Danhong Injection Inhibits Apoptosis in Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury Based on Network Pharmacology Analysis, Molecular Docking, and Experimental Verification

Abstract

Danhong injection (DHI), a Chinese patent compound injection, is widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in China. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. This study investigated the therapeutic effect and the underlying mechanisms of DHI against ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury and endothelial dysfunction (ED). Network pharmacology analysis revealed that DHI had six core active compounds (Danshensu, salvianolic acid A, salvianolic acid B, rosmarinic acid, protocatechualdehyde, and caffeic acid) and 19 potential targets in treating I/R injury. Notably, the regulation of apoptosis was significantly enriched, as indicated by the results of the gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis. Molecular docking studies confirmed that these targets had high affinity with the active compounds of DHI. Finally, experimental validation in vivo and in vitro demonstrated that DHI could mitigate I/R injury and ED, potentially by reducing oxidative damage through the inhibition of apoptosis via the PTEN/AKT pathway. These findings significantly advance our understanding of the molecular mechanisms in DHI treatment and contribute further to promoting the clinical application of CVD.