Effects of Rosa roxburghii Tratt on Ulcerative Colitis: An Integrated Analysis of Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation.

Rosa roxburghii Tratt is a traditional Chinese plant that has been used to treat different inflammatory diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism of action of Rosa roxburghii Tratt extract (RRTE) against ulcerative colitis (UC) using network pharmacology and experimental validation. HPLC-Q/Orbitrap MS was used to rapidly identify the substances contained in RRTE after extracting the active components from the fruit. Then, network pharmacology combined with molecular docking was used to explore the critical target and potential mechanism of RRTE against UC using the active ingredients in RRTE as the research object. Data are presented in a visual manner. Finally, the pharmacological effects of RRTE in alleviating UC were further verified using a DSS-induced UC model of NCM460. The results showed that 25 components in RRTE were identified. A total of 250 targets of the active components and 5376 targets associated with UC were collected. Furthermore, a systematic analysis of the Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) networks suggests that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 1 (PIK3R1), and serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1) are critical targets for RRTE in the treatment of UC. A comprehensive regulatory network analysis showed that RRTE alleviated UC through the EGFR-mediated PI3K/Akt pathway, and molecular docking showed that active components could strongly bind to EGFR, PIK3R1, and AKT1. In addition, RRTE alleviated dextran sulfate sodium salt (DSS)-induced cell injury and significantly decreased the protein expression levels of EGFR, PIK3R1, and p-AKT in NCM460 cells in vitro. Furthermore, RRTE significantly regulated the expression of the apoptosis-related proteins Apoptotic protease-activating factor 1 (Apaf1), cleaved caspase-3, B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl2), and Bcl2 associated X protein (Bax). In conclusion, the components of RRTE are complex, and RRTE can relieve UC through the EGFR-mediated PI3K/Akt pathway.

[The Extract from Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Leaves Promotes Apoptosis and Impairs Metastasis in Prostate Cancer Cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of pomegranate leaves extract(PLE)on proliferation,apoptosis and metastasis of prostate cancer cells. METHODS: The proliferation of TRAMP-C1,DU145,PC3 prostate cancer cells treated with different concentrations of PLE (final mass concentrations were 12.5,25,50,100, 200 µg/mL,respectively) for different time (24,48,72 h) was detected by MTT assay. Colony formation assay was performed to verify the long-term effects of PLE on the proliferation of DU145 and PC3 cells.After being treated with PLE for 48 h,Hoechst-33258 staining was used to observe the changes in the nucleus,the cell apoptotic rate was detected by flow cytometry,and wound-healing migration assay was perform to test the change of migration. RESULTS: In comparison with the control group,PLE in the range of 12.5-200 µg/mL had a certain inhibitory effect on the proliferation of TRAMP-C1,DU145 and PC3 cells ( P<0.05).In the range of 6.25-100 µg/mL,the number of colony formation of DU145 and PC3 was significantly reduced( P<0.01).After PLE treated for 48 h, the apoptotic features of nuclear fragmentation and the formation apoptotic body was observed in PC3. With the increase of concentration,the apoptotic rate increased gradually ( P<0.05),and the ability of cells to migrate to the scratch area was significantly weaker than the control group ( P<0.01). CONCLUSION: PLE has effect on proliferation,apoptosis and metastasis of prostate cancer cells.