MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, mature, noncoding RNA that lead to posttranscriptional gene silencing to regulate gene expression. miRNAs are instrumental in biological processes such as cell development, cell differentiation, cell proliferation, and cell apoptosis. The miRNA-mediated gene silencing is an important part of the regulation of gene expression in many kinds of diseases. miR-155, one of the best-characterized miRNAs, has been found to be closely related to physiological and pathological processes. What is more, miR-155 can be used as a potential therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases. We analyze the articles about miR-155 for nearly five years, review the advanced study on the function of miR-155 in different inflammatory cells like T cells, B cells, DCs, and macrophages, and then summarize the biological functions of miR-155 in different inflammatory cells. The widespread involvement of miR-155 in human diseases has led to a novel therapeutic approach between Chinese and Western medicine.

No abstract

Background: Malignant melanoma has high morbidity and mortality and limited treatment options. Traditional Chinese medicine has great potential in the clinical therapy of cancer, and the theory of compatibility is one core content of Chinese medical theory. Astragalus Membranaceus and Radix Trichosanthis are clinically effective for the treatment of various cancers.Methods: We verified the effects of AMD, RTD, and their “cocktail” on melanoma model in vitro and in vivo and the mechanism of its effect on the Akt-related signaling pathway by network pharmacology, MTT, flow cytometry, LDH, SOD, MDA assay, and Western blot.Results: The network pharmacology analysis indicated that the PI3K-Akt pathway plays a crucial role in the treatment of malignant melanoma with these two herbs. In addition, AMD, RTD, and their “cocktail” could inhibit the proliferation of A375 cells by reducing the survival rate in a concentration-dependent manner and by regulating the cell cycle, and the compatibility of two herbs also could inhibit melanoma growth. They could, respectively, induce apoptosis and inhibit migration by affecting the expression of Bcl-2, Bax, p53, snail, E-cadherin, and N-cadherin. Furthermore, LDH activity was decreased, while SOD increased and MDA reduced. The factors of the Akt-related signaling pathway, Akt and p-Akt, were decreased.Conclusion: This study showed that AMD, RTD, and their “cocktail” could regulate cell proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis in A375 cells through the suppression of the Akt-related signaling pathway, and the “cocktail” groups had detoxification and additive effects. The best compatibility of the two herbs also can inhibit tumor growth and metastasis in vivo.

No abstract

Background/Aim. Rhubarb, a traditional Chinese medicine derived from three species, is commonly used in the prescriptions for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis based on its traditional effects of removing blood stasis and dredging the meridians. It has been reported that rhubarb can protect blood vessels by reducing inflammation and inhibiting vascular endothelial injury (VEI), but the effective components and mechanism of rhubarb inhibiting VEI are still unclear. This study aimed to compare the differences in chemical compositions of the three species of rhubarb and their inhibitory effect on VEI, so as to explain the material basis and select the dominant species to inhibit VEI, and to elucidate the mechanism of rhubarb’s inhibitory effect on VEI. Methods. Plant metabolomics was used to compare the chemical components of three species of rhubarb. The efficacy of three species of rhubarb in inhibiting VEI was compared through cell experiments in vitro. At the same time, combined with network pharmacology and molecular docking, the effective components and pathways of rhubarb involved in inhibiting VEI were screened. The mechanism of rhubarb inhibiting VEI was verified by molecular biology. Results. There were significant differences in the distribution of chemical components among the three species of rhubarb. We identified 36 different chemical components in the positive ion mode and 38 different chemical components in the negative ion mode. Subsequently, the results showed significant differences in inhibiting VEI among the three species of rhubarb based on the contents of inflammatory factors (such as IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α), ROS, and NO and confirmed that R. tanguticum had the best inhibitory effect on VEI in the light of the comprehensive efficacy, compared with R. palmatum and R. officinale. Three species of rhubarb alleviated the inflammatory response in LPS-induced EA.hy926 cells by reducing the contents of inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α and decreasing expressions of PI3K, AKT, NF-κB p65, and STAT3 protein in the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway and the inhibition of proteins phosphorylation. In addition, three species of rhubarb could lessen the contents of ROS and NO in EA.hy926 cells induced by LPS. All results indicated that the process of inflammation-induced cellular oxidative stress, which resulted in VEI, was obviously improved by three species of rhubarb. Conclusion. R. tanguticum was more effective among three species of rhubarb, and it had been proved that gallic acid, gallic-acid-O-galloyl-glucoside, procyanidin B-2,3,3 ′ -di-O-gallatein, and other potential components could reduce the contents of inflammatory factors (such as IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α), ROS, and NO by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway and protected the vascular endothelium and the blood vessels by improving the inflammation and oxidative stress reaction.