Uncovering the Pharmacological Mechanism of Chaibei Zhixian Decoction on Epilepsy by Network Pharmacology Analysis

Virtual screening and network pharmacology-based synergistic mechanism identification of multiple components contained in Guanxin V against coronary artery disease

BACKGROUND

Guanxin V (GXV), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been widely used to treat coronary artery disease (CAD) in clinical practice in China. However, research on the active components and underlying mechanisms of GXV in CAD is still scarce.

METHODS

A virtual screening and network pharmacological approach was utilized for predicting the pharmacological mechanisms of GXV in CAD. The active compounds of GXV based on various TCM-related databases were selected and then the potential targets of these compounds were identified. Then, after the CAD targets were built through nine databases, a PPI network was constructed based on the matching GXV and CAD potential targets, and the hub targets were screened by MCODE. Moreover, Metascape was applied to GO and KEGG functional enrichment. Finally, HPLC fingerprints of GXV were established.

RESULTS

A total of 119 active components and 121 potential targets shared between CAD and GXV were obtained. The results of functional enrichment indicated that several GO biological processes and KEGG pathways of GXV mostly participated in the therapeutic mechanisms. Furthermore, 7 hub MCODEs of GXV were collected as potential targets, implying the complex effects of GXV-mediated protection against CAD. Six specific chemicals were identified.

CONCLUSION

GXV could be employed for CAD through molecular mechanisms, involving complex interactions between multiple compounds and targets, as predicted by virtual screening and network pharmacology. Our study provides a new TCM for the treatment of CAD and deepens the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of GXV against CAD.

A Network Pharmacology Approach to Explore the Mechanisms of Qishen Granules in Heart Failure

This study aimed to investigate the intrinsic mechanisms of Qishen granules (QSG) in the treatment of HF, and to provide new evidence and insights for its clinical application. Information on QSG ingredients was collected from Traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology (TCMSP), TCM@Taiwan, TCMID, and Batman, and input into SwissTargetPrediction to identify the compound targets. HF-related targets were detected from Therapeutic Target Database (TTD), Disgenet-Gene, Drugbank database, and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) database. The overlap targets of QSG and HF were identified for pathway enrichment analysis by utilizing the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of QSG-HF was constructed, following by the generation of core targets, construction of core modules, and KEGG analysis of the core functional modules. There were 1909 potential targets predicted from the 243 bioactive compounds in QSG which shared 129 common targets with HF-related targets. KEGG pathway analysis of common targets indicated that QSG could regulated 23 representative pathways. In the QSG-HF PPI network analysis, 10 key targets were identified, including EDN1, AGT, CREB1, ACE, CXCR4, ADRBK1, AGTR1, BDKRB1, ADRB2, and F2. Further cluster and enrichment analysis suggested that neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, cGMP-PKG signaling pathway, renin secretion, vascular smooth muscle contraction, and the renin-angiotensin system might be core pathways of QSG for HF. Our study elucidated the possible mechanisms of QSG from a systemic and holistic perspective. The key targets and pathways will provide new insights for further research on the pharmacological mechanism of QSG.