This study explores the main active compounds and therapeutic targets of Codonopsis pilosula in treating heart failure through network pharmacology, aiming to elucidate its underlying mechanisms. The primary active ingredients and corresponding target genes of Codonopsis pilosula were obtained from the TCMSP network pharmacology database and the Uniprot protein database. Heart failure-related targets were identified using the Genecards database. A compound-target-disease network was constructed using Cytoscape software, and a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was generated in the STRING database to calculate the degree values of the targets. GO (Gene Ontology) functional enrichment analysis and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathway enrichment analysis were performed on the targets using the DAVID database. A total of 21 main active compounds and 103 drug-related targets for Codonopsis pilosula were identified. From the Genecards database, 16,227 heart failure-related targets were obtained. After intersecting the targets, 103 potential therapeutic targets were identified, with key genes including AKT1, TNF, PTGS2, and TP53. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that Codonopsis pilosula primarily exerts its therapeutic effects on heart failure by regulating biological processes such as the cellular response to external stimuli, apoptosis, and miRNA transcription, while modulating pathways such as adipocytokine signaling, B cell receptor signaling, and the Apelin signaling pathway. Codonopsis pilosula shows therapeutic potential for heart failure, mainly through multi-target and multi-pathway regulation of cardiac metabolism.

Zhang Hangyan, Zhang Shunshun, Chen Tianfeng, Shi Zhewei. Exploring the Therapeutic Effects of Codonopsis Pilosula on Heart Failure Based on Network Pharmacology. Frontiers in Medical Science Research (2024), Vol. 6, Issue 10: 1-7. https://doi.org/10.25236/FMSR.2024.061001.

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