Study on the Anti-Inflammatory Effect and Mechanism of Yuxuebi Tablet Based on Network Pharmacology

Yuxuebi tablet (YXB) is a Chinese patent medicine with the effect of activating blood circulation and dissipating blood stasis and has been used to treat "Bi" syndrome in China. The aim of this study was to reveal its anti-inflammatory efficacy and mechanism. A carrageenan-induced inflammation mouse model was established to demonstrate the anti-inflammatory efficacy of YXB by detecting the paw swelling degree and inflammatory cell infiltration in paws. The active chemical ingredients and anti-inflammatory targets of YXB were obtained through network pharmacology analysis. Finally, the core anti-inflammatory targets of YXB were determined by the ELISA method and western blot. YXB significantly reduced the paw swelling degree and inflammatory cell infiltration in paws. A total of 120 key active components included in YXB interacted with 56 core inflammatory targets (such as TNF, IL1B, IL6, PTGS2, RELA, MAPK1, MAPK8, and MAPK14), mainly involving in the TNF signaling pathway, Toll-like receptor signaling pathway, NF-kappaB signaling pathway, and NOD-like receptor signaling pathway. Further studies in vivo found that YXB reduced the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 in serum and inhibited the expression of COX-2 and the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB p65, JNK, and p38 protein in paws. Taken together, YXB had a good anti-inflammatory effect, which might be related to inhibiting the phosphorylation of NF-κB, JUN, and p38 and the decrease of COX-2 expression and the levels of inflammatory factors.