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Journal of Chinese Pharmaceutical Sciences ›› 2024, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (5): 448-457.DOI: 10.5246/jcps.2024.05.034

• Original articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Unraveling the mechanisms of compound Sophora flavescens injection in melanoma treatment: A network pharmacology

Xuyang Cui1,#, Zhongjie Ji2,#, Panyang Shi1, Xiaocen Wei3, Yuning Ma3, Mengzhen Xing3,*()   

  1. 1 Medical College, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, Shandong, China
    2 College of Acupuncture and Massage, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, Shandong, China
    3 Institute of Pharmacy, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, Shandong, China
  • Received:2023-11-18 Revised:2023-12-05 Accepted:2024-03-19 Online:2024-05-31 Published:2024-05-31
  • Contact: Mengzhen Xing
  • About author:

    # Xuyang Cui and Zhongjie Ji contributed equally to this work.

  • Supported by:
    Shandong Province Postdoctoral Innovation Talent Support Program Project (Grant No. SDBX2022018); Open Project of Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Functional Materials, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. PCOM202317).

Abstract:

In this paper, the mechanism of effect of compound Sophora flavescens injection on the prevention and treatment of melanoma was studied through network pharmacology. TCMSP database was used to explore the active ingredients of Sophora flavescens and Poria cocos in compound Sophora flavescens injection, the drug targets of Sophora flavescens and Poria cocos were detected by Pubchem and Swiss Target Prediction databases, the disease targets related to melanoma were retrieved through GeneCards, OMIM, TTD and CTD databases, and Cytoscape 3.9.1 was used to establish a TCM-component-disease-target network. The interaction network of intersecting target proteins was established by String and Cytoscape, and the topological analysis was performed according to the MCC algorithm by the Cyto-Hubba plug-in to screen the key targets. Finally, GO and KEGG analyses of the relevant targets were performed using the Metascape database. Finally, a total of 60 active ingredients were screened in the compound Sophora flavescens injection, including quercetin, norcetin and white junen. There are 916 targets related to melanoma tumors, including AKT1, EGFR, ESR1, etc. In addition, the anti-melanoma functions of Sophora flavescens injection include the regulation of phosphorylation effects and the effects of oxidative stress responses, and exert anti-tumor effects by regulating cancer pathways, endocrine pathways, Th17 cell differentiation channels and other information pathways. This study reported for the first time the potential mechanism of compound Sophora flavescens injection in the treatment of melanoma disease, and provided ideas and basis for follow-up experimental research.

Key words: Compound Sophora flavescens injection, Melanoma, Network pharmacology, Mechanism of action

Supporting: