Mechanism of Guigan Longmu Decoction in the Treatment of Arrhythmias Based on Network Pharmacology and Untargeted Metabolomics Assays

Abstract

Background:: Guigan longmu decoction (GGLM), a traditional Chinese medicine compound, has demonstrated efficacy in treating rapid arrhythmia clinically. Nevertheless, its mechanism of action remains elusive. This study aims to elucidate the molecular mechanism underlying the efficacy of GGLM in treating arrhythmia utilizing non-targeted metabolomics, widely-targeted metabolomics, and network pharmacology, subsequently validated through animal experiments. Methods:: Initially, network pharmacology analysis and widely-targeted metabolomics were performed on GGLM. Subsequent to that, rats were administered GGLM intervention, and nontargeted metabolomics assays were utilized to identify metabolites in rat plasma postadministration. The primary signaling pathways, core targets, and key active ingredients of GGLM influencing arrhythmia were identified. Additionally, to validate the therapeutic efficacy of GGLM on arrhythmia rat models, a rat model of rapid arrhythmia was induced via subcutaneous injection of isoproterenol, and alterations in pertinent pathogenic pathways and proteins in the rat model were assessed through qRT-PCR and Western blot following GGLM administration. Results:: The results of network pharmacology showed that 99 active ingredients in GGLM acted on 249 targets and 201 signaling pathways, which may be key to treating arrhythmia. Widelytargeted metabolic quantification analysis detected a total of 448 active ingredients in GGLM, while non-targeted metabolomics identified 279 different metabolites and 10 major metabolic pathways in rats. A comprehensive analysis of the above results revealed that the core key active ingredients of GGLM in treating arrhythmia include calycosin, licochalcone B, glabridin, naringenin, medicarpin, formononetin, quercetin, isoliquiritigenin, and resveratrol. These active ingredients mainly act on the relevant molecules and proteins upstream and downstream of the MAPK pathway to delay the onset of arrhythmia. Animal experimental results showed that the heart rate of rats in the model group increased significantly, and the mRNA and protein expression of p38, MAPK, JNK, ERK, NF-kb, IL-1β, and IL-12 in myocardial tissue also increased significantly. However, after intervention with GGLM, the heart rate of rats in the drug group decreased significantly, while the mRNA and protein expression of p38 MAPK, JNK, ERK1, NF-kb, IL-1β, and IL-12 in myocardial tissue decreased significantly. Conclusion:: GGLM, as an adjunctive therapy in traditional Chinese medicine, exhibits favorable therapeutic efficacy against arrhythmia. This can be attributed to the abundant presence of bioactive compounds in the formulation, including verminin, glycyrrhizin B, glabridine, naringenin, ononin, quercetin, isorhamnetin, and kaempferol. The metabolites derived from these active ingredients have the potential to mitigate myocardial inflammation and decelerate heart rate by modulating the expression of proteins associated with the MAPK signaling pathway in vivo.