Study on the underlying mechanism of Qianghuo Shengshi Decoction in the treatment of wind-cold-dampness arthralgia type rheumatoid arthritis by integrating systems biology,transcriptomics and experimental validationOA

Background:One of the first hundred traditional Chinese medicines(TCM)formulas administered in China,Qianghuo Shengshi Decoction(QSD)has a positive clinical and therapeutic impact on rheumatoid arthritis(RA).Even so,there is still not enough knowledge on the active ingredients and possible ways that QSDs might work to treat RA.This study systematically investigated the active ingredients and mechanisms of action of QSD for treating wind-cold-dampness arthralgia type RA.Methods:UHPLC-QE-MS and network pharmacology techniques were employed to predict the potential active constituents,targets,and associated signalling pathways.Then,the therapeutic effect of QSD was examined using a wind-cold-dampness arthralgia paralytic RA rat model.Finally,the complex mechanism was comprehensively elucidated by integrating transcriptomics and network pharmacology.The above mechanisms were also verified by molecular docking,immunohistochemistry and Western blot.Results:UHPLC-QE-MS and network pharmacology analysis revealed that ferulic acid,imperatorin,magnolol,quercetin,and scopoletin could be the primary constituents in QSD responsible for its anti-RA effects.Animal experiments showed that QSD can significantly inhibit rat joint swelling degree,decrease the content of serum rheumatoid factor(RF),interleukin(IL)-1β,tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α),IL-6,and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies(ACPA),and increase the content of IL-4,IL-10 to relieve the clinical symptoms of wind-cold-dampness arthralgia type RA.The mechanistic study showed that QSD may effectively inhibit rat synovial hyperplasia via promoting autophagy and apoptosis of synovial cells by regulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling pathway.Conclusion:This study identifies key active ingredients in QSD and elucidates its potential mechanism for treating wind-cold-dampness arthralgia type RA,providing a basis for the clinical application of QSD.