The Underlying Mechanism of Paeonia lactiflora Pall. in Parkinson’s Disease Based on a Network Pharmacology Approach

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide, yet as of currently, there is no disease-modifying therapy that could delay its progression. Paeonia lactiflora Pall. is the most frequently used herb in formulas for PD in Traditional Chinese Medicine and also a potential neuroprotective agent for neurodegenerative diseases, while its mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we aim to explore the underlying mechanism of P. lactiflora in treating PD utilizing a network pharmacology approach.Methods: The protein targets of P. lactiflora ingredients and PD were first obtained from several databases. To clarify the key targets, a Protein-Protein-Interaction (PPI) network was constructed and analyzed on the String database, and then enrichment analysis was performed by the Metascape platform to determine the main Gene Ontology biological processes and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. Finally, the Ingredient-Target-Pathway (I-T-P) network was constructed and analyzed by Cytoscape software.Results: Six active ingredients of P. lactiflora (kaempferol, ß-sitosterol, betulinic acid, palbinone, paeoniflorin and (+)-catechin) as well as six core targets strongly related to PD treatment [AKT1, interleukin-6, CAT, Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), CASP3, and PTGS2] were identified. The main pathways were shown to involve neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, Calcium signaling pathway, PI3-Akt signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, and apoptosis signaling pathway. The main biological process included the regulation of neurotransmitter levels.Conclusion:P. lactiflora may retard neurodegeneration by reducing neuroinflammation, inhibiting intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis, and may improve motor and non-motor symptoms by regulating the levels of neurotransmitters. Our study has revealed the mechanism of P. lactiflora in the treatment of PD and may contribute to novel drug development for PD.

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Network Pharmacology-Based and Molecular Docking-Based Analysis of Suanzaoren Decoction for the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease with Sleep Disorder

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2021/1752570 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Yan-yun Liu ◽

Li-hua Yu ◽

Juan Zhang ◽

Dao-jun Xie ◽

Xin-xiang Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Molecular Docking ◽

Sleep Disorder ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Network Pharmacology ◽

Active Components ◽

Protein Protein Interaction ◽

Receptor Signaling Pathway

This study is aimed at exploring the possible mechanism of action of the Suanzaoren decoction (SZRD) in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease with sleep disorder (PDSD) based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) was used to screen the bioactive components and targets of SZRD, and their targets were standardized using the UniProt platform. The disease targets of “Parkinson’s disease (PD)” and “Sleep disorder (SD)” were collected by OMIM, GeneCards, and DisGeNET databases. Thereafter, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the STRING platform and visualized by Cytoscape (3.7.2) software. Then, the DAVID platform was used to analyze the Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway. Cytoscape (3.7.2) software was also used to construct the network of the “herb-component-target-pathway.” The core active ingredients and core action targets of the drug were verified by molecular docking using AutoDock software. A total of 135 Chinese herbal components and 41 corresponding targets were predicted for the treatment of PDSD using SZRD. Fifteen important signaling pathways were screened, such as the cancer pathway, TNF signaling pathway, PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, and Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. The results of molecular docking showed that the main active compounds could bind to the representative targets and exhibit good affinity. This study revealed that SZRD has the characteristics and advantages of “multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathway” in the treatment of PDSD; among these, the combination of the main active components of quercetin and kaempferol with the key targets of AKT1, IL6, MAPK1, TP53, and VEGFA may be one of the important mechanisms. This study provides a theoretical basis for further study of the material basis and molecular mechanism of SZRD in the treatment of PDSD.

