Investigating the mechanisms of Modified Xiaoyaosan (tiaogan-liqi prescription) in suppressing the progression of atherosclerosis, by means of integrative pharmacology and experimental validation

Abstract

Atherosclerosis (AS)-related diseases remain among the leading causes of death worldwide. Modified Xiaoyaosan (also called Tiaogan-Liqi prescription, TGLQ), a traditional Chinese medical formulation, has been widely applied in the treatment of AS-related diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the underlying pharmacological mechanisms of TGLQ in acting on AS. A total of 548 chemical compounds contained in TGLQ, and 969 putative targets, were collected from the Computation Platform for Integrative Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine, while 1005 therapeutic targets for the treatment of AS were obtained from the DisGeNET, TTD and CTD databases. Moreover, the 63 key targets were screened by the intersection of the targets above, and by network topological analysis. Further functional enrichment analysis showed that the key targets were significantly associated with regulation of the immune system and inflammation, improvement of lipid and glucose metabolism, regulation of the neuroendocrine system and anti-thrombosis effect. The in vivo experiments confirmed that TGLQ could reduce plasma lipid profiles and plasma inflammatory cytokines, and also inhibit AS plaque formation, within the AS model ApoE-/- mice. The in vitro experiments validated the hypothesis that TGLQ could significantly reduce intracellular lipid accumulation, suppress the production of inflammatory cytokines of macrophages induced by oxidized-LDL, and inhibit the protein expression of heat shock protein 90 and toll-like receptor 4. This study identified a list of key targets of TGLQ in the treatment of AS by applying an integrative pharmacology approach, which was validated by in vivo and in vitro experimentation.

Effects of Angelica Fritillaria Kushen Pill on Renal Function and Immune Function after Laparoscopic Radical Nephrectomy for Patients with Renal Carcinoma

“…Among them, Zishui Tiaogan Decoction originated from the Zishui Qinggan Decoction of a famous doctor in the Qing Dynasty. e Zishui Tiaogan Decoction was different from the Zishui Qinggan Decoction in that it was mainly used to invigorate the kidney and was supplemented by Qinggan [23]. In addition to Si Miao San, Achyranthes bidentata and Poria cocos were added to make Simiao powder more effective in dehumidifying [24].…”

Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease from the Perspective of Liver Controlling Dispersion

“…The integrated pharmacological research on the derivative formula of Xiaoyao capsules found that the key targets of Chinese medicine components were significantly related to lipid metabolism and inflammation. In vivo and in vitro experiments confirmed that the capsule significantly reduced plasma inflammatory cytokines, reduced lipid deposition in cells, and inhibited the production of macrophages induced by oxidized low-density lipoproteins [27] . Other studies have shown that the pathological changes in the aortic tissue of rats were delayed, verifying that liver-soothing prescriptions effectively alleviated endothelial injuries [18,20] .…”

Exploring global research trends in Chinese medicine for atherosclerosis: a bibliometric study 2012–2023

“…Specifically, Dendrobine is capable of curtailing inflammatory reactions and oxidative stress via the avenue of FK506-binding protein 1A-associated autophagy ox-LDL in human umbilical vein endothelial cells subjected to Dendrobine treatment ( 115 ). Through ex vivo experiments, Chen M uncovered that Xiaoyaosan effectively hampers the ox-LDL-induced production of inflammatory agents in macrophages ( 116 ).…”