Network pharmacology based investigation into the effect and mechanism of Modified Sijunzi Decoction against the subtypes of chronic atrophic gastritis

Abstract

Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is a common digestive disease without specific treatment. According to syndrome differentiation, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) classified it into different syndromes and has achieved significant therapeutic effects. In this study, immune repertoire sequencing techniques combined with symptom scores, electronic gastroscopy as well as pathologic changes were used to evaluate the effect and the underlying mechanism of Modified Sijunzi Decoction (MSD) in treating CAG. The results showed that MSD could relieve CAG symptoms, improve pathologic changes in CAG with fatigue and tiredness symptom, but with no help in CAG with reversal heat symptom. Moreover, MSD could regulate immune disorders in CAG with fatigue and tiredness symptom, and 7 TCR biomarkers were explored in CAG patients with immune disorders. All these results indicated that MSD is effective in treating CAG patients with fatigue and tiredness symptom by tonifying the spleen qi, suggesting that CAG treatment based on syndrome differentiation is reasonable.

Keywords: Chronic atrophic gastritis; Damp-heat syndrome; Immune repertoire sequencing analysis; Modified Sijunzi Decoction; Spleen qi deficiency syndrome.