Network Pharmacology Study on the Mechanisms of Panax Notoginseng in the Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy and Cataract.

Abstract

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic cataract (DC) are two closely related microvascular complications of diabetes. Panax notoginseng, a plant from the Araliaceae family and genus Panax, is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and blood circulation-promoting properties. Recent studies suggest that drugs possessing anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and blood circulation-promoting characteristics may have unexpected benefits in treating diabetic microvascular complications. This study employs network pharmacology to investigate the mechanisms by which P. notoginseng can treat DR and DC as comorbidities. Objective: The study aims to explore the active components and biological mechanisms of P. notoginseng in treating these comorbidities using network pharmacology and molecular docking. Methods: Components of P. notoginseng were identified through literature reviews and database queries. Active components were selected based on drug-like principles, and their targets were predicted using the principle of similarity. Disease-related genes were collected from OMIM and GeneCards and scored. Venn analysis identified target nodes, followed by protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, gene ontology (GO) analysis, and KEGG pathway analysis. Topological algorithms analyzed the PPI network, and key nodes combined with other analysis results were utilized to construct a P. notoginseng-active component-gene-phenotype network using Cytoscape 3.9.1. Molecular docking on key genes, integrated with biological background, determined potential therapeutic targets against the diseases. Results: P. notoginseng contains eight active components and 234 potential gene targets. Network analysis showed that P. notoginseng can repair microvascular damage by influencing disease-related signaling pathways. Molecular docking indicated that four key targets (SRC, JAK2, IGF1R, and EGFR) effectively bind to the active components of P. notoginseng. Conclusion: These findings provide insights into the molecular-level action of P. notoginseng against these diseases. Overall, this study enhances our understanding of the potential of P. notoginseng in treating DR and DC as comorbidities and establishes a foundation for further research.