Comparison of efficacy of SHENQI compound and rosiglitazone in the treatment of diabetic vasculopathy analyzing multi-factor mediated disease-causing modules

PLoS One. 2018 Dec 6;13(12):e0207683. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207683. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

Atherosclerosis-predominant vasculopathy is a common complication of diabetes with high morbidity and high mortality, which is ruining the patient's daily life. As is known to all, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) SHENQI compound and western medicine rosiglitazone play an important role in the treatment of diabetes. In particular, SHENQI compound has a significant inhibitory effect on vascular lesions. Here, to explore and compare the therapeutic mechanism of SHENQI compound and rosiglitazone on diabetic vasculopathy, we first built 7 groups of mouse models. The behavioral, physiological and pathological morphological characteristics of these mice showed that SHENQI compound has a more comprehensive curative effect than rosiglitazone and has a stronger inhibitory effect on vascular lesions. While rosiglitazone has a more effective but no significant effect on hypoglycemic. Further, based on the gene expression of mice in each group, we performed differential expression analysis. The functional enrichment analysis of these differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed the potential pathogenesis and treatment mechanisms of diabetic angiopathy. In addition, we found that SHENQI compound mainly exerts comprehensive effects by regulating MCM8, IRF7, CDK7, NEDD4L by pivot regulator analysis, while rosiglitazone can rapidly lower blood glucose levels by targeting PSMD3, UBA52. Except that, we also identified some pivot TFs and ncRNAs for these potential disease-causing DEG modules, which may the mediators bridging drugs and modules. Finally, similar to pivot regulator analysis, we also identified the regulation of some drugs (e.g. bumetanide, disopyramide and glyburide etc.) which have been shown to have a certain effect on diabetes or diabetic angiopathy, proofing the scientific and objectivity of this study. Overall, this study not only provides an in-depth comparison of the efficacy of SHENQI compound and rosiglitazone in the treatment of diabetic vasculopathy, but also provides clinicians and drug designers with valuable theoretical guidance.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aorta, Abdominal / drug effects
  • Aorta, Abdominal / pathology
  • Cardiovascular Agents / therapeutic use
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / drug therapy
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / genetics
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / pathology
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / drug therapy
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / genetics
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / pathology
  • Diabetic Angiopathies / drug therapy*
  • Diabetic Angiopathies / genetics
  • Diabetic Angiopathies / pathology
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal / therapeutic use*
  • Gene Expression / drug effects
  • Humans
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Medicine, Chinese Traditional
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Mutant Strains
  • Phytotherapy
  • Rosiglitazone / therapeutic use*
  • Signal Transduction / genetics

Substances

  • Cardiovascular Agents
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal
  • Hypoglycemic Agents
  • shenqi
  • Rosiglitazone

Grants and funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/) (81102589 to H.G.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.