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Updated: Jun 20, 2025

Network Pharmacology Prediction and Experimental Validation of Trichosanthes-Fritillaria thunbergii Action Mechanism Against Lung Adenocarcinoma
Published on: March 3, 2023
Network pharmacology prediction, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulation-based strategy to explore the
Xiaoyu Wang1, Yansu Ji2, Xin Jin3
1College of Pharmaceutical Engineering of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Component-based Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Haihe Laboratory of Modern Chinese Medicine, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Intelligent and Green Pharmaceuticals for Traditional Chinese Medicine, 10 Poyang Lake Road, West Zone of Tuanbo New City, Jinghai District, Tianjin 301617, China.
Objectives:
Asthma is a heterogeneous disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation. Huashanshen dripping pills (HSS) are commonly utilized for relieving asthma, relieving cough, and expelling phlegm. At present, the molecular mechanism against airway inflammation remains unclear.
Methods:
In this study, network pharmacology, molecular docking technology, and molecular dynamic simulation were used to predict the therapeutic pathways of HSS for asthma. The ovalbumin-induced mouse model was used to further validate the prediction by RT-qPCR, western blot, immunofluorescence, and related methods.
Key Findings:
The findings indicate that HSS improves lung function and relieves lung inflammation by reducing inflammatory cell infiltration around the bronchus and reducing eosinophilic counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). In addition, it lowers the levels of inflammatory cytokines and the expression levels of interleukin-4, interleukin-5, and interleukin-13 mRNA. HSS also inhibits the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 protein.
Conclusions:
All results suggested that HSS can decrease airway inflammation in asthmatic mice by inhibiting NF-κB signaling pathway. This finding will shed light on how it can be used to treat asthma.
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