Synergistic Mechanisms of Sanghuang-Danshen Phytochemicals on Postprandial Vascular Dysfunction in Healthy Subjects: A Network Biology Approach Based on a Clinical Trial

With the increased risk of cardiovascular disease, the use of botanicals for vascular endothelial dysfunction has intensified. Here, we explored the synergistic mechanisms of Sanghuang-Danshen (SD) phytochemicals on the homeostatic protection against high-fat-induced vascular dysfunction in healthy subjects, using a network biology approach, based on a randomised crossover clinical trial. Seventeen differential markers identified in blood samples taken at 0, 3 and 6 h post-treatment, together with 12SD phytochemicals, were mapped onto the network platform, termed the context-oriented directed associations. The resulting vascular sub-networks illustrated associations between 10 phytochemicals with 32 targets implicated in 143 metabolic/signalling pathways. The three key events included adhesion molecule production (ellagic acid, fumaric acid and cryptotanshinone; VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and PLA2G2A; fatty acid metabolism), platelet activation (ellagic acid, protocatechuic acid and tanshinone IIA; VEGFA, APAF1 and ATF3; mTOR, p53, Rap1 and VEGF signalling pathways) and endothelial inflammation (all phytochemicals, except cryptotanshinone; 29 targets, including TP53 and CASP3; MAPK and PI3K-Akt signalling pathways, among others). Our collective findings demonstrate a potential of SD to protect unintended risks of vascular dysfunction in healthy subjects, providing a deeper understanding of the complicated synergistic mechanisms of signature phytochemicals in SD.