Mechanism of Elian granules in the treatment of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer in rats through the MAPK signalling pathway based on network pharmacology

Context Elian Granules have been applied in the treatment of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer (PLGC) and achieved good results. However, its exact mechanism remains unclear. Objectives To explore the mechanism of Elian granules in treating PLGC through the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathway based on network pharmacology. Materials and methods Through network pharmacological methods, the targets of the active component of Elian granules against PLGC were obtained. Subsequently, Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into normal, model, and Elian granule groups. The N-methyl-N '-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine comprehensive method was used to establish the PLGC rat model. The model and Elian granule groups were given normal saline and Elian granule aqueous solution (3.24 g/kg/d) intragastric administration, respectively, for 24 weeks. The pathological changes in gastric tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The protein expression of p-JNK and p-p38 was verified by western blotting. Results 394 and 4,395 targets were identified in Elian granules and PLGC, respectively. The 190 common targets were mainly enriched in MAPK signalling pathways. The gastric mucosal epithelium was still intact, the glands were arranged regularly, and no goblet cells or apparent inflammatory cell infiltration were observed in the Elian granule group. The expression of p-JNK and p-p38 protein of the Elian granule group (0.83 +/- 0.08; 1.18 +/- 0.40) was significantly higher than the model group (0.27 +/- 0.14; 0.63 +/- 0.14) (p < 0.01; p < 0.05). Discussion and conclusions Elian granules may play a critical role in the treatment of rat PLGC by up-regulating the expression of p-JNK and p-p38 proteins in the MAPK signalling pathway, thus providing a scientific basis for clinical application.