc.） interacted with 118 key targets about sepsis， including PF4， MYD88， TLR4， CD14， NOS3， etc. Its anti-sepsis mechanism involved nervous system， endocrine system， immune response and energy metabolism， etc. CONCLUSIONS： Based on “neuronal- endocrine-immune-metabolism”， Xiaochaihu decoction achieved its role in regulating sepsis by multi-level， multi-channel and multi-channel. This research may reveal the potential mechanism of Xiaochaihu decoction for sepsis， and the prescription provide theoretical basis for further experimental research of pharmacodynamic substance basis and mechanism of action．

Molecular mechanism of Cinnamomi Ramulus-Paeoniae Radix Alba drug pair against sepsis based on integrative pharmacology platform of traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

Guizhi Decoction is a resolving agent,which is a classic prescription for traditional Chinese medicine. It is effective in the treatment of sepsis in clinical practice. However,due to the complexity of the prescription,its anti-sepsis mechanism is difficult to be clarified. The " Cinnamomi Ramulus-Paeoniae Radix Alba" drug pair,as the classic compatibility for medicinal and medicinal herbs,is the core of Guizhi Decoction. In this study,Cinnamomi Ramulus-Paeoniae Radix Alba drug pair was used as the research object and the molecular mechanism of its treatment of sepsis was investigated by analyzing the chemical compositions with integrative pharmacology platform( TCMIP,http://www.tcmip.cn/),predicting disease target,analyzing gene function and pathway of " Cinnamomi Ramulus-Paeoniae Radix Alba" in treatment of sepsis,and establishing a multi-dimensional network relationship of " Chinese medicine-chemical components-core targets-key pathways". The prediction results of " Cinnamomi Ramulus-Paeoniae Radix Alba" drug pair showed that its anti-sepsis effect was associated with 45 active components,and the active components played an anti-sepsis role through multiple targets and pathways,involving inflammatory targets such as PF4,MyD88,TLR4,BDKRB2,CD14,and NOS3. The sepsis was relieved mainly by regulating Toll like signaling pathway,Fox O signaling pathway,chemokines signaling pathway,thyroid and insulin endocrine signaling pathways and biological processes. This study provides a scientific basis for further development of Cinnamomi Ramulus-Paeoniae Radix Alba drug pair and Guizhi Decoction against sepsis.

Mechanism of Gardenia jasminoides against cholestasis based on network pharmacology / 中国中药杂志

To screen the active ingredients of Gardenia jasminoides and potential targets,and investigate the mechanisms against cholestasis based on network pharmacology technology. Twenty-one active components of G. jasminoides were retrieved and the target sites were screened by using Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform( TCMSP). Cytoscape3. 2. 1 was used to construct the component-target network. Two hundred and eight targets related to cholestasis were searched and screened through Dis Ge NET,KEGG and OMIM databases. The key targets of G. jasminoides components and cholestasis were integrated and screened,and the component-target-disease network was constructed with Cytoscape 3. 2. 1 software to screen out the core network whose freedom degree was greater than the average value. The Clue GO plug-in of Cytoscape 3. 2. 1 software was used to analyze the biological processes and pathway enrichment of G. jasminoides in regulation of cholestasis. GO biological process analysis revealed 17 biological processes,involving 3 signaling biological processes related to cholestasis,i.e. acute inflammatory response,positive regulation of reactive oxygen species metabolic process,and nitric oxide biosynthetic process. KEGG-KEEG-305 terms and REACTOME pathways analysis revealed 17 regulatory pathways,involving 4 signaling pathways related to cholestasis,i.e. metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450,nuclear receptor transcription pathway,GPVI-mediated activation cascade and platelet activation. It was found that aqueous extract of G. jasminoides could improve serum biochemical abnormalities in ANIT-induced cholestasis rats. Aqueous extract of G. jasminoides could decrease the protein and mRNA expression levels of ESR1 in liver tissues,and increase the protein and mRNA expression levels of PPARG,NOS2,F2 R,NOS3,and NR3 C1. To sum up,the possible mechanisms of G. jasminoides against cholestasis may be related with the above three processes and four pathways.

Study on mechanism for treating ischemic stroke of Siegesbeckiae Herba based on network pharmacology / 中国中药杂志

Xixiancao( Siegesbeckiae Herba) has the effect of treating ischemic stroke( IS),however,the mechanism has not been fully elucidated. In this study,combined with Lipinski's five principles and Veber oral bioavailability rules,68 chemical components of Xixiancao were obtained by database and literature search. Based on the reverse targeting,248 potential targets were obtained and mapped it to the ischemic stroke target set,47 potential targets for the treatment of ischemic stroke were obtained. Molecular docking technique was used to verify that the Xixiancao component has good binding activity to potential targets. GO enrichment analysis and pathway analysis were performed on potential targets using Clue GO. GO enrichment analysis showed that Xixiancao was mainly involved in life processes such as neuronal apoptosis,cholesterol storage and blood pressure regulation. Pathway analysis showed that Xixiancao may promote vascular repairing and regeneration by regulating the expression of ADAMTS1,FLT1 and KDR in VEGFA-VEGFR2 signaling pathway,activate cell survival signals and inhibit neuronal apoptosis by regulating the expression of CAMK2 AA,MDM2,MAPK1,MAPK3,CDK5 and MAPK10 in brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling pathway and PI3 K-Akt signaling pathway. Lipid homeostasis and inflammation may also be regulated by Xixiancao through regulating the expression of ESR1,NR1 H3,PPARA,PPARG in the nuclear receptor signaling pathway. In addition,Xixiancao could also prevent platelet aggregation by regulating the expression of ITGA2 B,F2,F10,and ALB,and play an antithrombotic role. The results of this study indicate that Xixiancao plays an important role in the treatment of ischemic stroke mainly through anti-thrombosis,promoting angiogenesis,protecting neurons,anti-inflammatory and regulating blood pressure and lipids.