Protective Effect and Mechanism of Boswellic Acid and Myrrha Sesquiterpenes with Different Proportions of Compatibility on Neuroinflammation by LPS-Induced BV2 Cells Combined with Network Pharmacology
Xiao-dong MIAO,
Li-jie ZHENG,
Zi-zhang ZHAO,
Shu-lan SU,
Yue ZHU,
Jian-ming GUO,
Er-xin SHANG,
Da-wei QIAN,
Jin-ao DUAN
Affiliations
Xiao-dong MIAO
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for High Technology Research of TCM Formulae; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization; National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
Li-jie ZHENG
Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Research and Development in Marine Bio-resource Pharmaceutics, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
Zi-zhang ZHAO
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for High Technology Research of TCM Formulae; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization; National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
Shu-lan SU
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for High Technology Research of TCM Formulae; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization; National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
Yue ZHU
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for High Technology Research of TCM Formulae; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization; National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
Jian-ming GUO
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for High Technology Research of TCM Formulae; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization; National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
Er-xin SHANG
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for High Technology Research of TCM Formulae; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization; National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
Da-wei QIAN
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for High Technology Research of TCM Formulae; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization; National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
Jin-ao DUAN
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for High Technology Research of TCM Formulae; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization; National and Local Collaborative Engineering Center of Chinese Medicinal Resources Industrialization and Formulae Innovative Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing 210023, China
Frankincense and myrrha (FM), commonly used as a classical herbal pair, have a wide range of clinical applications and definite anti-inflammatory activity. However, anti-neuroinflammation effects and mechanisms are not clear. In this study, we adopted a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced microglial (BV2) cell model and a network pharmacology method to reveal the anti-neuroinflammatory effects and mechanisms of boswellic acid (BA) and myrrha sesquiterpenes (MS) with different proportions of compatibility. The data showed that the different ratios of BA and MS had different degrees of inhibition of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-6, and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA expression, down-regulated the phosphor-nuclear factor kappa B/nuclear factor kappa B (p-NF-ҡB)/(NF-ҡB), phosphorylated protein kinase b/protein kinase b (p-AKT/AKT), and Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) protein expression levels, and increased phospho-PI3 kinase (p-PI3K) protein expression levels. When the ratios of BA and MS were 10:1, 5:1, and 20:1, better effective efficacy was exhibited. According to the correlation analysis between the effect index and bioactive substances, it was suggested that 2-methoxy-5-acetoxy -fruranogermacr-1(10)-en-6-one (Compound 1), 3α-acetyloxylanosta-8,24-dien-21-oic acid (Compound 2), 11-keto-boswellic acid (Compound 3), and 3-acetyl-11-keto-β -boswellic acid (Compound 4) made important contributions to the treatment of neuroinflammation. Furthermore, based on the network pharmacological analysis, it was found that these four active compounds acted on 31 targets related to neuroinflammation and were involved in 32 signaling pathways which mainly related to the immune system, cardiovascular system, and nervous system, suggesting that BA and MS could be used to treat neuroinflammation.
