Molecular mechanism of astragaloside IV in the treatment of ulcerative colitis and liver injury comorbidity based on network pharmacology

doi:10.19803/j.1672-8629.20210361

Abstract

Abstract: Objective To explore the pharmacological mechanism of Astragaloside IV in the treatment of ulcerative colitis and liver injury so as to provide evidence for clinical use of Astragaloside IV. Methods The action targets of Astragaloside IV for treating ulcerative colitis or liver injury were analyzed by searching PharmMapper and DRAR-CPI databases. GeneCards and OMIM databases were used to search for and screen the targets of ulcerative colitis and liver injury. The targets of Astragaloside IV were mapped to the disease targets of ulcerative colitis and liver injury respectively. STRING database was used to construct a “component-target-disease” network of Astragaloside IV for the treatment of ulcerative colitis and liver injury. The obtained results were further input into STRING database to analyze the protein-protein interactions in order to find the same targets related to ulcerative colitis and liver injury, and the DAVID database was used to conduct GO classification enrichment and KEGG signal pathway enrichment analysis. The key targets Astragaloside IV bounds to were validated using molecular docking techniques. Results A total of 322 targets related to Astragaloside IV were screened, including 202 anti-ulcerative colitis targets and 219 anti-liver injury targets, and 152 targets were involved in treating both ulcerative colitis and liver injury. Results from KEGG analysis showed that the shared mechanisms of Astragaloside IV against both ulcerative colitis and liver injury involved PI3K-Aktsignaling, FoxO signaling, JAK-STAT signaling, PPAR signaling and MAPK signaling pathways, which might have some effect on the processes of immune response, production of inflammatory cytokines, cells proliferation and differentiation. Conclusion The common therapeutic mechanism of Astragaloside IV against ulcerative colitis and liver injury involve PI3K-AKT signaling, FoxO signaling, JAK-STAT signaling, PPAR signaling and MAPK signaling pathways. Immune response, expressions of inflammatory factors, cell proliferation and differentiation regulation play an important role in the treatment of UC and liver injury comorbidity with Astragaloside IV.

Key words: Astragaloside IV, ulcerative colitis, liver injury, network pharmacology, molecular mechanism

CLC Number:

R961

ZANG Kaihong, LIU Lili, WU Jianjun, GAO Tiantian, QIN Hongyan. Molecular mechanism of astragaloside IV in the treatment of ulcerative colitis and liver injury comorbidity based on network pharmacology[J]. Chinese Journal of Pharmacovigilance, 2022, 19(11): 1196-1201.

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