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Background: To explore the efficacy and mechanism of Buzhong Yiqi Decoction (BZYQD) in the treatment of gastric cancer (GC) using meta-analysis and network pharmacology. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Chinese BioMedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal (CQVIP), and Wanfang databases for randomized controlled trials that evaluated BZYQD therapy for GC. The outcomes were clinical efficacy, 2-year survival rate, Karnofsky performance status score, and incidence of adverse reactions. We performed a meta-analysis using RevMan 5.3 software. Then, the potential active ingredients and targets of BZYQD were screened through the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology. GC-related targets were screened through the GeneCards database. The “active ingredients-targets” network was constructed by Cytoscape 3.8.0 software, and the protein–protein interaction network was constructed using the STRING database. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses of the effective targets of BZYQD in GC were performed through the Metascape platform. Finally, molecular docking technology was used to identify the affinity and activity between core targets and active compounds. Results: A total of 15 randomized controlled trials were included in the literature. This literature included a total of 1176 patients, of whom 588 were in the treatment group and 588 were in the control group. In terms of efficacy indicators and incidence of adverse reactions, the treatment group was better than the control group. There was a statistical difference ( P < .05). A total of 150 active ingredients of BZYQD and 136 targets acting on GC were identified. A total of 2430 Gene Ontology terms and 172 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment entries were obtained using enrichment analysis, involving apoptosis and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B signaling pathway. The high affinity and activity of the core targets and active compounds were verified through molecular docking. Conclusion: This study demonstrated the efficacy and safety of BZYQD in the treatment of GC, and the related molecular mechanisms were initially revealed.
Yang et al. (Fri,) studied this question.