Exploration of the Potential Mechanisms of Wumei Pill for the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis by Network Pharmacology

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Wumei pill (WMP) has a long history of colitis treatment in China, but the protective mechanisms have not been elucidated. To uncover the potential mechanisms of WMP against ulcerative colitis (UC), the network pharmacology approach was utilized in this study. METHODS: Public databases were utilized to identify the potential targets of WMP and genes related to UC. Based on the identified overlapping common targets, drug-ingredient-target gene network, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis were conducted. Molecular docking was carried out to verify the selected key active ingredients and core targets. RESULTS: 129 active ingredients and 622 target genes were obtained. The drug-ingredient-target gene network revealed 52 active ingredients of WMP acting on 73 targets related to UC. GO analysis revealed that biological processes were mainly associated with oxidative stress, such as, reactive oxygen species metabolic processes, response to oxidative stress, cellular response to oxidative stress, response to reactive oxygen species, and regulation of reactive oxygen species metabolic processes. KEGG analysis revealed that the immune- and inflammation-related pathways, tumor-related signaling pathways, and microbial infection-related signaling pathways were the most significant. PPI network identified 13 core target genes. The molecular docking results indicated the formation of stable bonds between the active ingredients and core target genes. CONCLUSIONS: The approach of network pharmacology reveals the key ingredients, potential core targets, and biological process of WMP in the treatment of UC. The mechanisms of action of WMP involve anti-inflammation, antioxidation, and modulation of immunity, which provides evidence for the therapeutic role of WMP in UC.