The research aims to utilize network pharmacology to identify the common gene targets of Poria cocos and cirrhosis ascites and subsequently explore the potential components, key targets, and pathways involved. The ultimate goal is to summarize the mechanism by which Poria cocos treats ascites in cirrhosis. To achieve this, a variety of methods were employed .Firstly, the composition and targets of Poria cocos were queried in the TCMSP TCM system pharmacology database and the "uniprot" general protein database. Next, the ascites disease gene targets of liver cirrhosis were extracted from the "GeneCards" database. The venny2.1 online platform was used to obtain the common genes shared between Poria cocos and cirrhosis ascites, resulting in the discovery of 31 intersection genes, including AKT1, TNF, IL6, CXCL8, EP300, and PTGS2.Subsequently, the STRING online database was utilized to build a potential protein interaction network map (PPI). Furthermore, GO analysis was conducted using the DAVID online platform to analyze the enrichment of potential genetic biological processes (BP), cellular components (CC), and molecular functions (MF). Additionally, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways were examined to understand the underlying pathways involved in the treatment of cirrhosis ascites by Poria cocos. The data obtained were then visualized using Cytoscape 3.10 software to create a comprehensive network map representing the relationships among the disease, target, component, and pathway of Poria cocos in treating cirrhosis ascites. As a result of these analyses, a total of 34 components, 56 protein targets, and 12 active components were selected from the TCMSP database. Moreover, 156 potential gene biological processes (BP), 16 cell components (CC), 16 molecular functions (MF), and 89 Kyoto Gene and Genome Encyclopedia (KEGG) signaling pathways were identified. In conclusion, Poria cocos emerges as an important drug for preventing and treating cirrhosis ascites, primarily due to its multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway advantages.

Zhou Jijun, Lv Wenliang. The Mechanism of the Poria Cocos for Preventing and Treating Ascites in Cirrhosis Based on Network Pharmacology. Frontiers in Medical Science Research (2023) Vol. 5, Issue 8: 85-92. https://doi.org/10.25236/FMSR.2023.050812.

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