整合网络药理学、IPA和分子对接技术,以揭示EA和EB通过FAK通路产生的抗骨质疏松作用。
Integrating network pharmacology, IPA, and molecular docking to reveal the anti-osteoporosis effects of EA and EB via the FAK pathway.
作者信息
Wei Ziheng, You Fei, Li Henghui, Wu Si, Tang Fen, Wan Xiangyang, Dong Huizhong, Huang Wenxuan, Gao Songyan, Cai Bo, Chen Xiongsheng, Dong Xin
机构信息
School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
Department of Orthopaedics, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai, China.
出版信息
Front Pharmacol. 2025 Jul 2;16:1532665. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1532665. eCollection 2025.
Osteoporosis is a widespread condition among the elderly, with a particularly high incidence in postmenopausal women aged 50 and above. This disease significantly increases the risk of fractures, adversely affecting the quality of life. , a traditional Chinese medicinal herb, has been widely used in the treatment of osteoporosis due to its diverse therapeutic properties. However, contains a complex mixture of compounds, including both beneficial and potentially harmful constituents. Therefore, there is a critical need to identify and isolate active monomeric compounds that can effectively treat osteoporosis, thereby enhancing the specificity and efficacy of treatment while reducing the intake of harmful substances. Through an integrated approach utilizing network pharmacology and extensive literature review, we identified five previously unreported anti-osteoporotic monomeric compounds from various traditional agents: Epimedin A (EA), Epimedin B (EB), Epimedoside A (EPA), 4-Hydroxybenzaldehyde (PHBA), and Baohuoside VI. We subsequently evaluated the effects of these compounds on bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) and cranial preosteoblasts. Results from tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) demonstrated that EA, EB, and EPA significantly inhibited BMM differentiation into osteoclasts in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining, Alizarin Red staining, and qPCR results showed that EA and EB promoted the differentiation of cranial preosteoblasts into osteoblasts in a dose-dependent fashion. Furthermore, intraperitoneal administration of EA and EB at doses of 5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, and 20 mg/kg in ovariectomized (OVX) mice resulted in a significant increase in bone mineral density and trabecular bone number compared to the OVX group (P < 0.05 compared to OVX group). These findings suggest that EA and EB may mitigate bone loss in OVX mice. Importantly, high doses of EA and EB did not exhibit pharmacological toxicity in various organs, as confirmed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. In exploring the underlying mechanisms, we found that EA and EB do not modulate the NF-κB signaling pathway, as indicated by the NFKB luciferase reporter assay. Western blot analysis further revealed that EA and EB might not affect osteoporosis progression via the MAPK (ERK and JNK) or NF-κB (P65 and IκBα) pathways. To elucidate the molecular targets, we utilized PharmMapper, Similarity Ensemble Approach, SwissTargetPrediction, and SuperPred to predict potential targets of EA and EB. Intersection analysis using the Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) database indicated that EA and EB regulate the focal adhesion kinase (FAK) signaling pathway. Molecular docking studies using Autodock confirmed the binding of EA and EB to FAK1 (binding free energy: -13.012 kJ/mol and -14.0164 kJ/mol) and FAK2 (binding free energy: -5.815 kJ/mol and -6.4852 kJ/mol). qPCR analysis further demonstrated that EA and EB significantly inhibited FAK1 and FAK2 gene expression in osteoclasts while promoting their expression in osteoblasts at very high doses. In conclusion, EA and EB, identified as active monomeric compounds in , may exert their anti-osteoporotic effects by modulating the FAK signaling pathway, thereby enhancing bone mineral density and improving the quality of life for patients with osteoporosis. This study provides new insights into the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and the development of targeted anti-osteoporosis therapies. Further research is warranted to validate the role of EA and EB in modulating osteoporosis progression via the FAK signaling pathway.
骨质疏松症是老年人中的一种普遍病症,在50岁及以上的绝经后女性中发病率尤其高。这种疾病显著增加了骨折风险,对生活质量产生不利影响。淫羊藿,一种传统中药,因其多样的治疗特性已被广泛用于治疗骨质疏松症。然而,淫羊藿含有复杂的化合物混合物,包括有益成分和潜在有害成分。因此,迫切需要鉴定和分离能够有效治疗骨质疏松症的活性单体化合物,从而提高治疗的特异性和疗效,同时减少有害物质的摄入。通过利用网络药理学和广泛文献综述的综合方法,我们从各种传统药物中鉴定出五种先前未报道的抗骨质疏松单体化合物:朝藿定A(EA)、朝藿定B(EB)、淫羊藿苷A(EPA)、4-羟基苯甲醛(PHBA)和宝藿苷VI。我们随后评估了这些化合物对骨髓来源的巨噬细胞(BMMs)和颅骨前成骨细胞的影响。抗酒石酸酸性磷酸酶(TRAP)染色和定量聚合酶链反应(qPCR)结果表明,EA、EB和EPA以剂量依赖性方式显著抑制BMMs分化为破骨细胞。相反,碱性磷酸酶(ALP)染色、茜素红染色和qPCR结果显示,EA和EB以剂量依赖性方式促进颅骨前成骨细胞分化为成骨细胞。此外,在去卵巢(OVX)小鼠中腹腔注射剂量为5mg/kg、10mg/kg和20mg/kg的EA和EB,与OVX组相比,骨矿物质密度和小梁骨数量显著增加(与OVX组相比,P<0.05)。这些发现表明,EA和EB可能减轻OVX小鼠的骨质流失。重要的是,苏木精和伊红(HE)染色证实,高剂量的EA和EB在各个器官中未表现出药理毒性。在探索潜在机制时,我们发现如NFKB荧光素酶报告基因检测所示,EA和EB不调节NF-κB信号通路。蛋白质印迹分析进一步表明EA和EB可能不通过MAPK(ERK和JNK)或NF-κB(P65和IκBα)途径影响骨质疏松症的进展。为了阐明分子靶点,我们利用PharmMapper、相似性整合方法、瑞士靶点预测和SuperPred来预测EA和EB的潜在靶点。使用 Ingenuity Pathway Analysis(IPA)数据库进行的交集分析表明,EA和EB调节粘着斑激酶(FAK)信号通路。使用Autodock进行的分子对接研究证实了EA和EB与FAK1(结合自由能:-13.012kJ/mol和-14.0164kJ/mol)和FAK2(结合自由能:-5.815kJ/mol和-6.4852kJ/mol)的结合。qPCR分析进一步表明,EA和EB在破骨细胞中显著抑制FAK1和FAK2基因表达,而在非常高的剂量下促进它们在成骨细胞中的表达。总之,被鉴定为淫羊藿中活性单体化合物的EA和EB可能通过调节FAK信号通路发挥其抗骨质疏松作用,从而提高骨矿物质密度并改善骨质疏松症患者的生活质量。本研究为骨质疏松症的发病机制和靶向抗骨质疏松治疗的开发提供了新的见解。有必要进行进一步研究以验证EA和EB通过FAK信号通路调节骨质疏松症进展的作用。