Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Analysis on Mechanisms of Scutellariae Radix in the Treatment of Cerebral Ischemia-reperfusion Injury

Background: Multiple brain disorders are treated by Scutellaria Radix (SR), including cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (CI/R). However, more studies are needed to clarify the molecular mechanism of SR for CI/R. Methods: The active substances and potential targets of SR and CI/R-related genes were obtained through public databases. Overlapping targets of SR and CI/R were analyzed using proteinprotein interaction (PPI) networks. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were performed to predict the pathways of SR against CI/R, and the key components and targets were screened for molecular docking. The results of network pharmacology analysis were verified using in vitro experiments. Results: 15 components and 64 overlapping targets related to SR and CI/R were obtained. The top targets were AKT1, IL-6, CAS3, TNF, and TP53. These targets have been studied by GO and KEGG to be connected to a number of signaling pathways, including MAPK, PI3K-Akt pathway, and apoptosis. Molecular docking and cell experiments helped to further substantiate the network pharmacology results. Conclusion: The active compound of SR was able to significantly decrease the apoptosis of HT22 cells induced by OGD/R. This finding suggests that SR is a potentially effective treatment for CI/R by modulating the MAPK and PI3K-Akt pathways.