scholarly journals Uncovering the Molecular Mechanism of the Qiang-Xin 1 Formula on Sepsis-Induced Cardiac Dysfunction Based on Systems Pharmacology

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Shasha He ◽  
Jingxia Zhao ◽  
Xiaolong Xu ◽  
Xuran Cui ◽  
Ning Wang ◽  
...  

Cardiac dysfunction is a critical manifestation of sepsis-induced multiorgan failure and results in the high mortality of sepsis. Our previous study demonstrated that a traditional Chinese medicine formula, Qiang-Xin 1 (QX1), ameliorates cardiac tissue damage in septic mice; however, the underlying pharmacology mechanism remains to be elucidated. The present study was aimed at clarifying the protective mechanism of the QX1 formula on sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction. The moderate sepsis model of mice was established by cecal ligation and puncture surgery. Treatment with the QX1 formula improved the 7-day survival outcome, attenuated cardiac dysfunction, and ameliorated the disruption of myocardial structure in septic mice. Subsequent systems pharmacology analysis found that 63 bioactive compounds and the related 79 candidate target proteins were screened from the QX1 formula. The network analysis showed that the QX1 active components quercetin, formononetin, kaempferol, taxifolin, cryptotanshinone, and tanshinone IIA had a good binding activity with screened targets. The integrating pathway analysis indicated the calcium, PI3K/AKT, MAPK, and Toll-like receptor signaling pathways may be involved in the protective effect of the QX1 formula on sepsis-induced cardiac dysfunction. Further, experimental validation showed that the QX1 formula inhibited the activity of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII), MAPK (P38, ERK1/2, and JNK), and TLR4/NF-κB signaling pathways but promoted the activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway. A cytokine array found that the QX1 formula attenuated sepsis-induced upregulated levels of serum IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-3, IL-6, IL-17, IL-4, IL-10, and TNF-α. Our data suggested that QX1 may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for sepsis by suppressing the activity of calcium, MAPK, and TLR4/NF-κB pathways, but promoting the activation of AKT, thus controlling cytokine storm and regulating immune balance. The present study demonstrated the multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathway characteristics of the QX1 formula and provided a novel understanding of the QX1 formula in the clinical application on cardiac dysfunction-related diseases.

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin-Tong Wang ◽  
Zhen Peng ◽  
Ying-Ying An ◽  
Ting Shang ◽  
Guangxu Xiao ◽  
...  

Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction is a major contributor to the poor outcomes of septic shock. As an add-on with conventional sepsis management for over 15 years, the effect of Xuebijing injection (XBJ) on the sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction was not well understood. The material basis of Xuebijing injection (XBJ) in managing infections and infection-related complications remains to be defined. A murine cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) model and cardiomyocytes in vitro culture were adopted to study the influence of XBJ on infection-induced cardiac dysfunction. XBJ significantly improved the survival of septic-mice and rescued cardiac dysfunction in vivo. RNA-seq revealed XBJ attenuated the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and related signalings in the heart which was further confirmed on the mRNA and protein levels. Xuebijing also protected cardiomyocytes from LPS-induced mitochondrial calcium ion overload and reduced the LPS-induced ROS production in cardiomyocytes. The therapeutic effect of XBJ was mediated by the combination of paeoniflorin and hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) (C0127-2). C0127-2 improved the survival of septic mice, protected their cardiac function and cardiomyocytes while balancing gene expression in cytokine-storm-related signalings, such as TNF-α and NF-κB. In summary, Paeoniflorin and HSYA are key active compounds in XBJ for managing sepsis, protecting cardiac function, and controlling inflammation in the cardiac tissue partially by limiting the production of IL-6, IL-1β, and CXCL2.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-137
Author(s):  
Hui Jiang ◽  
Lianhao Fu ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Shaozhi Wang ◽  
Xiaoxu Zhang ◽  
...  

