OBJECTIVE  To elucidate the possible mechanism, and to explore the main components, core targets, and key signaling pathways of Haimufang Decoction(HMF) in treating non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC) by the network pharmacology and serum pharmacology methods.

METHODS  TCMSP and DisGeNET databases were used to search and summarize the components, targets and non-small cell lung cancer-related targets of HMF, respectively. The common targets were obtained by intersection of drug targets and disease targets, and uploaded to the STRING data platform to construct a protein-protein interaction(PPI) network to screen core targets. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of core targets were performed using DAVID database. Cytoscape 3.9.1 software was used to construct the network of "HMF flavor-components-targets-pathways", predicting the possible mechanisms of action of HMF. Finally, the cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction experiments of HMF-containing serum on NSCLC NCI-H1975 cells were used to verify the effect of HMF on lung cancer and its potential mechanism.

RESULTS  A total of 65 compounds were identified from HMF, and 47 main compounds such as 24-keto-cholesterol, quercetin and diisobutyl phthalate were screened out. PPI network analysis shown that tumor protein p53, tumor necrosis factor, cystein-asparate protease-3 and other 55 proteins might be the core target proteins of HMF in the treatment of NSCLC, involving multiple signaling pathways such as pathways in cancer. In subsequent validation experiments, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction in the pathways in cancer pathway have been shown to be involved in the inhibition of non-small cell lung cancer.

CONCLUSION HMF plays a role in the treatment of NSCLC through multi-component, multi-target and multi-channel signaling pathways, which provides a theoretical basis for the mechanism and clinical application of HMF.