Exploring the mechanism of Simiao Yong’an decoction in treating diabetic foot based on metabolomics

Abstract

Background: In recent years, diabetic foot has become a significant cause of disability and mortality among individuals with diabetes. With the progression of time and technology, both modern medicine and traditional Chinese medicine have gradually deepened their understanding and research into diabetic foot, further enhancing the treatment methods available for this condition. To a certain extent, this can alleviate patients' pain and improve their quality of life.

Objective: To explore the mechanism of Simiao Yong’an Decoction (SYD) in the treatment of diabetic foot (DF).

Methods: Databases and software such as TCMSP, GeneCards, OMIM, and TTD were used to identify the pharmacodynamic material basis, therapeutic targets, and metabolic pathways of SYD in the treatment of DF. The serum metabolomics of SYD was integrated with network pharmacology to validate the potential active components and metabolic pathways involved in SYD’s intervention in DF.

Results: The main active components of SYD in treating DF were found to be luteolin, quercetin, and formononetin. The treatment may act through targets such as AKT1, TNF, HSP90AA1, MAPK8, and STAT3, regulating pathways including the MAPK signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, and Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. The phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway was consistent with the findings from serum metabolomics analysis of SYD.

Conclusion: The phosphatidylinositol signaling pathway may be a key metabolic pathway in the intervention of DF by SYD.

Keywords

Simiao Yong’an Decoction / Diabetic foot / Metabolomics / Metabolic pathway

Declarations

Not applicable.

Authors' contributions

K. Zhang: Project leader, Project Research and development. B. Zhang: Network pharmacological analysis and paper writing. Q. Wu: Network pharmacological analysis, databases and software are TCMSP, geneCards, OMIM, and TTD. S. Zhu: Blood and urine samples were systematically collected from the participants. D. Wang: Systematic collection of blood metabolomics data. C. Zhang: Systematic collection of urine metabolomics data.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Heilongjiang Provincial Hospital (SYYLLBA2022037). All procedures involving human participants were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards set by the institutional and national research committees and with the 1964 Helsinki Declaration and its subsequent amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all participants before participation in the study.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Availability of data and materials

Not applicable.

Funding

This work was supported by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Scientific Research Project of Heilongjiang Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Project No.: ZHY2022-066).

Declarations of Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Acknowledgements

Not applicable.

Authors' other information

Not applicable.

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