Yu Hui, Dong Yang, Zou Gui-Cheng, Yang Yun-Jie, Liu Meng-Zhen, Han Cong-Hui
Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Clinical Medicine School,Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 138 Xianlin Avenue, Qixia District, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, China.
Department of Urology, Yantai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yantai, Shandong 264001, China.
Asian Biomed (Res Rev News). 2025 Apr 30;19(2):94-105. doi: 10.2478/abm-2025-0012. eCollection 2025 Apr.
In China, Xiao Ji decoction has been used to treat hematuria. However, pharmacological studies on its effects against bladder cancer (BC) remain limited.
This study aims to explore the potential mechanisms of Xiao Ji in treating BC using network pharmacology and molecular docking.
The active constituents of Xiao Ji and their corresponding molecular targets were identified through the utilization of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database. Genes associated with BC were screened by employing resources including the Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) and GeneCards databases. Furthermore, protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks and networks illustrating the connections between ingredients and their ingredient-target (I-T) were established. The related genes underwent gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. Ultimately, molecular docking experiments were conducted to substantiate and reinforce the proposed hypotheses.
Four compounds were identified, along with 82 target genes that exhibited associations with BC. In the I-T network, quercetin exhibited the highest degree of association with multiple targets. Within the PPI network, interleukin (IL)IL-6, hypoxia inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and myelocytomatosis oncogene (MYC) were discerned as pivotal genes. The enrichment analysis of the critical genes led to the identification of 92 GO terms and 105 pathways. Furthermore, the results of molecular docking analyses revealed that the active compounds, including acacetin, sitosterol, and stigmasterol, exhibited strong binding affinities with IL-6, EGFR, and MYC.
Xiao Ji acts on BC through multiple targets and pathways. This study elucidates the potential mechanisms of Xiao Ji in treating BC, providing new options for BC therapy.
在中国，小蓟饮子一直用于治疗血尿。然而，其对膀胱癌（BC）作用的药理学研究仍然有限。
本研究旨在利用网络药理学和分子对接技术探索小蓟治疗BC的潜在机制。
通过使用中药系统药理学数据库鉴定小蓟的活性成分及其相应的分子靶点。利用包括《人类孟德尔遗传在线》（OMIM）和基因卡片数据库等资源筛选与BC相关的基因。此外，建立了蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用（PPI）网络以及说明成分与其成分靶点（I-T）之间联系的网络。对相关基因进行基因本体（GO）和京都基因与基因组百科全书（KEGG）通路富集分析。最终，进行分子对接实验以证实和强化所提出的假设。
鉴定出4种化合物以及82个与BC相关的靶基因。在I-T网络中，槲皮素与多个靶点的关联度最高。在PPI网络中，白细胞介素（IL）-6、缺氧诱导因子1α亚基（HIF1A）、表皮生长因子受体（EGFR）和原癌基因（MYC）被识别为关键基因。对关键基因的富集分析鉴定出92个GO术语和105条通路。此外，分子对接分析结果显示，包括刺槐素、甾醇和豆甾醇在内的活性化合物与IL-6、EGFR和MYC表现出很强的结合亲和力。
小蓟通过多个靶点和通路作用于BC。本研究阐明了小蓟治疗BC的潜在机制，为BC治疗提供了新的选择。
