Pharmacological mechanisms of the effect of Fufang Danshen on pain

Abstract

Fufang Danshen (FFDS) is a Chinese medicine formula which has been widely used in clinic for treatment of angina pectoris, coronary arteriosclerosis, hyperlipemia and Alzheimer’s disease. Although it has been proven to have effects on pain relief and antinociception, its pharmacological mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Current research performed methodologies of network pharmacology to investigate 223 targets for 35 compounds in FFDS. Statistics demonstrates that most compounds in FFDS conform to drug-likeness rules and have good bioavailability. Not only did active compounds and their targets in FFDS are identified, the pathways these compounds affect are also uncovered, which can be classified as signal transduction, endocrine system, nervous system and lipid metabolism. Relevance of FFDS and its herbs with pain has also been evaluated. These results provide a better understanding of FFDS in pain relief and may help to develop new analgesics.