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A Network Pharmacology-based Analysis of the Molecular Mechanism of Tanreqing in the Treatment of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

10.21203/rs.3.rs-42041/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Liuliu Yang ◽

Minyong Wen ◽

Wenjiang Zheng ◽

Xiaohong Liu ◽

yong wang

Keyword(s):

Signaling Pathway ◽

Molecular Mechanism ◽

Chemical Constituents ◽

Hypoxia Inducible Factor ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Clinical Treatment ◽

Laboratory Research ◽

Network Pharmacology ◽

Receptor Interaction ◽

Protein Protein Interaction

Abstract Background: This paper discusses the molecular mechanism of Tanreqing (TRQ) in the treatment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using the network pharmacology approach. Our study provides new ideas on the laboratory research and clinical treatment of the disease. Method: Information on the chemical constituents of TRQ and the genes targeted by the disease was collected. The common gene targets of the drug and the disease were input into the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins（STRING）database to understand the interaction among target proteins. The protein–protein interaction (PPI) network and a network of the chemical constituents of TRQ and their targets were constructed using Cytoscape. Gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis were performed using the R program and other relevant software packages. Results: Twenty-eight active chemical constituents and 365 gene targets were identified for TRQ. Out of these genes, 113 were also found to be involved in the pathogenesis of the disease. Enrichment analysis revealed the therapeutic role that TRQ could have played in the treatment of COVID-19, via the regulation of important pathways such as the renin–angiotension system, neuroactive ligand–receptor interaction, phospholipase D (PLD) signaling pathway, calcium signaling pathway, and the hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1) signaling pathway. Conclusions: This study attempts to predict the molecular mechanism of TRQ in the treatment of COVID-19, and suggests TRQ intervention through multiple targets and pathways in processes including inflammatory response, immune regulation, and apoptosis during the treatment of the disease. This study indicates the potential rational application of TRQ in the clinical treatment of COVID-19.

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Network Pharmacology-Based Strategy for the Investigation of the Anti-Osteoporosis Effects and Underlying Mechanism of Zhuangguguanjie Formulation

Frontiers in Pharmacology ◽

10.3389/fphar.2021.727808 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Wang Gong ◽

Xingren Chen ◽

Tianshu Shi ◽

Xiaoyan Shao ◽

Xueying An ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Resorption ◽

Bone Formation ◽

Bone Mass ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Osteoclast Differentiation ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Underlying Mechanism ◽

Network Pharmacology ◽

Biological Processes

As the society is aging, the increasing prevalence of osteoporosis has generated huge social and economic impact, while the drug therapy for osteoporosis is limited due to multiple targets involved in this disease. Zhuangguguanjie formulation (ZG) is extensively used in the clinical treatment of bone and joint diseases, but the underlying mechanism has not been fully described. This study aimed to examine the therapeutic effect and potential mechanism of ZG on postmenopausal osteoporosis. The ovariectomized (OVX) mice were treated with normal saline or ZG for 4 weeks after ovariectomy following a series of analyses. The bone mass density (BMD) and trabecular parameters were examined by micro-CT. Bone remodeling was evaluated by the bone histomorphometry analysis and ELISA assay of bone turnover biomarkers in serum. The possible drug–disease common targets were analyzed by network pharmacology. To predict the potential biological processes and related pathways, GO/KEGG enrichment analysis was performed. The effects of ZG on the differentiation phenotype of osteoclasts and osteoblasts and the predicted pathway were verified in vitro. The results showed that ZG significantly improved the bone mass and micro-trabecular architecture in OVX mice compared with untreated OVX mice. ZG could promote bone formation and inhibit bone resorption to ameliorate ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis as evidenced by increased number of osteoblast (N.Ob/Tb.Pm) and decreased number of osteoclast (N.Oc/Tb.Pm) in treated group compared with untreated OVX mice. After identifying potential drug–disease common targets by network pharmacology, GO enrichment analysis predicted that ZG might affect various biological processes including osteoblastic differentiation and osteoclast differentiation. The KEGG enrichment analysis suggested that PI3K/Akt and mTOR signaling pathways could be the possible pathways. Furthermore, the experiments in vitro validated our findings. ZG significantly down-regulated the expression of osteoclast differentiation markers, reduced osteoclastic resorption, and inhibited the phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt, while ZG obviously up-regulated the expression of osteogenic biomarkers, promoted the formation of calcium nodules, and hampered the phosphorylation of 70S6K1/mTOR, which can be reversed by the corresponding pathway activator. Thus, our study suggested that ZG could inhibit the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway to reduce osteoclastic bone resorption as well as hamper the mTORC1/S6K1 signaling pathway to promote osteoblastic bone formation.

