Effect of Curcumin on Attenuation of Liver Cirrhosis via Genes/Proteins and Pathways: A System Pharmacology Study

Effect of Calebin-A on Critical Genes Related to NAFLD: A Protein-Protein Interaction Network and Molecular Docking Study

Background

Calebin-A is a minor phytoconstituent of turmeric known for its activity against inflammation, oxidative stress, cancerous, and metabolic disorders like Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD). Based on bioinformatic tools. Subsequently, the details of the interaction of critical proteins with Calebin-A were investigated using the molecular docking technique.

Methods

We first probed the intersection of genes/ proteins between NAFLD and Calebin-A through online databases. Besides, we performed an enrichment analysis using the ClueGO plugin to investigate signaling pathways and gene ontology. Next, we evaluate the possible interaction of Calebin-A with significant hub proteins involved in NAFLD through a molecular docking study.

Results

We identified 87 intersection genes Calebin-A targets associated with NAFLD. PPI network analysis introduced 10 hub genes (TP53, TNF, STAT3, HSP90AA1, PTGS2, HDAC6, ABCB1, CCT2, NR1I2, and GUSB). In KEGG enrichment, most were associated with Sphingolipid, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), C-type lectin receptor, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways. The biological processes described in 87 intersection genes are mostly concerned with regulating the apoptotic process, cytokine production, and intracellular signal transduction. Molecular docking results also directed that Calebin-A had a high affinity to bind hub proteins linked to NAFLD.

Conclusion

Here, we showed that Calebin-A, through its effect on several critical genes/ proteins and pathways, might repress the progression of NAFLD.

Curcumin encapsulated in milk small extracellular vesicles as a nanotherapeutic alternative in experimental chronic liver disease

Curcumin is a natural molecule widely tested in preclinical and clinical studies due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity. Nevertheless, its high hydrophobicity and low bioavailability limit in vivo applications. To overcome curcumin´s drawbacks, small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) have emerged as potential drug delivery systems due to their non-immunogenicity, nanometric size and amphiphilic composition. This work presents curcumin cargo into milk sEV structure and further in vitro and in vivo evaluation as a therapeutic nanoplatform. The encapsulation of curcumin into sEV was performed by two methodologies under physiological conditions: a passive incorporation and active cargo employing saponin. Loaded sEVs (sEVCurPas and sEVCurAc) were fully characterized by physicochemical techniques, confirming that neither methodology affects the morphology or size of the nanoparticles (sEV: 113.3±5.1 nm, sEVCurPas: 127.0±4.5 nm and sEVCurAc: 98.5±3.6 nm). Through the active approach with saponin (sEVCurAc), a three-fold higher cargo was obtained (433.5 µg/mL) in comparison with the passive approach (129.1 µg/mL). These sEVCurAc were further evaluated in vitro by metabolic activity assay (MTT), confocal microscopy, and flow cytometry, showing a higher cytotoxic effect in the tumoral cells RAW264.7 and HepG2 than in primary hepatocytes, specially at high doses of sEVCurAc (4%, 15% and 30% of viability). In vivo evaluation in an experimental model of liver fibrosis confirmed sEVCurAc therapeutic effects, leading to a significant decrease of serum markers of liver damage (ALT) (557 U/L to 338 U/L with sEVCurAc therapy) and a tendency towards decreased liver fibrogenesis and extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition.

Analysis of the therapeutic potential of miR-124 and miR-16 in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

BACKGROUNDS

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common condition affecting >25 % of the population worldwide. This disorder ranges in severity from simple steatosis (fat accumulation) to severe steatohepatitis (inflammation), fibrosis and, at its end-stage, liver cancer. A number of studies have identified overexpression of several key genes that are critical in the initiation and progression of NAFLD. MiRNAs are potential therapeutic agents that can regulate several genes simultaneously. Therefore, we transfected cell lines with two key miRNAs involved in targeting NAFLD-related genes.

METHODS

The suppression effects of the investigated miRNAs (miR-124 and miR-16) and genes (TNF, TLR4, SCD, FASN, SREBF2, and TGFβ-1) from our previous study were investigated by real-time PCR in Huh7 and HepG2 cells treated with oleic acid. Oil red O staining and the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay were utilized to assess cell lipid accumulation and cytotoxic effects of the miRNAs, respectively. The pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) assay was undertaken for miR-16 and miR-124 after cell transfection.

