Abstract
Astragalus membranaceus (AM) is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine extensively utilized in vascular cognitive impairment
(VCI) treatment. However, due to the complex components of AM, its exact molecular mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigated the target and molecular mechanism of AM to treat VCI based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. Firstly, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform, STITCH, and Swiss TargetPrediction were utilized to gather the primary active ingredients of AM. The potential therapeutic targets of VCI were collected through GeneCards, OMIM, and DisGeNET databases. Secondly, the protein-protein interaction network was built using the STRING database. The enrichment analysis of gene ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome pathways was carried out in the R language. Finally, The network topology calculation of Cytoscape software was combined with module analysis to predict the binding properties of its active ingredients and targets. Twenty effective compounds and 733 targets were screened from AM, among which 158 targets were seen as possible targets of AM to treat VCI. МАРК3 and MMP9 were the critical targets of AM intervention in VCI. The crucial pathways include PIK/Akt, MAPK, Rap1, and Ras signaling pathways. Besides, calycosin and quercetin might be the potential active compounds of AM for VCI treatment. AM intervenes in VCl through a multi-ingredient, multi-target, and multi-pathway coordination mechanism. These findings provide a foundation for a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanisms by which AM is effective in treating VCI.
Abbreviations: AM = Astragalus membranaceus, BP = biological process, CC = cellular component, DL = drug likeness,
EGFR = epithelial growth factor receptor, GO = gene ontology, KEGG = the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genome, MF =
molecular function, OB = oral bioavailability, PPI = protein-protein interaction, TCMSP = the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems
Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform, VCI = vascular cognitive impairment.
Keywords: Astragalus membranaceus, molecular docking, network pharmacology, vascular cognitive impairment
