Network Pharmacological Analysis of"Qiangzhi"Chinese Medicine and Its Experimental Study on Improving Memory Impairment
Objective To summarize and analyze the"Qiangzhi"drugs in Shennong's Classic of the Materia Medica,and to explore the effect and mechanism of improving memory impairment.Methods To screen the drugs with the effect of"Qiangzhi"in Shennong's Classic of the Materia Medica,and summarize their properties and tastes.By searching the common action targets of"Qiangzhi"traditional Chinese medicine through network pharmacology,it is speculated that it may be the basis for playing the role of"Qiangzhi".Animal experiments were carried out,and 80 mice were divided into blank group,model group,Radix Aucklandiae group,Radix Polygalae group,Eucommiae Cortex group,Rubi Fructus group,Euryale Semen group,Fructus Xanthii group,Epimedium group(0.06 g·d1)and Pilose Antler group(0.018 g·d1),with 8 mice in each group,and the corresponding dosage was given by gavage for 30 days.From the 23th day,scopolamine(2 mg·kg-1)was injected intraperitoneally in all groups except the blank group.On the 31th day,the platform test and water maze test were carried out on the mice in each group.After the experiment,the mice were killed and the materials were taken.The damage of neurons in the cortex and hippocampus of the mice was observed by LFB staining.According to the results of network pharmacology,Use ELISA kit to detect prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2(COX-2),monoamine oxidase A(MAOA),serotonin(5-HT),serotonin receptor 2A(5-HT2AR),acetylcholine(Ach),acetylcholinesterase(AchE),adenosine receptor A2a(A2aR)and adenosine receptor A1(A1R)in hippocampus of mice.Western blot was used to detect the expression of nuclear transcription factor-κB(NF-κB)and 5-HT transporter(SERT)in hippocampus of mice.Results There are eight kinds of drugs for"Qiangzhi"in Shennong's Classic of the Materia Medica,including Radix Aucklandiae,Cortex et Radix Polygalae,Eucommiae Cortex,Rubi Fructus,Euryale Semen,Fructus Xanthii,Herba Epimedii,and Cornu Cervi Pantotrichum.The main drugs are pungent and sweet,and the main drugs are warm,and most of them belong to the kidney meridian.According to the network pharmacology analysis,their common targets are COX-2,MAOA,5-HT2AR,AchE,A2aR,A1R.In the behavioral experiment,compared with the model mice,the latency of jumping off the platform was significantly increased,the number of jumping off the platform was significantly reduced,and the latency of water maze was significantly shortened(P<0.05 or P<0.01),and the mice in each Qiangzhi drug group were obviously more familiar with the swimming route.The results of LFB staining showed that each Qiangzhi drug could reduce the neuronal damage in cortex and hippocampus of mice.The results of ELISA showed that compared with the model group,the contents of COX-2,Ach,AchE,MAOA,A1R,A2aR in the hippocampus of mice in each Qiangzhi drug group were significantly decreased(P<0.05 or P<0.01),while the contents of 5-HT and 5-HT2AR were significantly increased(P<0.01).Western blot method was used to detect the contents of NF-κB and SERT in hippocampus of mice in each"Qiangzhi"drug group,which was significantly lower than that in model group.Conclusion Eight"Qiangzhi"drugs all have the effect of improving memory impairment in different degrees.The mechanism of their"Qiangzhi"effect and improving memory impairment may be related to various ways,such as inhibiting NF-κB/COX-2 inflammatory pathway,reducing 5-HT hydrolysis and increasing 5-HT2A receptor content,stabilizing the contents of Ach and AchE,and reducing the contents of adenosine A1 and A2a receptors.
Shennong's Classic of the Materia Medica"Qiangzhi"Chinese medicineMemory impairmentNF-κB/COX-2 inflammatory pathwayAcetylcholine system5-HT and 5-HT2A receptorsAdenosine A1 and A2a receptors