Published online Jun 7, 2019. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v25.i21.2603
Peer-review started: March 3, 2019
First decision: March 20, 2019
Revised: March 27, 2019
Accepted: April 19, 2019
Article in press: April 20, 2019
Published online: June 7, 2019
Processing time: 96 Days and 19.8 Hours
Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a kind of common chronic disease with complex etiology, and it is difficult to achieve a satisfactory curative effect by conventional drug treatments. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical development has always been an urgent dilemma in the field of medical research. Thus, promising and novel research methods are urgently needed to be explored for UC.
Mucosal inflammation and impairment of epithelial barrier function were thought to mediate the pathogenesis of UC. HIF-1α was also demonstrated to be associated with those processes. Thus, we explored the potential pharmacological mechanism of Jian-Pi Qing-Chang (JPQC) on UC, which might provide a novel complementary tactic to the standard treatment.
To explore the potential pharmacological mechanism of JPQC on UC based on systems pharmacology approach.
Systems pharmacology was used in this research to explore the potential pharmacological mechanism of JPQC on UC, and cell co-culture assay was applied to better simulate the physiological environment in vivo.
The study showed the protective effect of JPQC on UC through cell and animal experiments.
JPQC could improve the mucosal inflammatory response and intestinal epithelial barrier function via the NF-κB/HIF-1α signalling pathway.
The feasibility of systematic pharmacology was proved in this research, and further interdisciplinary research and integrated analyses are necessary in the pharmaceutical development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which might provide new perspectives on the development and clinical practice of TCM.