RESULTS

Following transfection of miRNAs into HepG2, oil red O staining showed miR-124 and miR-16 reduced oleic acid-induced lipid accumulation by 35.2 % and 28.6 % respectively (p < 0.05). In Huh7, miR-124 and miR-16 reduced accumulation by 23.5 % and 31.3 % respectively (p < 0.05) but without impacting anti-oxidant activity. Real-time PCR in HepG2 revealed miR-124 decreased expression of TNF by 0.13-fold, TLR4 by 0.12-fold and SREBF2 by 0.127-fold (p < 0.05). miR-16 decreased TLR4 by 0.66-fold and FASN by 0.3-fold (p < 0.05). In Huh7, miR-124 decreased TNF by 0.12-fold and FASN by 0.09-fold (p < 0.05). miR-16 decreased SCD by 0.28-fold and FASN by 0.64-fold (p < 0.05). MTT assays showed, in HepG2, viability was decreased 24.7 % by miR-124 and decreased 33 % by miR-16 at 72 h (p < 0.05). In Huh7, miR-124 decreased viability 42 % at 48 h and 29.33 % at 72 h (p < 0.05), while miR-16 decreased viability by 32.3 % (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

These results demonstrate the ability of miR-124 and miR-16 to significantly reduce lipid accumulation and expression of key pathogenic genes associated with NAFLD through direct targeting. Though this requires further in vivo investigation.

Revealing curcumin therapeutic targets on SRC, PPARG, MAPK8 and HSP90 as liver cirrhosis therapy based on comprehensive bioinformatic study

Cirrhosis naturally progresses through three stages: compensated, decompensated, and late decompensated, which carry an elevated risk of death. Although curcumin's anti-cirrhosis effects have been studied, underlying mechanism in preventing cirrhosis progression and the correlation between curcumin's action with upregulated genes remains insufficiently explored. In this study, we employed network pharmacology approach to construct a drug-target-disease network through bioinformatics and validate the findings with molecular docking and dynamic simulation. The curcumin-targeted liver cirrhosis network encompassed 54 nodes with 282 edges in protein-protein interactions (PPI) network. By utilizing network centrality analysis, we identified eight crucial genes. KEGG enrichment pathway revealed that these crucial genes are involved in pathway of cancer, endocrine resistance, estrogen signaling, chemical carcinogenesis-receptor activation, lipid metabolism, and atherosclerosis. Notably, these eight genes predominantly participate in cancer-related pathways. Further investigation revealed upregulation of four genes and downregulation of four others in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. These upregulated genes-MAPK8, SRC, PPARG, and HSP90AA1-strongly correlated with reduced survival probability in liver hepatocellular carcinoma patients with survival times approximately under 4000 days (∼11 years). Molecular docking and molecular dynamic results exhibited curcumin's superior binding affinities and stability compared to native ligands of MAPK8, SRC, PPARG, and HSP90AA1 within 50 ns simulations. Moreover, MM-GBSA analysis showed stronger binding energy of curcumin to MAPK8, SRC, and HSP90AA1 than native ligand. In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into curcumin's potential mechanisms in preventing liver cirrhosis progression, specifically in HCC. These findings offer a theoretical basis for further pharmacological research into anti-HCC effect of curcumin.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Drug-induced liver injury and anti-hepatotoxic effect of herbal compounds: a metabolic mechanism perspective

BACKGROUND

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is the most challenging and thought-provoking liver problem for hepatologists owing to unregulated medication usage in medical practices, nutritional supplements, and botanicals. Due to underreporting, analysis, and identification issues, clinically evaluated medication hepatotoxicity is prevalent yet hard to quantify.

PURPOSE

This review's primary objective is to thoroughly compare pharmaceutical drugs and herbal compounds that have undergone clinical trials, focusing on their metabolic mechanisms contributing to the onset of liver illnesses and their hepatoprotective effects.

METHODS

The data was gathered from several online sources, such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science, using appropriate keywords.

