[Bioinformatics analysis of the molecular mechanism of Qibaipingfei Capsule in the regulation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease related immune cells].

Objective To investigate the mechanism of the Qibaipingfei Capsule regulating chronic obstructive pulmonary (COPD) related immune cells by analyzing the single-cell transcriptome sequencing (scRNA-seq) data of COPD lung tissue and the pharmacology of Qibaipingfei Capsule. Methods The scRNA-seq data of COPD lung tissue downloaded from the gene expression omnibus (GEO) was used to obtain the COPD related immune cells and the differentially expressed RNA, and the primary active molecular and target genes of Qibaipingfei Capsule were retrieved from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP). The "active molecules-immune cells-target genes" network was constructed by mapping the target genes of Qibaipingfei Capsules to the differentially expressed RNA of COPD related immune cells, and the Gene Ontology (GO), the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and the protein-protein interaction (PPI) were administrated to analyze the molecular mechanisms of target genes. Results Twelve active molecules including quercetin, kaempferol, and formononetin of Qibaipingfei Capsule targeted multiple COPD related immune cells like macrophages, alveolar macrophages, and T cells, and genes like PPARG, JUN, HMOX1, and HIF1A which were primarily collected in pathways such as interleukin 17 signaling pathway, nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathway, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Conclusions The Qibaipingfei Capsule may target multiple immune cells and intervene in inflammation and immune-related pathways to regulate the inflammation and immune response of COPD.