Using Integrated Network Pharmacology and Metabolomics to Reveal the Mechanisms of the Combined Intervention of Ligustrazine and Sinomenine in CCI-Induced Neuropathic Pain Rats

Neuropathic pain (NP) is a chronic pain condition resulting from nerve or spinal cord damage. This study investigates the combined effects of ligustrazine (LGZ) and sinomenine (SIN) in alleviating NP symptoms in rats with chronic constriction injury (CCI). The researchers used network pharmacology to predict drug targets and metabolomics to identify key metabolites. By integrating these approaches, they aimed to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of LGZ and SIN in treating NP. The study found that the combination of LGZ and SIN effectively reduced pain-like behaviors in CCI rats, improved nerve damage, and regulated inflammatory cytokine levels. Key metabolic pathways, such as tyrosine and phenylalanine metabolism, were identified as potential targets for the therapeutic effects of LGZ and SIN.

• 1
  The combination of LGZ and SIN significantly alleviated pain-like behaviors in CCI rats in a time- and dose-dependent manner, demonstrating superior therapeutic effects compared to LGZ or SIN alone.
• 2
  Network pharmacology identified shared and distinct pain-related targets for LGZ and SIN, including six key targets: CA2, MPO, HTR6, MAOA, GSK3B, and BDKRB2.
• 3
  Metabolomics revealed that tyrosine metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, and arginine and proline metabolism were identified as potential key metabolic pathways underlying the therapeutic effects of LGZ and SIN in CCI treatment.