Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 11, 2025

Author Spotlight: Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking to Decipher the Action of Jiawei Shengjiang San Against Diabetic Kidney Disease
Published on: May 10, 2024
Exploring the molecular mechanism of berberine for treating diabetic nephropathy based on network pharmacology
Lin Yang1, Siming Yuan2, Rongrong Wang1
1Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Key Laboratory of Anti-Infammatory and Immune Medicine, Ministry of Education, Anhui Collaborative Innovation Center of Anti-Infammatory and Immune Medicine, Shushan District, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui 230032, China; Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230001, China.
Background And Purpose:
Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a prevalent complication of diabetes mellitus characterized by hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, albuminuria and edema. Increasing evidence indicated that berberine (BBR) could alleviate the occurrence and development of DN. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of BBR in the treatment of DN remains unclear.
Methods:
The online public databases were chosen to screen the relevant targets of BBR and DN and the screened overlapped targets were analyzed by GO enrichment analysis, KEGG enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction network analysis. The interaction between BBR and the key proteinwas verified by molecular docking and cellularthermalshiftassay. Additionally, the expression of key proteins and related indicators of DN were verified by immunofluorescence and western blot in vitro and in vivo.
Results:
We successfully identified 92 overlapped targets of BBR and DN based on network pharmacology. Notably, VEGFR2 was identified to be the main target of BBR. Meanwhile, we found that BBR exhibited a high binding affinity to VEGFR2 protein, as confirmed by molecular docking and CETSA. This binding led to interfering with the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. In addition, we found that BBR could inhibit the abnormal proliferation of mesangial cells and reduce the expression of downstream pathway protein in vitro and in vivo. Finally, BBR was found to effectively lower the level of blood glucose and improve kidney function in mice, highlighting its potential as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of DN.
Conclusion:
Berberine interfered the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway via targeting VEGFR2 protein, further led to the inhibition of abnormal proliferation of mesangial cells and ultimately resulted in improved renal function.
More Related Videos
07:15Mechanism of Kemeng Fang's Inhibition of Podocyte Apoptosis in Rats with Membranous Nephropathy through the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway
Published on: August 23, 2024
11:06Network Pharmacology Prediction and Metabolomics Validation of the Mechanism of Fructus Phyllanthi against Hyperlipidemia
Published on: April 7, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Heart Failure Drugs: Inhibitors of Renin-Angiotensin System
Antihypertensive Drugs: Action of Diuretics
Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors
Major types that are helpful drug targets include:
Antihypertensive Drugs: Potassium-Sparing Diuretics
Drug Elimination by Renal Route: Tubular Secretion
Antihypertensive Drugs: Direct Renin Inhibitors