Exploring the Potential Targets and Mechanisms of Huang Lian Jie Du Decoction in the Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Based on Network Pharmacology

Abstract

Background In December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by a novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2; previously known as 2019-nCoV) emerged in Wuhan, China, and caused many infections and deaths. At present, there are no specific drugs for the etiology and treatment of COVID-19. A combination of traditional Chinese and western medicine is proposed to treat COVID-19, in which Huang Lian Jie Du decoction (HLJDD) is recommended for the treatment of COVID-19 in many provinces in China and has been widely used in the clinic. This study explored the potential targets of HLJDD in the treatment of COVID-19 based on network pharmacology. Methods First, the chemical composition and targets of HLJDD and COVID-19-related targets were obtained through the TCMSP, UniProt, GeneCards and OMIM databases. Second, HLJDD target and HLJDD-COVID-19 target networks were constructed via the STRING database and Cytoscape software. Finally, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of the HLJDD-COVID-19 targets was applied via the DAVID database. Results Our study identified a total of 67 active ingredients of HLJDD and 204 targets of HLJDD. A total of 502 COVID-19-related targets were obtained, of which 47 were intersecting targets of HLJDD and COVID-19. A total of 179 GO terms and 77 KEGG terms, including the TNF signaling pathway, NF-κB signaling pathway and HIF-1 signaling pathway, were identified. Conclusion The present study explored the potential targets and signaling pathways of HLJDD during the treatment of COVID-19, which may provide a basis for the research and development of drugs for the treatment of COVID-19.

Bioinformatics-based investigation on the genetic influence between SARS-CoV-2 infections and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diseases, and drug repurposing

“…The top five commonly enriched MFs (ubiquitin binding, sequence-specific DNA binding, CCR chemokine receptor binding, chemokine activity) by cHubGs, are significantly associated with both COVID-19 and IPF disease 59,75,76 . Similarly, the association of top four CCs (tertiary granule lumen, early endosome, extracellular space, cytosol, extracellular region) with COVID-19 and IPF disease were supported by the literature review 66,[77][78][79][80][81][82][83] . The top five commonly enriched KEGG pathways (TNF signaling, IL-17 signaling, NF-kappa B signaling, NOD-like receptor signaling and Cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction pathways) are also significantly associated with COVID-19 and IPF diseases 69,[84][85][86][87][88][89][90][91] .…”

Puerarin: A Potential Therapeutic for SARS-CoV-2 and Hantavirus Co-Infection

“…The combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine therapy modalities has been widely employed in the clinical therapy of patients with COVID-19. Traditional Chinese medicine can decrease the risk of severe disease of COVID-19 positive patients ( 28 ). The potential therapeutic value and molecular mechanism of puerarin in the therapy of EHF/COVID-19 were investigated.…”

Network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis on molecular targets and mechanism prediction of Huanglian Jiedu Decoction in the treatment of COVID-19

“…HLJDD has a positive curative effect on novel coronavirus pneumonia. It can reduce the incidence of complications of COVID-19 pneumonia in many ways, improve the treatment efficiency of patients, improve the prognosis of patients, improve medical resource cost-effectiveness, as well as reduce the burden on the country, society, and individuals, which are all of great significance to hasten the ending of the epidemic [ 34 ] . Therefore, studying the active compounds, therapeutic targets, and molecular docking mechanisms of HLJDD can provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of a large number of patients with moderate or severe COVID-19.…”