This study aims to explore the molecular mechanism of Salvia miltiorrhiza and Angelica sinensis (Salvia-Angelica) herbal pair in intervening ischemic stroke by network pharmacology method. The active ingredients and action targets of the Salvia-Angelica herbal pair were selected through TCMSP. Ischemic stroke disease targets were searched using the GeneCards, DisGeNET, and TTD databases. The Venny platform was used to intersect drug action targets with disease targets, obtaining potential action targets of Salvia-Angelica herbal pair for intervening ischemic stroke. The intersected targets were imported into the STRING database to construct a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Using the Cytoscape software, the visual graph of "Drug-Component-Target-Disease" and key targets PPI network were constructed. The DAVID database was used for GO enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. Target-ingredient docking was verified and evaluated using CB-Dock2 platform. A total of 63 active ingredients of the Salvia-Angelica herbal pair were obtained, and 93 intersection targets of drugs and diseases were identified. Key active ingredients include luteolin, tanshinone IIA, dihydrotanshinlactone, β-sitosterol, etc. Core targets acting on the disease include AKT1, TNF, IL6, PTGS2, CASP3, EGFR, etc. GO enrichment resulted in 836 entries, suggesting that the Salvia-Angelica herbal pair functions in biological processes such as positive regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter, positive regulation of cell proliferation, and signal transduction. KEGG pathway enrichment resulted in 170 signal pathways, mainly involving Pathways in cancer, Lipid and atherosclerosis pathways, PI3K-AKT signaling pathways, and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetes complications, etc. Molecular docking showed that the active components from the Salvia-Angelica herbal pair exhibited better affinity with key targets. This study suggest that the Salvia-Angelica herbal pair exert its therapeutic effect on ischemic stroke through multiple components, multiple targets, and multiple pathways, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticoagulant effects, inhibiting cell apoptosis, promoting cell proliferation, and improving vascular endothelium.

Yiqing Huang, Jianing You, Ruiqi Jing, Yifei He, Xiaomei Li, Yujie Wen, Lulu Zheng, Limin Zhang. Mechanisms of Salvia miltiorrhiza and Angelica sinensis herbal pair in intervening ischemic stroke based on network pharmacology and molecular docking. Frontiers in Medical Science Research (2023) Vol. 5, Issue 12: 1-11. https://doi.org/10.25236/FMSR.2023.051201.

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