Abstract
Background Coronary heart disease (CHD) seriously affects human health, and its pathogenesis is closely related to atherosclerosis. The Huzhang (the root of Polygonum cuspidatum)–Shanzha (the fruit of Crataegus sp.), a classic herb pair, has been widely used for the treatment of CHD. In recent years, Huzhang–Shanzha herb pair (HSHP) was found to have a wide range of effects in CHD; however, its therapeutic specific mechanisms remain to be further explored. The aim of this study was to elucidate the molecular mechanism of HSHP in the treatment of CHD using a network pharmacology analysis approach. Methods The Batman-TCM database was used to explore bioactive compounds and corresponding targets of HSHP. CHD disease targets were extracted from Genecards, OMIM, PharmGkb, TTD, and DrugBank databases. Then, the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the STRING web platform and Cytoscape software. GO functional and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were carried out on the Metascape web platform. Finally, molecular docking of the active components was assessed to verify the potential targets of HSHP to treat CHD by the AutoDock Vina and PyMOL software. Results Totally, 243 active components and 2459 corresponding targets of LDP were screened out. Eighty-five common targets of HSHP and CHD were identified. The results of the network analysis showed that resveratrol, anthranone, emodin, and ursolic acid could be defined as four therapeutic components. TNF, ESR1, NFКB1, PPARG, INS, TP53, NFКBIA, AR, PIK3R1, PIK3CA, PTGS2, and NR3C1 might be the 12 key targets. These targets were mainly involved in the regulation of biological processes, such as inflammatory responses and lipid metabolism. Enrichment analysis showed that the identified genes were mainly involved in fluid shear force, insulin resistance (IR), inflammation, and lipid metabolism pathways to contribute to CHD. This suggests that resveratrol, anthranone, emodin, and ursolic acid from HSHP can be the main therapeutic components of atherosclerosis. Conclusion Using network pharmacology, we provide new clues on the potential mechanism of action of HSHP in the treatment of CHD, which may be closely related to the fluid shear force, lipid metabolism, and inflammatory response.
Highlights
Cardiovascular diseases, which seriously affect the quality of life of patients and bring a huge burden to the society, are the main cause of death worldwide [1,2,3]
Emodin was extracted from the dried rhizome and root of P. cuspidatum and was shown to inhibit the levels of inflammatory factors and reactive oxygen species (ROS) by inhibiting the TLR4/NF-κB signalling pathway, thereby acting as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent, protecting the vascular endothelium and preventing atherosclerosis [19]
Erefore, this study adopted the network pharmacology analysis approach to comprehensively assess the underling mechanism of action of Huzhang–Shanzha herb pair (HSHP) in the treatment of Coronary heart disease (CHD)
Summary
Cardiovascular diseases, which seriously affect the quality of life of patients and bring a huge burden to the society, are the main cause of death worldwide [1,2,3]. E aim of this study was to elucidate the molecular mechanism of HSHP in the treatment of CHD using a network pharmacology analysis approach. E results of the network analysis showed that resveratrol, anthranone, emodin, and ursolic acid could be defined as four therapeutic components. Enrichment analysis showed that the identified genes were mainly involved in fluid shear force, insulin resistance (IR), inflammation, and lipid metabolism pathways to contribute to CHD. Is suggests that resveratrol, anthranone, emodin, and ursolic acid from HSHP can be the main therapeutic components of atherosclerosis. We provide new clues on the potential mechanism of action of HSHP in the treatment of CHD, which may be closely related to the fluid shear force, lipid metabolism, and inflammatory response
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