Integrating serum pharmacochemistry, network pharmacology, and metabolomics to explore the protective mechanism of Hua-Feng-Dan in ischemic stroke

Background: The traditional Chinese medicine Hua-Feng-Dan (HFD) has shown efficacy against ischemic stroke, but how it works remains unclear.

Purpose: To elucidate the mechanisms of action of HFD against ischemic stroke.

Methods: The effects of HFD on ischemic stroke injury were explored in rats subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R). The components of HFD and in serum was determined after oral administration using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography followed by mass spectrometry. Potential therapeutic targets of the HFD components in serum were identified through the combination of network pharmacology and metabolomic analysis of serum, then validated through molecular docking and surface plasmon resonance(SPR), as well as immunohistochemistry and western blotting of brain tissue.

Results: HFD alleviated nerve function injury, damage to cortical and hippocampal neurons, and oxidative stress induced by MCAO/R, while also shrinking cerebral infarctions and dampening inflammatory responses and neuronal Apoptosis. The main ingredients of HFD are Flavonoids and Alkaloids. Network pharmacology based on chemical components in serum, followed by molecular docking and SPR, identified several potential therapeutic targets, including Akt1 and PIK3CA. Western blotting of brain tissue confirmed that HFD activated PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling. Metabolomic analysis of serum revealed that HFD helped to renormalize stroke-perturbed metabolic pathways involving glycerophospholipids, arachidonic acid, primary bile acids and tryptophan. It also revealed that HFD downregulated AChE, PTGS2, CYP19A1 and ALOX5, which immunohistochemistry of brain tissue confirmed.

Conclusion: HFD exerts therapeutic effects in a rat model of ischemic stroke through multiple pathways and targets, including PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling; metabolic pathways involving arachidonic and amino acids; and the Enzymes encoded by AChE, MAOA, PTGS2, CYP19A1, and ALOX5. These insights may guide further studies into the mechanisms of HFD, which may help optimize its formulation or lead to next-generation treatments based on individual components.

Hua-Feng-Dan; Ischemic stroke; Molecular mechanism; Network pharmacology; Serum metabolomics.