Frontiers in Pharmacology (Jun 2022)

Exploring Ganweikang Tablet as a Candidate Drug for NAFLD Through Network Pharmacology Analysis and Experimental Validation

  • Chuanrui Ma,
  • Chuanrui Ma,
  • Chuanrui Ma,
  • Xinyu Wang,
  • Jing Zhang,
  • Jing Zhang,
  • Yun Zhao,
  • Yun Zhao,
  • Yunqing Hua,
  • Yunqing Hua,
  • Chao Zhang,
  • Chao Zhang,
  • Guobin Zheng,
  • Guangyan Yang,
  • Jianli Guan,
  • Huahuan Li,
  • Meng Li,
  • Lin Kang,
  • Lin Kang,
  • Jiaqing Xiang,
  • Guanwei Fan,
  • Guanwei Fan,
  • Guanwei Fan,
  • Shu Yang,
  • Shu Yang

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.893336
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined as liver disease in which more than 5% of hepatocytes are steatotic with little or no alcohol consumption. NAFLD includes benign nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Importantly, NASH is an advanced progression of NAFL and is characterized by steatosis, hepatocyte ballooning, lobular inflammation, and fibrosis. However, to date, no drugs specifically targeting NAFLD have been approved by the FDA. Therefore, a new drug or strategy for NAFLD treatment is necessary. However, the pathogenesis of NAFLD is complex and no single-target drugs have achieved the desired results. Noticeably, traditional Chinese medicine formulations are a complex system with multiple components, multiple targets, and synergistic effects between components. The Ganweikang tablet is a compound formula based on traditional Chinese medicine theory and clinical experience. In this study, network pharmacology analysis indicates Ganweikang tablet as a candidate for NAFLD treatment. Furthermore, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of Ganweikang tablet on the NAFL and NASH and tried to clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms in animal models and cell experiments. As expected, Ganweikang tablet was found to improve NAFL and NASH by modulating inflammation, apoptosis, and fatty acid oxidation by inhibiting NFκB, caspase-8, and activating PPARα, which not only indicates that Ganweikang tablet as a drug candidate but also provides a theoretical basis of Ganweikang tablet for the treatment of NAFL and NASH.

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