Li Tong, Liu Fen, Zhang Xin-Yue, Xu Ming-Shan, Zhao Ye, Sun Jing, Xu Wen-Juan, Dong Ling
School of Life Sciences, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Beijing 102488, China.
School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Beijing 102488, China.
Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2022 Jul;47(13):3619-3628. doi: 10.19540/j.cnki.cjcmm.20211227.701.
Gegen Qinlian Decoction(GQD) is commonly used for the clinical treatment of ulcerative colitis(UC) and other diseases, but its compatibility mechanism has not been elucidated systematically. In this study, the compatibility mechanism of GQD against UC was revealed based on the blood components in the mouse model of UC by network pharmacology. The targets of blood components of GQD were collected to construct a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network. The key targets were screened out according to the topological parameters of the network, and 16 core components were identified, such as puerarin, chrysin, berberine, and liquiritigenin, based on the key targets in the blood components. Functional enrichment analysis was performed on the key targets, and the regulatory network of the prescription was constructed, which elucidated the compatibility mechanism of the Chinese herbal drugs in the prescription at both target and pathway levels. The results showed that all the Chinese herbal drugs in GQD had heat-clearing and toxin-removing effects, and the four Chinese herbal drugs synergistically exerted their effects by co-regulating protooncogenes, such as FOS and JUN, and characteristically regulating signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3) and interleukin-6(IL-6). The pathway analysis revealed that GQD exerted heat-clearing and toxin-removing effects mainly by regulating the inflammatory response-related signaling pathways, such as Toll-like receptor, tumor necrosis factor(TNF), and mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK). Furthermore, the study revealed the synergistic effects of Chinese herbal drugs in GQD based on the TNF signaling pathway. The results showed that the sovereign drug Puerariae Lobatae Radix played a primary role in the regulation of targets in the TNF signaling pathway, the minister drugs Scutellariae Radix and Coptidis Rhizoma showed the synergistic effects with Puerariae Lobatae Radix, and the assistant and guiding drug Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma supported Puerariae Lobatae Radix in the key target NF-κB and the process of cell adhesion. The drugs in GQD showed good characteristics of compatibility in the TNF signaling pathway. This study is expected to provide the basis for the further exploration of the compatibility mechanism of GQD.
葛根芩连汤(GQD)常用于溃疡性结肠炎(UC)等疾病的临床治疗,但其配伍机制尚未得到系统阐明。本研究通过网络药理学基于UC小鼠模型的血液成分揭示了GQD治疗UC的配伍机制。收集GQD血液成分的靶点构建蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用(PPI)网络。根据网络拓扑参数筛选出关键靶点,并基于血液成分中的关键靶点鉴定出16种核心成分,如葛根素、白杨素、小檗碱和甘草素。对关键靶点进行功能富集分析,构建方剂调控网络,从靶点和通路水平阐明方剂中中药的配伍机制。结果表明,GQD中的所有中药均有清热泻火解毒之功效,四味中药通过共同调节原癌基因如FOS和JUN,并特异性调节信号转导和转录激活因子3(STAT3)和白细胞介素-6(IL-6)而协同发挥作用。通路分析显示,GQD主要通过调节Toll样受体、肿瘤坏死因子(TNF)和丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(MAPK)等炎症反应相关信号通路发挥清热泻火解毒作用。此外,该研究基于TNF信号通路揭示了GQD中中药的协同作用。结果显示,君药葛根在TNF信号通路靶点调控中起主要作用,臣药黄芩和黄连与葛根发挥协同作用,佐使药甘草在关键靶点NF-κB及细胞黏附过程中支持葛根。GQD中的药物在TNF信号通路中显示出良好的配伍特性。本研究有望为进一步探索GQD的配伍机制提供依据。
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