Study on the mechanism of Gualou Xiebai Guizhi decoction (GLXBGZD) in the treatment of coronary heart disease based on network pharmacology

Abstract

Background: This study aims to analyze the mechanism of Gualou Xiebai Guizhi decoction (GLXBGZD) in treating coronary heart disease (CHD) utilizing network pharmacology. Methods: The GLXBGZD effective components were searched on the pharmacological database platform of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacol, and its potential target was predicted. The Online Mendelian Inheritance obtained CHD disease target in Man and GeneCards database. The Venn map of the intersection target for GLXBGZD and CHD was constructed by using Venn online website. The “drug-component-target-disease” network map was constructed by Cytoscape 3.7.2 software. The DAVID online platform was used to analyze the function of Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) at the intersection of targets of drugs and diseases. Results: A total of 27 articles were searched for GLXBGZD, including 111 potential targets, 5521 disease targets, 100 drug and disease intersection targets. The core target network map shows that Interleukin (IL)-6, TNF, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA), TP53, EGF, JUN, MAPK1, Catalase (CAT), and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) may be the key targets in CHD therapy. GO functional enrichment analysis revealed that the biological functions of GLXBGZD involved biological processes such as response to drugs, positive regulation of nitric oxide biosynthesis process, and response to hypoxia. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that GLXBGZD might participate in CHD treatment through Hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), PhosphoInositide-3 Kinase--Threonine protein kinase (PI3K-Akt), and the calcium signal pathway. Conclusions: This study reveals that the GLXBGZD mechanism in CHD treatment has the characteristics of multi-components, multi-targets, and multi-pathways, which provides a theoretical basis for its clinical application and subsequent experimental verification.

Clinical Research Progress of Gualou Xiebai Banxia Decoction in the Treatment of Chest Stuffiness

“…Gualou Xiebai Banxia Decoction can effectively improve the patients' TCM syndrome evaluation and vascular endothelial function, and reduce the use of nitroglycerin and its related adverse reactions. It provides a new idea and method [23] for the treatment of coronary atherosclerotic heart disease. Jiang Zhengqiang found that in the treatment process, if the use of Gualouxiebai Banxia decoction, it can effectively inhibit the inflammatory response, so as to significantly improve the therapeutic effect.…”

Gualou Xiebai Guizhi Decoction in the Treatment of Angina Pectoris in Coronary Heart Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

“…The Gualou Xiebai Guizhi decoction (GLXBGZD) is a traditional Chinese herbal formula composed of Gualou (Trichosanthis Fructus), Xiebai (Allii Macrostemonis Bulbus), Guizhi (Cmnamomi Mmulus), Zhishi (Fructus aurantii immaturus), Houpo (Magnoliae Officmalis Cortex), Fuling (Poria), Baizhu (Macrocephalae Rhizoma), Honghua (Carthami Flos), Banxia (Pinelliae Rhizoma), Chuanxiong (Chuanxiong Rhizoma), Yanhusuo (Corydalis Rhizoma), Yujin (Curcumae Radix), Gancao (Radix Rhizoma Glycyrrhizae), and other traditional Chinese medicines. GLXBGZD has the effects of warming yang and invigorating qi, eliminating phlegm and blood stasis, dredging yang, and resolving stagnation; its effectiveness in the treatment of CHD has been demonstrated in modern pharmacological studies [8][9][10].…”