The mechanism of action and experimental verification of Gan-song Yin on renal clear cell carcinoma based on network pharmacology and bioinformatics

Wenjie Jiang; Ling Yuan; Qian Liu; Xiangyang Li; Yifan Yang; Jiaqing Li; Taiqiang Jiao; Yang Niu; Lei Zhang; Hongli Dou; Yi Nan

doi:10.1007/s12672-024-00909-1

The mechanism of action and experimental verification of Gan-song Yin on renal clear cell carcinoma based on network pharmacology and bioinformatics

Discov Oncol. 2024 Feb 28;15(1):52. doi: 10.1007/s12672-024-00909-1.

Authors

Wenjie Jiang^{1

2}, Ling Yuan³, Qian Liu⁴, Xiangyang Li², Yifan Yang^{1

2}, Jiaqing Li^{1

2}, Taiqiang Jiao², Yang Niu^{1

2}, Lei Zhang², Hongli Dou^{5

6

7}, Yi Nan⁸

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Ningxia Minority Medicine Modernization Ministry of Education, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
² School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
³ College of Pharmacy, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
⁴ School of Clinical Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
⁵ Key Laboratory of Ningxia Minority Medicine Modernization Ministry of Education, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China. 842437464@qq.com.
⁶ School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China. 842437464@qq.com.
⁷ Shaanxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xianyang, 712046, Shaanxi, China. 842437464@qq.com.
⁸ Key Laboratory of Ningxia Minority Medicine Modernization Ministry of Education, Ningxia Medical University, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China. 20080011@nxmu.edu.cn.

Abstract

Background: Gan-song Yin (GSY) is originated from the scripture "Gan-song Pills", a medical work of the Ningxia ethnic minorities, and its treatment of kidney diseases has good results. Its method of treating Renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is still unknown, nevertheless.

Methods: Firstly, utilizing a network pharmacology strategy to screen GSY for active components and targets and looking up KIRC-related targets in GeneCards and GEO databases. Secondly, protein interaction networks were constructed and analyzed for GO and KEGG enrichment. Molecular docking was then performed and clinical and other correlations of the network pharmacology results were analyzed using bioinformatic analysis methods. Finally, we performed in vitro cellular experiments with 786-O cells and ACHN cells to validate the results of network pharmacology and bioinformatic analysis.

Results: With the help of network pharmacological analysis, six hub targets were eliminated. Bioinformatics study revealed that the hub targets has clinically significant clinical guiding importance. The results showed that GSY inhibited the proliferation of 786-O cells and ACHN cells, induced cell apoptosis, blocked cell cycle, and reduced cell colony formation ability. qRT-PCR results showed that GSY promoted the expression of ALB and CASP3 genes, and inhibited the expression of EGFR, JUN, MYC and VEGFA genes. Western blot results showed that GSY could promote the expression of ALB and CASP3 protein, and inhibit the expression of EGFR, JUN, MYC and VEGFA protein.

Conclusions: Network pharmacology and bioinformatics analysis showed that GSY could act on multiple targets through a variety of components to achieve the effect of treating KIRC. In this study, we confirmed that GSY inhibits KIRC by regulating the expression of core targets through in vitro cellular experiments, thus providing a reference for subsequent related studies.

Keywords: Bioinformatics; Experimental verification; Gan-song Yin; Network pharmacology; Renal clear cell carcinoma.

Abstract

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