Jingyuan Zhang1, Xinkui Liu1, Jiarui Wu2, Wei Zhou1, Jinhui Tian3, Siyu Guo1, Shan Shan Jia1, Ziqi Meng1, Mengwei Ni1. 1. Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11 of North Three-ring East Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing, China. 2. Department of Clinical Chinese Pharmacy, School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 11 of North Three-ring East Road, Chao Yang District, Beijing, China. exogamy@163.com. 3. Evidence-Based Medicine Center, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, 222 Tianshui South Road, Lanzhou City, China.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Globally, more than 170 million people are infected with hepatitis C virus, a major cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The Yinchenhao Decoction (YCHD) is a classic formula comprising three herbal medicines. This decoction have long been used in China for clinically treating acute and chronic infectious hepatitis and other liver and gallbladder damp heat-accumulation disorders. METHODS: In this study, we identified 32 active ingredients and 200 hepatitis C proteins and established a compound-predicted target network and a hepatitis C protein-protein interaction network by using Cytoscape 3.6.1. Then, we systematically analyzed the potential targets of the YCHD for the treatment of hepatitis C. Finally, molecular docking was applied to verify the key targets. In addition, we analyzed the mechanism of action of the predicted targets by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and gene ontology analyses. RESULTS: This study adopted a network pharmacology approach, mainly comprising target prediction, network construction, module detection, functional enrichment analysis, and molecular docking to systematically investigate the mechanisms of action of the YCHD in hepatitis C. The targets of the YCHD in the treatment of hepatitis C mainly involved PIK3CG, CASP3, BCL2, CASP8, and MMP1. The module and pathway enrichment analyses showed that the YCHD had the potential to influence varieties of biological pathways, including the TNF signaling pathway, Ras signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, and pathways in cancer, that play an important role in the pathogenesis of hepatitis C. CONCLUSION: The results of this study preliminarily verified the basic pharmacological effects and related mechanisms of the YCHD in the treatment of hepatitis C.
BACKGROUND: Globally, more than 170 million people are infected with hepatitis C virus, a major cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. The Yinchenhao Decoction (YCHD) is a classic formula comprising three herbal medicines. This decoction have long been used in China for clinically treating acute and chronic infectious hepatitis and other liver and gallbladder damp heat-accumulation disorders. METHODS: In this study, we identified 32 active ingredients and 200 hepatitis C proteins and established a compound-predicted target network and a hepatitis C protein-protein interaction network by using Cytoscape 3.6.1. Then, we systematically analyzed the potential targets of the YCHD for the treatment of hepatitis C. Finally, molecular docking was applied to verify the key targets. In addition, we analyzed the mechanism of action of the predicted targets by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and gene ontology analyses. RESULTS: This study adopted a network pharmacology approach, mainly comprising target prediction, network construction, module detection, functional enrichment analysis, and molecular docking to systematically investigate the mechanisms of action of the YCHD in hepatitis C. The targets of the YCHD in the treatment of hepatitis C mainly involved PIK3CG, CASP3, BCL2, CASP8, and MMP1. The module and pathway enrichment analyses showed that the YCHD had the potential to influence varieties of biological pathways, including the TNF signaling pathway, Ras signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, and pathways in cancer, that play an important role in the pathogenesis of hepatitis C. CONCLUSION: The results of this study preliminarily verified the basic pharmacological effects and related mechanisms of the YCHD in the treatment of hepatitis C.