Identification of the Active Compound of Liu Wei Di Huang Wan for Treatment of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus via Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking

Liu Wei Di Huang Wan (LWDHW) is a well-known Chinese herbal compound, which has been prescribed for the treatment of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We sought to clarify the potential therapeutic effects of LWDHW against GDM. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in GDM were firstly identified from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed to reveal the biological functions of the DEGs. Subsequently, the LWDHW-compound-target network was constructed based on public databases to identify the relationship between the active components in LWDHW and the corresponding targets. Furthermore, gene functional analysis and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction were applied to investigate the function of potential targets and to evaluate hub genes. Finally, molecular docking was used to verify the binding activities between active ingredients and hub targets. Thirteen active components and 39 corresponding therapeutic target genes were obtained via network pharmacology analysis. The enrichment analysis demonstrated that the anti-GDM effect of LWDHW included oxidoreductase activity, involvement in renal system process, and regulation of blood pressure, which may be achieved through regulation of serotonergic synapses, vascular smooth muscle contraction, and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction pathways. Additionally, molecular docking revealed that the main active component, Mu Dan Pi, exhibited the best affinity for proteins encoded by hub genes. This study applied network pharmacology analysis and molecular docking to display the multicomponent and multitarget characteristics of LWDHW in the treatment of GDM. Our findings provide novel insights into the pathogenesis of GDM and the therapeutic mechanisms of LWDHW against GDM.