[Mechanism of Qizao oral liquid in the treatment of lead poisoning based on network pharmacology and molecular docking technology].

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the effective ingredients and molecular mechanisms of Qizao oral liquid in the treatment of lead poisoning through network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. Methods: December 2023, the effective ingredients and their corresponding targets of Qizao oral liquid were searched from the TCM Systems Pharmacology database. Swiss Target Prediction was used to predict corresponding potential target genes of compounds. Targets associated with lead poisoning were obtained from GeneCards and OMIM databases. Cytoscape 3.10.1 software was employed to construct a components and corresponding target network as well as a components and corresponding target network, followed by visualization and cluster analysis. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were conducted using the Metascape database, resulting in the generation of a signaling pathway-target network diagram. Molecular docking analysis between the principal compounds and target proteins was performed using Autodock 4.2.6 and Pymol 2.2.0 software to validate their underlying molecular mechanisms. Results: A total of 114 active chemical components, 361 potential targets, 2501 lead poisoning targets, and 191 intersection targets of "Qizao oral liquid and lead poisoning" were screened. Further analysis revealed that there were 2091 entries for GO biological processes and 202 KEGG signaling pathways. Enrichment analysis showed that the key targets were mainly enriched in cancer, lipid and atherosclerosis, PI3K-Akt signaling pathways. Molecular docking showed that there were 14 combinations with binding energy<-5 kcal/mol, among which PIK3R1-β-sitosterol binding energy was -9.71 kcal/mol. Conclusion: The primary active components found in Qizao oral liquid, such as β-sitosterol, nuciferine, stephanine, and stigmasterol, have the potential to modulate key targets including PIK3R1, AKT1, TP53, and NFKB1. These components are capable of influencing the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway as well as lipid and atherosclerosis pathways in order to mitigate the adverse effects of lead exposure.