Published online Aug 15, 2022. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v13.i8.622
Peer-review started: May 6, 2022
First decision: May 30, 2022
Revised: June 10, 2022
Accepted: July 6, 2022
Article in press: July 6, 2022
Published online: August 15, 2022
Processing time: 98 Days and 0.9 Hours
Diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) seriously affects the quality of life of patients. Traditional Chinese medicine has a unique effect in the treatment of skin ulcerative diseases. Ruyi Jinhuang powder (RHP) is one of the classic prescriptions in traditional Chinese medicine and is widely used in clinical practice.
Although there have been studies suggesting that RHP has a therapeutic effect on DFU, there is a lack of research that further verify the mechanism of RHP to promote wound healing.
The effective components of RHP were extracted and identified by chromatography-mass spectrometry, and the obtained chemical components were analyzed by network pharmacology methods to predict its therapeutic mechanism. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (MS) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-MS were used to separately identify the chemical constituents.
Sprague Dawley rats were injected with streptozotocin to establish the DFU model. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the wound tissue under an electron microscope. Medicine Systems Pharmacology database to obtain the target information, and the molecular docking of important components and key targets was performed in Discovery Studio software. Cytoscape software was used to visualize and analyze the relationship between the chemical composition, targets and Traditional Chinese Medicine network.
RHP was shown to promote the healing of diabetic foot ulcers in rats by affecting fibroblasts and nerve cells. A total of 89 chemical components were obtained by chromatography-mass spectrometry. Network pharmacological analysis revealed that RHP was associated with 36 targets and 27 pathways in the treatment of DFU.
Our results indicated that RHP may play a role in the treatment of DFU through these target pathways by affecting insulin resistance, altering the nervous system and immune system, participating in inflammatory responses and regulating cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis and through other specific mechanisms.
We found that RHP plays a role in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers through multiple targets and channels. However, the way in which specific components are combined with target proteins needs to be further explored.