The mechanism of action of safflower total flavonoids in the treatment of endometritis caused by incomplete abortion based on network pharmacology and 16S rDNA sequencing.

Autor: Chen Y; State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, 611137, Chengdu, China; College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China; School of Public Health, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 611137, Chengdu, China., Xiang Q; School of Public Health, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 611137, Chengdu, China., Peng F; State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, 611137, Chengdu, China; School of Pharmacy, West China School of Pharmacy, Sichuan University, 610041, Chengdu, China., Gao S; School of Public Health, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 611137, Chengdu, China., Yu L; State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, 611137, Chengdu, China; College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China., Tang Y; State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, 611137, Chengdu, China; College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China., Yang Z; School of Public Health, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 611137, Chengdu, China., Pu W; School of Public Health, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 611137, Chengdu, China., Xie X; State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, 611137, Chengdu, China; College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China. Electronic address: xiexiaofang@cdutcm.edu.cn., Peng C; State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, 611137, Chengdu, China; College of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China. Electronic address: cdtcmpengcheng@126.com.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of ethnopharmacology [J Ethnopharmacol] 2023 Oct 28; Vol. 315, pp. 116639. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 May 16.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116639
Abstrakt: Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Safflower is a traditional Chinese medicine used for treating gynaecological diseases. However, its material basis and mechanism of action in the treatment of endometritis induced by incomplete abortion are still unclear.
Aim of the Study: This study aimed to reveal the material basis and mechanism of action of safflower in the treatment of endometritis induced by incomplete abortion through comprehensive methods, including network pharmacology and 16S rDNA sequencing.
Materials and Methods: Network pharmacology and molecular docking methods were used to screen the main active components and potential mechanisms of action of safflower in the treatment of endometritis induced by incomplete abortion in rats. A rat model of endometrial inflammation by incomplete abortion was established. The rats were treated with safflower total flavonoids (STF) based on forecasting results, serum levels of inflammatory cytokines were analysed, and immunohistochemistry, Western blots, and 16S rDNA sequencing were performed to investigate the effects of the active ingredient and the treatment mechanism.
Results: The network pharmacology prediction results showed 20 active components with 260 targets in safflower, 1007 targets related to endometritis caused by incomplete abortion, and 114 drug-disease intersecting targets, including TNF, IL6, TP53, AKT1, JUN, VEGFA, CASP3 and other core targets, PI3K/AKT, MAPK and other signalling pathways may be closely related to incomplete abortion leading to endometritis. The animal experiment results showed that STF could significantly repair uterine damage and reduce the amount of bleeding. Compared with the model group, STF significantly down-regulated the levels of pro-inflammatory factors (IL-6, IL-1β, NO, TNF-α) and the expression of JNK, ASK1, Bax, caspase3, and caspase11 proteins. At the same time, the levels of anti-inflammatory factors (TGF-β and PGE2) and the protein expression of ERα, PI3K, AKT, and Bcl2 were up-regulated. Significant differences in the intestinal flora were seen between the normal group and the model group, and the intestinal flora of the rats was closer to the normal group after the administration of STF.
Conclusions: The characteristics of STF used in the treatment of endometritis induced by incomplete abortion were multi-targeted and involved multiple pathways. The mechanism may be related to the activation of the ERα/PI3K/AKT signalling pathway by regulating the composition and ratio of the gut microbiota.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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