Mechanism of Action of Dengzhan Shengmai in Regulating Stroke from an Inflammatory Perspective: A Preliminary Analysis of Network Pharmacology

Yiqi Yan; Chao Sun; Xiaoting Rong; Rui Han; Shan Zhu; Rui Su; Ya Jin; Lin Li; Jun Liu

doi:10.1155/2021/6138854

Mechanism of Action of Dengzhan Shengmai in Regulating Stroke from an Inflammatory Perspective: A Preliminary Analysis of Network Pharmacology

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2021 Oct 31:2021:6138854. doi: 10.1155/2021/6138854. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Yiqi Yan^{1

2}, Chao Sun^{3

4}, Xiaoting Rong⁵, Rui Han^{1

2}, Shan Zhu^{1

2}, Rui Su^{1

2}, Ya Jin^{1

2}, Lin Li^{1

2}, Jun Liu^{3

4}

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulae Co-Constructed By the Province-Ministry, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Component Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China.
³ Graduate School, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China.
⁴ Department of Radiology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin 300121, China.
⁵ Tianjin Central Hospital of Gynecology Obstetrics, Tianjin 300121, China.

Abstract

Stroke is a complicated disease with an increasing incidence and a very high mortality rate. A classical Chinese herbal medicine, Dengzhan Shengmai (DZSM), has shown to have therapeutic effects on stroke; however, its chemical basis and molecular mechanism are still unclear. In this study, a systems biology approach was applicable to elucidate the underlying mechanism of action of DZSM on stroke. All the compounds were obtained from databases, and pendant-related targets were obtained from various data platforms, including the TCM Systematic Pharmacology (TCMSP) database, TCM Integrated Database (TCMIP), High Throughput Experimental Reference Database (HERB), Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD), SwissTargetPredicition, and SymMap, The Human Gene Database (GENECARD) and Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) were used for stroke disease target data, followed by network pharmacology analysis to predict the potential effect of DZSM on stroke. Animal experiments were intended to validate the underlying mechanisms. A total of 846 chemical components were compiled for the targets of DZSM drug, and quercetin, kaempferol, and Wuweizisu C are the highest chemical components compiled from DZSM. Overlapping with 375 disease-specific targets and 149 core targets, the core targets include TNF, IL-6, ALB, and AKT1, which are shown to regulate the disease process from an anti-inflammatory perspective. 198 enrichment messages were obtained by KEGG enrichment analysis, and we believe that the role of the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, TNF signaling pathway, and IL-17 signaling pathway is more important. Based on rat experiments, we also demonstrated that DZSM could effectively modulate the inflammation level of brain infarct tissues and effectively alleviate behavioral characteristics. Grouped together, our study suggests that the combination of network pharmacology prediction and experimental validation can provide a useful tool to describe the molecular mechanisms of DZSM in Chinese medicine (TCM).