Investigation of the mechanism of Bark of Ailanthus altissima in the treatment of ulcerative colitis based on network pharmacology and experimental verification.

Autor: Ma S; The College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China., Wang Q; The College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China., Wang H; The College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China., Yang Q; Department of Chinese Materia Medica and Natural Medicines, Air Force Medical University, 710032, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China., Li C; The College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China., Yu Y; The College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China., Xie Y; The College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China., Shi X; Department of Pharmacy, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, 710032, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. Electronic address: shixiaopeng775471@163.com., Wang S; The College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, 710069, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. Electronic address: wangsiw@nwu.edu.cn.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Journal of ethnopharmacology [J Ethnopharmacol] 2025 Jan 30; Vol. 337 (Pt 2), pp. 118916. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Oct 10.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118916
Abstrakt: Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The bark of Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle (BAA), a widely used Chinese medicinal herb in traditional remedies for bowel disorders, has yet to be explored in the context of ulcerative colitis (UC), and its therapeutic mechanisms remain unclear.
Aim of the Study: This study integrated network pharmacology and experimental validation to investigate the effects and underlying mechanisms of BAA in treating UC.
Materials and Methods: First, UPLC-MS/MS analysis was employed to identify the chemical constituents of BAA. Network pharmacology was then applied to analyze the potential mechanisms of BAA based on these identified compounds. Lastly, a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC mouse model was utilized to assess BAA's therapeutic efficacy, with Western blotting performed to examine changes in protein expression within the key pathway influenced by BAA.
Results: UPLC-MS/MS and SwissADME analysis identified 223 active compounds in BAA. Network pharmacology suggested that the PI3K/AKT pathway may serve as a primary mechanism by which BAA exerts its anti-UC effects. In the DSS-induced UC mouse model, BAA significantly mitigated colonic injury, reduced DAI scores, and promoted weight recovery in mice. Additionally, BAA downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6, thereby suppressing inflammatory responses in the colon. Western blot analysis further demonstrated that BAA primarily inhibited the PI3K/AKT pathway in UC mouse colon tissue.
Conclusion: This study highlights that BAA effectively reduces colonic inflammation and preserves intestinal mucosal integrity, likely through the inhibition of PI3K/AKT pathway activity, positioning it as a potential treatment for UC.
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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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