Mechanism of Action of Tongjiang Mixture for Treating Reflux Esophagitis: A Study Using Serum Pharmacochemistry and Network Pharmacology

Abstract Tongjiang Mixture (TJM) is a traditional Chinese formula for treating reflux esophagitis (RE). Nevertheless, its active ingredients and potential pharmacological mechanisms are not yet clearly elucidated. This study will identify the active ingredients of TJM using serum pharmacochemistry and to elucidate the mechanism on RE through network pharmacology. The blood‐borne ingredients of TJM are identified by the Ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole‐time of flight‐mass spectrometer. Subsequently, a “compound‐target‐disease” network is established and obtained core targets associated with TJM and RE. Then, the potential signaling pathways are forecasted through the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analysis. Finally, the rat model of RE is established to verify the results predicted by network pharmacology through animal experiments. Fifteen blood‐borne ingredients of TJM are identified, with eight active ingredients‐namely Tangeretin, Tricin, Palmati, Berberine, Limonin, Evodiamine, Tetrahydropalmatine and Rutecarpine – making significant contributions to its efficacy. Moreover, TJM is predicted to act on 193 targets related to RE, involving AKT1, HSP90AA1, PIK3CA, and other targets, which enriches mainly in PI3K/AKT /NF‐κB signaling. Additionally, TJM can alleviate inflammation of the esophageal mucosa, reduce pathological damage, and increase gastric pH. It can downregulate PI3K, AKT, and NF‐κB mRNA transcription levels and reduce the protein expression of PI3K, AKT, and NF‐κB. Furthermore, it can inhibit the overproduction of IL‐6, TNF‐α and IL‐17. TJM can alleviate immune‐inflammatory responses and ameliorate RE by restraining the PI3K/AKT pathway and its downstream NF‐κB.