The mechanism of Gancao Xiexin decoction in the treatment of Behçet’s disease based on GEO differential analysis and network pharmacology

Background To analyze the main components and possible mechanisms of Gancao Xiexin decoction in the treatment of Behçet’s disease (BD) using network pharmacology combined with GEO database. Methods The GSE and GPL files of Behçet’s disease were downloaded from the GEO database, and the differential genes were analyzed R software to obtain potential disease targets. The TCMSP database was used to search for compounds in Glycyrrhiza radix, Pinellia pinellia, Scutellaria radix, Rhizoma coptidis, dried ginger, jujube and ginseng in Gancao xiexin decoction. The oral bioavailability (OB) ≥ 30% and drug-like properties (DL) ≥ 0.18 were used as the criteria to screen the active components and find their corresponding targets. The intersection of drug target genes and disease differential genes was taken, and the "drug-compound - target" regulatory network and protein-protein interaction network were constructed by Cytoscape3.8.0 software, and the core targets were screened by topological analysis. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed using R software. Results A total of 3769 differential genes were obtained, including 201 active components of Gancao Xiexin decoction, corresponding to 1916 target genes. There were 46 proteins in the PPI core network, which were mainly involved in NTRK1, EGFR, CUL3, APP, TP53, MCM2, XPO1, ESR1, FN1, etc. GO enrichment analysis showed that 825 pathways were obtained from biological process, 19 pathways were obtained from cellular components, and 41 pathways were obtained from molecular function. They were mainly enriched in biological processes such as response to metal ion, response to oxidative stress and response to radiation. A total of 149 were identified by KEGG pathway analysis. It mainly involves Human cytomegalovirus infection, Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus infection, and Human T-cell leukemia virus 1 infection, Lipid and atherosclerosis, Chemical carcinogenesis − reactive oxygen species, etc. Conclusion Gancao Xiexin decoction has the characteristics of multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway in the treatment of Behçet’s disease. It plays a role in regulating the body's immune and inflammatory response by acting on the targets of MAPK1, MAPK3, AKT1, CHUK and other targets, which lays the foundation for deeper exploration of the therapeutic mechanism.