Clinical and Translational Research
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Diabetes. May 15, 2024; 15(5): 945-957
Published online May 15, 2024. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v15.i5.945
Systematic investigation of Radix Salviae for treating diabetic peripheral neuropathy disease based on network Pharmacology
Tao Kang, Xiao Qin, Yan Chen, Qian Yang
Tao Kang, Xiao Qin, Yan Chen, Qian Yang, Department of Neurology, Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital, Xi'an 710068, Shaanxi Province, China
Author contributions: Kang T and Yang Q conceived the project; Qin X and Chen Y designed the experiment and collected clinical data; Kang T, Qin X and Chen Y performed postoperative follow-ups and recorded data; Kang T and Yang Q performed data and statistical analyses and wrote the original manuscript; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital, who agreed to waive the need for informed consent.
Informed consent statement: After review by the Ethics Committee, it was agreed to waive the provision of informed consent for this study.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author(s) declare there are no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Data sharing statement: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Qian Yang, MD, Department of Neurology, Shaanxi Provincial People’s Hospital, No. 256 You-Yi West Road, Beilin District, Xi’an 710068, Shaanxi Province, China. yqqjy2019@163.com
Received: December 22, 2023
Peer-review started: December 22, 2023
First decision: January 9, 2024
Revised: February 7, 2024
Accepted: March 13, 2024
Article in press: March 13, 2024
Published online: May 15, 2024
Processing time: 140 Days and 10 Hours
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Research background

Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is a common and debilitating complication of diabetes, lacking effective treatment options. Radix Salviae (Danshen in Chinese), a traditional Chinese medicine, has shown promise in treating DPN, but its mechanism of action remains unclear.

Research motivation

Given the growing global prevalence of diabetes and the lack of satisfactory treatments for DPN, there is a critical need to investigate potential medicinal interventions, such as Radix Salviae, for the condition. Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of Radix Salviae on DPN could lead to the development of novel treatments.

Research objectives

This study aims to explore the mechanism of Radix Salviae in treating DPN using network pharmacology. The specific objectives include identifying the active ingredients and target genes of Radix Salviae, investigating the interactions between Radix Salviae and DPN-related target genes, and elucidating the potential pathways and processes involved in its therapeutic effects on DPN.

Research methods

The research utilized the Traditional Chinese medicine pharmacology database and analysis platform to identify active ingredients and target genes of Radix Salviae. DPN-related target genes were obtained from public databases, and network pharmacology approaches were employed to construct interaction networks, perform enrichment analyses, and explore potential mechanisms.

Research results

The study identified 56 active components, 108 targets, and 4581 DPN-related target genes for Radix Salviae. Eighty-one common targets were discovered between Radix Salviae and DPN. Functional annotation and pathway enrichment analyses highlighted the involvement of the AGE-RAGE and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways in the therapeutic effects of Radix Salviae on DPN.

Research conclusions

The findings suggest that Radix Salviae may exert its therapeutic effects on DPN by regulating inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress through the identified pathways. This study provides a theoretical basis for the potential role of Radix Salviae in improving symptoms of DPN and offers valuable insights for future research and drug development in the field.

Research perspectives

Further experimental validation and clinical studies are needed to confirm the findings and understand the potential of Radix Salviae as a treatment for DPN. Subsequent research should focus on elucidating the specific biological processes and molecular targets influenced by Radix Salviae, as well as exploring its clinical applicability and safety in the context of DPN treatment.