Network pharmacology and molecular docking reveal the mechanisms of action of Panax notoginseng against post-COVID-19 thromboembolism

Panax notoginseng (PNGS) is a potent folk therapy for blood-related diseases. However, further research is required to fully elucidate the mechanisms of its pharmacological activities and to explore its therapeutic potential for treating thromboembolism (TE) caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This study aimed at analysing the molecular mechanisms of PNGS and at clarifying their potential role in treating TE induced by COVID-19, by employing network pharmacology and molecular docking. To this end, a network pharmacological ap¬proach was combined with expression profiling by high-throughput sequencing of GSE156701 so as to elucidate the compound constituents of PNGS for treating TE caused by SARS-CoV-2 at a systemic level. Protein-protein interac¬tion network, Gene Ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses were employed in order to decipher the associated drug-target interactions. The integration of these results suggested that five targets, including the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), the coagulation factor III (F3), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), the mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), and the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (SERPINE1), represent major genes involved in thromboembolism. The data suggest that PNGS exerts collective therapeutic effects against TE caused by SARS-CoV-2, and provides a theoretical basis for further laboratory study of the active drug-like ingredients and the potential mechanisms of PNGS in TE treatment.