Center of Bioinformatics, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China; College of Life Sciences, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2013 Nov 25;150(2):619-38. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2013.09.018. Epub 2013 Sep 21.
The main therapeutic concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is herb formula, which treats various diseases via potential herb interactions to maximize the efficacy and minimize the adverse effects. However, the combination principle of herb formula still remains a mystery due to the lack of appropriate methods.
A systems pharmacology method integrating the pharmacokinetic analysis, drug targeting, and drug-target-disease network is developed to dissect this rule embedded in the herbal formula. All these are exemplified by a representative TCM formula, Ma-huang decoction, made up of four botanic herbs.
Based on the deep investigation of the function and compatibility of each herb, in a molecular/systems level, we demonstrate the different pharmacological roles that each herb might play in the prescription. By the way of enhancing the bioavailability and/or making the pharmacological synergy among different herbs, the four herbs effectively combine together to be suitable for treating diseases.
The present work lays foundations for a more comprehensive understanding of the combination rule of TCM, which might also be beneficial to drug development and applications.
中医（TCM）的主要治疗理念是草药配方，通过潜在草药相互作用治疗各种疾病，以最大限度地提高疗效并最小化不良反应。然而，由于缺乏适当的方法，草药配方的组合原则仍然是一个谜。
开发了一种系统药理学方法，该方法结合了药代动力学分析、药物靶向和药物-靶标-疾病网络，以剖析隐藏在草药配方中的规则。这些都是通过一个具有代表性的中药配方——麻黄汤来举例说明的，该配方由四种植物草药组成。
通过深入研究每种草药的功能和配伍，从分子/系统水平上，我们展示了每种草药在处方中可能发挥的不同药理作用。通过提高生物利用度和/或使不同草药之间产生协同作用，这四种草药有效地结合在一起，适用于治疗疾病。
本工作为更全面地理解 TCM 的组合规则奠定了基础，这也可能有利于药物开发和应用。
