Integrating network pharmacology and experimental verification strategies to reveal the active ingredients and molecular mechanism of Tenghuang Jiangu Capsule against osteoporosis

Miao Li; Hongyu Tang; Yuanhao Hu; Songtao Li; Pan Kang; Baihao Chen; Shaocong Li; Meng Zhang; Haibin Wang; Shaochuan Huo

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19812

Integrating network pharmacology and experimental verification strategies to reveal the active ingredients and molecular mechanism of Tenghuang Jiangu Capsule against osteoporosis

Heliyon. 2023 Sep 4;9(9):e19812. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e19812. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Authors

Miao Li^{1

2}, Hongyu Tang^{1

3}, Yuanhao Hu¹, Songtao Li^{1

2}, Pan Kang^{1

2}, Baihao Chen^{1

2}, Shaocong Li^{1

2}, Meng Zhang⁴, Haibin Wang^{1

3

2}, Shaochuan Huo⁵

Affiliations

¹ Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China.
² Lingnan Medical Research Center of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China.
³ Department of Joint Orthopaedic, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510405, China.
⁴ Department of Orthopedics, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, People's Hospital of Henan University, Zhengzhou, 450003, China.
⁵ Shenzhen Hospital (Futian) of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, No.6001, North Ring Road, Futian District, Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province, 518048, China.

Abstract

Tenghuang Jiangu Capsule (THJGC) is a Chinese herbal formula used for the treatment of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis in China, but its mechanism for treating osteoporosis is not clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of THJGC on osteoporosis and its intrinsic mechanism through network pharmacology and experimental validation. Drugs and potential targets were obtained from several reliable databases through network pharmacology, and these targets were integrated and analyzed using bioinformatics and molecular docking strategies. Quercetin, lignans and kaempferol were identified as key components, and the key targets included Akt1, MAPKs, and CASP3. Subsequently, UPLC-MS/MS analysis confirmed the presence of components in THJGC for the treatment of osteoporosis. In addition, using ex vivo and in vivo models, it was confirmed that THJGC inhibited H₂O₂-induced ROS generation and apoptosis, and reduced OVX-induced bone loss in a mouse model of osteoporosis. Our data suggest that THJGC has antioxidant, bone formation-promoting, bone resorption-inhibiting, and MC3T3-E1 apoptosis-reducing effects, and thus has anti-osteoporotic properties. In conclusion, it may be a promising pharmacologic adjuvant treatment for osteoporosis.

Keywords: Bone formation; Experimental validation; Network pharmacology; Osteoporosis; Teng Huang Jian Gu capsule (THJGC).