Mechanism of Elian granules in the treatment of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer in rats through the MAPK signalling pathway based on network pharmacology

• Published in: Pharmaceutical biology Vol. 60; no. 1; pp. 87 - 95
• Main Authors: Yi, Zhirong, Jia, Qingling, Lin, Yili, Wang, Yujiao, Cong, Jun, Gu, Zhijian, Ling, Jianghong, Cai, Gan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 01.12.2022; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Animals; bioinformation technology; biological network analysis; Chinese medicine formula; digestive disease; Disease Models, Animal; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Epithelium; Gastric cancer; Gastric mucosa; Goblet cells; Inflammation; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - genetics; Kinases; Male; MAP kinase; MAP Kinase Signaling System - drug effects; Methylnitronitrosoguanidine; molecular mechanism; Network Pharmacology; p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - genetics; p38 Protein; Precancerous Conditions - drug therapy; Protein kinase; Proteins; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Signal transduction; Specific pathogen free; Stomach Neoplasms - drug therapy; Up-Regulation - drug effects; Western blotting; molecular mechanism; Chinese medicine formula; biological network analysis; digestive disease; bioinformation technology
• ISSN: 1388-0209; 1744-5116
• DOI: 10.1080/13880209.2021.2017980

Elian Granules have been applied in the treatment of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer (PLGC) and achieved good results. However, its exact mechanism remains unclear. To explore the mechanism of Elian granules in treating PLGC through the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway based on network pharmacology. Through network pharmacological methods, the targets of the active component of Elian granules against PLGC were obtained. Subsequently, Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into normal, model, and Elian granule groups. The N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine comprehensive method was used to establish the PLGC rat model. The model and Elian granule groups were given normal saline and Elian granule aqueous solution (3.24 g/kg/d) intragastric administration, respectively, for 24 weeks. The pathological changes in gastric tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The protein expression of p-JNK and p-p38 was verified by western blotting. 394 and 4,395 targets were identified in Elian granules and PLGC, respectively. The 190 common targets were mainly enriched in MAPK signalling pathways. The gastric mucosal epithelium was still intact, the glands were arranged regularly, and no goblet cells or apparent inflammatory cell infiltration were observed in the Elian granule group. The expression of p-JNK and p-p38 protein of the Elian granule group (0.83 ± 0.08; 1.18 ± 0.40) was significantly higher than the model group (0.27 ± 0.14; 0.63 ± 0.14) (p < 0.01; p < 0.05). Elian granules may play a critical role in the treatment of rat PLGC by up-regulating the expression of p-JNK and p-p38 proteins in the MAPK signalling pathway, thus providing a scientific basis for clinical application.