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The Underlying Mechanism of Chinese Herb of Regulating Marrow in the Treatment of Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

10.21203/rs.3.rs-699020/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Xiaojian Wang ◽

Rui Wang ◽

Ting Xu ◽

Hongting Jin ◽

Peijian Tong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Molecular Docking ◽

Chinese Medicine ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Kegg Pathway ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Underlying Mechanism ◽

Chinese Herbs ◽

Network Pharmacology ◽

Active Components ◽

Pathway Enrichment

Abstract Background The lesion of marrow is a crucial factor in orthopedic diseases, which is recognized by orthopedics-traumatology expert from "Zhe-School of Chinese Medicine". The Chinese herbs of regulating marrow has been widely used to treat osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) in China, while the interaction mechanisms were still elucidated. Thus, we conducted this study to explore the underlying mechanism of the five highest-frequency Chinese herbs of regulating marrow(HF-CHRM) in the treatment of ONFH with the aid of network pharmacology(NP) and molecular docking(MD). Methods The active components and potential targets of HF-CHRM were obtained through several online databases, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP), UniProt database. The gene targets related to ONFH were collected with the help of the OMIM and GeneCards disease-related databases. The "drug- component-target-disease" network and protein-protein interaction(PPI) network of the drug and disease intersecting targets were constructed by using Cytoscape software and the STRING database. R software was used for Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses. The MD of critical components and targets was carried out using Autodock Vina and Pymol to validate the binding affinity. Results A total of 54 active components, 1074 drug targets and 195 gene targets were obtained. There were 1219 ONFH related targets. 39 drug and disease intersection targets(representative genes: IL6, TP53, VEGFA, ESR1, IL1B) were obtained and considered potential therapeutic targets. 1619 items were obtained by the GO enrichment analysis, including 1517 biological processes, 10 cellular components and 92 molecular functions, which is mainly related to angiogenesis, bone and lipid metabolism and inflammatory reaction. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed 119 pathways, including AGE-RAGE signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and IL-17 signaling pathway. MD results showed that quercetin, wogonin, and kaempferol active components had good affinity with IL6, TP53, and VEGFA core proteins. Conclusion The HF-CHRM can treat ONFH by multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway comprehensive action.

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A Network Pharmacology Approach to Uncover the Mechanisms of Shen-Qi-Di-Huang Decoction against Diabetic Nephropathy

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2018/7043402 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Sha Di ◽

Lin Han ◽

Qing Wang ◽

Xinkui Liu ◽

Yingying Yang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diabetic Nephropathy ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Interaction Network ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Network Pharmacology ◽

Pathway Enrichment Analysis ◽

Protein Protein Interaction ◽

Regulation Of Blood Pressure ◽

Protein Protein Interaction Network

Shen-Qi-Di-Huang decoction (SQDHD), a well-known herbal formula from China, has been widely used in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy (DN). However, the pharmacological mechanisms of SQDHD have not been entirely elucidated. At first, we conducted a comprehensive literature search to identify the active constituents of SQDHD, determined their corresponding targets, and obtained known DN targets from several databases. A protein-protein interaction network was then built to explore the complex relations between SQDHD targets and those known to treat DN. Following the topological feature screening of each node in the network, 400 major targets of SQDHD were obtained. The pathway enrichment analysis results acquired from DAVID showed that the significant bioprocesses and pathways include oxidative stress, response to glucose, regulation of blood pressure, regulation of cell proliferation, cytokine-mediated signaling pathway, and the apoptotic signaling pathway. More interestingly, five key targets of SQDHD, named AKT1, AR, CTNNB1, EGFR, and ESR1, were significant in the regulation of the above bioprocesses and pathways. This study partially verified and predicted the pharmacological and molecular mechanisms of SQDHD on DN from a holistic perspective. This has laid the foundation for further experimental research and has expanded the rational application of SQDHD in clinical practice.

