ABSTRACT
Objective::To predict the action targets of anti-lung cancer active ingredients of Xiao Chaihutang, in order to explore the " multi-components, multi-targets and multi-pathways" mechanism using network pharmacology. Method::The active ingredients of Xiao Chaihutang that obtained through Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP), traditional Chinese medicine integrative database for herb molecular mechanism analysis(TCMID) and literature were used to predict the targets by the reversed pharmacophore matching method.To screen out optimization targets, we chose elbow point analysis by using self-developed software TCMKD1.0, and screened out lung cancer-related targets by searching databases, such as Therapeutic Target Database (TTD), Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man(OMIM) and GeneCards, and reviewing literatures.Then components-target network, protein-protein interaction network and targets-pathways network were constructed.The pathway information was acquired with STRING.The Cytoscape 3.6 software was used to construct the ingredients-targets-pathways network of Xiao Chaihutang. Result::The 162 active components in Xiao Chaihutang were obtained, involving 71 anti-lung cancer targets and 11 related pathways.Through topological network analysis, 96 important components, such as quercetin, ginsenosideRh2, formononetin and β-sitosterol were obtained, 28 key targets, such as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor (KDR), cysteine protease-3 (Caspase-3), mitogen-activated protein kinase1(MAPK1), hepatocyte growth factor (MET) were received, and 61 core pathways, such as non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, ErbB signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway were acquired. Conclusion::The result suggests that the active components of Xiao Chaihutang against lung cancer may include quercetin, ginsenoside Rh2, 6-shogaol, formononetin, β-sitosterol.And the mechanism may be related to ErbB signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway and VEGF signaling pathway.This research provides a scientific basis for further elucidation of the anti-lung cancer pharmacological mechanism of Xiao Chaihutang.