Background: Jingzhiguanxin (JZGX) tablet, a traditional Chinese prescription, is commonly used for treating coronary heart disease and angina pectoris in the clinic. There are six active components (Danshensu (DSS), Protocatechuic aldehyde (PD), Paeoniflorin (PF), Ferulic acid (FA), Salvianolic acid B (Sal B) and Tanshinone IIA (TA)) in JZGX tablet. </P><P> Objective: In this paper, a simple and reliable method was used for simultaneous determining the six active components by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector (HPLC-DAD). Methods: These six active components were separated on an Agilent Zorbax Eclipse XDB-C18 column (150 mmx4.6 mm, 5 µm) at 30 °C. Acetonitrile (A), methanol (B) and 0.5% H3PO4 aqueous solution (C) were used as mobile phase for gradient elution. The flow rate was 1 mL/min and the detection wavelengths were set at 280 nm for DSS, PD and Sal B, 230 nm for PF, 320 nm for FA and 270 nm for TA, respectively. Results: All of the six components showed good linearity regressions (r2≥0.9997) in the detected concentration range. The recovery rates and coefficient of variation (CV) for all analytes were 98.66%- 100.18% and 0.75%-1.89%, respectively. This method was successfully applied to simultaneously determine the six components in JZGX tablet from different batches and manufacturers. Conclusion: The validated method can be used in routine quality control analysis of JZGX tablet without any interference.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Huahe Zhu ◽  
Shun Wang ◽  
Cong Shan ◽  
Xiaoqian Li ◽  
Bo Tan ◽  
...  

AbstractXuan-bai-cheng-qi decoction (XCD), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription, has been widely used to treat a variety of respiratory diseases in China, especially to seriously infectious diseases such as acute lung injury (ALI). Due to the complexity of the chemical constituent, however, the underlying pharmacological mechanism of action of XCD is still unclear. To explore its protective mechanism on ALI, firstly, a network pharmacology experiment was conducted to construct a component-target network of XCD, which identified 46 active components and 280 predicted target genes. Then, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was used to screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between ALI model rats treated with and without XCD and 753 DEGs were found. By overlapping the target genes identified using network pharmacology and DEGs using RNA-seq, and subsequent protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, 6 kernel targets such as vascular epidermal growth factor (VEGF), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), AKT1, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and gene of phosphate and tension homology deleted on chromsome ten (PTEN) were screened out to be closely relevant to ALI treatment. Verification experiments in the LPS-induced ALI model rats showed that XCD could alleviate lung tissue pathological injury through attenuating proinflammatory cytokines release such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β. Meanwhile, both the mRNA and protein expression levels of PI3K, mTOR, HIF-1α, and VEGF in the lung tissues were down-regulated with XCD treatment. Therefore, the regulations of XCD on PI3K/mTOR/HIF-1α/VEGF signaling pathway was probably a crucial mechanism involved in the protective mechanism of XCD on ALI treatment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhifeng Xue ◽  
Yixuan Li ◽  
Mengen Zhou ◽  
Zhidong Liu ◽  
Guanwei Fan ◽  
...  

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by pulmonary artery remodeling that may subsequently culminate in right heart failure and premature death. Although there are currently both non-pharmacological (lung transplantation, etc.) and pharmacological (Sildenafil, Bosentan, and new oral drugs on trial) therapies available, PAH remains a serious and fatal pulmonary disease. As a unique medical treatment, traditional herbal medicine (THM) treatment has gradually exerted its advantages in treating PAH worldwide through a multi-level and multi-target approach. Additionally, the potential mechanisms of THM were deciphered, including suppression of proliferation and apoptosis of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, controlling the processes of inflammation and oxidative stress, and regulating vasoconstriction and ion channels. In this review, the effects and mechanisms of the frequently studied compound THM, single herbal preparations, and multiple active components from THM are comprehensively summarized, as well as their related mechanisms on several classical preclinical PAH models. It is worth mentioning that sodium tanshinone IIA sulfonate sodium and tetramethylpyrazine are under clinical trials and are considered the most promoting medicines for PAH treatment. Last, reverse pharmacology, a strategy to discover THM or THM-derived components, has also been proposed here for PAH. This review discusses the current state of THM, their working mechanisms against PAH, and prospects of reverse pharmacology, which are expected to facilitate the natural anti-PAH medicine discovery and development and its bench-to-bedside transformation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Chao Hu ◽  
Xiaobin Zhu ◽  
Taogen Zhang ◽  
Zhouming Deng ◽  
Yuanlong Xie ◽  
...  