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Uncovering the Mechanisms and Molecular Targets of Weibing Formula 1 against Gastritis: Coupling Network Pharmacology with GEO Database

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2021/5533946 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2021 ◽

pp. 1-18

Author(s):

Ke Chen ◽

Luojian Zhang ◽

Zhen Qu ◽

Feng Wan ◽

Jia Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Quantitative Pcr ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Mapk Signaling ◽

Gene Expression Omnibus ◽

Network Pharmacology ◽

Receptor Interaction ◽

Pathway Enrichment Analysis ◽

Real Time Quantitative Pcr

Weibing Formula 1, a classic traditional formula, has been widely used clinically to treat gastritis in recent years. However, the potential pharmacological mechanism of Weibing Formula 1 is still unclear to date. A network pharmacology-based strategy was performed to uncover the underlying mechanisms of Weibing Formula 1 against gastritis. Furthermore, we structured the drug-active ingredients-genes–disease network and PPI network of shared targets, and function enrichment analysis of these targets was carried out. Ultimately, Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets and real-time quantitative PCR were used to verify the related genes. We found 251 potential targets corresponding to 135 bioactive components of Weibing Formula 1. Then, 327 gastritis-related targets were known gastritis-related targets. Among which, 60 common targets were shared between potential targets of Weibing Formula 1 and known gastritis-related targets. The results of pathway enrichment analysis displayed that 60 common targets mostly participated in various pathways related to Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathway, chemokine signaling pathway, and apoptosis. Based on the GSE60427 dataset, 15 common genes were shared between differentially expressed genes and 60 candidate targets. The verification results of the GSE5081 dataset showed that except for DUOX2 and VCAM1, the other 13 genes were significantly upregulated in gastritis, which was consistent with the results in the GSE60427 dataset. More importantly, real-time quantitative PCR results showed that the expressions of PTGS2, MMP9, CXCL2, and CXCL8 were significantly upregulated and NOS2, EGFR, and IL-10 were downregulated in gastritis patients, while the expressions of PTGS2, MMP9, CXCL2, and CXCL8 were significantly downregulated and NOS2, EGFR, and IL-10 were upregulated after the treatment of Weibing Formula 1. PTGS2, NOS2, EGFR, MMP9, CXCL2, CXCL8, and IL-10 may be the important direct targets of Weibing Formula 1 in gastritis treatment. Our study revealed the mechanism of Weibing Formula 1 in gastritis from an overall and systematic perspective, providing a theoretical basis for further knowing and application of this formula in the future.

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Network Pharmacology-Based Study on the Mechanism of Pinellia ternata in Asthma Treatment

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2020/9732626 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-12

Author(s):

Yanmin Lyu ◽

Xiangjing Chen ◽

Qing Xia ◽

Shanshan Zhang ◽

Chengfang Yao

Keyword(s):

Candidate Genes ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Expression Profiles ◽

Animal Experiments ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Th2 Cells ◽

