Elucidating the mechanism of Wuji powder in polycystic ovary syndrome treatment:a network pharmacology approach

To elucidate the potential mechanism of Wuji powder in treating polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS),this study utilized TCMSP database to screen the active ingredients of each constituent drug in Wuji powder.Subsequently,we predicted the target proteins associated with these active ingredients.In parallel,we employed the GeneCards database to identify genes related to PCOS and determined the intersection of drug targets and disease targets using the online tool available at http://bioinformatics.psb.ugent.be/webtools/Venn/.The shared genes were considered as the target proteins of Wuji powder in the treatment of PCOS.Utilizing the String website,we constructed a protein-protein interaction(PPI)network diagram and identified key protein modules and hub genes within the PPI network using Cytoscape 3.7.1 software.Further analysis in the DAVID database involved GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses of the genes within the identified key modules.Our investigation revealed a total of 63 active ingredients in Wuji powder with potential therapeutic effects on PCOS,corresponding to 266 drug targets.Intersection with PCOS-related disease targets yielded 174 shared targets.Ten key modules and ten hub genes(TNF,MMP9,AKT1,ECG,VEGFA,PTGS2,IL-6,MAPK3,STAT3,and CXCL8)were identified through network analysis.KEGG pathway enrichment analysis uncovered 58 signaling pathways,including TNF,MAPK,and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways.GO functional annotation delineated five cellular components(CC),nine molecular functions(MF),and 58 biological processes(BP).Noteworthy findings included extracellular space,enzyme binding,and drug response among CC,MF,and BP categories,respectively.These results collectively suggested that Wuji powder might exert its therapeutic effects on PCOS by modulating the TNF/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Clinical efficacy of Salvia miltiorrhiza in pathological scar treatment:A systematic review and meta-analysis

To systematically assess the clinical efficacy of Salvia miltiorrhiza(SM)in treating pathological scars and provide a reference basis for scar pharmacotherapy,we conducted a comprehensive literature search in both English and Chinese databases from database inception to December 2022.Key search terms included Salvia miltiorhiza,cryptotanshinone,tanshinone IIA,sodium-tanshinol,compound Salvia miltiorrhiza dripping pills,cicatrix,cicatrices,and scar.The inclusion criteria encompassed all clinical randomized controlled studies on the treatment of pathological scars with SM,without regard to blinding or allocation concealment,as well as irrespective of patient nationality,race,or age.Data from the selected literature were subjected to analysis using Rev Man 5.4 software,employing the standard mean difference or weighted mean difference for numerical variables and odds ratios(ORs)for dichotomous variables.Statistical significance was set at P<0.05.Six eligible studies involving a total of 778 patients met the inclusion criteria.The analysis revealed a significant therapeutic efficacy with an OR of 3.83(95%CI:2.65–5.54),indicating a substantially higher therapeutic efficacy rate in SM group compared to the control group.Furthermore,the total effective rate of treatment exhibited an OR of 6.94(95%CI:2.53–19.06),signifying a significantly superior treatment outcome in SM group.Regarding scar scores,no significant improvement was observed in SM group compared to the control group after 3 months of treatment(mean difference[MD]=–0.96,95%CI:–2.29–0.36).However,after 6 months of treatment,the scar score demonstrated a noteworthy improvement in SM group(MD=–1.37,95%CI:–2.44 to–0.30)compared to the control group.In summary,this study affirmed that SM treatment markedly enhanced the therapeutic efficacy and overall treatment efficiency for clinical scar patients,underscoring its positive clinical therapeutic impact on scar patients.