2024, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (2): 193-199

Pueraria decoction in the treatment of osteoarthritis: network pharmacology analysis and animal model validation

Liu Baofang1, Xu Bin1, Chen Lei2   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Pueraria decoction is a famous prescription of traditional Chinese medicine, which has good anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. The mechanism of Pueraria decoction in osteoarthritis was analyzed using network pharmacology to obtain the main therapeutic components of Pueraria decoction.
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the mechanism of Pueraria decoction in the treatment of osteoarthritis through network pharmacology and animal experiments.
METHODS: First, the active ingredients of Pueraria decoction were screened through the Chinese Herbal Medicine Analysis platform (TCMSP) and the genes related to osteoarthritis were collected in the GeneCards database. Second, Cytoscape software was used to construct the “active ingredient-target-disease” network diagram, explore hub genes and analyze gene expression differences. Subsequently, the therapeutic effect of luteolin, one of the main components of Pueraria decoction, was verified in a mouse model of osteoarthritis. Finally, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and the gene ontology (GO) enrichment analyses of the target genes were conducted to further explore the relevant mechanisms.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: 115 active ingredients and 147 target genes related to osteoarthritis were identified. GO and KEGG analyses found that Pueraria decoction could affect osteoarthritis through a variety of reaction mechanisms and metabolic pathways. Six hub genes and compounds acting on these genes were determined. Luteolin, the main component of Pueraria decoction, could better promote cartilage repair, accelerate the decrease of typy II collagen and inhibit the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 1 and cyclooxygenase 2 in animal experiments. To conclude, Pueraria decoction contains various active ingredients to prevent the progression of osteoarthritis through oxidative stress and metabolic pathways.

Key words: Pueraria decoction, osteoarthritis, differentially expressed gene, network pharmacology, signaling pathway, inflammatory response, target prediction, luteolin