Molecular Mechanism of Rhizoma Coptidis in Treating Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Combined with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Network Pharmacology Study

OBJECTIVE:To explore the molecular mechanisms of Rhizoma Coptidis in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) combined with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) using network pharmacology. METHODS:The TCMSP database and analytical platform were used to obtain information on the active ingredients and target proteins of Huanglian. The UniProt database was utilized to convert effector target names to generic gene names. PCOS and T2DM related genes were screened by GeneCards database and matched with the corresponding gene names of the target sites of Rhizoma Coptidis. Cytoscape 3. 8. 0 software was used to construct the Huanglian-constituent-target network, and the database of functional annotation bioinformatics analysis platform (DAVID) was utilized for the related gene enrichment analysis. RESULTS: A total of 11 bioactive ingredients from Rhizoma Coptidis were identified. A total of 120 target genes were predicted to have therapeutic effects of Rhizoma Coptidis on both PCOS and T2DM, which were significantly enriched in KEGG pathways such as thyroid hormone signaling, inflammatory bowel disease, insulin signaling, and adipocytokine signaling pathways, respectively. Among them, AKT1, IL-6, TP53, VEGFA, and TNF were the top 5 important target genes for the effects of Rhizoma Coptidis. CONCLUSION:PCOS and T2DM share common genetic pathways, and Rhizoma Coptidis may treat these conditions through multiple molecular pathways.