Investigating the effects and mechanisms of Erchen Decoction in the treatment of colorectal cancer by network pharmacology and experimental validation

Abstract

Objective: Erchen Decoction (ECD), a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, exerts metabolism-regulatory, immunoregulation, and anti-tumor effects. However, the action and pharmacological mechanism of ECD remain largely unclear. In the present study, we explored the effects and mechanisms of ECD in the treatment of CRC using network pharmacology, molecular docking, and systematic experimental validation.Methods: The active components of ECD were obtained from the TCMSP database and the potential targets of them were annotated by the STRING database. The CRC-related targets were identified from different databases (OMIM, DisGeNet, GeneCards, and DrugBank). The interactive targets of ECD and CRC were screened and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed. Then, the hub interactive targets were calculated and visualized from the PPI network using the Cytoscape software. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed. In addition, the molecular docking was performed. Finally, systematic in vitro, in vivo and molecular biology experiments were performed to further explore the anti-tumor effects and underlying mechanisms of ECD in CRC.Results: A total of 116 active components and 246 targets of ECD were predicted based on the component-target network analysis. 2406 CRC-related targets were obtained from different databases and 140 intersective targets were identified between ECD and CRC. 12 hub molecules (STAT3, JUN, MAPK3, TP53, MAPK1, RELA, FOS, ESR1, IL6, MAPK14, MYC, and CDKN1A) were finally screened from PPI network. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses demonstrated that the biological discrepancy was mainly focused on the tumorigenesis-, immune-, and mechanism-related pathways. Based on the experimental validation, ECD could suppress the proliferation of CRC cells by inhibiting cell cycle and promoting cell apoptosis. In addition, ECD could inhibit tumor growth in mice. Finally, the results of molecular biology experiments suggested ECD could regulate the transcriptional levels of several hub molecules during the development of CRC, including MAPKs, PPARs, TP53, and STATs.Conclusion: This study revealed the potential pharmacodynamic material basis and underlying molecular mechanisms of ECD in the treatment of CRC, providing a novel insight for us to find more effective anti-CRC drugs.

Regulation of Fatty Acid Metabolism and Inhibition of Colorectal Cancer Progression by Erchen Decoction

“…Furthermore, experimental results indicate that ECD plays an important role in antiproliferation and promotion of apoptosis in CRC cells by downregulating the transcriptional levels of CDK1 and CDK6 and upregulating the transcriptional level of CDKN1A, thus inducing cell cycle arrest. As a compound medicine, ECD is effective in modulating multiple targets, not only directly regulating tumor cells but also affecting metabolism with other ingredients [ 19 ]. For example, Naringenin can reduce lipid peroxidation and protein carbonization, increase antioxidant defense, scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), and regulate fatty acid metabolism via signal pathways.…”