Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024;27(11):1661-1675.
doi: 10.2174/0113862073294990240122140121.

The Role of Emodin in the Treatment of Bladder Cancer Based on Network Pharmacology and Experimental Verification

Fule Liu  1   2 , Jianghao Li  1   2 , Boruo Zhou  1   2 , Yang Shen  3 , Jingyuan Tang  2 , Jie Han  2 , Changpeng Chen  2   1   2 , Kang Shao  1   2 , Haojie Chen  1   2 , Lin Yuan  2
Affiliations

The Role of Emodin in the Treatment of Bladder Cancer Based on Network Pharmacology and Experimental Verification

Fule Liu et al. Comb Chem High Throughput Screen. 2024.

Abstract

Background and purpose: Emodin, a compound derived from rhubarb and various traditional Chinese medicines, exhibits a range of pharmacological actions, including antiinflammatory, antiviral, and anticancer properties. Nevertheless, its pharmacological impact on bladder cancer (BLCA) and the underlying mechanism are still unclear. This research aimed to analyze the pharmacological mechanisms of Emodin against BLCA using network pharmacology analysis and experimental verification.

Methods: Initially, network pharmacology was employed to identify core targets and associated pathways affected by Emodin in bladder cancer. Subsequently, the expression of key targets in normal bladder tissues and BLCA tissues was assessed by searching the GEPIA and HPA databases. The binding energy between Emodin and key targets was predicted using molecular docking. Furthermore, in vitro experiments were carried out to confirm the predictions made with network pharmacology.

Results: Our analysis identified 148 common genes targeted by Emodin and BLCA, with the top ten target genes including TP53, HSP90AA1, EGFR, MYC, CASP3, CDK1, PTPN11, EGF, ESR1, and TNF. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses indicated a significant correlation between Emodin and the PI3KAKT pathway in the context of BLCA. Molecular docking investigations revealed a strong affinity between Emodin and critical target proteins. In vitro experiments demonstrated that Emodin inhibits T24 proliferation, migration, and invasion while inducing cell apoptosis. The findings also indicated that Emodin reduces both PI3K and AKT protein and mRNA expression, suggesting that Emodin may mitigate BLCA by modulating the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway.

Conclusion: This study integrates network pharmacology with in vitro experimentation to elucidate the potential mechanisms underlying the action of Emodin against BLCA. The results of this research enhance our understanding of the pharmacological mechanisms by which Emodin may be employed in treating BLCA.

Keywords: Bladder cancer; emodin; experimental verification.; molecular docking; molecular mechanism; network pharmacology.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Frick C.; Rumgay H.; Vignat J.; Ginsburg O.; Nolte E.; Bray F.; Soerjomataram I.; Quantitative estimates of preventable and treatable deaths from 36 cancers worldwide: A population-based study. Lancet Glob Health 2023,11(11),e1700-e1712 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Zhang H.; Zhou C.; Zhang Z.; Yao S.; Bian Y.; Fu F.; Luo H.; Li Y.; Yan S.; Ge Y.; Chen Y.; Zhan K.; Yue M.; Du W.; Tian K.; Jin H.; Li X.; Tong P.; Ruan H.; Wu C.; Integration of network pharmacology and experimental validation to explore the pharmacological mechanisms of zhuanggu busui formula against osteoporosis. Front Endocrinol 2022,12,841668 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Dong X.; Zeng Y.; Liu Y.; You L.; Yin X.; Fu J.; Ni J.; Aloe-emodin: A review of its pharmacology, toxicity, and pharmacokinetics. Phytother Res 2020,34(2),270-281 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Chen S.; Zhang Z.; Zhang J.; Emodin enhances antitumor effect of paclitaxel on human non-small-cell lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Drug Des Devel Ther 2019,13,1145-1153 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Dai G.; Ding K.; Cao Q.; Xu T.; He F.; Liu S.; Ju W.; Emodin suppresses growth and invasion of colorectal cancer cells by inhibiting VEGFR2. Eur J Pharmacol 2019,859,172525 - DOI - PubMed

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources