Modern technology-based exploration of mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in prevention and treatment of gastric cancer

This review comments on the article“To explore the mechanism of Yigong San anti-gastric cancer and immune regulation”.We are interested that the article applied network pharmacology and bioinformatics techniques to elucidate the mechanism of action of Yigong Sang,a traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),in the treatment of gastric cancer(GC).The mechanism of action of Yigong Sang in the treatment of GC has not yet been elucidated because it is composed of multiple Chinese medicines with multiple components and multiple targets.The emergence of network pharmacology and bioinformatics analysis helps explain the mechanism of action of TCM in preventing and treating GC,and provides a possibility for TCM to transform from empirical to evidence-based medicine.This is of great significance for the application of TCM in oncology,new drug development,formula optimization,and the improvement of clinical efficacy.

Network pharmacology and data analysis method to explore the traditional Chinese medicine regulates ferroptosis key genes in the occurrence and prognosis of lupus nephritis

Purpose:To explore the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)regulates ferroptosis key genes in the occurrence and development of lupus nephritis(LN)based on biological information database.Patients and methods:Ferroptosis related genes were identified based on FerrDb database and literature retrieval.Used the OMIM,Gene Cards,Drug Bank to obtain the targets of LN.Cytoscapes 3.8.2 software and STRING database were used to analyze protein-protein interaction(PPI)network.Metacape software and Weishengxin were used to analyze the gene ontology(GO)classification and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)pathway enrichment analysis.UniProt Database and Traditional Chinese Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform analysis platform were used to obtain the data table of key TCM and related targets.Cytoscapes 3.8.2 software was used to analyze the PPI network.Results:A total of 401 ferroptosis-related genes,361 LN related genes and 21“Ferroptosis-LN”intersection genes were obtained.Ferroptosis in the occurrence and prognosis of LN mainly involved the inflammatory response,cell activation,positive regulation of chemokine production and it was mainly involved in necroptosis,inflammatory bowel disease,ferroptosis and other pathways.A total of 412 TCMs containing key genes of“Ferroptosis-LN”were acquired.The most key genes were contained in Mahuang,Gehua,Baiguo,Chuanniuxi,Jinyinhua.15 key genes of“TCM-LN”were obtained.5 ferroptosis-related key genes in LN regulated by TCM were obtained,which were IL1β,TLR4,IFNG,STAT3 and HMOX1.Conclusion:TCM,such as Mahuang,Gehua,Baiguo,Chuanniuxi,Jinyinhua,may affect the occurrence and development of LN through the key ferroptosis genes,such as IL1B,TLR4,IFNG,STAT3 and HMOX1.

A retrospective study on professor Gui-Qi Xuan’s experience in traditional Chinese medicine treatment on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: based on data mining and network pharmacology

Background:To investigate the clinical medication approach of Professor Guiqi Xuan(Prof.Xuan)in treating pediatric patients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder(ADHD)and the potential mechanism of the core herbal prescription.Methods:Following medical record information pretreatment,the Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)inheritance computing platform system V3.0 was utilized to analyze the standardized data.The associate rules were summarized to identify the core prescription for treating ADHD.The extracted core herbal prescription’s active compounds and potential targets were used to establish a protein-protein interaction network of active ingredient-disease targets.Cytoscape 3.9.1 software was used to analyze the network’s topological parameters to obtain the key active ingredients and their targets.The Bioconductor data package of R4.0.2 was used to analyze the gene ontology biological functions and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways of key targets.Results:Two hundred and twenty-seven entries derived from TCM record information were selected.Through data mining,it was found that 62.5%of pediatric patients had short-tempered behavior,nearly half had sleep problems,and 30%-40%had picky eating and polyphagia issues.The highest-frequency syndrome type was kidney deficiency and liver hyperactivity.Deficiency,fire,phlegm,and dyspeptic food were the main pathological factors for ADHD.Prof.Xuan’s treatment of ADHD mainly focused on replenishing kidney essence and subduing Yang(active,external,ascending,warm,bright,functional and excited pertain to Yang).The core herbal prescription for ADHD included Yuan-zhi,Yi-zhi,Gui-jia,Bai-shao,Long-chi,Ci-shi,Shi-chang-pu,Yu-jin,Fu-shen,and Huang-jing.The protein-protein interaction network showed that MAOA,ADRB2,FOS,MAOB,and SLC6A3 were the five key targets essential in treating ADHD with core herbal prescriptions.The gene ontology biological function of crucial targets mainly involved G protein-coupled amine receptor activity,catecholamine binding,and neurotransmitter transmembrane transporter activity.Analysis of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways showed that the dopaminergic synapse signaling and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathways were significantly enriched and may be the primary routes for the main treatment of ADHD.Conclusion:Prof.Xuan’s treatment of ADHD has achieved satisfactory clinical effects by supplementing the kidney,replenishing the essence,opening the orifices,nourishing the Yin(static,internal,descending,cold,dim,organic,depressed and pertain to Yin),and subduing the Yang.The major prescription predominantly affects catecholamine binding,neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction,G protein-coupled amine receptor function,and signaling pathways for dopaminergic synapses.Our findings showed that the methodology and software used in this research could explore and analyze the mechanism behind Prof.Xuan’s clinical medication rule for treating ADHD in children.

Identifying medication regularity of traditional Chinese medicine and potential pharmacological mechanism of Jiedu Sangen decoction in colorectal cancer treatment by data mining and network pharmacology

Objective:Colorectal cancer(CRC)is one of the most common malignancies in the world,and traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is widely used in its treatment in China.However,the medication rules of TCM for CRC treatment remain unclear.Therefore,data mining combined with network pharmacology was utilized to establish treatment principles and rules.Methods:The CRC cases treated at Zhejiang Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine from January 1,2016 to October 31,2021 were analyzed using data mining methods.UPLC-Q/TOF-MS analysis was performed to identify the chemical composition of Jiedu Sangen decoction(JSD).Network pharmacology was used to reveal the therapeutic mechanism of JSD.Results:A total of 312 cases 2,998 prescriptions that met the inclusion criteria used 343 kinds of traditional Chinese medicines.The nature of the herbs used in treatment was mainly warm and mild.The taste was mainly sweet,bitter,and pungent.The meridian tropisms were mainly the spleen meridian,followed by lung and stomach meridians.Tonifying and replenishing herbs were the most frequently used in treatment.High-frequency herbs were classified into 11 categories by cluster analysis,and 42 association rules were obtained by association rule analysis.Combined with complex network analysis,3 core prescriptions for clinical CRC treatment were obtained.Jiedu Sangen decoction contains 64 chemical ingredients,out of which 31 active ingredients were identified,including polydatin,caffeic acid,and glutamic acid,along with 130 potential targets such as AKT1,SRC,and MAPK1.Jiedu Sangen decoction may play a role in regulating inflammation,immunity,metabolism,and hormones in the development of CRC via pathways such as the relaxin signaling pathway,IL-17 signaling pathway,prolactin signaling pathway,and T cell receptor signaling pathway.Conclusions:This study summarizes the treatment and medication principles for clinical CRC treatment,promoting the inheritance and development of the traditional Chinese medical experience.

Research Status of Serum Pharmacology and Serum Pharmacochemistry of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Serum pharmacochemistry of traditional Chinese medicine has become a more accurate and rapidly developing reasonable way to analyze the effective material basis of traditional Chinese medicine in recent years. Through this method, we can select very complex Chinese medicine components and clarify the effective substances consistent with the main functions, and then separate and purify effective ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine, so as to explain the material basis of the drug effect and prove the rationality and principle of action of Chinese medicine compounds. It can show the multi-component and multi-target characteristic of traditional Chinese medicine, and after analyzing the migrating components of serum, we can explore the direct effective substances that act on the patient’s body, so as to accelerate and accurately complete the in-depth study of the effective substances of Chinese medicine.

The basic core traditional C hinese medicine for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 and its active mechanisms

Background:COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on human health,economies,societies,and livelihoods around the world.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)formulae have played an important role in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.WHO evaluated the role of TCM in treating of COVID-19 and encouraged other countries to promote the use of TCM formulae.However,the key is to find the basic core traditional Chinese medicine(BC-TCM)among those formulae.Methods:For the first time,we mined the data of TCM formulae in CNIPA and analyzed herb characteristics and association rules.We then determined the BC-TCM and screened main compounds and therapeutic targets.Finally,the potential molecular mechanisms were explored by using enrichment analyses and molecular docking.Results:This study screened 123 patented TCM formulae,including 312 herbs.According to frequency statistics and association rules,nine herbs(Gan Cao,Jin Yinhua,Guang Huoxiang,Fu Ling,Huang Qi,Jie Geng,Lian Qiao,Cang Zhu,Ku Xingren)were selected as the BC-TCM.The BC-TCM involved 166 main compounds and 48 therapeutic targets.The active compounds Hederagenin,Spinasterol,Beta-sitosterol,and Liquiritin had high binding activity to the COVID-19 targets 3CL,ACE2,and core targets RELA,HSP90AA1,STAT3,MAPK3,and TP53 according to molecular docking results.Interestingly,Hederagenin might be a potential compound for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.Conclusion:Our research predicted and confirmed the preventive therapeutic effect of BC-TCM on COVID-19.This has the potential to broaden the scope of TCM,guide people in using clinical formulae,and provide valuable insights for future TCM discovery research.

