Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2021, Vol. 25 ›› Issue (20): 3194-3201.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.3219

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An exploration on the mechanism of Shaoyao Gancao Decoction in treating early pain of lumbar disc herniation based on network pharmacology

Zhong Yuanming1, He Bingkun2, Wu Zhuotan2, Wu Sixian2, Wan Tong2, Zhong Xifeng2   

  1. 1The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530001, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China; 2Graduate School, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530001, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
  • Received:2020-06-08 Revised:2020-06-13 Accepted:2020-07-11 Online:2021-07-18 Published:2021-01-15
  • Contact: Zhong Yuanming, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530001, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
  • About author:Zhong Yuanming, Chief physician, Professor, Doctoral supervisor, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning 530001, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China
  • Supported by:
    the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 81760874 (to ZYM); First-class Discipline of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, No. [2018]12 (to ZYM [project participant])

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Clinically, Shaoyao Gancao Decoction has a satisfactory effect on the early pain of lumbar disc herniation, but its mechanism is not clear. As a new subject, network pharmacology has the characteristics of systematization, integrity and multi-channel regulation of signal pathway, which is consistent with the main characteristics of the theoretical system of traditional Chinese medicine.
OBJECTIVE: To screen out the main active components of Shaoyao Gancao Decoction by network pharmacology, construct the active compound-target network, and elucidate the mechanism by which Shaoyao Gancao Decoction treats the early pain of lumbar disc herniation.
METHODS: The active components of Shaoyao Gancao Decoction were retrieved by Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database, and the target genes of active components were selected by AMDE parameters. The relevant target genes of lumbar disc herniation were retrieved from OMIM and Gene Cards database, and the target genes of active components were matched with Shaoyao Gancao Decoction to obtain the intersection targets. The drug-disease-target network map was constructed by using Cytoscape 3.7.2., and the protein-protein interaction network of intersection targets was obtained by STRING platform. Gene ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed using R software. Finally, the main active compounds of the obtained drugs were molecularly docked with key core proteins in the protein-protein interaction network using AutoDock Vina.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: A total of 87 active ingredients such as quercetin, anthocyanin, kaempferol and 47 potential targets such as interleukin-6, interleukin-1β and matrix metalloproteinase 9 were contained in Shaoyao Gancao Decoction. The GO function enrichment analysis showed that Shaoyao Gancao Decoction was mainly involved in the molecular composition of membrane raft, membrane region and collagen containing extracellular matrix, affected the molecular functions of cytokine receptor binding, endopeptidase activity, receptor ligand activity, and participated in biological processes such as response to molecule of bacterial origin, response to reactive oxygen species and cellular respond to oxidative stress. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that Shaoyao Gancao Decoction mainly played the role of anti-oxidation, anti-inflammation and regulated immune responses through tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway, hypoxia-inducible factor-1 signaling pathway and interleukin-17 signaling pathway. Molecular docking results showed that uercetin, menthol and kaempferol, the core compounds of Shaoyao Gancao Decoction, could be closely combined with the core targets, providing the necessary conditions for further exerting the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Shaoyao Gancao Decoction. Overall findings indicate that Shaoyao Gancao Decoction mainly plays the role of anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation as well as regulate immune response through the characteristics of multi-component, multi-target and multi-channel (for example, quercetin can act on the target of matrix metalloproteinase-9 and regulate the tumor necrosis factor signaling pathway), and preliminarily explains the mechanism of Shaoyao Gancao Decoction in the treatment of early pain of lumbar disc herniation.

Key words: lumbar vertebra, traditional Chinese medicine, lumbar disc herniation, pain, mechanism, network pharmacology, molecular docking, signaling pathways

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