Omics, bioinformatics, molecular docking, and experimental validation were used to elucidate the hepatoprotective effects, mechanisms, and active compounds of Shandougen (SDG) based on the biolabel-led research pattern. Integrated omics were used to explore the biolabels of SDG intervention in liver tissue. Subsequently, bioinformatics and molecular docking were applied to topologically analyze its therapeutic effects, mechanisms, and active compounds based on biolabels. Finally, an animal model was used to verify the biolabel analysis results. Omics, bioinformatics, and molecular docking revealed that SDG may exert therapeutic effects on liver diseases in the multicompound and multitarget synergistic modes, especially liver cirrhosis. In the validation experiment, SDG and its active compounds (betulinic acid and gallic acid) significantly improved the liver histopathological damage in the CCl 4 -induced liver cirrhosis model. Meanwhile, they also produced significant inhibitory effects on the focal adhesion pathway (integrin alpha-1, myosin regulatory light chain 2, laminin subunit gamma-1, etc.) and alleviated the associated pathological processes: focal adhesion (focal adhesion kinase 1)–extracellular matrix (collagen alpha-1(IV) chain, collagen alpha-1(VI) chain, and collagen alpha-2(VI) chain) dysfunction, carcinogenesis (alpha-fetoprotein, NH 3 , and acetylcholinesterase), inflammation (tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1 [IL-1], IL-6, and IL-10), and oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species, malonaldehyde, and superoxide dismutase). This study provides new evidence and insights for the hepatoprotective effects, mechanisms, and active compounds of SDG.
Previous studies have shown that Sophorae Tonkinensis radix et rhizome (ST) can be used to treat some lung diseases . However, the therapeutic potentials, therapeutic advantages, mechanism of action, and material basis of ST treatment of lung diseases remain unclear. Thus, the aim of this study was to carry out an integrated analysis based on the biolabel-led research pattern. Proteomics and metabonomics were applied to explore the biolabels responsible for the effect of ST on lung tissue. Based on the biolabels, a bioinformatics database was used to topologically analyze the therapeutic potentials, therapeutic advantages, mechanism of action, and material basis of ST in treating lung diseases. Four human lung-cancer cell models were used to validate the results of the biolabel analysis. In total, 45 proteins and 3 metabolites were significantly enriched in 13 pathways and were considered as biolabels. Bioinformatics revealed that the therapeutic potentials of ST involved a variety of lung diseases, especially lung neoplasms. Under the mediation of 40 biolabels, 29 compounds may be the material basis of ST in treating lung diseases. In a verification experiment, ST had a significant inhibitory effect on the H226 cell line (lung squamous cell carcinoma), which ranks first in morbidity and mortality among lung cancers in China. Additionally, five biolabels (CPS1, CKM, CPT1B, COX5B, and COX4I1) were involved in the anti-lung cancer mechanism of ST and 3 compounds (gallic acid, betulinic acid , and caffeic acid). These findings indicate that the biolabel-led research pattern was helpful in achieving the objectives of this study.