ABSTRACT
We investigated whether phycoerythrin (PE), a pigment sourced from marine algae, could act as an immunomodulatory agent in whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). To this end, PE was extracted and purified from a PE-rich macroalgae, Colaconema sp. Our in vitro analysis demonstrated that PE enhanced prophenoloxidase and phagocytosis activity but inhibited the production of reactive oxygen species in hemocytes. Additionally, the PE signal could be detected using an in vivo imaging system after its injection into the ventral sinus of the cephalothorax of whiteleg shrimp. The expression profiles of fourteen immune-related genes were monitored in hemocytes from whiteleg shrimp injected with 0.30 µg of PE per gram of body weight, and crustin, lysozyme, penaiedin 4, and anti-lipopolysaccharide factor showed up-regulated post-stimulation. The induction of immune genes and enhancement of innate immune parameters by PE may explain the higher survival rates for shrimp that received different doses of PE prior to being challenged with Vibrio parahaemolyticus or white spot syndrome virus compared to controls. Combined, these results show that PE from Colaconema sp. can differentially stimulate the immune response of whiteleg shrimp in vitro and in vivo and could potentially be used as an immunomodulator in shrimp culture.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate the mechanism of Qingkailing Injection in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: The active components and target proteins of Gardeniae Fructus, Isatidis Radix, Lonicerae Japonicae Flos, and other materials in Qingkailing Injection were obtained by means of literature search and TCMSP. Uniprot database was used to search the target genes corresponding to the active ingredients, and Cytoscape 3.7.2 was used to construct the drug-compound-target network. The enrichment analysis of KEGG pathway was carried out with the help of DAVID database to predict its mechanism. Core active components and potential targets of anti-COVID-19 drugs were verified by molecular docking. Results: The drug-compound- target network consisted of five drugs, 62 compounds and 70 targets. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis included 41 signaling pathways (P < 0.05), which were mainly involved in cell apoptosis, Fc epsilon RI signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, etc. Molecular docking results showed that acacetin and syrigin had strong affinity with potential targets of anti-COVID-19 drugs. Conclusion: In this study, the effect of Qingkailing Injection has the characteristics of multiple components, multiple targets and multiple pathways. The active component, acacetin, can regulate the apoptosis pathway and TNF pathway by acting on CASP3, CASP8, FASLG, and other targets, so as to realize the potential therapeutic effect on COVID-19.