Xintongtai Granule: Investigating the serum pharmacology and mechanisms of action against atherosclerosis

Purpose

A serum medicinal chemistry analysis was performed to investigate the pharmacological basis of Xintongtai granule and to predict the potential mechanism of anti-atherosclerotic action based on the blood components.

Methods

UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS was used to analyze the in vitro chemical composition and in vivo blood components of Xintongtai granule, and to detect the blood drug concentration. The PPI network was constructed by collecting blood components and disease targets through the network pharmacology method, and the key targets were subjected to GO and KEGG functional enrichment analyses, so as to construct the topology network of drug-component-target-disease, and to validate the network by molecular docking.

Results

The UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis identified 69 chemical components in Xintongtai granule, including 19 prototype circulating components and 9 metabolites in the bloodstream. Network pharmacology analysis revealed 115 intersecting targets for the circulating components, from which 10 core targets were selected. GO and KEGG analyses unveiled associated signaling pathways and biological processes. The construction of a topology network and preliminary molecular docking provided insights into its mechanism of action.

Conclusion

The mechanism underlying the anti- atherosclerosis effect of Xintongtai granule may be associated with the intervention of active components such as Cryptotanshinone, Kaempferitrin, and Puerarin in pathways targeting CXCL8, STAT3, TNF, and other related targets.