Using Network Pharmacology to Explore the Mechanism of Panax notoginseng in the Treatment of Myocardial Fibrosis

Abstract

Objective. The mechanism of Panax notoginseng in treating myocardial fibrosis (MF) was investigated using network pharmacology. Methods. Effective ingredients and potential targets of Panax notoginseng were screened in relevant databases to construct a compound-target network. Targets of MF were then screened to select common targets and construct a protein-protein interaction network. This was followed by Gene Ontology and pathway enrichment analyses. Molecular docking then verified the results of network analysis. Results. A total of 14 effective ingredients and 119 potential targets for MF were predicted. Quercetin, beta-sitosterol, and gossypetin were speculated to be the main active ingredients. The mechanism of action may be related to AGE-RAGE, proteoglycans, and IL-17 signaling pathways. Five key targets (IL6, ALB, AKT1, TNF, and VEGFA) may be involved in the treatment of MF using Panax notoginseng. Conclusions. This study embodies the complex network relationship of multicomponents, multitargets, and multipathways of Panax notoginseng in treating MF and provides a novel method for further research on this herb's mechanism.