Molecular Mechanism of Ginseng in Treating Nephrotic Syndrome Based on Network Pharmacology and Experimental Verification

[Objectives] To study the potential molecular mechanism of ginseng in treating nephrotic syndrome(NS) by using network pharmacology, molecular docking and experimental verification methods. [Methods] The active components and targets of ginseng were obtained through the network pharmacology database, and the potential targets for the treatment of NS were predicted. The STRING data platform and Cytoscape software were used to construct protein interaction network, and carry out GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. Molecular docking of active components of ginseng and core targets was performed. The in vitro experiment verified the improvement effect of kaempferol, a key active ingredient of ginseng, on podocyte injury. [Results] After screening, 17 active components of ginseng and 38 key targets for treating NS were obtained. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that NF-κB, MAPK and other inflammatory pathways were involved. Molecular docking results show that the core components had good binding activity to key targets. The results of in vitro experiments show that kaempferol can reduce the phosphorylation level of AKT1, down-regulate the expression levels of NF-κB p65 and p-NF-κB p65, play an anti-inflammatory effect by inhibiting the activation of NF-κB pathway, and improve podocyte injury. [Conclusions] Ginseng may play a role in the treatment of NS by regulating multiple targets and pathways such as inflammatory response, substance metabolism, and signal transduction.