Mechanism of Mahuang Lianqiao Chixiaodou Decoction in treating eczema by network pharmacology and molecular docking technology / 中国中药杂志

To study the molecular mechanism of Mahuang Lianqiao Chixiaodou Decoction in the treatment of eczema by means of network pharmacology and molecular docking. First, the TCMSP database was used to excavate the active ingredient of each drug in Mahuang Lianqiao Chixiaodou Decoction and predict its target, and the Uniprot database was used to standardize the names of target proteins, in order to obtain the disease targets of eczema through GeneCards, OMIM, PharmGkb, DrugBank and other databases. And next, the potential targets on which drug targets and disease targets work together were selected to make a Venn diagram, the Cytoscape 3.6.1 software was used to screen out and construct the "active ingredient-core targets" network. STRING database was used to construct a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network, and the R language was used to perform GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis. Finally, the molecular docking verification of main active ingredients and core targets of the drug was performed by AutoDock software. The study showed that 74 active ingredients and 103 targets of Mahuang Lianqiao Chixiaodou Decoction for the treatment of eczema were screened. The main active ingredients included quercetin, luteolin, wogonin, kaempferol, and the main targets included PTGS1, ESR1, PPARG, and MAPK3. In addition, eight key targets, including MAPK8, MAPK3, JUN, MAPK14, TP53, MAPK1, ESR1 and RELA, were calculated by PPI network. GO enrichment analysis involved 2 024 biological processes, 81 cell components, and 140 molecular functions. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis was performed to screen out 158 eczema-related pathways, which mainly acted on AGE-RAGE signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway, virus-related pathways, and the results of molecular docking showed that the main active compounds could respectively bind to representative targets and exhibit a good affinity. The study proved that the treatment of eczema with Mahuang Lianqiao Chixiaodou Decoction involved multiple signaling pathways and biological processes, and the combination of main active ingredients(such as quercetin, luteolin, wogonin, kaempferol) and key targets(such as MAPK8, MAPK3, JUN, MAPK14, TP53, MAPK1, ESR1, RELA) may be one of the important mechanisms of action.

Chinese classical formulas Ephedra associated prescriptions for treatment of skin diseases / 中国中药杂志

Chinese classical formulas, firstly recorded in Shanghan Zabing Lun by Zhang Zhongjing in the Han dynasty, have been widely used by traditional Chinese medicine physicians for thousands of years due to its good compatibility, strict structures, significant clinical efficacy and less adverse effects. Ephedra associated prescriptions, widely used in the treatment of skin diseases, are famous representative prescriptions in Chinese classical formulas. The commonly used Ephedra associated prescriptions include Mahuang Lianqiao Chixiaodou decoction, Maxing Shigan decoction, Maxing Yigan decoction, Mahuang decoction, Mahuang Jiazhu decoction, Guizhi Mahuang Geban decoction, and Guizhi Eryue Biyi decoction. Skin allergy is an allergic reaction, manifested as erythema, papules, and itching. It has been identified that Guizhi Mahuang Geban decoction (1/2 Guizhi decoction + 1/2 Mahuang decoction) is effective in dispersing wind and cold, relieving exterior syndrome and dredging the collaterals, so it can be used to treat skin allergy caused by pathogenic wind-cold. Guizhi Eryue Biyi decoction (1/4 Guizhi decoction + 1/8 Yuebi decoction) is effective in dispersing wind and cold, relieving exterior syndrome and clearing heat, so it is mainly used for the syndrome of wind-cold tightening superficies and heat transformed from wind-cold. Additionally, Mahuang Lianqiao Chixiaodou decoction can relieve exterior syndrome, clear heat and remove dampness, mainly for the dampness and heat depression in the muscle surface. It is found that Guizhi Mahuang Geban decoction and Guizhi Eryue Biyi decoction have certain efficacy for skin allergies, while Mahuang Lianqiao Chixiaodou decoction has significant efficacy for urticaria, acute and chronic eczema, etc. It has been identified that if the conditions of Ephedra associated prescriptions are well mastered by traditional Chinese medicine physicians, they could be widely applied to treat exogenous diseases and miscellaneous diseases.