Affiliation:
1. Department of Andrology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing 100700, Beijing, China
2. Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100029, Beijing, China
3. Department of Andrology, Hang Zhou Red Cross Hospital, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang, China
Abstract
Background and Aim:
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), as a complementary and
alternative therapy, has played increasingly important roles in clinical treatment and disease prevention.
Zuogui Yin (ZGY) is one of the well-known TCM prescriptions used for the treatment of
male infertility. To fully reveal the potential mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of
ZGY on male infertility, a network pharmacology approach was conducted at the molecular level.
Methods:
Network pharmacology approach was used in this study, which mainly included active
compound screening, target prediction, gene enrichment analysis, and network analysis.
Results:
The network analysis successfully identified 148 potential active ingredients of ZGY and
155 predicted targets that were associated with male infertility. ZGY might play a role in the treatment
of male infertility by regulating ten hub targets (VEGFA, CASP3, TNF, AKT1, EGF, EGFR,
IL-6, MAPK1, TP53, and PTGS2) and six pathways (TNF signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling
pathway, FoxO signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway,
and MAPK signaling pathway).
Conclusion:
: This study explored the pharmacological activity and molecular mechanisms of ZGY
against male infertility from a holistic perspective. The underlying molecular mechanisms were
closely related to the intervention of oxidative stress and apoptosis with CASP3, TP53, AKT1, and
MAPK1 being possible targets.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Publisher
Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.
Subject
Organic Chemistry,Computer Science Applications,Drug Discovery,General Medicine