Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2021, Vol. 25 ›› Issue (23): 3704-3710.doi: 10.12307/2021.043

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Molecular mechanism of anhydroicaritin in the treatment of osteoarthritis: an analysis based on network pharmacology and bioinformatics

Chen Feng1, Zhang Xiaoyun1, 2, Chen Yueping1, Liao Jianzhao1, Li Jiajun1, Song Shilei1, Lai Yu1   

  1. 1Department of Orthopedics, Ruikang Hospital, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530011, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China; 2Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, Jiangxi Province, China
  • Received:2020-05-27 Revised:2020-05-29 Accepted:2020-06-29 Online:2021-08-18 Published:2021-02-24
  • Contact: Zhang Xiaoyun, MD candidate, Department of Orthopedics, Ruikang Hospital, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530011, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China; Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang 330004, Jiangxi Province, China
  • About author:Chen Feng, Master candidate, Department of Orthopedics, Ruikang Hospital, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530011, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
  • Supported by:
    the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81760796 and 81960803; Guangxi Natural Science Foundation for the Youth, No. 2020GXNSFBA159053 (to ZXY); Young Teachers' Basic Ability Improvement Project of Guangxi Universities, No. 2019KY0352; 2019 School-level Scientific Research Project of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, No. 2019QN027; First-class Subject Project of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, No. 2019XK026 and 2019XK029; Chongzuo Municipal Science and Technology Plan Project, No. FC2019006; 2016 National Famous Traditional Chinese Medicine Inheritance Studio Construction Project, No. {2016} 11; Qihuang Engineering Project for High-level Talent Team Cultivation of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, No. 04B1804804 

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Modern pharmacological studies have shown that anhydroicaritin has an estrogen-like effect and plays a very positive role in the treatment of osteoarthritis. Because of anhydroicaritin's unclear mechanism underlying the treatment of osteoarthritis at the molecular level, network pharmacology and bioinformatics are introduced to explain the potential molecular mechanism of anhydroicaritin in the treatment of osteoarthritis. This can provide a theoretical basis for future drug development and disease treatment.
OBJECTIVE: To preliminarily analyze the key molecular mechanism of anhydroicaritin in the treatment of osteoarthritis based on network pharmacology and bioinformatics, thereby providing new potential targets in treating osteoarthritis.
METHODS: The pharmacokinetic properties of anhydroicaritin were assessed using TCMSP database. The GEO databases were searched for chips related to anhydroicaritin and osteoarthritis. The differentially expressed genes were analyzed by R language. Then protein-protein interaction networks of anhydroicaritin and osteoarthritis-related differential genes were respectively constructed to screen the hub genes of anhydroicaritin in the treatment of osteoarthritis, and molecular docking verification between anhydroicaritin and hub genes was performed. Finally, the DAVID database was used to enrich the hub genes for GO and KEGG pathway analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The oral bioavailability and drug-likeness of anhydroicaritin were 45.41% and 0.44, respectively. The anhydroicaritin and osteoarthritis chips numbered GSE85871 and GSE1919 respectively were obtained in the GEO database, and the R language analysis screened out 152 and 
1 142 differential genes, respectively. The GeneMANIA database was used to construct the protein-protein interaction networks of the targets of anhydroicaritin and osteoarthritis, and 44 hub genes were merged by R language. We used molecular docking to find that anhydroicaritin and hub genes have good binding activity. The enrichment analysis of the DAVID database showed that the biological process of anhydroicaritin in the treatment of osteoarthritis included responses to calcium and metal ions, steroid hormone, and organophosphorus. The signaling pathway mainly involved included MAPK signaling pathway, osteoclast differentiation signaling pathway, PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, and interleukin-17 signaling pathway. Network pharmacology and bioinformatics could be used to effectively analyze the original gene chip data of GEO database, which could not only identify the known signal pathways related to the treatment of osteoarthritis with anhydroicaritin, but also find out some new pathways or biological processes. Anhydroicaritin is expected to be a new molecule in the treatment of osteoarthritis.

中国组织工程研究杂志出版内容重点:组织构建;骨细胞;软骨细胞;细胞培养;成纤维细胞;血管内皮细胞;骨质疏松;组织工程

Key words: osteoarthritis, bone, anhydroicaritin, bioinformatics, network pharmacology, GEO database, molecular docking

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