Mechanism of Action of "Astragali Radix-Cassia Twig-Poria" in Chronic Heart Failure: A Network Pharmacology Approach.

ABSTRACT

This study utilizes network pharmacology analysis to investigate the components, targets, and pathways involved in the treatment of chronic heart failure (CHF) with the combination of "Astragali Radix-Cassia Twig-Poria." The TCMSP, GeneCards, OMIM, PharmGkb, TTD, and DrugBank databases were utilized to identify the active ingredients and targets of this combination for CHF. Protein interactions were derived from the STRING database, and Cytoscape was used to construct the "drug-component-target-disease" network and protein interactions network. The GO function and KEGG signaling pathway were enriched, and molecular docking was performed to verify the stability of the core components and their targets. The study identified 41 active ingredients, 101 targets (including 94 related to CHF), 9 core targets, and 26 core ingredients of "Astragali Radix-Cassia Twig-Poria." Additionally, 1444 GO entries and 140 KEGG pathways (including 36 related to CHF) were found. Molecular docking results confirmed the binding ability of the combination to core targets. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the key components, targets, and pathways involved in the treatment of CHF with "Astragali Radix-Cassia Twig-Poria," contributing to further research on its pharmacological effects.