Background: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbal formulae provide valuable therapeutic strategies. However,\nthe active ingredients and mechanisms of action remain unclear for most of these formulae. Therefore, the\nidentification of complex mechanisms is a major challenge in TCM research.\nMethods: This study used a network pharmacology approach to clarify the anti-inflammatory and cough\nsuppressing mechanisms of the Chinese medicinal preparation Eriobotrya japonica ââ?¬â?? Fritillaria usuriensis dropping\npills (Chuanbei Pipa dropping pills, CBPP). The chemical constituents of CBPP were identified by high-quality ultraperformance\nliquid chromatography/quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS), and antiinflammatory\ningredients were selected and analyzed using the PharmMapper and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes\nand Genomes (KEGG) bioinformatics websites to predict the target proteins and related pathways, respectively.\nThen, an RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis was carried out to investigate the different expression of genes in the\nlung tissue of rats with chronic bronchitis.\nResults: Six main constituents affected 19 predicted pathways, including ursolic acid and oleanolic acid from\nEriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. (Eri), peiminine from Fritillaria usuriens is Maxim. (Fri), platy codigenin and\npolygalacic acid from Platycodon grandiflorum (Jacq.) A. DC. (Pla) and guanosine from Pinellia ternata (Thunb.)\nMakino. (Pin). Expression of 34 genes was significantly decreased after CBPP treatment, affecting four therapeutic\nfunctions: immunoregulation, anti-inflammation, collagen formation and muscle contraction.\nConclusion: The active components acted on the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, transforming\ngrowth factor (TGF)-beta pathway, focal adhesion, tight junctions and the action cytoskeleton to exert antiinflammatory\neffects, resolve phlegm, and relieve cough. This novel approach of global chemomics-integrated\nsystems biology represents an effective and accurate strategy for the study of TCM with multiple components and\nmultiple target mechanisms.
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