Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking and Experimental Verification of the Mechanism of Miao-Yi-Ai-Tang Inhibiting the Proliferation of Small Cell Lung Cancer through WNT/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway
Objective To use network pharmacology to mine and predict the targets and related signaling pathways of Miaoyao Yiai Tang(Miao-Yi-Ai-Tang,MYAT)in the treatment of small cell lung cancer(SCLC).And animal experiments to verify its mechanism of action,to provide a theoretical basis for basic experiments and clinical applications.Methods The active ingredients of MYAT were obtained from the TCMSP database,combined with PubMed data,Swiss Target Prediction database and Uniprot database to obtain potential targets;SCLC-related genes were collected through the DrugBank database,Genecards database,OMIM database and TTD database,and the Venny 2.1 platform After obtaining the intersection genes of MYAT and SCLC,import them into the STRING database,construct a protein-protein interaction(PPI)network,use Cytoscape 3.9.1 software for visual analysis,and use Metascape database for GO enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis,to predict the direct action target and signaling pathway of MYAT in the treatment of SCLC.Using AutoDock Tools 1.5.7 software for molecular docking to verify the close relationship between the two.For cytological experiment verification,the cultured cells were treated with MYAT and the expression of β-catenin,AXIN,c-myc was detected by qPCR,and the expression of β-catenin in the cells was detected by Western blot;animal experiments were established to establish a subcutaneous xenograft tumor model of lung cancer NCI-H446,to observe the effect of MYAT on tumor growth.Results A total of 65 effective components of MYAT,1368 SCLC genes,and 260 MYAT-SCLC intersection genes were obtained.Enrichment analysis showed that they were related to cancer pathways,PD-L1/PD-1 pathways,NF-κB pathways,Wnt and other signaling pathways.The results of molecular docking validation showed that the binding energies of active components and core target proteins were all<0 kJ·mol-1,which indicated that the protein could spontaneously bind to active components and be stable.Cell experiments showed that the expression levels of β-catenin,c-myc and AXIN mRNA were significantly down-regulated in the MYAT group(P<0.05).Animal experiments show that:MYAT can significantly inhibit the growth of tumors in vivo.Conclusion Miao-Yi-Ai-Tang can inhibit the proliferation of small cell lung cancer through Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.