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Understanding the mechanisms of a disease is highly complicated due to the complex pathways involved in the disease progression. Despite several decades of research, the occurrence and prognosis of the diseases is not completely understood even with high throughput experiments like DNA microarray and next-generation sequencing. This is due to challenges in analysis of huge data sets. Systems biology is one of the major divisions of bioinformatics and has laid cutting edge techniques for the better understanding of these pathways. Construction of protein-protein interaction network (PPIN) guides the modern scientists to identify vital proteins through protein-protein interaction network, which facilitates the identification of new drug target and associated proteins. The chapter is focused on PPI databases, construction of PPINs, and its analysis.

Rationale: Resuscitation of infarcted myocardium during ischemia/ reperfusion (I/R) injury is challenging process due to intrinsic complex mechanism. Reperfusion or revascularization is the best therapy to limit amount of infarction. Objectives: The current study was to explore the protective role of ethanolic extract of Crataegus oxycantha (COC) in myocardial I/R injury and to find its effect on angiogenesis. Methods and Results: Male guinea pigs were randomized into four groups control (con; n=6), high fat diet (hfd; n=6), high fat diet + drug (hfd+coc; n=6) and drug (coc; n=6). Myocardial I/R injury was induced by creating ischemia for 30 minutes through left anterior descending artery ligation followed by 24 h of reperfusion. Electrocardiogram analysis showed delayed RR interval and qrs complex in hfd group compared to hfd+coc; whereas, echocardiogram confirmed the dilation of left ventricle. LVIDs was increased in hfd compared to hfd+coc (0.40±0.13 cm vs 0.31±0.12cm; p<0.05) and IVSd: hfd 0.19±0.12cm vs hfd+coc 0.14±0.08 cm (p<0.05). Histopatology of left ventricle showed increased cellular death in hfd animals compared to hfd+coc and reduced intima-media thickness in aorta was seen in hfd±coc. Immunofluorescent analysis of ICAM showed decreased expression levels in hfd+coc group compared to hfd. Immunoblot of whole infarcted left ventricular lysate showed upregulation of EGF and VEGF in hfd+coc showed increased angiogenesis thereby protecting infracted myocardium. Conclusion: Treatment of hfd animals with ethanolic extract of Crataegus oxycantha (COC) during I/R injury improved cardiac function and myocardial viability by activating angiogenesis upon upregulation of VEGF and EGF expression levels in acute phase of injury.