Traditional Chinese medicine for transformation of gastric precancerous lesions to gastric cancer:A critical review

Gastric cancer(GC)is a common gastrointestinal tumor.Gastric precancerous lesions(GPL)are the last pathological stage before normal gastric mucosa transforms into GC.However,preventing the transformation from GPL to GC remains a challenge.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has been used to treat gastric disease for millennia.A series of TCM formulas and active compounds have shown therapeutic effects in both GC and GPL.This article reviews recent progress on the herbal drugs and pharmacological mechanisms of TCM in preventing the transformation from GPL to GC,especially focusing on antiinflammatory,anti-angiogenesis,proliferation,and apoptosis.This review may provide a meaningful reference for the prevention of the transformation from GPL to GC using TCM.

Study on prescription medication mode and mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of noncritical COVID-19 based on data mining

Background:As of 2023,coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is still spreading globally.Therefore,we aim to integrate non-critical COVID-19 high-frequency and high-targeting Chinese medicines to provide a reference for clinical prescriptions to improve COVID-19-related symptoms.Materials and methods:The information on non-critical COVID-19 high-frequency Chinese medicines in the diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 was obtained by the TCM inheritance support platform.Using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology,high-targeting Chinese medicines with good docking activity with COVID-19 receptors angiotensin-converting enzyme-II(ACE2),3CLpro and tyrosine-protein kinase receptor UFO(AXL)were obtained.A new prescription for non-critical COVID-19 was established by integrating high-frequency and high-targeting Chinese medicines.Rats with acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide were used as the experimental model.The histopathological changes in the lungs of rats in each group were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining.The lung coefficient of rats was measured.The levels of IL-6,TNF-α,and IL-1βin serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.The mRNA and protein levels of ACE2 and AXL in lung tissue were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot.Results:Through data mining,it was found that there were 39 high-frequency traditional Chinese medicines for non-critical COVID-19 in the diagnosis and treatment guidelines.According to network pharmacology and molecular docking,30 highly targeted traditional Chinese drugs for COVID-19 were found.The new prescriptions for non-critical COVID-19 were comprehensively obtained,including Glycyrrhizae Radix,Ephedra Herba,Amygdalus Communis Vas,Gypsum Fibrosum,Descurainiae Semen,Atractylodes Lancea,Scutellariae Radix,Amomum Tsao-Ko Crevostet,Forsythiae Fructus,Pogostemon cablin,Magnolia Officinalis.Compared with the LPS-induced lung injury model group,the medium dose of the new prescription group had significantly alleviated pathological changes in lung tissue,decreased lung coefficient,decreased contents of IL-6,TNF-αand IL-1β,and increased mRNA and protein expression of ACE2 and AXL(P<0.05).Conclusion:Based on data mining,network pharmacology and molecular docking technology,the new prescription for non-critical COVID-19 established by this method has an anti-inflammatory effect on rats with acute lung injury induced by lipopolysaccharide and can provide a reference for clinicians to alleviate the symptoms related to non-critical COVID-19.

Exploring the compatibility theory of traditional Chinese medicine formulae:the disassembled prescriptions study

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has become very popular in the treatment of complex diseases worldwide in recent decades.Despite the promising performance of TCM,how herbs work synergistically in a formula and their therapeutic targets remain ambiguous.This largely limits the correct use and modernization of TCM formulas clinically.The study of disassembled prescriptions is important for investigating the compatibility theory of Chinese medicines.By dissecting the mechanisms of TCM formulae,the compatibility principles of some well-known formulae,such as Realgar-Indigo naturalis,have been elucidated to a certain extent.In this review,several common methods of disassembled prescription studies are summarized,including those of single herb or mineral,sub-prescription,active ingredients or effective parts,large formulae,and systems pharmacology studies,as well as the methods of grouping based on the properties or efficacy of Chinese medicines,in order to provide evidence for formulae study.Moreover,some challenges to be addressed in disassembled prescriptions studies have been identified in this review.

