Potential mechanism of Yueju Pills in improving depressive symptoms of psychocardiac diseases based on metabolomics and network pharmacology.
10.19540/j.cnki.cjcmm.20250506.403
- Author:
Cheng-Yu DU
1
;
Xue-Feng GUO
1
;
Han-Wen ZHANG
1
;
Jian LIANG
1
;
Huan ZHANG
1
;
Guo-Wei HUANG
1
;
Ping NI
1
;
Hai-Jun MA
1
;
You YU
2
;
Rui YU
1
Author Information
1. Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Shenyang 110847, China.
2. the Second Hospital of Liaoning University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Shenyang 110031, China.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Yueju Pills;
depressive;
metabolomics;
network pharmacology;
psychocardiac disease
- MeSH:
Animals;
Network Pharmacology;
Mice;
Drugs, Chinese Herbal/administration & dosage*;
Metabolomics;
Male;
Depression/genetics*;
Humans;
Hippocampus/drug effects*;
Mice, Inbred C57BL;
Signal Transduction/drug effects*
- From:
China Journal of Chinese Materia Medica
2025;50(16):4564-4573
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
The therapeutic effects of Yueju Pills on depression and cardiovascular diseases have been widely recognized. Previous studies have shown that the drug can significantly improve depressive-like behaviors induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress(CUMS) combined with atherosclerosis(AS). Given the complex pathogenesis of psychocardiac diseases, this study integrated metabolomics and network pharmacology to systematically elucidate the mechanism of Yueju Pills in alleviating depressive symptoms in psychocardiac diseases. The results demonstrate that, after Yueju Pill intervention, the levels of 9 abnormal metabolites in the hippocampus restore to normal ranges, primarily involving key pathways or signaling pathways, including the cyclic adenosine monophosphate(cAMP), mammalian target of rapamycin(mTOR), glycine/serine/threonine metabolism, and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis. In a high-fat diet-induced CUMS ApoE~(-/-) mouse model, Yueju Pills significantly increases adenosine monophosphate(AMP) levels and decreases L-alanine and D-glyceric acid levels in the hippocampus. In conclusion, Yueju Pills exert antidepressant effects by regulating multiple metabolic axes, including glycine/serine/threonine metabolism and the cAMP, mTOR signaling pathways. Network pharmacology predictions reveal that the treatment of CUMS combined with AS by its core active components may be realized through modulating pathways concerning neuroinflammation and synaptic plasticity, including serine/threonine-protein kinase 1(AKT1), mitogen-activated protein kinase 1(MAPK1), and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2). This study provides a theoretical reference for the clinical application of Yueju Pills in alleviating the depressive symptoms of psychocardiac diseases.
