Exploring mechanism of Huayu Pills combined with immunocheckpoint inhibitors in treating triple-negative breast cancer based on network pharmacology / 国际中医中药杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To explore the potential mechanism of Huayu Pills in the treatment of TNBC (triple-negative breast cancer) using network pharmacology.Methods:TCMSP (Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology), PubChem, STITCH and SwissTargetPrediction databases were used to analyze the potential targets of Huayu Pills. TNBC disease targets were screened based on the TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) database. The drug-disease mapping target was constructed by PPI network, key target screening and module analysis, and the DAVID database was used for GO function annotation and KEGG signal pathway enrichment analysis. SD rats were orally administered 3.94 g/kg of Huayu Pills decoction for 4 days to prepare medicated serum. HUVEC cells were randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group using a random number table method. The experimental group received intervention with Huayu Pills containing serum for 24 hours, inoculated in matrigel's solidified 48 well plate and HUVEC angiogenesis was observed 3 hours later.Results:130 possible targets of Huayu Pills in the treatment of TNBC were obtained. VEGFA is the core target. The cascade of angiogenesis, hypoxia, and blood coagulation may be the main functions and key signals of Huayu Pills in the treatment of TNBC. In vitro studies have shown that serum containing Huayu Pills can promote the normalization of tumor blood vessels in HUVEC cells.Conclusion:Huayu Pills may promote tumor vascular normalization (angiogenesis, hypoxia, coagulation cascade reactions) through VEGF targets, and can assist immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of TNBC.