title: TCM grammar systems: an approach to aid the interpretation of the molecular interactions in Chinese herbal medicine.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interpreting the molecular interactions in Chinese herbal medicine will help to understand the molecular mechanisms of Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) and predict the new pharmacological effects of TCM. Yet, we still lack a method which could integrate the concerned pieces of parsed knowledge about TCM.
  
  
  METHODS
  To solve the problem, a new method named TCM grammar systems was proposed in the present article. The possibility to study the interactions of TCM at the molecular level using TCM grammar systems was explored using Herba Ephedrae Decoction (HED) as an example.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A platform was established based on the formalism of TCM grammar systems. The related molecular network of Herba Ephedrae Decoction (HED) can be extracted automatically. The molecular network indicates that Beta2 adrenergic receptor, Glucocorticoid receptor and Interleukin12 are the relatively important targets for the anti-anaphylaxis asthma function of HED. Moreover, the anti-anaphylaxis asthma function of HED is also related with suppressing inflammation process. The results show the feasibility using TCM grammar systems to interpret the molecular mechanism of TCM. Although the results obtained depend on the database absolutely, recombination of existing knowledge in this method provides new insight for interpreting the molecular mechanism of TCM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TCM grammar systems could aid the interpretation of the molecular interactions in TCM to some extent. Moreover, it might be useful to predict the new pharmacological effects of TCM. The method is an in silico technology. In association with the experimental techniques, this method will play an important role in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of TCM.
authors.affiliation: Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, School of Chinese Pharmacy, No. 6, Sourthern Rd., Beijing 100102, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Si-Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Yan-Jiang
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Qiao
mesh_terms: D000707:Anaphylaxis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000145:classification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D051188:Knowledge Bases; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D049490:Systems Biology; D009626:Terminology as Topic; D018875:Vocabulary, Controlled
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal