Pharmacological effects of the Cassia Seed on atherosclerosis: A meta-analysis based on network pharmacology

Sen Zhang; Sijing Rao; Mei Wen Yang; Ya-Ting Huang; Fen-Fang Hong; Shu-Long Yang

doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000030411

Pharmacological effects of the Cassia Seed on atherosclerosis: A meta-analysis based on network pharmacology

Medicine (Baltimore). 2022 Sep 9;101(36):e30411. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000030411.

Authors

Sen Zhang¹, Sijing Rao¹, Mei Wen Yang², Ya-Ting Huang¹, Fen-Fang Hong³, Shu-Long Yang^{1

4

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Affiliations

¹ Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
² Department of Surgery, Fuzhou Medical College, Nanchang University, Jiangxi, Fuzhou, China.
³ Experimental Center of Pathogen Biology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
⁴ Key Research Laboratory of Chronic Diseases, Fuzhou Medical College, Nanchang University, Fuzhou, China.
⁵ Department of Physiology, Fuzhou Medical College, Nanchang University, Jiangxi, Fuzhou, China.

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to shed light on the active ingredients and potential targets of Cassia Seed about anti-atherosclerosis based on network pharmacology.

Methods: The active ingredients and potential targets of Cassia Seed were obtained from traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform (TCMSP) and SwissTargetPrediction database. Then, atherosclerosis-related targets were screened via GeneCards, online mendelian inheritance in man, therapeutic target database and DrugBank database. The common targets and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was later identified and built. Furthermore, we used the database for annotation, visualization and integrated discovery (DAVID) database server to accomplish the enrichment analysis. The compounds-targets-pathways network was ultimately constructed by Cytoscape.

Results: A total of 14 active ingredients and 475 related targets were sifted from Cassia Seed. Among 574 potential atherosclerotic targets, there were 99 targets overlapped with those of Cassia Seed. Topological analysis with Cytoscape revealed that proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src, transcription factor AP-1 (JUN), mitogen-activated protein kinase 8 (MAPK8), mitogen-activated protein kinase 14 (MAPK14) and catenin beta-1 were considered as the hub gene. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis suggested that the Cassia Seed had the potential to influence varieties of biological processes and pathways, including positive regulation of smooth muscle cell proliferation, inflammatory response, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling pathway and arachidonic acid (ARA) metabolism.

Conclusion: Taken together, our findings support that anti-atherosclerosis effects of Cassia Seed are characterized by multi-component, multi-target and multi-path mechanism of action.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis

MeSH terms

Cassia*
Drugs, Chinese Herbal* / pharmacology
Drugs, Chinese Herbal* / therapeutic use
Humans
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
Network Pharmacology
Seeds
Tyrosine
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A

Substances

Drugs, Chinese Herbal
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A
Tyrosine
Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases