Targets prediction and mechanism of Zanthoxylum nitidum in intervention of inflammation based on network pharmacology / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Objective: To construct the “active components-inflammatory target-anti-inflammatory pathway” network of Zanthoxylum nitidum intervened in inflammation, and predict the target of Z. nitidum intervened in inflammation and its anti-inflammatory mechanism. Methods: Using domestic and foreign literatures, TCMSP database, Pharmmapper server, oral availability (OB), and pharmacodynamics (DL) as the limiting conditions, the components of Z. nitidum were screened and the relative targets were predicted and collected. OMIM database was used to screen inflammation-related genes and protein targets; The STRING database was used to construct the interactive network between inflammatory targets; The network file of “active ingredient-predictive target-inflammatory target” was obtained by PPI analysis and imported into Cytoscape 3.5.1 software to construct the network of “active ingredient- inflammatory target”, so as to obtain the targets directly related to the anti-inflammatory effects of Z. nitidum. DAVID database was used to enrich the KEGG pathway of the selected targets, and then ClueGO plug-in was used to analyze the biological function of the target involved. Finally, the “active component-inflammatory target-anti-inflammatory pathway” network was constructed by combining the above relationships. Results: Twenty-three active ingredients were screened, and nine core anti-inflammatory targets were identified as COX-2, iNOS, PPARG, COX1, MAPK-14, JUN, NR3C1 and so on; The most critical pathways included TNF TRLs signaling pathways. Conclusion: It is preliminarily revealed that the anti-inflammatory effect of Z. nitidum is achieved through the interaction of multiple components and multiple targets, regulating the joint intervention of multiple pathways. However, the key targets and specific regulatory mechanisms need to be explored and verified by further experimental studies.