Luteolin, a component of traditional Chinese medicine herb Zi Su Ye, has been found to alleviate kidney disease stage 3-5 by reducing renal tubular epithelial cell apoptosis.
By using network pharmacology, the research identified the active components of a traditional Chinese medicine herb used for treating chronic kidney disease stages 3-5. Active components were analyzed using high performance liquid chromatography and enriched for substantial analysis. Thereafter, critical components were verified using molecular docking and experimentations. The key therapeutic targets were observed from a constructed PPI network, and further focused on five core nodes: AKT1, TP53, IL6, TNF, and MAPK1.
In discussing the results, it was revealed that 19 active components were recognized, interlinking with 108 targets of chronic kidney disease stages 3-5. The potential regulation of various biological functions by these targets was suggested. Specifically, apoptosis, T cell receptor, and PI3K-AKT signaling pathways would be modulated. Molecular docking supported the premise that active components dock successfully with corresponding targets. Luteolin emerged as the most effective component in managing adriamycin-induced renal tubular apoptosis by affecting oxidative stress and downgrading the MAPK and p53 pathways.