Network Pharmacology ◽

Receptor Interaction ◽

Pathway Enrichment Analysis ◽

Pinellia Ternata

Background. Pinellia ternata (PT), a medicinal plant, has had an extensive application in the treatment of asthma in China, whereas its underlying pharmacological mechanisms remain unclear. Methods. Firstly, a network pharmacology method was adopted to collect activated components of PT from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP). Targets of PT were assessed by exploiting the PharmMapper website; asthma-related targets were collected from the OMIM website, and target-target interaction networks were built. Secondly, critical nodes exhibiting high possibility were identified as the hub nodes in the network, which were employed to conduct Gene Ontology (GO) comment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) signaling pathway enrichment analysis. Finally, the tissue expression profiles of key candidate genes were identified by the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, and the therapeutic effect of PT was verified by an animal experiment. Results. 57 achievable targets of PT on asthma were confirmed as hub nodes through using the network pharmacology method. As revealed from the KEGG enrichment analysis, the signaling pathways were notably enriched in pathways of the T-cell receptor signaling pathway, JAK-STAT signaling pathway, and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction. The expression profiles of candidate genes including Mmp2, Nr3c1, il-10, il-4, il-13, il-17a, il-2, tlr4, tlr9, ccl2, csf2, and vefgα were identified. Moreover, according to transcriptome RNA sequencing data from lung tissues of allergic mice compared to normal mice, the mRNA level of Mmp2 and il-4 was upregulated ( P < 0.001 ). In animal experiments, PT could alleviate the allergic response of mice by inhibiting the activation of T-helper type 2 (TH2) cells and the expression of Mmp2 and il-4. Conclusions. Our study provides candidate genes that may be either used for future studies related to diagnosis/prognosis or as targets for asthma management. Besides, animal experiments showed that PT could treat asthma by regulating the expression of Mmp2 and il-4.

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Study on the Mechanism of Liuwei Dihuang Pill s Formula in Treating Parkinson's Disease Based on Network Pharmacology

10.21203/rs.3.rs-401619/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Dongtao Lin ◽

Yudan Zeng ◽

Deyu Tang ◽

Yongming Cai

Keyword(s):

Parkinson’S Disease ◽

Parkinson's Disease ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Mapk Signaling ◽

Metabolic Process ◽

Network Pharmacology ◽

Oxygen Species ◽

Membrane Raft ◽

Neuron Death ◽

G Protein Coupled

Abstract Background: Parkinson's Disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease in middle-aged and elderly people. Liuwei Dihuang Pill (LWDH Pills) has good effect on Parkinson's disease but the mechanism of action is not clear. Network pharmacology is the result of integrating the basic theories and research methods of medicine, biology, computer science, bioinformatics and other disciplines, which can systematically and comprehensively reflect the mechanism of drug intervention in disease network.Methods: Obtained the main components and targets of herbs in LWDH Pills through Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) database, and screen the active components of traditional Chinese medicine according to ADME; The PD-related targets were obtained from Gencards, OMIM, TTD, DRUGBANK databases. Used Jvenn to take the intersection of targets of LWDH Pills and PD-related targets, use the String platform to analyze protein interactions, construct a PPI network and explore potential protein functional modules in the network. The Metascape platform was used to performe KEGG pathway and GO Function enrichment analysis. Finally, the Cytoscape software was used to construct the drug-components-target network.Results: After screening and de-weighting, 210 effective active ingredients of LWDH Pills, 204 drug targets, 4333 diabetic nephropathy disease targets, and 162 drug-disease targets were obtained by the intersection of Jvenn. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that these targets are involved in neuron death, G protein-coupled amine receptor activity, reactive oxygen species metabolic process, membrane raft, MAPK signaling pathway, cellular senescence and other biological processes. Drug-components-target shows that the hub components of Liuwei Dihuang Pills were quercetin, Stigmasterol, kaempferol, and beta-sitosterolConclusion: LWDH Pill has the characteristics of multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway for the treatment of PD. The hub components may be quercetin, Stigmasterol, kaempferol, and beta-sitosterol, and may be through pairing hub targets such as AKT1, VEGFA, IL6, etc. to regulate Neuron death, G protein-coupled amine receptor activity, reactive oxygen species metabolic process, membrane raft, MAPK signaling pathway, cellular senescence to play a role in the treatment of PD

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Network Pharmacology-Based Prediction and Verification of Shikonin for the mechanism treating colorectal cancer

Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery ◽

10.2174/1574892817666211224142100 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 ◽

