Department of Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery, The Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical College, Chengde, 067000, China.
Sci Rep. 2021 May 7;11(1):9752. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-89257-6.
Inflammation is a key factor in the development and complications of various diseases because it has a complex pathogenesis. Andrographis paniculate (Burm. f.) Nees (Chuan Xinlian) is a well-known form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) applied in clearing heat and detoxification. Also, it is rich in bioactive lactones, with various anti-inflammatory activities. Here, network pharmacology combined with molecular biology experimental approach was used to predict and verify the potential molecular mechanism of Chuan Xinlian in treating inflammation. The bioactive ingredients of Chuan Xinlian were obtained from the TCMSP database and literature. Besides, the targets of Chuan Xinlian and inflammation were collected based on the multi-source databases and used to generate the PPI network. Network topology analysis and functional enrichment analysis were used to screen hub genes and their mechanisms. Molecular docking simulation was performed to evaluate the binding activity between the predicted hub genes and the bioactive ingredients. Additionally, LPS-induced NO production in RAW264.7 cell inflammatory response, RT-PCR and Western blot were used to validate the efficacy of the Chuan Xinlian in the treatment of inflammation. Network analysis outcomes indicated that five targets (IL-6, VEGFA, PTGST2, TNF-α, and MMP-9) were identified as the key targets of Chuan Xinlian in the treatment of inflammation. Further, molecular docking findings revealed that the majority of the bioactive ingredients exhibited a strong binding efficacy towards the predicted hub genes. Functional analysis results showed that the potential mechanisms were primarily concentrated in key pathways including cancer, immunology, and inflammation process. Moreover, RT-PCR and Western blot analysis indicated that Chuan Xinlian extract suppressed the production of inflammatory mediators with anti-inflammatory effects. Our study shows that Chuan Xinlian potentially exerts an anti-inflammatory effect via key pathways including cancer, immunology, and inflammation process. This suggests that Chuan Xinlian has a potential anti-inflammatory action, thereby providing a scientific reference for clinical studies.
炎症是各种疾病发生和并发症的一个关键因素，因为它具有复杂的发病机制。穿心莲（Burm. f.） Nees（Chuan Xinlian）是一种著名的中药形式，用于清热解毒。此外，它富含生物活性内酯，具有多种抗炎活性。在这里，网络药理学结合分子生物学实验方法，用于预测和验证穿心莲治疗炎症的潜在分子机制。穿心莲的生物活性成分从 TCMSP 数据库和文献中获得。此外，基于多源数据库收集穿心莲和炎症的靶点，用于生成 PPI 网络。网络拓扑分析和功能富集分析用于筛选枢纽基因及其机制。分子对接模拟用于评估预测的枢纽基因与生物活性成分之间的结合活性。此外，还使用 LPS 诱导的 RAW264.7 细胞炎症反应、RT-PCR 和 Western blot 来验证穿心莲治疗炎症的功效。网络分析结果表明，五个靶点（IL-6、VEGFA、PTGST2、TNF-α和 MMP-9）被鉴定为穿心莲治疗炎症的关键靶点。进一步的分子对接结果表明，大多数生物活性成分与预测的枢纽基因表现出很强的结合效力。功能分析结果表明，潜在的机制主要集中在关键途径，包括癌症、免疫学和炎症过程。此外，RT-PCR 和 Western blot 分析表明，穿心莲提取物抑制了炎症介质的产生，具有抗炎作用。我们的研究表明，穿心莲通过癌症、免疫学和炎症过程等关键途径发挥抗炎作用。这表明穿心莲具有潜在的抗炎作用，为临床研究提供了科学参考。
