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. 2024 May 31;15(3):286-295.
doi: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2024.05.009. eCollection 2025 May.

Unveiling pharmacological targets of Rihimaside C for radiation-induced lung injury: An in silico and experimental integrated approach

Youyi Liu  1 , Jingrou Guo  1 , Chuang Liu  1 , Xingyi Chen  1 , Yifei Tang  1 , Minchen Wu  1 , Jianfeng Huang  2
Affiliations

Unveiling pharmacological targets of Rihimaside C for radiation-induced lung injury: An in silico and experimental integrated approach

Youyi Liu et al. J Tradit Complement Med. .

Abstract

Background and aim: Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is a common complication during caner radiotherapy, mainly characterized by oxidative stress and inflammation. Rihimaside C, a novel dihydroflavonol compound isolated from Ribes himalense, exhibits significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The study aims to investigate the therapeutic efficacy of Rihimaside C in treating RILI, as well as to uncover the potential targets and mechanisms involved.

Experimental procedure: Animal experiments were performed to evaluate the pharmacological efficacy of Rihimaside C for RILI. A computer-based strategy was employed to retrieve and screen potential targets for the therapy of Rihimaside C against RILI. STRING, DAVID databases, and Cytoscape software were utilized to construct a protein-protein interaction network and identify hub targets. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were conducted to illuminate the underlying mechanisms. Molecular docking and Cellular Thermal Shift Assay (CETSA) were performed to further validate the hub targets.

Results and conclusion: The results of animal experiments showed that Rihimaside C effectively alleviated RILI. Four hub targets (TNF, HSP90AA1, ESR1 and HIF1A) among the 72 possible targets of Rihimaside C involved in the treatment of RILI were finally identified through network pharmacology, which were enriched in MAPK, IL-17, and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. Molecular docking and CETSA analyses indicated that HSP90AA1 displayed highest binding affinity with Rihimaside C. This study investigated the therapeutic effects of Rihimaside C on RILI and identified potential targets, providing a novel strategy in treating RILI.

Keywords: HSP90; Network pharmacology; Radiation-induced lung injury; Ribes himalense; Rihimaside C.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Image 1
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Rihimaside C exerts protective effect against RILI in C57BL/6 mice.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
PPI network and identification of hub targets for Rihimaside C reducing RILI.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Enrichment analysis and construction of disease-drug-target-pathway network.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Verification of the binding affinity between Rihimaside C and target proteins by molecular docking.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Identification of the direct binding targets for Rihimaside C using CETSA.
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