Application of network pharmacology in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 by traditional Chinese medicine

Network pharmacology is an emerging technology based on systems biology and computer information technology,with the help of databases and related auxiliary software,to carry out new drug development and the screening analysis of drug active ingredients and targets.At present,the network pharmacology has been used widely in the research of prevention and treatment drugs for coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).This paper reviews the research methods of network pharmacology in the field of prevention and treatment of COVID-19 by traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)and the development of its specific drugs and further explores the concrete application ideas of this technology.The necessary databases and tools of necessary for screening the active components and targets to molecular docking are summarized.In addition,the practical application of network pharmacology in the study of several potential TCM and active components against COVID-19 is reviewed,mainly including the screening of active components,the discovery of target,and the elucidation of action mechanism.The diversification of research ideas of network pharmacology in the field of TCM was realized,in particular,with two specific ideas in the study of active ingredients of TCM.Finally,the difference of control effect among several TCM and Western medicines on COVID-19 and the limitation and challenge of network pharmacology in TCM,i.e.,the insufficient integrity and accuracy of the database,the uncertain complexity of components analysis,the unclear mechanism of component-target action,and some new challenges due to the characteristics of TCM,are discussed.In view of the importance of TCM in the field of control of COVID-19,the combination of TCM and network pharmacology will continue to play an important role in the development of specific drugs of COVID-19 in the future,in particular,to save time and reduce the workload of drug developers,which is also a direction of TCM development.This study provides theoretical reference and methodological basis for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 by TCM.

Prediction of the mechanism of prostate prescription Ⅰ in the treatment of chronic prostatitis based on integrative pharmacology of traditional Chinese medicine

Objective:To investigate potential mechanism of Prostate prescriptionⅠin the treatment of chronic prostatitis based on integrated pharmacology.Methods:with the help of TCMIP,the effective compounds of Prostate prescriptionⅠwere screened,and the potential target database of Prostate prescriptionⅠwas established by using the target prediction function of TCMIP.Based on the Human Phenotype Ontology database and protein interaction network(PPI)database,the disease target of CP was identified and the target interaction network was constructed;Through the GO function analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis of the candidate targets,combined with Chinese and foreign literature studies to predict the potential Signaling pathway of Prostate prescriptionⅠin the treatment of CP.Results:79 effective compounds of Prostate prescriptionⅠexerted its effect on 33 targets through 11 pathways.Conclusion:Clinical efficacy of Prostate prescriptionⅠon CP may be reflected in antiinflammation and anti-tumor,cell metabolism,immune regulation,neuroregulation and so on.

Dissecting the underlying pharmaceutical mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine Wenxin Keli acting on atrial fibrillation through network pharmacology

As a well-known Chinese medicine prescription, Wenxin Keli (WXKL) has been widely used in the treatment of many arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation and has achieved significant clinical effects, but the specific mechanism of its treatment of atrial fibrillation remains unclear. This study used a network pharmacology approach to reveal the potential molecular mechanisms of WXKL in the treatment of atrial fibrillation. It involves oral bioavailability screening of ingredients, drug-likeness evaluation, compound target fishing, H-C-T network and C-T-P network construction and analysis. Through the network pharmacology-based research strategy, the complex system of WXKL was analyzed. It was found that 14 representative compounds of WXKL, 30 protein targets and 12 related signaling pathways help us systematically understand the underlying mechanism of WXKL’s anti-atrial fibrillation effects.

Research Progress of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Technology

In recent years,using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology to reveal the therapeutic targets of irritable bowel syndrome(IBS)has become a research hotspot.This paper summarizes 31 studies of traditional Chinese medicine for IBS by domestic and foreign scholars,and expounds the action mechanism of single drug,drug pair and compound prescription in the treatment of IBS from the aspects of drug activity,action target,biological process and pathway analysis.It also discusses the shortcomings and prospects of network pharmacology and molecular docking technology in the field of traditional Chinese medicine research,and provides reference for expanding the research ideas of traditional Chinese medicine in treating IBS.

Research Progress in the Application of Network Pharmacology in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Compound Prescriptions

Network pharmacology is a new discipline based on the theory of systems biology,mainly for network analysis of biological systems.It selects specific signal nodes for multi-target drug molecular design.This article summarizes the application of network pharmacology in traditional Chinese medicine and compound prescriptions in recent years from the research progress of network pharmacology,the current research status of single herbs,and the research and application of compound prescriptions.

