Material basis and integrative pharmacology of danshen decoction in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are among the primary and predominant threats to human health with increasing incidence. Danshen Decoction (DSD) as an adjuvant therapy can benefit CVDs patients by improving clinical efficacy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the active components and potential pharmacological mechanisms of DSD by combining mass spectrometry with a network pharmacology strategy and to review the use of DSD in the treatment of CVDs.

Method: First, the composition of DSD was analyzed by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Second, the network pharmacology method was used to elucidate the underlying material basis and possible pharmacological mechanism of DSD for the treatment of CVDs. Finally, clinical and experimental studies on DSD in the past ten years were retrieved from the PubMed and CNKI database, and the content of these studies was used to summarize the latest progress in DSD treatment of CVDs.

Outcome: A total of 35 compounds were found in DSD by manual identification from the analysis of MS, which may be the material basis for the therapeutic effect of DSD. After taking the intersection of 2086 targets related to CVDs, these 35 compounds are considered to play a role in the treatment of CVDs through 210 targets including signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), sarcoma (SRC) and phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit (PIK3R), and a total of 168 signaling pathways were involved in the regulation of CVDs by DSD, including PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, Alzheimer disease, and Rap1 signaling pathway. A total of 29 clinical studies using DSD in the treatment of CVDs were included in the literature review, and these studies showed the positive significance of DSD as adjuvant therapy, while 14 experimental studies included in the literature review also demonstrated the effectiveness of DSD in the treatment of CVDs.

Conclusion: DSD plays a role in the treatment of CVDs through a variety of active ingredients. Large-scale clinical research and more in-depth experimental research will help to further reveal the mechanism of DSD in the treatment of CVDs.

Keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Clinical research; Danshen decoction; Network pharmacology; UHPLC–MS/MS.