Network Pharmacology Strategy to Investigate the Pharmacological Mechanism of HuangQiXiXin Decoction on Cough Variant Asthma and Evidence-Based Medicine Approach Validation.

Qingqing Xia,Jia Qi,Lijun Tian,Mingtao Liu,Hui Li,Yufeng Zhang,Haroon Khan

doi:10.1155/2020/3829092

Abstract

Objective To investigate the pharmacological mechanism of HuangQiXiXin decoction (HQXXD) on cough variant asthma (CVA) and validate the clinical curative effect. Methods The active compounds and target genes of HQXXD were searched using TCMSP. CVA-related target genes were obtained using the GeneCards database. The active target genes of HQXXD were compared with the CVA-related target genes to identify candidate target genes of HQXXD acting on CVA. A medicine-compound-target network was constructed using Cytoscape 3.6.0 software, and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the STRING database. Gene ontology (GO) function enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed using RGUI3.6.1 and Cytoscape 3.6.0. We searched the main database for randomized controlled trials of HQXXD for CVA. We assessed the quality of the included studies using the Cochrane Reviewers' Handbook. A meta-analysis of the clinical curative effect of HQXXD for CVA was conducted using the Cochrane Collaboration's RevMan 5.3 software. Results We screened out 48 active compounds and 217 active target genes of HQXXD from TCMSP. The 217 active target genes of HQXXD were compared with the 1481 CVA-related target genes, and 132 candidate target genes for HQXXD acting on CVA were identified. The medicine-compound-target network and PPI network were constructed, and the key compounds and key targets were selected. GO function enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed. Meta-analysis showed that the total effective rate of the clinical curative effect was significantly higher in the experimental group than the control group. Conclusion The pharmacological mechanism of HQXXD acting on CVA has been further determined, and the clinical curative effect of HQXXD on CVA is remarkable.

Highlights

Cough variant asthma (CVA) has the same pathogenesis as asthma and is characterized by persistent chronic airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness [1]. e clinical manifestations of CVA are chronic cough, which is not always accompanied by wheezing
It has been reported that HuangQiXiXin decoction (HQXXD) is effective in the treatment of CVA; our previous study showed that the total effective rate of HQXXD in the treatment of CVA was not significant compared with the control group, there was some evidence of a clinical effect [9]
We identified the active compounds and target genes of HQXXD from TCMSP. en, 132 candidate target genes of HQXXD acting on CVA were identified, and the key compounds of HQXXD acting on CVA were selected. e main key compounds were quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, wogonin, 7-O-methylisomucronulatol, beta-sitosterol, formononetin, 3,9-di-O-methylnissolin, stigmasterol, and isorhamnetin

Summary

Introduction

Cough variant asthma (CVA) has the same pathogenesis as asthma and is characterized by persistent chronic airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness [1]. e clinical manifestations of CVA are chronic cough, which is not always accompanied by wheezing. Cough variant asthma (CVA) has the same pathogenesis as asthma and is characterized by persistent chronic airway inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness [1]. E clinical manifestations of CVA are chronic cough, which is not always accompanied by wheezing. Chronic cough is often the only symptom of CVA [2]. Inhalation of corticosteroids and long-acting β2-agonists is recommended for the treatment of CVA [5, 6]. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine there is a high recurrence rate of the disease, and the longterm effect of these treatments is not ideal. Chinese herbal medicine has been used in the treatment of CVA [7, 8]. It has been reported that HQXXD is effective in the treatment of CVA; our previous study showed that the total effective rate of HQXXD in the treatment of CVA was not significant compared with the control group, there was some evidence of a clinical effect [9]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion