Exploring the molecular mechanism of apigenin in treating bronchiectasis based on network pharmacology and molecular docking

Bronchiectasis is a complex, heterogeneous inflammatory chronic respiratory disease with an unknown etiology. In the context of increasingly severe drug resistance, there is an urgent need to explore new treatment strategies. Apigenin is a natural flavonoid compound with significant anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. This study aims to investigate the material basis and related pharmacological mechanisms of apigenin in the treatment of bronchiectasis using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. The components and related targets of apigenin were searched using the TCMSP database. The SMILES numbers of each component of apigenin were obtained from the PubChem database, and the targets of each component were predicted using SwissTargetPrediction. All targets of the apigenin components were integrated. Targets related to bronchiectasis were retrieved and integrated from the GeneCards, TTD, and OMIM databases. The intersection targets of apigenin and bronchiectasis were identified using Venny 2.1.0 software. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed and analyzed for topology using the String database platform and Cytoscape 3.10.3 software to screen out the main core targets. Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were performed on the intersection targets using the David database. The binding activity between apigenin and the main core targets was tested using molecular docking technology. A total of 166 targets of apigenin and 2018 targets of bronchiectasis were screened, with 54 intersection targets identified between apigenin and bronchiectasis. The main core targets for apigenin in treating bronchiectasis were AKT1, MMP9, PARP1, SRC, and PTGS2. GO functional enrichment and KEGG pathway analyses yielded 380 GO entries (P < 0.05) and 111 signaling pathways (P < 0.05). These included 247 biological process entries, 35 cellular component entries, and 98 molecular function entries, primarily involving the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, Chemokine signaling pathway, Lipid and atherosclerosis, Pathways in cancer, among others. Molecular docking results indicated that the binding energies between apigenin and these five core targets: AKT1, MMP9, PARP1, SRC, and PTGS2 were - 8.3 kcal/mol, -9.6 kcal/mol, -9.0 kcal/mol, -7.8 kcal/mol and - 8.8 kcal/mol, respectively, suggesting favorable binding activity between apigenin and the main core targets. Conclusion: From the perspective of network pharmacology and molecular docking technology, this study links apigenin to bronchiectasis at the molecular level for the first time. It systematically reveals the potential of apigenin to treat bronchiectasis through multiple targets and pathways. This provides a theoretical basis for in-depth exploration of the mechanism of apigenin in treating bronchiectasis and lays a foundation for subsequent experimental validation and clinical translation.