Network Pharmacology-Based Strategy Reveals the Effects of Hedysarum multijugum Maxim.-Radix Salviae Compound on Oxidative Capacity and Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis in Rats with Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

Abstract

Objective. To explore the effects of the Hedysarum multijugum Maxim.-Radix Salviae compound (Huangqi-Danshen Compound (HDC)) on oxidative capacity and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in rats with diabetic cardiomyopathy by a network pharmacology-based strategy. Methods. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)@Taiwan, TCM Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), TCM Integrated Database (TCMID), and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) technology were used to obtain and screen HDC’s active components, and the PharmMapper database was used to predict HDC human target protein targets. The DCM genes were collected from the GeneCards and OMIM databases, and the network was constructed and analyzed by Cytoscape 3.7.1 and the Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID). Finally, HDC was used to intervene in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) model rats, and important biological processes and signaling pathways were verified using techniques such as immunohistochemistry. Results. A total of 176 of HDC’s active components and 442 potential targets were obtained. The results of network analysis show that HDC can regulate DCM-related biological processes (such as negative regulation of the apoptotic process, response to hypoxia, the steroid hormone-mediated signaling pathway, cellular iron ion homeostasis, and positive regulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling) and signaling pathways (such as the HIF-1 signaling pathway, the estrogen signaling pathway, insulin resistance, the PPAR signaling pathway, the VEGF signaling pathway, and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway). Animal experiments show that HDC can reduce fasting plasma glucose (FPG), HbA1c, and malondialdehyde (MDA) and increase superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) ( P < 0.05 ). The results of immunohistochemistry showed that HDC can regulate the protein expression of apoptosis-related signaling pathways in DCM rats ( P < 0.05 ). Conclusion. It was initially revealed that HDC improves DCM through its antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects. HDC may play a therapeutic role by improving cardiomyocyte apoptosis in DCM rats.

Supplementation with Complex Dietary Fiber during Late Pregnancy and Lactation Can Improve Progeny Growth Performance by Regulating Maternal Antioxidant Status and Milk Quality

“…Systemic oxidative stress during late pregnancy and lactation is one of the main causes of impaired reproductive performance in sows [25]. GSH-Px and SOD are directly involved in the inactivation of reactive oxygen species as important barriers against oxidative damage in the body, where GSH-Px reduces hydrogen peroxide and SOD plays an important role in the elimination of oxygen radicals [26]. The results showed that CDF diet supplementation increased the activities of GSH-Px and SOD in the serum of sows.…”

Hedysarum multijugum Maxim treats ulcerative colitis through the PI3K-AKT and TNF signaling pathway according to network pharmacology and molecular docking

“…Yang et al indicated that HMM treated ischemic stroke and protected patients from cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury by regulating inflammation, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and angiogenesis through signaling pathways, such as the PI3K-AKT, FoxO, TNF, HIF-1, Rap1, and VEGF signaling pathways ( 34 , 35 ). Zhang et al showed that HMM improved the general condition of diabetic cardiomyopathy in a rat model ( 36 ). Even for coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19), HMM made its contribution to treating COVID-19 pneumonia by targeting PTGS2, TNF, and IL-6 and regulating the TNF and IL-17 signaling pathways ( 37 ).…”