Anti-cancer effects of Shenqishiyiwei granules in gastric cancer are mediated via modulation of the immune system

Abstract

Shenqishiyiwei granules (SQSYW) is an approved traditional Chinese medicine formulation used as an adjuvant for cancer patients in China, which includes several medicine food homology herbs. Accumulating studies have reported that SQSYW reduces the side effects of chemotherapy and improves the quality of life of patients with gastric cancer (GC). However, the mechanism of action of SQSYW in GC remains unclear. Here, the pharmacological mechanism of action of SQSYW in GC was investigated. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) database was used to identify 98 active compounds and 241 protein targets of SQSYW, while 3932 GC-related proteins were identified from DisGeNET. The 182 overlapping targets of SQSYW and GC represented the potential therapeutic targets of SQSYW in GC. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis indicated that the overlapping targets were mostly enriched in the regulation of apoptotic process, programmed cell death, and immune processes. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis indicated that SQSYW could prevent GC via the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways and apoptosis. Molecular docking revealed that sesamin interacted with several proteins involved in immune processes, including IKBKB, TNF superfamily (TNFSF)13B, IL2, PRKCB, and SIRT1. The findings demonstrated that the anti-GC activity of SQSYW could be mediated via the regulation of proteins involved in immune processes, and provides evidence that support the potential therapeutic application of SQSYW in GC.

Keywords

• Shenqishiyiwei granules
• Gastric cancer
• Sesamin
• Immune system
• Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer (Renshen)