Author(s):

Zefeng Wang ◽

Qianfei Cui ◽

Ling Shi ◽

Meiling Zhang ◽

Peng Song ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Underlying Mechanism ◽

Akt Signaling ◽

Venn Diagram ◽

Migration And Invasion ◽

Network Pharmacology ◽

Akt Signaling Pathway ◽

Protein Protein Interaction ◽

Arnebia Euchroma

Background: Shikonin (SKN), a naturally occurring naphthoquinone, is a major active chemical component isolated from Lithospermum erythrorhizon Sieb Zucc, Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Johnst, or Arnebia guttata Bunge, and commonly used to treat viral infection, inflammation, and cancer. However, the underlying mechanism has not been elucidated Objective: This study aims to explore the antitumor mechanism of SKN in colorectal cancer (CRC) through network pharmacology and cell experiments. Methods: Using SymMap database and Genecards to predict the potential targets of SKN and CRC, while the cotargets were obtained by Venn diagram. The cotargets were imported into website of String and DA DAVID, constructing the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, performing Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses, the Compound-Target-Pathway (C-T-P) network was generated by connecting potential pathways with the corresponding targets. Results: According to the results of network pharmacological analysis, the cell experiments were used to verify the key signal pathway. The most relevant target of SKN for the treatment of CRC was PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. SKN inhibited CRC cells (HT29 and HCT116) proliferation, migration, and invasion, and promoted cell apoptosis by targeting IL6 and inhibiting the IL6R/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. SKN promotes apoptosis and suppresses CRC cells (HT29 and HCT116) activity through the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Conclusion: This research not only provides a theoretical and experimental basis for more in-depth studies but also offers an efficient method for the rational utilization of a series of Traditional Chinese medicines as anti-CRC drugs.

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A Network Pharmacology Approach to Reveal the Underlying Mechanisms of Paeonia lactiflora Pall. On the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2019/8706589 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Qiang Zeng ◽

Longfei Li ◽

Yu Jin ◽

Zongzheng Chen ◽

Lihong Duan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Molecular Docking ◽

Inflammatory Response ◽

Signaling Pathway ◽

Cell Apoptosis ◽

Enrichment Analysis ◽

Network Pharmacology ◽

Paeonia Lactiflora ◽

Active Compounds ◽

Target Proteins ◽

Underlying Mechanisms

Objective. To investigate the potential active compounds and underlying mechanisms of Paeonia lactiflora Pall. (PLP) on the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) based on network pharmacology. Methods. The active components of PLP were collected from Traditional Chinese Medicine System Pharmacology (TCMSP) database, and their possible target proteins were predicted using TCMSP, SwissTargetPrediction, and STITCH databases. The putative AD-related target proteins were identified from Therapeutic Target Database (TTD), GeneCards, and MalaCards database. The compound-target-disease network interactions were established to obtain the key targets about PLP acting on AD by network topology analysis. Then, the function annotation and signaling pathways of key targets were performed by GO and KEGG enrichment analysis using DAVID tools. Finally, the binding capacity between active ingredients and key targets was validated by molecular docking using SystemsDock tools. Results. There were 7 active compounds involving in 151 predicted targets identified in PLP. Besides, a total of 160 AD-related targets were identified. Among these targets, 30 shared targets of PLP and AD were acquired. After topological analysis of the PLP potential target-AD target network, 33 key targets that were highly responsible for the therapeutic effects of PLP on AD were obtained. Further GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that these key targets were significantly involved in multiple biological processes and pathways which participated in cell apoptosis and inflammatory response and maintained the function of neurons to accomplish the anti-AD activity. The molecular docking analysis verified that the 7 active compounds had definite affinity with the key targets. Conclusions. The ameliorative effects of PLP on AD were predicted to be associated with regulating neural cell apoptosis, inflammatory response, and neurotrophy via various pathways such as PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, and neurotrophin signaling pathway.

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