The Mechanisms of Bushen-Yizhi Formula as a Therapeutic Agent against Alzheimer’s Disease

Bushen-Yizhi prescription (BSYZ) has been an effective traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription in treating Alzheimer’s disease (AD) for hundreds of years. However, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated yet. In this work, a systems pharmacology approach was developed to reveal the underlying molecular mechanisms of BSYZ in treating AD. First, we obtained 329 candidate compounds of BSYZ by in silico ADME/T filter analysis and 138 AD-related targets were predicted by our in-house WEGA algorithm via mapping predicted targets into AD-related proteins. In addition, we elucidated the mechanisms of BSYZ action on AD through multiple network analysis, including compound-target network analysis and target-function network analysis. Furthermore, several modules regulated by BSYZ were incorporated into AD-related pathways to uncover the therapeutic mechanisms of this prescription in AD treatment. Finally, further verification experiments also demonstrated the therapeutic effects of BSYZ on cognitive dysfunction in APP/PS1 mice, which was possibly via regulating amyloid-β metabolism and suppressing neuronal apoptosis. In conclusion, we provide an integrative systems pharmacology approach to illustrate the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of BSYZ formula action on AD.