A Network Pharmacology-Based Study on Irritable Bowel Syndrome Prevention and Treatment Utilizing Shenling Baizhu Powder

Abstract

Background and Objective. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a prevalent disorder of the gastrointestinal system with complex pathogenesis. Shenling Baizhu powder (SLBZP) is a Chinese herbal compound with multicomponent and multitarget characteristics. Increasing volumes of evidence demonstrate that it has a notable therapeutic impact on IBS. This study therefore is aimed at exploring the potential effective components of SLBZP and their mechanisms in IBS treatment utilizing network pharmacology. Methods. Metabolomics was used to detect the secondary metabolites in SLBZP; the target protein was acquired by target fishing according to the compound’s structure. The SymMap database was used to search herbal medicines for the target protein. The target gene of IBS gave rise to the common gene protein which is the potential target of SLBZP in IBS therapy. The interactions between target proteins were analyzed in a STRING database, the protein relationship network was analyzed using Cytoscape software, and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis of the core target gene group was carried out in a DAVID database in order to construct the “compound-traditional Chinese medicine/molecule-target-pathway” network. Molecular docking was used to verify the core protein and its related small molecular compounds. Result. There were 129 types of secondary metabolites in SLBZP. 80 target proteins of these metabolites were potential core targets for IBS treatment including acetylcholinesterase (AChE), arachidonate-5-lipoxygenase (ALOX5), B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2), recombinant cyclin D1 (CCND1), and catenin-β1 (CTNNB1), among others. Results from these targets indicated that the most enriched pathway was the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway ( p < 0.001 ) and that the most abundant pathway was signal transduction. In the network nodes of the TNF signaling pathway, the Chinese medicines with the highest aggregation were Lablab semen album and Glycyrrhizae radix et rhizoma ( degree = 11 ). The small molecules with the highest aggregation were oxypeucedanin and 3,5,6,7,8,3 ′ ,4 ′ -heptamethoxyflavone ( degree = 4 ). Molecular docking results confirmed that daidzein 7-O-glucoside (daidzin) had the highest degree of binding to TNF proteins in the TNF signaling pathway. Conclusion. This study shows that SLBZP can treat IBS by influencing multiple targets and pathways, of which the TNF signaling pathway may be the most significant. This typifies the pharmacological characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine, i.e., multiple targets, numerous pathways, and specific therapeutic effects on diseases. SLBZP can therefore be used as a candidate drug for clinical IBS by intervening in human signal transduction.

Uncovering the Multitarget Therapeutic Mechanism of Tong-Xie-Yao-Fang on Irritable Bowel Syndrome

“…Conditions associated with ACHE include colonic pseudo-obstruction. With deepening understanding of the brain-gut axis in the pathogenesis of IBS [34], more attention should be paid to the role of ACHE in IBS [35]. Te present study detected a signifcant increase in ACHE level in the IBS model in comparison to the control group, but interestingly, it was decreased after implementing 14 days of TXYF treatment.…”

Research in revealing the effects on Cuscuta chinensis to diarrhea type irritable bowel syndrome based on network pharmacology and molecular docking potential mechanism

“…[ 28 , 29 ] Some studies have shown that there is a certain imbalance of TNF in patients with IBS-D, which shows a manifestation similar to the inflammatory response, and it is feasible to effectively treat IBS-D by exerting anti-inflammatory effects through the TNF signaling pathway. [ 30 , 31 ] TP53, also known as the P53 gene, is an effective cancer inhibitor gene in the human body, playing the role of “gene guardian,” regulating the cell division process, assisting in cell repair, and there is a significant negative correlation between its expression and IL-6 protein, [ 32 ] while IL-6 belongs to the interleukin family, which is a glycosylated protein composed of 184 amino acids, an important inflammatory response factor, and plays an important regulatory function in infections. [ 33 ] One hundred eighty-four amino acids, is an important inflammatory response factor, and plays an important regulatory function in infection, some studies have found that patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome have higher levels of IL-6 than the normal group on average, [ 34 ] and the changes in the level of inflammatory factors have a close relationship with the occurrence and development of IBS-D, so the level of IL-6 expression is often used as an indicator to monitor and judge the condition of IBS-D. [ 35 ] IL-1B is associated with pain, inflammation, and autoimmunity of the body, and is closely related to the cellular defense and tissue repair of the tissues, and it has been found that the level of IL-1B in the colonic mucosa and blood in IBS-D patients is higher than that in normals, which may be involved in the pathogenesis of IBS-D through the function of the organism’s colon.…”

Analysis of the efficacy of Dabuyin pill combined with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue in the treatment of central precocious puberty girls based on network pharmacology

“…The use of long-acting GnRH in the treatment of children with true precocious puberty may have a transient excitation response, which can promote the release of gonadotropin, so it can stimulate the desensitization of the pituitary gland and the feedback downregulation effect (26). The comprehensive result is to reduce the Targets level of gonadotropin, and the synthesis and effect of sex hormone.…”