Network Pharmacology-based Prediction and Verification of Shikonin for Treating Colorectal Cancer

作者：Peng Song, Dongzhu Duan, Wenjing Guo, Zefeng Wang, Qianfei Cui, Ling Shi, Meiling Zhang · 发表于：Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery · 年份：2021 · DOI：10.2174/1574892817666211224142100 · 被引用次数：12 · 研究领域：Bioactive Compounds and Antitumor Agents、Morinda citrifolia extract uses、Phytochemistry and biological activity of medicinal plants

BACKGROUND: Shikonin (SKN), a naturally occurring naphthoquinone, is a major active chemical component isolated from Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb Zucc, Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Johnst, or Arnebia guttata Bunge, and commonly used to treat viral infection, inflammation, and cancer. However, its underlying mechanism has not been elucidated. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the antitumor mechanism of SKN in colorectal cancer (CRC) through network pharmacology and cell experiments. METHODS: SymMap database and Genecards were used to predict the potential targets of SKN and CRC, while the cotargets were obtained by Venn diagram. The cotargets were imported into the website of String and DAVID, constructing the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, performing Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses, the Compound-Target-Pathway (C-T-P) network was generated by connecting potential pathways with the corresponding targets. RESULTS: According to the results of network pharmacological analysis, the cell experiments were used to verify the key signal pathway. The most relevant target of SKN for the treatment of CRC was PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. SKN inhibited CRC cells (HT29 and HCT116) proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis by targeting IL6 and inhibiting the IL6R/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. SKN promotes apoptosis and suppresses CRC cells' (HT29 and HCT116) activity through the PI3K-Akt signaling...