Analysis of the molecular mechanism of Pudilan (PDL) treatment for COVID-19 by network pharmacology tools.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Pudilan (PDL), a four-herb prescription with the traditional function of heat-clearing and detoxifying, has been clinically used as an anti-SARS-CoV-2 infectory agent in China. PDL might also have therapeutic potentials for COVID-19 while the underlying mechanisms remain to be clarified.

METHODS:

We used network pharmacology analysis and selected 68 co-targeted genes/proteins as targets of both PDL and COVID-19. These co-targeted genes/proteins were predicted by SwissDock Server for their high-precision docking simulation, and analyzed by STRING for proteins to protein interaction (PPI), pathway and GO (gene ontology) enrichment. The therapeutic effect for PDL treatment on COVID-19 was validated by the TCMATCOV (TCM Anti COVID-19) platform.

RESULTS:

PDL might prevent the entrance of SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells by blocking the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). It might inhibit the cytokine storm by affecting C-reactive protein (CRP), interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin- 6 (IL-6), interleukin- 10 (IL-10), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), C-C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5), transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFβ1), and other proteins. PDL might moderate the immune system to shorten the course of the disease, delay disease progression, and reduce the mortality rate.

CONCLUSION:

PDL might have a therapeutic effect on COVID-19 through three aspects, including the moderate immune system, anti-inflammation, and anti-virus entry into cells.

• Authors: Qi Kong, Yue Wu, Yu Gu, Qi Lv, Feifei Qi, Shuran Gong, Xiuping Chen
• Journal: Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie (Biomed Pharmacother) Vol. 128 Pg. 110316 (Aug 2020) ISSN: 1950-6007 [Electronic] France
• PMID: 32505821 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents
• Antiviral Agents
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal
• Immunologic Factors
• Interleukins
• Pudilan xiaoyan
• Transforming Growth Factor beta
• Interferon-gamma
• Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A
• ACE2 protein, human
• Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2

Topics

• Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2
• Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (pharmacology)
• Anti-Inflammatory Agents (pharmacology)
• Antiviral Agents (pharmacology)
• Betacoronavirus (drug effects, isolation & purification)
• COVID-19
• Coronavirus Infections (drug therapy, immunology)
• Cytokine Release Syndrome (drug therapy, immunology)
• Drugs, Chinese Herbal (pharmacology)
• Humans
• Immunologic Factors (pharmacology)
• Interferon-gamma (immunology)
• Interleukins (immunology)
• Molecular Docking Simulation
• Pandemics
• Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A (metabolism)
• Pneumonia, Viral (drug therapy, immunology)
• Protein Interaction Maps
• SARS-CoV-2
• Transforming Growth Factor beta (immunology)
• Virus Internalization (drug effects)