Exploring the Potential Targets and Mechanisms of Huang Lian Jie Du Decoction in the Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Based on Network Pharmacology.

Abstract

BackgroundIn December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by a novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2; previously known as 2019-nCoV) emerged in Wuhan, China, and caused many infections and deaths. At present, there are no specific drugs for the etiology and treatment of COVID-19. A combination of traditional Chinese and western medicine is proposed to treat COVID-19, in which Huang Lian Jie Du decoction (HLJDD) is recommended for the treatment of COVID-19 in many provinces in China and has been widely used in the clinic. This study explored the potential targets of HLJDD in the treatment of COVID-19 based on network pharmacology.MethodsFirst, the chemical composition and targets of HLJDD and COVID-19-related targets were obtained through the TCMSP, UniProt, GeneCards and OMIM databases. Second, HLJDD target and HLJDD-COVID-19 target networks were constructed via the STRING database and Cytoscape software. Finally, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of the HLJDD-COVID-19 targets was applied via the DAVID database.ResultsOur study identified a total of 67 active ingredients of HLJDD and 204 targets of HLJDD. A total of 502 COVID-19-related targets were obtained, of which 47 were intersecting targets of HLJDD and COVID-19. A total of 179 GO terms and 77 KEGG terms, including the TNF signaling pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway and HIF-1 signaling pathway, were identified.ConclusionThe present study explored the potential targets and signaling pathways of HLJDD during the treatment of COVID-19, which may provide a basis for the research and development of drugs for the treatment of COVID-19.