Network Pharmacology, Machine Learning, and In Vivo Validation of Danzhi Jiangtang Capsule in Diabetic Nephropathy

Although Danzhi Jiangtang Capsule (DJC) is a traditional Chinese herbal preparation used clinically for diabetes, how it may protect the kidney during diabetic nephropathy (DN) has not been fully clarified. This investigation was designed to explore potential mechanisms by which DJC affects DN, with a focus on the NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3)/Caspase-1/Gasdermin D (GSDMD) pyroptosis-related signaling cascade. An integrated strategy combining network pharmacology and machine learning was employed. The Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP) and the Bioinformatics Analysis Tool for Molecular Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Medicine (BATMAN-TCM) were used to screen bioactive ingredients and their corresponding protein targets of DJC. DN-associated genes were retrieved from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), GeneCards, and Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM). Key candidate targets were screened and ranked using multiple machine learning algorithms. The binding affinity between DJC's active ingredients and core targets was assessed via molecular docking. Finally, the therapeutic efficacy and predicted mechanisms were evaluated in db/db diabetic mice. Network pharmacology analysis identified 599 DJC targets and 68 overlapping genes shared with DN. Using machine learning algorithms, C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2) and CASP1 were identified as prioritized candidate targets. Molecular docking predicted possible strong binding affinities between DJC active ingredients and these core proteins. Functional enrichment analyses (GO/KEGG) suggested that DJC modulation is associated with inflammatory responses and the MAPK pathway. In vivo validation showed that DJC treatment attenuated renal injury and fibrosis markers. These findings suggest that DJC may attenuate DN in part through CCL2/C-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2)-related pyroptosis signaling changes.