Integrating network pharmacology and experimental verification to study the mechanism of Polygonum hydropiper total flavonoids against stress-induced gastric mucosal damage
Bangpei Chen,
Xueqing Huang,
Feifei Zhu,
Yunyun Zhi,
Mengyu Mei,
Yonghui Li,
Yiqiang Xie,
Ye Zhu,
Shouzhong Ren
Affiliations
Bangpei Chen
Engineering Research Center of Tropical Medicine Innovation and Transformation of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Research and Development on Tropical Herbs, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China
Xueqing Huang
Engineering Research Center of Tropical Medicine Innovation and Transformation of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Research and Development on Tropical Herbs, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China
Feifei Zhu
Engineering Research Center of Tropical Medicine Innovation and Transformation of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Research and Development on Tropical Herbs, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China
Yunyun Zhi
Engineering Research Center of Tropical Medicine Innovation and Transformation of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Research and Development on Tropical Herbs, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China
Mengyu Mei
Engineering Research Center of Tropical Medicine Innovation and Transformation of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Research and Development on Tropical Herbs, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China
Yonghui Li
Engineering Research Center of Tropical Medicine Innovation and Transformation of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Research and Development on Tropical Herbs, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China
Yiqiang Xie
College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China; Corresponding author.
Ye Zhu
Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 570102, China; Corresponding author.
Shouzhong Ren
Engineering Research Center of Tropical Medicine Innovation and Transformation of Ministry of Education, International Joint Research Center of Human-machine Intelligent Collaborative for Tumor Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Hainan Province, Hainan Provincial Key Laboratory of Research and Development on Tropical Herbs, School of Pharmacy, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China; Corresponding author.
Context: Polygonum hydropiper L. (P. hydropiper) has outstanding clinical efficacy in treating both acute and chronic gastroenteritis. However, the definite mechanism remains unclear. Objective: This study aimed to explore the potential mechanisms of the total flavonoid of P. hydropiper (FPH) in stress-induced gastric mucosal damage (SGMD) rats through a combination of network pharmacology, molecular docking, and animal experiments. Methods: Network pharmacology and molecular docking were utilized to predict the potential mechanisms of FPH against SGMD. In experimental studies, SGMD rat models were established using water-immersion restraint stress (WIRS). FPH was administered at doses of 140, 70, and 35 mg/kg, with ranitidine serving as a positive control, through gavage once daily for 6 consecutive days after model establishment. Stomach and serum specimens were analyzed using HE staining, Western blotting, qPCR, and ELISA to investigate the protective mechanism of FPH in SGMD. Results: The network pharmacology analysis identified 16 active ingredients and 183 common targets, with potential pathways including PI3K/Akt, MAPK and Keap1/Nrf2. In vivo experiments demonstrated that FPH intervention alleviated SGMD pathological changes, reduced elevated serum IL-6 and TNF-α levels, and enhanced SOD and GSH activity in rats. Additionally, FPH increased the protein expression of p62, Nrf2, HO-1, PI3K, and p-Akt, along with mRNA levels of Nrf2, p62, and HO-1. Conclusions: FPH exerts a gastric mucosal protective effect by upregulating antioxidant gene expression through the PI3K/Akt and Keap1/Nrf2 pathways. This study provides an experimental basis for the potential clinical treatment of SGMD with the traditional Chinese medicine P. hydropiper.
