Unraveling the mechanisms of Shaoyang Shenggu decoction in treating knee osteoarthritis through mass spectrometry and bioinformatics

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: KOA is a common chronic joint disease in orthopedics that leads to pain, stiffness, and functional limitations. Traditional Chinese medicine categorizes it under "bi syndrome," "wei syndrome," and "bone bi.".The theory that "Shaoyang governs the bones"is first recorded in the "Huangdi Neijing."Shaoyang Shenggu Fang has demonstrated favorable efficacy in repairing cartilage injury. OBJECTIVE: To identify the active components of Shaoyang Shenggu Fang (SYSGF) and elucidate their mechanisms in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) through mass spectrometry data combined with network pharmacology, bioinformatics, and single-cell analysis, and to perform preliminary validation of the results using clinical samples and animal experiments. METHODS: The primary compounds in SYSGF were detected using UPLC-Q-TOF. Network pharmacology and bioinformatics analyses were employed to explore the mechanisms of SYSGF in KOA, identifying core targets and key pathways. Clinical samples were utilized to validate the expression levels of core genes during the KOA process. Micro-CT and pathological staining were conducted to assess the effects of SYSGF on cartilage degeneration in KOA animal models. WB and PCR were performed to confirm the expression levels of core genes and key pathways before and after treatment. Finally, single-cell analysis was conducted to further investigate the relationship between core genes and chondrocyte subpopulations. RESULTS: A total of 46 active compounds from SYSGF were identified, and bioinformatics analyses determined five core targets (CYP1B1, VEGFA, NR4A1, BMP1, and FAP) and three key pathways (MAPK signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway). Validation with clinical samples revealed a significant increase in the expression levels of CYP1B1, NR4A1, and FAP in degenerated cartilage, while the expression levels of VEGFA and BMP1 were found to be decreased. Micro-CT and pathological staining revealed that SYSGF effectively alleviated cartilage damage caused by monosodium iodoacetate (MIA). Furthermore, SYSGF was found to inhibit the expression of CYP1B1, NR4A1, and FAP, while upregulating the expression of VEGFA and BMP1, thereby alleviating the progression of KOA and correlating with the MAPK signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Finally, we observed that the occurrence of KOA is closely related to the infiltration of various chondrocyte subtypes and immune regulation, with FCs, PreHTCs, and ProCs being the primary chondrocyte subtypes involved. CYP1B1, VEGFA, NR4A1, BMP1, and FAP play significant roles in chondrocyte phenotype transformation and inflammation. CONCLUSION: SYSGF may inhibit chondrocyte phenotype transformation and inflammation to improve KOA by regulating these key proteins, and is associated with the MAPK signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.