Title:The Mechanisms Underlying the Pharmacological Effects of GuiPi
Decoction on Major Depressive Disorder based on Network Pharmacology
and Molecular Docking
Volume: 26
Issue: 9
Author(s): Liyuan Chen, Tianyuan Ye, Xiaolong Wang, Lu Han, Tongxing Wang, Dongmei Qi and Xiaorui Cheng*
Affiliation:
- Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, China
Keywords:
GuiPi decoction, major depressive disorder, trifolin, girinimbine, benzo[a]carbazole, network pharmacology.
Abstract:
Background and Aim: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a common affective disorder.
GuiPi decoction (GPD) is used to treat depression in China, Japan, and Korea. However, its
effective ingredients and antidepressant mechanisms remain unclear. We attempted to reveal the
potential mechanisms of GPD in the treatment of MDD by network pharmacology and molecular
docking. In addition, we conducted an enzymatic activity assay to validate the results of molecular
docking.
Methods: GPD-related compounds and targets, and MDD-related targets were retrieved from databases
and literature. The herb-compound-target network was constructed by Cytoscape. The protein-
protein interaction network was built using the STRING database to find key targets of GPD on
MDD. Enrichment analysis of shared targets was analyzed by MetaCore database to obtain the potential
pathway and biological process of GPD on MDD. The main active compounds treating MDD
were screened by molecular docking. The PDE4s inhibitors were screened and verified by an enzyme
activity assay.
Results: GPD contained 1222 ingredients and 190 potential targets for anti-MDD. Possible biological
processes regulated by GPD were neurophysiological processes, blood vessel morphogenesis,
Camp Responsive Element Modulator (CREM) pathway, and Androgen Receptor (AR) signaling
crosstalk in MDD. Potential pathways in MDD associated with GPD include neurotransmission, cell
differentiation, androgen signaling, and estrogen signaling. Fumarine, m-cresol, quercetin, betasitosterol,
fumarine, taraxasterol, and lupeol in GPD may be the targets of SLC6A4, monoamine
oxidase A (MAOA), DRD2, OPRM1, HTR3A, Albumin (ALB), and NTRK1, respectively. The IC50
values of trifolin targeting Phosphodiesterase (PDE) 4A and girinimbine targeting PDE4B1 were
73.79 μM and 31.86 μM, respectively. The IC50 values of girinimbine and benzo[a]carbazole on
PDE4B2 were 51.62 μM and 94.61 μM, respectively.
Conclusion: Different compounds in GPD may target the same protein, and the same component in
GPD can target multiple targets. These results suggest that the effects of GPD on MDD are holistic
and systematic, unlike the pattern of one drug-one target.