Network pharmacology-based analysis: Fufang Xiongdan Diyanye—clinical response and mechanism of action in the treatment of acute bacterial conjunctivitis

Abstract

[Abstract]: Objective: To observe the clinical response to Fufang Xiongdan Diyanyein patients with acute bacterial conjunctivitis and to examine its mechanism of action with the use of network pharmacology. Methods: Eighty patients with acute bacterial conjunctivitis were randomly selected and equally randomized to either levofloxacin eye drops (control group) or Fufang Xiongdan Diyanye(observation group). Responses were compared between the two groups by assessing the patients’ symptoms (e.g., foreign body sensation, itchy eyes, frequent blinking) and signs (e.g., conjunctival congestion, edema, discharge) before and after the therapy. The chemical components and relevant pharmacological targets of Fufang Xiongdan Diyanyewere retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) and the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) databases. The targets of conjunctivitis were screened with the use of the Therapeutic Target Database (TTD) and the Drugbank database. The STRING (Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins) database was also accessed to perform protein–protein interaction (PPI) analysis and GO (Gene Ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) enrichment analyses. A network made up of compounds, targets, and signaling pathways was created using Cytoscape, from which a key subnetwork was extracted by a cluster analysis with the Molecular Complex Detection plugin. Results: The response rate was higher in the observation group (97.50%) compared to the control group (85.00%) and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). A total of 42 compounds were selected from the bear bile powder and borneol after screening, and 192 compound targets and 85 disease targets were obtained amid the predictions. The compound targets directly act on disease targets, such as STAT3, ICAM1, and SYK, and are involved in the regulation of signaling pathways, such as PI3K-Akt and influenza A. Conclusion: The effective relief of symptoms of acute bacterial conjunctivitis after treatment with Fufang Xiongdan Diyanyeis possibly related to action on targets (e.g., STAT3 and ICAM1) and regulation of classical inflammatory pathways (e.g., PI3K-Akt).

Keywords

• Compound bear bile eye drops
• Conjunctivitis
• Network pharmacology
• Mechanism of action