Investigation of the Mechanism of Pachyman against Gout Arthritis with Network Pharmacology Analysis and Verification In Vivo

PURPOSE: Pachyman, derived from Poria cocos, has been used to treat gouty arthritis (GA) for thousands of years, although its precise role and mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we investigate the therapeutic effects of pachyman on GA and explore their underlying mechanisms. METHODS: Network pharmacology and experimental methods were employed to investigate the therapeutic mechanisms of pachyman against GA. The protein-protein interaction network of shared targets between pachyman and gout was constructed. Furthermore, we elucidated the functions and mechanisms of pachyman against GA. Subsequently, we validated the predicted mechanisms from an experiment on rats. RESULTS: The treatment of GA with pachyman primarily related to tumor necrosis factor (TNF), matrix metalloproteinases (MMP), and relaxation factor signaling pathways. In the experimental validation, pachyman were found to regulate the expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, TGF-β, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase of hyperuricemic rats. CONCLUSION: These collective findings suggest that pachyman holds promise as an alternative treatment for GA.