Exploration of the sensitization effect of Chaihu Shugan powder on chemotherapy for triple-negative breast cancer and its active ingredients

Chemotherapy plays a crucial role in the clinical treatment of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), but drug resistance limits its clinical application. The active ingredients of Chaihu Shugan Powder (CSP; Bupleurum Liver-Coursing Powder), quercetin and luteolin, both belong to flavonoid compounds and have significant anti-tumor potential, which can promote chemotherapy sensitivity. However, the correlation between the two and TNBC paclitaxel (PTX) chemotherapy sensitivity is unknown. We collected herbal components of CSP from the TCMSP database, and screened effective molecules and corresponding targets. STRING database was utilized to construct a protein–protein interaction network combining effective molecules and target genes. The top 50 nodes ranked by affinity were chosen for subsequent functional analysis, and the drug-active ingredient-gene interaction network was established using Cytoscape software. Molecular docking was used to determine the small molecules that target TNBC PTX resistance. The “clusterProfiler” package was utilized for GO and KEGG enrichment analyses on the top 50 genes to determine the pathways affected by CSP. Cell counting and colony formation assays evaluated cell viability, IC₅₀ values, and proliferation capacity. Flow cytometry tested PTX intracellular accumulation. Western blot assayed the expression of TNF pathway-related proteins. Active ingredients of CSP, quercetin and luteolin, could inhibit TNBC cell proliferation and promote PTX chemotherapy sensitization. Quercetin and luteolin repressed the TNF signaling pathway and promoted PTX chemotherapy sensitization. Quercetin and luteolin could inhibit TNBC cell proliferation and promote PTX chemotherapy sensitization through the TNF signaling pathway. Therefore, the use of quercetin and luteolin plus PTX treatment provides a prospective strategy for TNBC treatment.