Introduction. Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor associated with high mortality rates due to the toxic side effects of current therapeutic methods. Tanshinone IIA can inhibit cell proliferation and promote apoptosis in vitro, but the exact mechanism is still unknown. The aims of this study are to explore the antiosteosarcoma effect of tanshinone IIA via Src kinase and demonstrate the mechanism of this effect. Materials and Methods. Osteosarcoma MG-63 and U2-OS cell lines were stable transfections with Src-shRNA. Then, the antiosteosarcoma effect of tanshinone IIA was tested in vitro. The protein expression levels of Src, p-Src, p-ERK1/2, and p-AKt were detected by Western blot and RT-PCR. CCK-8 assay and BrdU immunofluorescence assay were used to detect cell proliferation. Transwell assay, cell scratch assay, and flow cytometry were used to detect cell invasion, migration, and cell cycle. Tumor-bearing nude mice with osteosarcoma were constructed. The effect of tanshinone IIA was detected by tumor HE staining, tumor inhibition rate, incidence of lung metastasis, and X-ray. Results. The oncogene role of Src kinase in osteosarcoma is reflected in promoting cell proliferation, invasion, and migration and in inhibiting apoptosis. However, Src has different effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell cycle regulation among cell lines. At a cellular level, the antiosteosarcoma effect of tanshinone IIA is mediated by Src downstream of the MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKt signaling pathways. At the animal level, tanshinone IIA played a role in resisting osteosarcoma formation by Src downstream of the MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKt signaling pathways. Conclusion. Tanshinone IIA plays an antiosteosarcoma role in vitro and in vivo and inhibits the progression of osteosarcoma mediated by Src downstream of the MAPK/ERK and PI3K/AKt signaling pathways.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuo Chen ◽  
Hao Xu

Tanshinone IIA (Tan II A) is widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases as an active component ofSalvia miltiorrhizaBunge. It has been demonstrated to have pleiotropic effects for atherosclerosis. From the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory mechanism perspective, this paper reviewed major progresses of Tan IIA in antiatherosclerosis research, including immune cells, antigens, cytokines, and cell signaling pathways.


2012 ◽  
Vol 303 (8) ◽  
pp. H967-H978 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roxana Chis ◽  
Parveen Sharma ◽  
Nicolas Bousette ◽  
Tetsuaki Miyake ◽  
Aaron Wilson ◽  
...  

α-Crystallin B (cryAB) is the most abundant small heat shock protein in cardiomyocytes (CMs) and has been shown to have potent antiapoptotic properties. Because the mechanism by which cryAB prevents apoptosis has not been fully characterized, we examined its protective effects at the cellular level by silencing cryAB in mouse neonatal CMs using lentivector-mediated transduction of short hairpin RNAs. Subcellular fractionation of whole hearts showed that cryAB is cytosolic under control conditions, and after H2O2 exposure, it translocates to the mitochondria. Phosphorylated cryAB (PcryAB) is mainly associated with the mitochondria, and any residual cytosolic PcryAB translocates to the mitochondria after H2O2 exposure. H2O2 exposure caused increases in cryAB and PcryAB levels, and cryAB silencing resulted in increased levels of apoptosis after exposure to H2O2. Coimmunoprecipitation assays revealed an apparent interaction of both cryAB and PcryAB with mitochondrial voltage-dependent anion channels (VDAC), translocase of outer mitochondrial membranes 20 kDa (TOM 20), caspase 3, and caspase 12 in mouse cardiac tissue. Our results are consistent with the conclusion that the cardioprotective effects of cryAB are mediated by its translocation from the cytosol to the mitochondria under conditions of oxidative stress and that cryAB interactions with VDAC, TOM 20, caspase 3, and caspase 12 may be part of its protective mechanism.


Life Sciences ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 206 ◽  
pp. 106-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peng Li ◽  
Xi-Ru Chen ◽  
Fei Xu ◽  
Chi Liu ◽  
Chang Li ◽  
...  

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