Exploration of the potential mechanism of Danggui Shaoyao powder in the treatment of endometriosis based on bioinformatics

Xiuping Zhang, Lulu Zhang, Qi Wang, Xinhui Sun, Dong Yang, Yu Xing, Xiaona Ma
In: Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences · 2019 · vol. 6(4) , pp. 355–364 · doi:10.1016/j.jtcms.2019.11.005 · W2992492306
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⚙ AI-generated summary by claude@2026-06, 2026-06-10 ⓘ

This network pharmacology study identified 255 common targets between Danggui Shaoyao powder and endometriosis, revealing eight key genes and seven pathways involved in the treatment mechanism, and suggesting dipyridamole as a potential repositioned drug.

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Abstract

Endometriosis is a hormone- and organ-dependent disease with unclear pathogenesis. Danggui Shaoyao powder (DSP) has been used for the treatment of endometriosis for many years and has been proven to be effective, but its underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we explored the molecular targets and pathways of DSP in the treatment of endometriosis mainly from the perspective of network pharmacology, and provided some novel ideas for managing this disease. In the present study, we focused on the underlying mechanisms between DPS and endometriosis, via oral bioavailability screening, drug similarity assessment, target identification, network analysis, drug relocation, and molecular docking using network pharmacology. By bioinformatics, 54 active components of DSP were predicted from the 534 components provided by the TCMSP database. We then found 85 validated targets and 6059 predicted targets for herbal components, and 2241 targets for endometriosis. After mapping, there were 255 targets in common. After that, network analysis was performed to screen key networks and core targets. Ninety-nine indirect targets were collected from 14 direct ones. GO and KEGG analyses identified 63 enriched functions and 10 pathways (P < .01). According to the disease target, dipyridamole could undergo drug repositioning for endometriosis (score = −1). The mechanism of action of dipyridamole on endometriosis was compared with that of DSP. Finally, eight targets, namely, AR, ESR1, HMGCR, NOS2, NR3C1, PPARG, PTGES, and PTGS2, were validated by molecular docking, suggesting that the probable molecular mechanisms by which DSP treats endometriosis are through seven validated pathways: hsa05200, hsa04915, hsa01100, hsa00900, hsa04920, hsa01130, and hsa00590. In this study, we uncovered the mechanism by which DSP can treat endometriosis using a drug–component–target interaction network. This approach can provide some novel ideas for the development of Chinese medicine and the clinical management of endometriosis.

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endometriosis

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