Salidroside and its in vivo metabolite tyrosol could act directly on dopamine D2 receptors: a study using RNAseq combined with Connectivity Map analysis

Salidroside is an active ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine such as Rhodiola. Its in vivo metabolite, tyrosol, exist in olive oil and red wine. For a long time, clinical practice and research have shown that both of them have many pharmacological activities, but their targets have not reached unanimous conclusion. The present study proposed that dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) may be the target of salidroside and tyrosol, by using RNA sequencing combined with Connectivity Map (CMAP) analysis. On this basis, molecular docking, surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA) were used to verify that both salidroside and tyrosol directly bind to DRD2. The results of this study can serve as a guide for further pharmacological research on salidroside and tyrosol.