Open Access

A network pharmacology approach to investigate the pharmacological effects of Guizhi Fuling Wan on uterine fibroids

  • Authors:
    • Liuting Zeng
    • Kailin Yang
    • Huiping Liu
    • Guomin Zhang
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: September 21, 2017     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2017.5170
  • Pages: 4697-4710
  • Copyright: © Zeng et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

To investigate the pharmacological mechanism of Guizhi Fuling Wan (GFW) in the treatment of uterine fibroids, a network pharmacology approach was used. Information on GFW compounds was collected from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) databases, and input into PharmMapper to identify the compound targets. Genes associated with uterine fibroids genes were then obtained from the GeneCards and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man databases. The interaction data of the targets and other human proteins was also collected from the STRING and IntAct databases. The target data were input into the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery for gene ontology (GO) and pathway enrichment analyses. Networks of the above information were constructed and analyzed using Cytoscape. The following networks were compiled: A compound‑compound target network of GFW; a herb‑compound target‑uterine fibroids target network of GWF; and a compound target‑uterine fibroids target‑other human proteins protein‑protein interaction network, which were subjected to GO and pathway enrichment analyses. According to this approach, a number of novel signaling pathways and biological processes underlying the effects of GFW on uterine fibroids were identified, including the negative regulation of smooth muscle cell proliferation, apoptosis, and the Ras, wingless‑type, epidermal growth factor and insulin‑like growth factor‑1 signaling pathways. This network pharmacology approach may aid the systematical study of herbal formulae and make TCM drug discovery more predictable.
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November-2017
Volume 14 Issue 5

Print ISSN: 1792-0981
Online ISSN:1792-1015

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Spandidos Publications style
Zeng L, Yang K, Liu H and Zhang G: A network pharmacology approach to investigate the pharmacological effects of Guizhi Fuling Wan on uterine fibroids. Exp Ther Med 14: 4697-4710, 2017.
APA
Zeng, L., Yang, K., Liu, H., & Zhang, G. (2017). A network pharmacology approach to investigate the pharmacological effects of Guizhi Fuling Wan on uterine fibroids. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 14, 4697-4710. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2017.5170
MLA
Zeng, L., Yang, K., Liu, H., Zhang, G."A network pharmacology approach to investigate the pharmacological effects of Guizhi Fuling Wan on uterine fibroids". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 14.5 (2017): 4697-4710.
Chicago
Zeng, L., Yang, K., Liu, H., Zhang, G."A network pharmacology approach to investigate the pharmacological effects of Guizhi Fuling Wan on uterine fibroids". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 14, no. 5 (2017): 4697-4710. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2017.5170