Exploring the Potential Mechanisms of Danshen for the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis based on Serum Pharmacochemistry, Gene Expression Profiling, and Network Pharmacology: Regulation of Cell Apoptosis and Inflammatory Response

BACKGROUND: As a traditional Chinese medicine, Danshen shows potential efficacy for treating ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the bioactive components and mode of action were unclear. AIM: This paper uses a combination of network pharmacology, serum medicinal chemistry, and gene expression profiling to clarify its possible molecular mechanism of action and material basis. METHODS: Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) was utilized to analyze the herbal components and metabolites from the serum of Danshen-treated mice. Gene expression profiles were applied to construct a database of Danshen action targets. Then, active ingredient-target-biological functional module networks were constructed to analyze the mechanism of action. Molecular docking has further confirmed the possibility of its components to the targets. RESULTS: As a result, 193 common targets between 1684 Danshen-related DEGs and 1492 UC targets were determined as the potential targets for Danshen in treatment with UC. Serum pharmacochemistry and target prediction showed that 22 components in serum acted on 777 targets. Intersection with common targets yielded 46 core targets, and an active ingredienttarget- biological functional module network was constructed for analysis. Network prediction and molecular docking results showed that the main action modules were inflammatory response and cell apoptosis, which mainly acted on targets SRC, RELA, HSP90AA1, CTNNB1, STAT3, and CASP3. The main components of Danshen intervention in UC were predicted to include Catechol, 3,9-Dimethoxypterocarpan, 8-Prenylnaringenin, Isoferulic acid, Salvianolic acid C, and Danshensu. DISCUSSION: This work resolved the ambiguity of Danshen's anti-UC material basis and mechanism: 22 serum-absorbed components acted on 46 core targets to modulate inflammation and apoptosis, validating the integrated approach and laying groundwork for UC treatment and TCM research. CONCLUSION: The present study provides a scientific foundation for further explicating the mechanisms of Danshen against UC.