Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common urological disease in older males. Existing pharmacotherapy shows several side effects, and the exploration of new therapeutic strategies is of high significance. Tonglong Qibi (TQ) decoction was proved to ameliorate BPH, while the underlying mechanisms are still unclear. In the current study, we explored the anti-BPH effects of TQ in vivo and identified its main therapeutic component and the underlying mechanisms in vitro. We demonstrated that TQ mitigated BPH in rats and showed no toxicity to the liver and reproductive system. Network pharmacology identified quercetin as the main component in TQ treating BPH. Quercetin reduced proliferation, oxidative stress, and increased Nrf2 expression in hyperplastic prostate epithelial cells. These findings indicate that quercetin in TQ alleviates BPH via inhibiting oxidative stress and activating the Nrf2 signalling pathway.
Background. Fuzheng Yiliu decoction (FZYLD) was a traditional prescription with an antitumor effect. We aimed to explore the antitumor effect of FZYLD and its active ingredient, quercetin, on prostate cancer (PCa). Methods. The effective components and potential targets of FZYLD were obtained from the TCMSP, Herb, and Batman databases. The relationship between the active compounds of FZYLD and PCa’s potential targets or pathways was analyzed by Cytoscape 3.8.0 software and the String database. The compound composition of FZYLD was detected by HPLC. The effects of quercetin, with the most effective active ingredient of FZYLD, on PC-3 cell growth, metastasis, and PI3K/AKT pathway were seen by CCK-8 Kit, transwell experiment, TUNEL assay, nude mouse tumorigenesis test, and Western blot analysis. Results. Through network pharmacological analysis, we screened 195 effective active components of FZYLD, covering 290 targets, of which 198 were related to PCa. Quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, anhydroicaritin, and 7-O-methylismucronulatol were important active compounds. MAPK1, AKT1, MAPK3, STAT3, and Jun were common targets of PCa and FZYLD. Our in vivo and in vitro experimental results confirmed that quercetin inhibited PCa’s growth, cell migration, and the PI3K/AKT pathway and promoted cell apoptosis. Conclusions. As predicted by the network pharmacological strategy and verified by the basic experimental results, FZYLD might play an antitumor role through multiple components, targets, and pathways. These results provide a new basis for developing and applying FZYLD and its compound quercetin.
Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and the fifth leading cause of cancer death in men. In this study, candidate biomarkers related to the diagnosis and prognosis of PCa were identified using bioinformatics approach. Methods: Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between PCa tissues and matched normal tissues were screened using the R software. Enrichment analysis of the DEGs was performed to determine their functions and related pathways. PPI network was constructed, and 10 hub genes were screened using the STRING database and Cytoscape software. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to extract key module genes, from which 5 key genes were identified by Venn diagram. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to identify the diagnostic value of the key genes, and their prognostic value was verified via survival analysis, which was further validated using the Human Protein Atlas. Results: We identified 661 DEGs (249 upregulated and 412 downregulated) between the PCa group and healthy controls. Overlap of PPI and WCCNA networks identified 5 key genes: BUB1B, HMMR, RRM2, CCNA2 and MELK, as candidate biomarkers for PCa. Although ROC analysis suggested that these genes had diagnostic potential in PCa, survival analysis showed that RRM2 and BUB1B were significantly associated with PCa prognosis. Conclusion: Our results showed that BUB1B, HMMR, RRM2, CCNA2 and MELK could be diagnostic biomarkers for PCa, while RRM2 and BUB1B were also associated with prognosis and could be potential therapeutic targets for PCa.
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