Micro-simulation insights into the functional and mechanistic understanding of glycyrrhizin against asthma

Abstract

Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease, which causes inflammation and airway stenosis, leading to dyspnea, wheezing and chest tightness. Using transgelin-2 as a target, we virtually screened the lead compound glycyrrhizin from the self-built database of anti-asthma compounds by molecular docking technology, and found that it had anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-asthma pharmacological effects. Then, molecular dynamics simulations were used to confirm the stability of the glycyrrhizin-transgelin-2 complex from a dynamic perspective, and the hydrophilic domains of glycyrrhizin was found to have the effect of targeting transgelin-2. Due to the self-assembly properties of glycyrrhizin, we explored the formation process and mechanism of the self-assembly system using self-assembly simulations, and found that hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions were the main driving forces. Because of the synergistic effect of glycyrrhizin and salbutamol in improving asthma, we revealed the mechanism through simulation, and believed that salbutamol adhered to the surface of the glycyrrhizin nano-drug delivery system through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, using the targeting effect of the hydrophilic domains of glycyrrhizin to reach the pathological parts and play a synergistic anti-asthmatic role. Finally, we used network pharmacology to predict the molecular mechanisms of glycyrrhizin against asthma, which indicated the direction for its clinical transformation.