ObjectiveTo explore the pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanism of action of volatile oil from Chuanxiong (Chuanxiong Rhizoma) - Suhexiang (Styrax) - Bingpian (Borneolum) (hereinafter referred to as C-S-B volatile oil) in treating angina pectoris based on network pharmacology and to detect its protective effects against rat myocardial damage.

MethodsGas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to determine the constituents of volatile oils from Chuanxiong (Chuanxiong Rhizoma), Suhexiang (Styrax), and Bingpian (Borneolum), and the targets of the three main constituents were found predicted and screened using the PharmMapper server, and GeneCards and CooLGeN databases. The STRING database and Cytoscape software were used to draw the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, RStudio software was used to analyze Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genome and Genome (KEGG) pathways, and Cytoscape software was used to construct the component-target-pathway-disease network. The rat model of myocardial injury was established by intraperitoneal injection of a large dose of isoprenaline hydrochloride. After continuous intervention with C-S-B volatile oil for 14 d, the ejection fraction (EF) and short axis shortening rate (FS) of the left ventricle were detected. The indices of myocardial damage were detected after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining.

ResultsFifteen volatile oil components from the C-S-B formula were identified. There are 470 targets of these volatile oil components and 401 angina-related genes. There are 28 core targets, including CHRM4, ADRA1A, FGFR1, CHRM2, CYP2A6, CHRM5, CHRM1, CHRM3, HDAC2, and MPO, etc.. The results of the KEGG analysis indicated that the C-S-B formula probably interferes with the following pathways: neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, calcium signaling, cytochrome P450 metabolism of heteropoietin, among others. The results of animal experiments showed that the C-S-B formula essential oil could significantly improve the following myocardial indices in rats with myocardial injury: EF, FS, left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVIDs), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVIDd), and stroke volume (SV), and all the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.01).

ConclusionThe mechanism of action of volatile oil components in the C-S-B formula in treating angina pectoris was analyzed using multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway systems, which has laid a foundation for further revealing its mechanism of action. Animal experiments have shown that the volatile oil of the C-S-B formula can improve EF, FS, and other indices of myocardial damage in a rat model, thus relieving myocardial damage caused by heart hyperactivity, improving cardiac function, and protecting against myocardial damage.