RESUMO
[Objective]To explore the modern pharmacological mechanisms of Coptidis Rhizoma-Cimicifugae Rhizoma herbal pair in the treatment of recurrent aphthous ulcer(RAU)and analyze the possible traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)therapeutic factors to further guide TCM clinical diagnosis and treatment.[Methods]The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP)was used to retrieve drug components and targets.Disease-related targets were obtained from databases such as Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM)and Human Genome Annotation Database(GeneCards).The intersection of targets was analyzed using the STRING platform for protein-protein interaction(PPI)analysis.The PPI network was visualized using Cytoscape 3.7.2,and core targets were selected.Gene ontology(GO)enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis were performed using the MetaScape database,and a network diagram was constructed.Molecular docking was conducted using AutoDock 4.2.6,and the docking results were visualized using PyMOL software.A rat model of RAU was established by bilateral subcutaneous injection of complete Freund's adjuvant.Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(Real-time qPCR)was used to detect the expression of core target genes in the oral tissues of rats in each group.[Results]A total of 19 active components of Coptidis Rhizoma-Cimicifugae Rhizoma were screened,along with 191 targets.There were 127 intersecting targets between herbs and diseases,and 23 core targets were identified for RAU intervention.Based on Degree,seven key targets were selected,and the core pathway was the signaling pathway associated with interleukin-17(IL-17)and tumor necrosis factor(TNF).The docking results showed that the core active component stigmasterol exhibited high binding activity with each key target.Animal experiments showed that the herbal pair treatment significantly reduced the number of oral ulcers in rats.Compared with blank control group,the expression of core targets in model group,low-dose group,medium-dose group and high-dose group was significantly higher(P＜0.05).The relative mRNA expression and number of oral ulcers in the high-dose group were significantly lower than those in model group,low-dose group and medium-dose group(P＜0.05).[Conclusion]The molecular mechanisms of Coptidis Rhizoma-Cimicifugae Rhizoma herbal pair in the treatment of RAU are related to its anti-inflammatory,oral mucosal protection and immunomodulatory effects.The relevant TCM therapeutic mechanisms involve heat-clearing and detoxifying,promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis,eliminating toxins,promoting wound healing and other effects.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND:RACK1 is strongly associated with the occurrence and development of oral squamous cel carcinoma. However, the occurrence and development of tumor do not depend on a gene or protein, but a long-term complex process of a network structure of multiple genes and multiple molecules, multi-step, multi-stage joint action. Synergism between tumor genes promotes the formation and development of tumor cel s. Therefore, we cannot limit on a single gene or protein to discover the action mechanism of oral squamous cel carcinoma, but should pay attention on signaling network path related to differential protein or gene, investigate the alterations in related protein or gene expression in the whole signaling pathway, and analyze the action mechanism of the interaction of these molecules. OBJECTIVE:To screen differential genes related to oral squamous cel carcinoma, construct an interaction network through bioinformatics using STRING database, and provide clues for future tests. METHODS:In accordance with our previous classic proteomics results and microarray results of oral squamous cel carcinoma, genes with consistent expression and big differences were selected as differential genes. The differential genes were inputted into the database of STRING to find the possible relationship among the protein subunits and to construct network structure of their interaction. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The 19 differential proteins of oral squamous cel carcinoma construct a complicated net work, and the differential proteins interact through these networks. GNB2L1-encoded RACK1 is a node protein and interacts with other differential proteins via WD40 repeated protein (number COG2319) andβ-G protein subunit (number KOG0279). WD40 repeated protein (number COG2319) interacts with 5 differential proteins directly and constructs 10 interacting pathways.β-G protein subunit (number KOG0279) interacts with 8 differential proteins directly, which has 11 interacting pathways. We make a network structure picture based on the interaction of these 19 differential genes by the analysis of the STRING database. The results show that the two subunits of RACK1 protein have direct interaction with 8 differential proteins and have 18 interaction pathways on the picture. As a result, RACK1 is the core protein of the network, suggesting RACK1 is the key node protein in oral squamous cel carcinoma.
