Proteomic Profiling Reveals Differential Mechanisms of Icariin and Epimedin C in Regulating Thymic Immunity

Haixin Wang; Bingqian He

doi:10.62767/jecacm701.0515

Proteomic Profiling Reveals Differential Mechanisms of Icariin and Epimedin C in Regulating Thymic Immunity

Authors

Haixin Wang Pharmaceutical College, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 310053 Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China Author
Bingqian He Academy of Chinese Medical Science, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, 310053 Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62767/jecacm701.0515

Keywords:

icariin, epimedin C, proteomics, thymus, immunomodulation, divergent mechanisms

Abstract

Objective: To systematically compare the differential targets and molecular mechanisms of two active flavonoids from Epimedium, Icariin and Epimedin C, in the thymus using proteomics, and to elucidate the material basis for their immunomodulatory effects. Methods: BALB/c mice were randomly divided into Normal, Epimedin C, and Icariin groups. After 3 days of intraperitoneal administration, thymus tissues were collected for Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Bioinformatics methods were employed to screen differentially expressed proteins, followed by protein-protein interaction networks construction, and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses. Results: Epimedin C and Icariin regulated 62 and 103 differentially expressed proteins, respectively, with 21 common targets. Through network analysis, Superoxide dismutase 2 (Sod2) and Serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 1 (Srsf1) were identified as the shared core common targets. Functional enrichment analyses results revealed that both Sod2 and Srsf1 significantly affected mRNA splicing and mitochondrial energy metabolism pathways. However, Epimedin C uniquely regulated amino acid biosynthesis and the citric acid cycle (TCA cycle), whereas Icariin was more involved in SNARE interactions in vesicular transport and the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. Conclusions: Icariin and Epimedin C collectively maintain mRNA splicing homeostasis through their shared targets, Sod2 and Srsf1. However, due to structural differences, the two tend to regulate thymocyte reprogramming and signal transduction in distinct ways. Ligustrazine and caosetide C ultimately exert their immunomodulatory functions through synergistic and complementary effects on multiple targets and pathways.

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