Exploring the components and mechanisms of Shen-qi-wang-mo granule in the treatment of retinal vein occlusion by UPLC-Triple TOF MS/MS and network pharmacology

Abstract This study aimed to explore the substance basis and mechanisms of Shen-qi-wang-mo Granule (SQWMG), a traditional Chinese medicine prescription that had been clinically utilized to treat retinal vein occlusion (RVO) for 38 years. Components in SQWMG were analyzed by UPLC-Triple-TOF/MS and a total of 63 components were identified with ganoderic acids (GA) being the largest proportion. Potential targets of active components were retrieved from SwissTargetPrediction. RVO-related targets were acquired from related disease databases. Core targets of SQWMG against RVO were acquired by overlapping the above targets. The 66 components (including 5 isomers) and 169 targets were obtained and concluded into a component-target network. Together with biological enrichment analysis of targets, it revealed the crucial role of the “PI3K-Akt signaling pathway”, “MAPK signaling pathway” and their downstream factor iNOS and TNF-α. The 20 key targets of SQWMG in treating RVO were acquired from the network and pathway analysis. The effects of SQWMG on targets and pathways were validated by molecular docking based on AutoDock Vina and qPCR experiment. The molecular docking showed great affinity for these components and targets, especially on ganoderic acids (GA) and alisols (AS), which were both triterpenoids and qPCR exhibited remarkably reduced inflammatory factor gene expression through regulation of these two pathways. Finally, the key components were also identified from rat serum after treatment of SQWMG.