Exploring the potential anti-COPD ingredients and mechanisms of the Qingfei decoction based on UHPLC-HRMS, network pharmacology and transcriptomic analysis

Qingfei Decoction (QFD) is recognized as one of the 100 classic prescriptions by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of China and is widely used for the treatment of pulmonary diseases. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory condition primarily characterized by airway obstruction. It’s necessary to examine the therapeutic effect of QFD in the treatment of COPD and elucidate its potential effective components, targets, and pathways. This study utilized UHPLC coupled with HRMS to identify the chemical constituents of QFD, resulting in the qualitative analysis of 68 compounds. Network pharmacology predicted 30 gene targets, including IL6, AKT1, and EGFR, and revealed 45 compounds, including ruscogenin, schisandrin A, and esculetin that may contribute to its therapeutic effects on COPD. Subsequently, an elastase-induced COPD mouse model was employed to evaluate the efficacy of QFD. The effects of QFD were assessed through hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining, and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) on lung tissues. Transcriptomic analysis indicating QFD treatment of COPD primarily acted on the IL-17 signaling pathway, which was consistent with the network pharmacology results. Furthermore, RT-qPCR, immunofluorescence, and western blot demonstrated reduced mRNA and protein expression levels of TRAF3IP2, TRAF6, IL17, and TNFα. These findings confirmed that QFD effectively reduced inflammation, likely by down-regulating the IL-17 signaling pathway, thereby treating COPD.