RESULTS

The prevalence of conventional and herbal medicine is rising. A comprehensive understanding of the metabolic mechanism is necessary to mitigate the hepatotoxicity induced by drugs and facilitate the incorporation or substitution of herbal medicine instead of pharmaceuticals. Moreover, pre-clinical pharmacological research has the potential to facilitate the development of natural products as therapeutic agents, displaying promising possibilities for their eventual clinical implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

Acetaminophen, isoniazid, rifampicin, diclofenac, and pyrogallol have been identified as the most often reported synthetic drugs that produce hepatotoxicity by oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and fibrosis during the last several decades. Due to their ability to downregulate many factors (such as cytokines) and activate several enzyme/enzyme systems, herbal substances (such as Gingko biloba extract, curcumin, resveratrol, and silymarin) provide superior protection against harmful mechanisms which induce hepatotoxicity with fewer adverse effects than their synthetic counterparts.

Potential diagnostic biomarkers: 6 cuproptosis- and ferroptosis-related genes linking immune infiltration in acute myocardial infarction

The current diagnostic biomarkers of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), troponins, lack specificity and exist as false positives in other non-cardiac diseases. Previous studies revealed that cuproptosis, ferroptosis, and immune infiltration are all involved in the development of AMI. We hypothesize that combining the analysis of cuproptosis, ferroptosis, and immune infiltration in AMI will help identify more precise diagnostic biomarkers. The results showed that a total of 19 cuproptosis- and ferroptosis-related genes (CFRGs) were differentially expressed between the healthy and AMI groups. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the differential CFRGs were mostly enriched in biological processes related to oxidative stress and the inflammatory response. The immune infiltration status analyzed by ssGSEA found elevated levels of macrophages, neutrophils, and CCR in AMI. Then, we screened 6 immune-related CFRGs (CXCL2, DDIT3, DUSP1, CDKN1A, TLR4, STAT3) to construct a nomogram for predicting AMI and validated it in the GSE109048 dataset. Moreover, we also identified 5 pivotal miRNAs and 10 candidate drugs that target the 6 feature genes. Finally, RT-qPCR analysis verified that all 6 feature genes were upregulated in both animals and patients. In conclusion, our study reveals the significance of immune-related CFRGs in AMI and provides new insights for AMI diagnosis and treatment.

Nutrition, Nutraceuticals and Bioactive Compounds in the Prevention and Fight against Inflammation

Chronic low-grade systemic inflammation is a key factor involved in the pathogenesis of many diseases and their complications (Figure 1) [...].

A biochemical, theoretical and immunohistochemical study comparing the therapeutic efficacy of curcumin and taurine on T-2 toxin induced hepatotoxicity in rats

Introduction: Foodborne trichothecene T-2 Toxin, is a highly toxic metabolite produced by Fusarium species contaminating animal and human food, causing multiple organ failure and health hazards. T-2 toxins induce hepatotoxicity via oxidative stress causing hepatocytes cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. In this study, curcumin and taurine were investigated and compared as antioxidants against T-2-provoked hepatotoxicity. Methods: Wistar rats were administrated T-2 toxin sublethal oral dose (0.1 mg/kg) for 2 months, followed by curcumin (80 mg/kg) and taurine (50 mg/kg) for 3 weeks. Biochemical assessment of liver enzymes, lipid profiles, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs), AFU, TNF-α, total glutathione, molecular docking, histological and immunohistochemical markers for anti-transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1), double-strand DNA damage (H2AX), regeneration (KI67) and apoptosis (Active caspase3) were done. Results and Discussion: Compared to T-2 toxin, curcumin and taurine treatment significantly ameliorated hepatoxicity as; hemoglobin, hematocrit and glutathione, hepatic glycogen, and KI-67 immune-reactive hepatocytes were significantly increased. Although, liver enzymes, inflammation, fibrosis, TGFβ1 immunoexpressing and H2AX and active caspase 3 positive hepatocytes were significantly decreased. Noteworthy, curcumin's therapeutic effect was superior to taurine by histomorphometry parameters. Furthermore, molecular docking of the structural influence of curcumin and taurine on the DNA sequence showed curcumin's higher binding affinity than taurine. Conclusion: Both curcumin and taurine ameliorated T-2 induced hepatotoxicity as strong antioxidative agents with more effectiveness for curcumin.