Mechanism analysis of Traditional Chinese Medicine in treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy based on network pharmacology and Traditional Chinese Medicine inheritance support system

Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most serious complications of diabetes mellitus. In the early stage, edema and proteinuria are the main clinical manifestations. In the later stage, glomerulosclerosis and interstitial fibrosis will occur. And the prognosis is poor. Nowadays, traditional Chinese medicine has a remarkable curative effect in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy. There are more and more studies on the treatment of diabetic nephropathy with traditional Chinese medicine, but most of them focus on the syndromes of diabetic nephropathy, which are short of in-depth research and summary on the mechanism of Chinese herbal prescriptions. In this paper, the traditional Chinese medicine inheritance support system and network pharmacology BATMAN-TCM software were used to collect and analyze the relevant literature. It was found that the core compatibility of Shanzhuyu, Fuling and Shuyu in the treatment of diabetic nephropathy is closely related to the signal transduction pathway and target of diabetic nephropathy, and has a positive effect on the improvement of clinical symptoms such as proteinuria, glycometabolism disorder, edema, etc. This paper explores the core compatibility of Shanzhuyu, Fuling and Shuyu on diabetic nephropathy, in order to provide reference for clinical treatment.

Network pharmacology and experimental validation to reveal the pharmacological mechanisms of Qizhu prescription for treating breast cancer

Objective To investigate the mechanism underlying the effects exerted by the Qizhu prescription(QZP)in breast cancer(BC),and the respective targets.Methods Expression data from the ArrayExpress and The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)were used to identify differentially expressed genes(DEGs)in BC.Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analyses were performed on the DEGs to identify genes involved in protein–protein interactions.Molecular docking was used to explore the dynamic relationship between active molecules and targets.Cell function experiments and animal studies were conducted to evaluate the effects of hub genes and active QZP compounds on BC cell behavior.Results Among the 25 evaluated BC-related targets of QZP,matrix metalloproteinase-1(MMP1)and epidermal growth factor receptor(EGFR)exhibited the highest degrees of dysregulation.GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that the anti-BC targets of QZP primarily affected drug responses and pathways in cancer cells.Molecular docking analysis suggested potential interactions between EGFR and quercetin/luteolin,as well as between MMP1 and luteolin/kaempferol/quercetin.Quercetin significantly reduced BC cell proliferation,migration,invasion,and tumor development in vivo.Treatment of BC cells with quercetin decreased the expression or activation of several associated proteins.Conclusion The findings of our study provide new insights into the therapeutic potential of traditional Chinese medicine against BC,with particular reference to QZP.

Network pharmacology combined with molecular docking revealed the potential targets of Coridius chinensis in prostate cancer treatment

BACKGROUND Prostate cancer(PCa)has high morbidity and mortality rates in elderly men.With a history of thousands of years,traditional Chinese medicine derived from insects could be an important source for developing cancer-targeted drugs to prevent tumorigenesis,enhance therapeutic effects,and reduce the risk of recurrence and metastasis.Multiple studies have shown that Coridius chinensis(Cc)has anticancer effects.AIM To elucidate the mechanism of action of Cc against PCa via network pharma-cology and molecular docking.METHODS Potential targets for Cc and PCa were predicted using ChemDraw 19.0 software,the PharmMapper database and the GeneCards database.Then,the STRING database was used to construct the protein–protein interaction network.Gene Ontology(GO),Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment and molecular docking analyses were subsequently conducted to identify the key targets,active ingredients and pathways involved.RESULTS GO and KEGG analyses indicated that the PI3K-Akt signalling pathway was the critical pathway(P value<1.0×10-8).Multiple targeting ingredients that can affect multiple pathways in PCa have been identified in Cc.Seven active compounds(asponguanosines A,asponguanine B,asponguanine C,aspong-pyrazine A,N-acetyldopamine,aspongadenine B and aspongpyrazine B)were selected for molecular docking with 9 potential targets,and the results revealed that aspongpyrazine A and asponguanosine A are the main components by which Cc affects PCa(affinity<-5 kcal/mol,hydrogen bonding),but more studies are needed.CONCLUSION We used network pharmacology to predict the bioactive components and important targets of Cc for the treatment of PCa,supporting the development of Cc as a natural anticancer agent.

