Observational study on the potential mechanism of Sanao decoction in the treatment of asthma based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

Bronchial asthma (BA) is a chronic respiratory disease closely related to immune system dysregulation. Traditional Chinese medicine has long adopted the strategy of Sanao decoction in the treatment of bronchial asthma. However, due to the multi-target and multi-pathway characteristics of Chinese herbal medicine, we are still unclear about the specific mechanism of Sanao decoction in treating bronchial asthma. To investigate the mechanism of action of Sanao decoction in the treatment of BA using a network pharmacology approach and preliminary validation by molecular docking technology. Traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform and UniProt databases were used to search the active ingredients and targets of Sanao decoction, and BA-related targets were screened according to GeneCards and online Mendelian inheritance in man database databases. The intersection targets were imported into the STRING database to construct a protein-protein interaction network, and Cytoscape 3.9.1 software was used to screen out hub genes. This study also constructed a "drug-ingredient-target" visual network diagram. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genomes enrichment analysis was performed on targets in the protein-protein interaction network using the ClusterProfiler package in R, with a P value < .05. Autodock software was used for molecular docking to complete the preliminary verification of core components and targets. A total of 73 active compounds and 308 targets of Sanao decoction, including 1640 BA-related disease targets, were retrieved from mainstream databases. Gene Ontology analysis and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes enrichment analysis suggested that Sanao decoction plays a role in the treatment of BA through signaling pathways such as PI3K-Akt, MAPK, and IL-17 signaling pathway. The 9 core goals represent the main elements related to Sanao decoction in the treatment of BA. Subsequently, the molecular docking results showed that most of the active compounds of Sanao decoction have strong binding efficiency with the hub gene. Sanao decoction has a key impact on BA through multiple channels. In summary, this intricate network reflects the potential of Sanao decoction in treating BA, a multifactorial disease. In addition, this study laid the foundation for further in vivo and in vitro experimental research and expanded the clinical application of Sanao decoction.