Evaluation of the Mechanism of Yishan Formula in Treating Breast Cancer Based on Network Pharmacology and Experimental Verification

Background: Yishan formula (YSF) has a significant effect on the treatment of breast cancer, which can improve the quality of life and prolong the survival of patients with breast cancer; however, its mechanism of action is unknown. Objective: In this study, network pharmacology and molecular docking methods have been used to explore the potential pharmacological effects of the YSF, and the predicted targets have been validated by in vitro experiments. Methods: Active components and targets of the YSF were obtained from the TCMSP and Swiss target prediction website. Four databases, namely GeneCards, OMIM, TTD, and DisGeNET, were used to search for disease targets. The Cytoscape v3.9.0 software was utilized to draw the network of drug-component-target and selected core targets. DAVID database was used to analyze the biological functions and pathways of key targets. Finally, molecular docking and in vitro experiments have been used to verify the hub genes. Results: Through data collection from the database, 157 active components and 618 genes implicated in breast cancer were obtained and treated using the YSF. After screening, the main active components (kaempferol, quercetin, isorhamnetin, dinatin, luteolin, and tamarixetin) and key genes (AKT1, TP53, TNF, IL6, EGFR, SRC, VEGFA, STAT3, MAPK3, and JUN) were obtained. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis indicated that the YSF could affect the progression of breast cancer by regulating biological processes, such as signal transduction, cell proliferation and apoptosis, protein phosphorylation, as well as PI3K-Akt, Rap1, MAPK, FOXO, HIF-1, and other related signaling pathways. Molecular docking suggested that IL6 with isorhamnetin, MAPK3 with kaempferol, and EGFR with luteolin have strong binding energy. The experiment further verified that YSF can control the development of breast cancer by inhibiting the expression of the hub genes. Conclusion: This study showed that resistance to breast cancer may be achieved by the synergy of multiple active components, target genes, and signal pathways, which can provide new avenues for breast cancer-targeted therapy.