Investigation of the Potential Anti-Diabetic Kidney Disease Mechanism of Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr via Transcriptomics Combined With Network Pharmacology.

Abstract

RATIONALE: Effective treatments for diabetic kidney disease are currently lacking. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic mechanism of Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr against diabetic kidney disease. METHODS: The 70% ethanol extract of Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr was analyzed by UPLC-Q/TOF-MS/MS. A diabetic kidney disease mouse model was established to evaluate its efficacy. Mechanisms were predicted via network pharmacology and validated through transcriptomic, protein, and gene expression analyses. RESULTS: A total of 32 compounds and 13 active ingredients were identified in Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr. Network pharmacology predicted that these active ingredients regulate multiple targets (such as interleukin-6, RELA proto-oncogene, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha, etc.). Transcriptomics not only verified the activation of inflammatory pathways but also revealed regulation of lipid metabolism. We found that intervention with Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr can modulate the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha pathway, inhibit nuclear factor kappa-B, and increase the expression of antioxidant markers (nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and Heme oxygenase 1). CONCLUSION: This study employs an integrated transcriptomic and network pharmacology approach to investigate the anti-diabetic kidney disease mechanism of Gynura procumbens (Lour.) Merr, offering a foundation for further pharmacological validation and drug development.