Development of a new paradigm model for deciphering action mechanism of Danhong injection using a combination of isothermal shift assay and database interrogation

Abstract

Abstract Background Identification of active components of traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and their respective targets is important for understanding the mechanisms underlying TCM efficacy. However, there are still no effective technical methods to achieve this. Methods Herein, we have established a method for rapidly identifying targets of a specific TCM and interrogating the targets with their corresponding active components based on Isothermal Shift Assay (iTSA) and database interrogation. Results We optimized iTSA workflow and identified 110 targets for Danhong injection (DHI) which is used as an effective remedy for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Moreover, we identified the targets of the nine major ingredients found in DHI. Database interrogation found that the potential targets for DHI, in which we verified that ADK as the target for salvianolic acid A and ALDH1B1 as the target for protocatechualdehyde in DHI, respectively. Conclusion Overall, we established a novel paradigm model for the identification of targets and their respective ingredients in DHI, which facilitates the discovery of drug candidates and targets for improving disease management and contributes to revealing the underlying mechanisms of TCM and fostering TCM development and modernization. Graphical Abstract

Keywords

• Isothermal shift assay (iTSA)
• TCM
• DHI
• Target identification
• ADK
• ALDH1B1