Integrating network toxicology and molecular docking to explore the toxicity of the environmental pollutant butyl hydroxyanisole: An example of induction of chronic urticaria
Zhihao Zeng,
Jiaoting Hu,
Guanlin Xiao,
Yanchang Liu,
Dezheng Jia,
Guangying Wu,
Canhui Xie,
Sumei Li,
Xiaoli Bi
Affiliations
Zhihao Zeng
School of the Fifth Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
Jiaoting Hu
Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
Guanlin Xiao
Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research and Development in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510095, China
Yanchang Liu
School of the Fifth Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
Dezheng Jia
School of the Fifth Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
Guangying Wu
School of the Fifth Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
Canhui Xie
School of the Fifth Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China
Sumei Li
Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research and Development in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510095, China
Xiaoli Bi
Guangdong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Research and Development in Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510095, China; Corresponding author. Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 60, Hengfu Road, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
The study aimed to comprehensively investigate environmental pollutants’ potential toxicity and underlying molecular mechanisms, focusing on chronic urticaria (CU) induced by butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) exposure, further drawing public awareness regarding the potential risks of environmental pollutants, applying ChEMBL, STITCH, and SwissTargetPrediction databases to predict the targets of BHA, CTD, GeneCards, and OMIM databases to collect the relevant targets of CU. Ultimately, we identified 81 potential targets of BHA-induced CU and extracted 31 core targets, including TNF, SRC, CASP3, BCL2, IL2, and MMP9. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed that these core targets were predominantly involved in cancer signaling, estrogen and endocrine resistance pathways. Furthermore, molecular docking confirmed the ability of BHA to bind with core targets. The onset and development of CU may result from BHA by affecting multiple immune signaling pathways. Our study elucidated the molecular mechanisms of BHA toxicity and its role in CU induction, providing the basis for preventing and treating chronic urticaria associated with environmental BHA exposure.
