Activation of Src mediates acquired cisplatin resistance in human lung carcinoma cells

Network pharmacology analysis of the regulatory effects and mechanisms of ALAE on sow reproduction in vivo and in vitro

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Reproductive ability of sows is a primary element influencing the development of pig farming. Herbal extracts of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels, Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, Eucommia ulmoides Oliv., and Polypodium glycyrrhiza D.C.Eaton showed effects on improvement of reproduction in sows.

AIMS OF THE STUDY

To investigate the mechanism of the treatment effects by a compound of these four Chinese herbs in a 1:1:1:1 ratio (ALAE) on endometriosis, endometritis, uterine adhesion, intrauterine growth retardation, pre-eclampsia, and its enhancement of reproductive efficiency in sows.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Active components of ALAE were identified by using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis and network pharmacology. Then we used the results to construct a visualization network. Key targets and pathways of ALAE involved in sow reproduction improvement were validated in sow animals and porcine endometrial epithelial cells (PEECs).

RESULTS

A total of 62 active compounds were found in ALAE (41 in Polypodium glycyrrhiza D.C.Eaton, 5 in Astragalus mongholicus Bunge, 11 in Eucommia ulmoides Oliv., 5 in Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels) with 563 disease-related targets (e.g. caspase-3, EGFR, IL-6) involved in EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance, PI3K-AKT, and other signaling pathways. Molecular docking results indicated GC41 (glabridin), GC18 (medicarpin), EGFR and CCND1 are possible key components and target proteins related to reproductive improvement in sows. In PEECs, EGFR expression decreased at the mRNA and protein levels by three doses (160, 320, and 640 μg/mL) of ALAE. The phosphorylation of downstream pathway PI3K-AKT1 was enhanced. The expression of inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-1β), ESR1 and caspase-3 decreased through multiple pathways. Additionally, the expression levels of an anti-inflammatory factor (IL-10), angiogenesis-related factors (MMP9, PIGF, PPARγ, IgG), and placental junction-related factors (CTNNB1, occludin, and claudin1) increased. Furthermore, the total born number of piglets, the number of live and healthy litters were significantly increased. The number of stillbirths decreased by ALAE treatment in sow animals.

CONCLUSIONS

Dministration of ALAE significantly increased the total number of piglets born, the numbers of live and healthy litters and decreased the number of stillbirths through improving placental structure, attenuating inflammatory response, modulating placental angiogenesis and growth factor receptors in sows. The improvement of reproductive ability may be related to activation of the EGFR-PI3K-AKT1 pathway in PEECs. Moreover, ALAE maybe involved in modulation of estrogen receptors, apoptotic factors, and cell cycle proteins.

PP2 alleviates the progression of osteoarthritis by inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin and activating TGF-β/Smad signaling

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to explore the effect and mechanism of the Src inhibitor PP2 on osteoarthritis (OA) progression.

METHODS

The protein expressions of Src, p-Src (y418) and p-FAK in normal and OA human chondrocytes were detected by immunofluorescence (IF) analysis. Chondrocytes from the femur and tibial plateau of 3-day-old mice were extracted and inoculated into 6-well plates. The chondrocytes were co-cultured with IL-1β and different doses of PP2, and then the degeneration of extracellular matrix was analyzed. A mouse OA model was induced by destabilizing medial meniscectomy of the right knee. Two weeks after the operation, different doses of PP2 were injected intraperitoneally. The drug was given three times a week for 6 weeks, and then the mice were sacrificed. Histopathological, IF and immunoblotting analyses were used to detect key OA catabolic markers and protein expression and related signaling.

RESULTS

The levels of Src, p-Src (y418) and p-FAK in the knee cartilage tissue of patients with OA were abnormally increased. After chondrocytes were co-treated with IL-1β and different doses of PP2, the results showed that PP2 reduced the abnormal increase of β-catenin, p-β-catenin and other proteins induced by IL-1β, and reversed the decrease of p-Smad3, aggrecan and collagen Ⅱ protein levels. Meanwhile, intraperitoneal injection of PP2 in vivo significantly reduced the degeneration of articular cartilage in the OA mouse model.

CONCLUSION

Our data indicate that targeting Src with PP2 protected against cartilage destruction in an OA mouse model by inhibiting Wnt/β-catenin and activating TGF-β/Smad signaling, suggesting that Src may be a potential therapeutic target for OA treatment.

A Mechanism Exploration for the Yi-Fei-San-Jie Formula against Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Based on UPLC-MS/MS, Network Pharmacology, and In Silico Verification

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide. A Yi-Fei-San-Jie formula (YFSJF), widely used in NSCLC treatment in south China, has been validated in clinical studies. However, the pharmacological mechanism behind it remains unclear. In this study, 73 compounds were identified using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), with 58 enrolled in network pharmacology. The protein-protein interaction network, functional enrichment analysis, and compound-target-pathway network were constructed using 74 overlapping targets from 58 drugs and NSCLC. YFSJF has many targets and pathways in the fight against NSCLC. PIK3R1, PIK3CA, and AKT1 were identified as key targets, and the PI3K/AKT pathway was identified as the key pathway. According to the Human Protein Atlas (THPA) database and the Kaplan-Meier Online website, the three key targets had varying expression levels in normal and abnormal tissues and were linked to prognosis. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations verified that hub compounds have a strong affinity with three critical targets. This study revealed multiple compounds, targets, and pathways for YFSJF against NSCLC and suggested that YFSJF might inhibit PIK3R1, PIK3CA, and AKT1 to suppress the PI3K/AKT pathway and play its pharmacological role.

Developing a Novel Indium(III) Agent Based on Liposomes to Overcome Cisplatin-Induced Resistance in Breast Cancer by Multitargeting the Tumor Microenvironment Components

To overcome the resistance of cancer cells to platinum-based drugs and effectively suppress tumor growth, we developed a novel indium (In) agent based on liposomes (Lips). Thus, we not only obtained an In(III) thiosemicarbazone agent (5b) with remarkable cytotoxicity by optimizing a series of In(III) thiosemicarbazone agents (1b-5b) but also successfully constructed a novel 5b-loaded Lip (5b-Lip) delivery system. Importantly, in vitro and in vivo results revealed that 5b/5b-Lip overcame the tumor cell resistance and effectively inhibited MCF-7/DDP tumor growth. In addition, Lips improved the intracellular accumulation of 5b. We also confirmed the mechanism by which 5b/5b-Lip overcomes breast cancer cell resistance. 5b/5b-Lip cannot act against DNA in cancer cells but attacks the two cell components in the tumor microenvironment, namely, by inducing apoptosis and lethal autophagy of cancer cells and resetting tumor-promoting M2 macrophages to the tumor-killing M1 phenotype.