Combined network pharmacology and cell experiments to explore the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of matrine

Background: Matrine is an alkaloid compound isolated from the root of Sophorae Flavescentis Radix. Despite being a potent anti-inflammatory agent, the underlying mechanisms of these anti-inflammatory properties have not been scrutinized. Objectives: To briefly elucidate the anti-inflammatory mechanism of matrine through network pharmacology and in vitro experiments. Materials and Methods: Multiple public databases analyzing targets associated with matrine and inflammation were surveyed. Thirty common targets acquired from the Venn diagram were used to compose the protein–protein interaction (PPI) network visualized by Cytoscape software for the subsequent analysis. Results: Network pharmacology revealed that 30 genes in matrine could interrupt the inflammatory metabolism to alleviate its development and progression. The cellular experiments revealed that matrine reduced the expression of interleukin-6 and tumornecrosis factor-α. Conclusion: Our results provide preliminary evidence and theoretical background regarding the role of matrine to assuage the inflammatory reaction, and support its future clinical application.