Abstract
Agastache rugosa is used as a Korean traditional medicine to treat gastric diseases. However, the active ingredients and pharmacological targets of A. rugosa are unknown. In this study, we aimed to reveal the pharmacological effects of A. rugosa on gastritis by combining a mice model and a network pharmacology method. The macrophage and gastritis-induced models were used to evaluate the pharmacological effects of A. rugosa. The results show that A. rugosa relieved mucosal damage induced by HCl/EtOH in vivo. Network analysis identified 99 components in A. rugosa; six components were selected through systematic screening, and five components were linked to 45 gastritis-related genes. The main components were acacetin and luteolin, and the identified core genes were AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), nuclear factor kappa B inhibitor alpha (NFKBIA), and mitogen-activated protein kinase-3 (MAPK3) etc. in this network. The network of components, target genes, protein–protein interactions, and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway was closely connected with chemokines and with phosphoinositide 3-kinase-Akt (PI3K/AKT), tumor-necrosis-factor alpha (TNFα), mitogen-activated protein kinase, nuclear factor kappa B, and Toll-like receptor (TLR) pathways. In conclusion, A. rugosa exerts gastro-protective effects through a multi-compound and multi-pathway regulatory network and holds potential for treating inflammatory gastric diseases.
Highlights
Gastritis, the acute or chronic inflammation response to irritation in the gastric mucosa, remains a serious medical problem for many people globally [1,2]
We investigated the anti-inflammatory effects in macrophages, and the gastric mucosa damage ratio in alcohol induced gastritis mice to identify gastro-protective effects of the A. rugosa extract
Based on previous research findings and the association between gastritis-related genes in inflammation system and the putative active components of A. rugosa, we explored that the healing mechanisms of A. rugosa against gastric mucosa damage was closely related to the inflammatory response in PI3K/AKT and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) signaling pathways
Summary
The acute or chronic inflammation response to irritation in the gastric mucosa, remains a serious medical problem for many people globally [1,2]. Acute gastritis is an inflammatory disease that affects many people worldwide; it is mainly caused by the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), smoking, alcohol consumption, and Helicobacter pylori infection [2,3,4]. Alcohol consumption is a leading factor in gastritis and causes excessive inflammation and cell necrosis in the gastric mucosa [1]. The anti-ulcer drugs such as proton pump inhibits (PPIs), antacids, or H2 receptor antagonists are used in the treatment of gastritis, but it causes side effects including osteoporosis, hypergastrinemia, and a decreased absorption of vitamin B12 [2]. In order to develop alternative drugs for the treatment of gastritis with less side effects, it is necessary to search for materials based on traditional medicinal plants and mechanism study
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