Exploring the Potential Mechanism of Ru-Pi-Ning Granules Against Mammary Gland Hyperplasia Based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS and...

Ru-Pi-Ning granules were a classic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription with good therapeutic effects on mammary gland hyperplasia (MGH). However, the main components and potential mechanisms of action of Ru-Pi-Ning were still unclear. This study aimed to preliminarily elucidate the potential mechanism of Ru-Pi-Ning in the treatment of MGH based on ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and network pharmacology. Compounds in Ru-Pi-Ning were determined by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS. A Venn diagram was created with drug targets and disease targets, and a PPI network diagram was constructed with shared targets using the STRING database. GO and KEGG pathway analysis were performed using the Metascape platform; molecular docking was carried out using AutoDockTools. A total of 127 active components and 75 overlapping genes were screened out. The main biological processes included cellular response to hormone stimulus and positive regulation of cell migration. Ru-Pi-Ning in treating MGH could regulate several signaling pathways, including the relaxin-signaling pathway and HIF-1 signaling pathway. The core targets were TP53, EGFR, and AKT1. Molecular docking indicated that the active compounds had good binding ability with the screened targets. Ru-Pi-Ning might exert its therapeutic effect on MGH through multiple components, multiple targets, and multiple pathways.