Wang Yuan, Zhang Aijia, Chen Yang, Qi Daoda, Peng Chengyi, Liang Zihao, Guo Jingjing, Gu Yan, Li Hao
Department of Geriatrics, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, PR China.
Clinical Research Center, The Second Hospital of Nanjing, Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, PR China.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 7;15(1):24311. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-10271-z.
This study aims to explore the pharmacological mechanism of Brucea javanica (BJ) in treating multiple myeloma (MM) through network pharmacology and validate this mechanism via in vitro experiments. Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) of BJ and their potential targets were identified, along with MM-related targets. By plotting protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks, hub genes responsible for BJ in treating MM were identified and subjected to molecular docking. In MM cell lines H929 and U266, regulatory effects of BJ and luteolin (the major compound of BJ) on the behaviors of MM cells were examined. BJ extract exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxicity against MM cells, with IC values of 5.03 µL/mL (48 h) for H929, and 1.06 µL/mL (48 h) for U266. Network pharmacology identified 14 APIs and 11 hub genes, with molecular docking confirming strong binding affinity between luteolin and TNF (-8.001 kcal/mol). 48-hour luteolin treatment suppressed MM cell proliferation (IC: 84.73 µM for H929; 46.93 µM for U266), induced apoptosis (up to 53.03% and 9.22% late apoptosis in H929 and U266 at 80 µM), and arrested cell cycle at G0/G1 phase. It downregulated TNF/NF-κB pathway components, reducing mRNA levels of TNF, IL-6, and NFKB1, and protein levels of p105, p50, and p65. TNF-α secretion decreased in luteolin-treated cells to 10.62% in H929 cells and 67.25% in U266 cells. This study demonstrates that BJ inhibits MM progression primarily via suppression of the TNF/NF-κB signaling pathway, with luteolin as a pivotal bioactive compound.
本研究旨在通过网络药理学探索鸦胆子(BJ)治疗多发性骨髓瘤(MM)的药理机制,并通过体外实验验证该机制。确定了BJ的活性药物成分(APIs)及其潜在靶点,以及MM相关靶点。通过绘制蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用(PPI)网络,确定了BJ治疗MM的关键基因并进行分子对接。在MM细胞系H929和U266中,检测了BJ和木犀草素(BJ的主要成分)对MM细胞行为的调节作用。BJ提取物对MM细胞表现出剂量依赖性细胞毒性,H929细胞在48小时时的IC值为5.03µL/mL,U266细胞在48小时时的IC值为1.06µL/mL。网络药理学确定了14种APIs和11个关键基因,分子对接证实木犀草素与肿瘤坏死因子(TNF)之间具有很强的结合亲和力(-8.001 kcal/mol)。木犀草素处理48小时可抑制MM细胞增殖(H929细胞的IC为84.73µM;U266细胞的IC为46.93µM),诱导细胞凋亡(在80µM时,H929和U266细胞的晚期凋亡率分别高达53.03%和9.22%),并使细胞周期停滞在G0/G1期。它下调了TNF/NF-κB信号通路成分,降低了TNF、IL-6和NFKB1的mRNA水平,以及p105、p50和p65的蛋白水平。在木犀草素处理的细胞中,TNF-α分泌在H929细胞中降至10.62%,在U266细胞中降至67.25%。本研究表明,BJ主要通过抑制TNF/NF-κB信号通路来抑制MM进展,木犀草素是关键的生物活性化合物。