Network pharmacology-based exploration of molecular mechanisms underlying therapeutic effects of Jianpi Huatan Quyu recipe on chronic heart failure with spleen Qi deficiency syndrome

BACKGROUND Chronic heart failure is a complex clinical syndrome.The Chinese herbal compound preparation Jianpi Huatan Quyu recipe has been used to treat chronic heart failure;however,the underlying molecular mechanism is still not clear.AIM To identify the effective active ingredients of Jianpi Huatan Quyu recipe and explore its molecular mechanism in the treatment of chronic heart failure.METHODS The effective active ingredients of eight herbs composing Jianpi Huatan Quyu recipe were identified using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform.The target genes of chronic heart failure were searched in the Genecards database.The target proteins of active ingredients were mapped to chronic heart failure target genes to obtain the common drugdisease targets,which were then used to construct a key chemical componenttarget network using Cytoscape 3.7.2 software.The protein-protein interaction network was constructed using the String database.Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses were performed through the Metascape database.Finally,our previously published relevant articles were searched to verify the results obtained via network pharmacology.RESULTS A total of 227 effective active ingredients for Jianpi Huatan Quyu recipe were identified,of which quercetin,kaempferol,7-methoxy-2-methyl isoflavone,formononetin,and isorhamnetin may be key active ingredients and involved in the therapeutic effects of TCM by acting on STAT3,MAPK3,AKT1,JUN,MAPK1,TP53,TNF,HSP90AA1,p65,MAPK8,MAPK14,IL6,EGFR,EDN1,FOS,and other proteins.The pathways identified by KEGG enrichment analysis include pathways in cancer,IL-17 signaling pathway,PI3K-Akt signaling pathway,HIF-1 signaling pathway,calcium signaling pathway,cAMP signaling pathway,NF-kappaB signaling pathway,AMPK signaling pathway,etc.Previous studies on Jianpi Huatan Quyu recipe suggested that this Chinese compound preparation can regulate the TNF-α,IL-6,MAPK,cAMP,and AMPK pathways to affect the mitochondrial structure of myocardial cells,oxidative stress,and energy metabolism,thus achieving the therapeutic effects on chronic heart failure.CONCLUSION The Chinese medicine compound preparation Jianpi Huatan Quyu recipe exerts therapeutic effects on chronic heart failure possibly by influencing the mitochondrial structure of cardiomyocytes,oxidative stress,energy metabolism,and other processes.Future studies are warranted to investigate the role of the IL-17 signaling pathway,PI3K-Akt signaling pathway,HIF-1 signaling pathway,and other pathways in mediating the therapeutic effects of Jianpi Huatan Quyu recipe on chronic heart failure.

The advances of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of liver diseases in 2019

Background:Currently,the treatment of liver diseases remains an unsolved problem due to its complicated etiology and pathogenesis.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has been used for liver disease treatment for thousands of years.Disease treatment using TCM compounds conforms to the concept of“holism”,which coincides with the complicated pathogenic mechanisms of liver diseases.However,the mechanisms have not been clearly explained due to the complex components and multi-targets,which is a big obstacle TCM’s popularity and application.In recent years,studying the mechanisms and identifying the novel ingredients in herbal medicines are becoming a hot spot for many researchers.Therefore,we obtained literature in PubMed and summarized the progress of TCM’s active ingredients and formulas in treating various liver diseases in 2019.Based on the literature,flavonoids,polysaccharides,saponins,and alkaloids,as well as Chinese medicine formulas,such as Ba-Bao pill and Yin-Chen-Hao decoction,have attracted much attention.In addition,we also focused on the application of new omics analysis techniques,such as metabolomics,network pharmacology,and other omics analyses in the study of TCM formulas.

Systems pharmacology for traditional Chinese medicine with application to cardio-cerebrovascular diseases

Identified as a treasure of natural herbal products,traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has attracted extensive attention for their moderate treatment effect and lower side effect.Cardio-cerebrovascular diseases(CCVD)are a leading cause of death.TCM is used in China to prevent and treat CCVD.However,the complexity of TCM poses challenges in understanding the mechanisms of herbs at a systems-level,thus hampering the modernization and globalization of TCM.A novel model,termed traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology(TCMSP)analysis platform,which relies on the theory of systems pharmacology and integrates absorption,distribution,metabolism,excretion and toxicity(ADME/T)evaluation,target prediction and network/pathway analysis,was proposed to address these problems.Here,we review the development of systems pharmacology,the TCMSP approach and its applications in the investigations of CCVD and compare it with other methods.TCMSP assists in uncovering the mechanisms of action of herbal formulas used in treating CCVD.It can also be applied in ascertaining the different syndrome patterns of coronary artery disease,decoding the multi-scale mechanisms of herbs,and in understanding the mechanisms of herbal synergism.