Targets of Vitamin C With Therapeutic Potential for Cardiovascular Disease and Underlying Mechanisms: A Study of Network Pharmacology

• Main Authors: Ning Zhu, Bingwu Huang, Wenbing Jiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-02-01
• Series: Frontiers in Pharmacology
• Subjects: vitamin C; cardiovascular disease; network pharmacology; inflammation; jak-stat
• Online Access: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.591337/full

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is a nutrient used to treat cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the pharmacological targets of vitamin C and the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of vitamin C on CVD remain to be elucidated. In this study, we used network pharmacology approach to investigate the pharmacological mechanisms of vitamin C for the treatment of CVD. The core targets, major hubs, enriched biological processes, and key signaling pathways were identified. A protein-protein interaction network and an interaction diagram of core target-related pathways were constructed. Three core targets were identified, including phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha isoform, signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3), and prothrombin. The GO and KEGG analyses identified top 20 enriched biological processes and signaling pathways involved in the therapeutic effects of vitamin C on CVD. The JAK-STAT, STAT, PD1, EGFR, FoxO, and chemokines signaling pathways may be highly involved in the protective effects of vitamin C against CVD. In conclusion, our bioinformatics analyses provided evidence on the possible therapeutic mechanisms of vitamin C in CVD treatment, which may contribute to the development of novel drugs for CVD.