Exploring the Mechanism of Gentiana rigescens in the Treatment of Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF) Based on Network Pharmacology

Background: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a severe chronic interstitial lung disease with high mortality, and there is currently a lack of definite and effective treatment methods. Studies have found that gentiopicroside, a secoiridoid glycoside compound derived from plants of the Gentiana genus, can significantly improve pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis lesions in mice with pulmonary fibrosis. However, the mechanism of its anti-fibrotic effect is unclear. Therefore, in this study, we used the virtual computer technology of network pharmacology to theoretically explore the mechanism of Gentiana rigescens 's anti-pulmonary fibrosis effect, providing theoretical reference and direction for subsequent experiments. Results: A total of 10 active compounds and 920 drug-target proteins were identified from the TCMSP database. The compound-target-pathway-disease network showed that G. rigescens could potentially treat PF by regulating the MDM2, ERBB2 and VEGFA, signaling pathways through its key targets, including AKT1, TNF, and MAPK1. The protein‒protein interaction network revealed that these targets had strong interactions with each other, indicating a potential synergistic effect of G. rigescens in treating PF. The GO and KEGG enrichment analyses further supported the potential anti-pulmonary fibrosis mechanisms of Gentiana rigescens , including regulating the inflammatory response, ECM-receptor interaction, and TGF-beta signaling pathways. Conclusion: Our study provides a systematic analysis of the potential anti-pulmonary fibrosis mechanisms of G. rigescens based on network pharmacology. These findings could contribute to the development of novel treatments for PF and provide a basis for further experimental studies.