Investigation of the mechanism of <i>Astragalus membranaceus</i> in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation using network pharmacology

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the underlying mechanisms of action of Astragalus membranaceus in lumbar disc herniation (LDH) treatment.Methods: This study utilized network pharmacology analysis and STRING database to identify compound targets and visualize PPI network. Furthermore, an LDH model was induced in human nucleus pulposus cells using lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and then the vital target genes were evaluated in this model treated with active components of Astragalus membranaceus.Results: Network pharmacology analysis indicates that several key proteins, including vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF A), AKT1, JUN, prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2), interleukin-6 (IL-6), matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP9), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2) may play essential roles in LDH treated with Astragalus membranaceus. The active components in Astragalus membranaceus suppressed the production of IL-1β and IL-6, and increased the expressions of VEGF A, MMP9 and MMP2 in LPS-induced LDH model.Conclusion: The active components of Astragalus membranaceus effectively inhibits inflammation in LPS-induced LDH model, indicating that Astragalus membranaceus is a potential therapeutic candidate for LDH treatment.