Identification of the Mechanism of Feiduqing on Viral Pneumonia Based on Network Pharmacology Analysis

Abstract

Feiduqing (FDQ) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula used for many years in the treatment of viral pneumonia (VP). However, the effective components of FDQ and the mechanism by which it affects VP remain unclear. The purpose of this study is to determine the multitarget mechanism of the effect of FDQ on VP through determination and in vivo pharmacodynamics combined with network pharmacology. Firstly, the compound–target–pathway network was constructed by using TCMSP, UniProt, GeneCards, STRING, and DAVID databases through Cytoscape 3.7.0. Secondly, the content of the effective components of the original prescription of FDQ was determined. Finally, the pharmacological activity of FDQ in vivo was verified by an animal model, and the active ingredient composition (AIC), selected by network pharmacology was used for antipyretic, antiinflammatory, antitussive, and expectorant symptoms. Seven compounds of FDQ and 22 potential target genes in the treatment of VP with FDQ were identified by network pharmacology analysis. Kyoto Encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analysis results indicated that the mechanism of FDQ in the treatment of VP was mainly related to pathways in cancer, hepatitis b, tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling pathway, Chagas disease, tuberculosis, influenza A, human T-cell leukemia virus, type 1 infection, toxoplasmosis and toll-like receptor signaling pathways, osteoclast differentiation, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and leishmaniasis. The results of pharmacodynamic experiments showed that FDQ and AIC possessed antipyretic, cough relieving, and reducing sputum effects. Besides, FDQ and AIC could also significantly reduce the content of prostaglandin E2, TNF-α, cyclic adenosine monophosphate, interleukin-1β, and myeloperoxidase in vivo, while increasing the content of interleukin-10 in vivo. The active ingredients of FDQ prescriptions could be accurately screened by network pharmacological analysis, as they clarified the mechanism of FDQ in the treatment of VP. The research results provided potential ideas and methods for the screening and purification of active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions.