[Mechanism of Ganke Granules intervening acute lung injury based on network pharmacology and experimental verification].

This study aims to explore the potential mechanism of action in the intervention of acute lung injury(ALI) based on the blood entry components of Ganke Granules in rats and in conjunction with network pharmacology, molecular docking, and animal experimental validation. The blood entry components of Ganke Granules in rats were imported into the SwissTargetPrediction platform to predict drug targets, and ALI-related targets were collected from the disease database. Intersections were taken, and protein-protein interaction(PPI) networks were constructed to screen the core targets, followed by Gene Ontology(GO) functional and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and gnomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. A "blood entry components-target-pathway-disease" network was constructed, and the core components for disease intervention based on their topological parameters were screened. Molecular docking was used to predict the binding ability of the core components to key targets. The key targets of Ganke Granules in the intervention of ALI were verified by the lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced ALI mouse model. Through PPI topological parameter analysis, the top six key targets of STAT3, SRC, HSP90AA1, MAPK3, HRAS, and MAPK1 related to ALI were obtained. GO functional analysis showed that it was mainly related to ERK1 and ERK2 cascade, inflammatory response, and response to LPS. KEGG analysis showed that the main enrichment pathways were MAPK, neutrophil extracellular trap(NET) formation, and so on. Six core components(schizantherin B, schisandrin, besigomsin, harpagoside, isotectorigenin, and trachelanthamine) were filtered out by the "blood entry components-target-pathway-disease" network based on the analysis of topological parameters. Molecular docking results showed that the six core components and Tectoridin with the highest content in the granules had a high affinity with the key targets of MAPK3, SRC, MAPK1, and STAT3. In vivo experiment results showed that compared with the model group, Ganke Granules could effectively alleviate LPS-induced histopathological injury in the lungs of mice and reduce the percentage of inflammatory infiltration. The total protein content, nitric oxide(NO) level, myeloperoxidase(MPO) content, tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), gamma interferon(IFN-γ), interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß), interleukin-6(IL-6), vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF), and chemokine(C-X-C motif) ligand 1(CXCL1) chemokines in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF) were decreased, and the expression levels of lymphocyte antigen 6G(Ly6G), citrullinated histones 3(Cit-H3), and phosphorylated proteins SRC, ERK1/2, and STAT3 in lung tissue were significantly down-regulated. In conclusion, Ganke Granules could effectively inhibit the inflammatory response of ALI induced by LPS, protect lung tissue, regulate the release of inflammatory factors, and inhibit neutrophil infiltration and NET formation, and the mechanism of action may be related to inhibiting the activation of SRC/ERK1/2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

IL-17 is a protection effector against the adherent-invasive Escherichia coli in murine colitis.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is caused by aberrant immune responses to the gut microbiota. Among the gut microbiota, adherent-invasive Escherichia Coli (AIEC) is thought to be the pathogen through invading the intestinal epithelial cells and causing inflammation. IL-17 secretion increase, induced by enhanced bacterial adhesion to the intestine epithelium, could on one hand protect the mucosa, but on the other hand, over amount of IL-17 initializes inflammation reactions that in turn damages the mucosa. The relationship between IL-17 and AIEC is still unclear. In this study, we tried to elucidate the function of IL-17 in AIEC-mediated colitis. Wild type (WT) and IL-17 knockout (IL-17 KO) mice were inoculated with AIEC strain E. coli LF82 and treated with dextran sodium sulphate (DSS). Histological examination of the colon was performed. Mucosa damage was assessed and scored. IL-22 and IL-17 in colon tissues were detected by ELISA, qPCR and immunohistochemistry methods. Transient AIEC colonization in IL-17 KO mice resulted in increased intestinal epithelial damage, systemic bacterial burden and mortality compared with WT controls. Moreover, IL-17 is required for the induction of IL-22 in the experimental animal models during AIEC strain E. coli LF82 colonization. These results indicate IL-17 plays a protective role in AIEC strain E. coli LF82 induced colitis by promoting IL-22 secretion.

CD4+T cell specific B7-H1 selectively inhibits proliferation of naïve T cells and Th17 differentiation in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

It is widely acknowledged that interleukin 17-producing T helper (Th17) cells are critically participant in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. In the current study, we identified that the expression of CD4+T cells specific co-inhibitory molecule B7-homologue 1(B7-H1) in spleenocytes and mononuclear cells isolated from brains and spinal cord were positive correlated with Th1 and Th17 cells generation and disease severity in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Furthermore, B7-H1 transgenic mice developed milder EAE symptoms and fewer Th17 cells than B7-H1 wild type mice. We also found the proliferation of naïve CD4+CD62+T cells isolated from B7-H1 transgenic mice was inhibited. And naïve T cells isolated from B7-H1 transgenic mice produced fewer Th17 cells than WT mice in Th17-polarizing conditions, but the Th1, Th2, and inducible Treg differentiation were the similar in naïve T cells isolated from B7-H1 transgenic mice and WT mice. In conclusion, our study show CD4+T cells specific B7-H1 is a slective inhibitor in proliferation of naïve T cells, Th17 differentiation and pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis.

Immunosuppressive C21 steroidal glycosides from the root of Cynanchum atratum.

Six new C21 steroidal glycosides (1-6) and one dideoxysaccharide (7), named atratcynosides A-F and atratcynose A, were isolated from the 80% ethanol extract of the root of Cynanchum atratum, together with three known compounds (8-10). The structures of the new compounds were determined on the basis of extensive spectral analyses and qualitative chemical methods. All compounds were subjected to detect the immunosuppressive activities by an in vitro model of concanavalin A-induced proliferation of T-lymphocytes from mice. Compounds 1-3 showed significant immunosuppressive activities in dose-dependent manners with the IC50 values from 3.3 to 7.0 µM. Moreover, the structure-activity relationship of the steroidal glycosides on the immunosuppression was analyzed.