Investigating the Therapeutic Mechanisms of Liuwei Dihuang Decoction for Osteoporosis via Network Pharmacology

This study aimed to systematically investigate the active ingredients, key targets, and potential molecular mechanisms of Liuwei Dihuang Decoction (LWDHD) in the treatment of osteoporosis (OP) using a network pharmacology approach. We identified the active ingredients and corresponding targets of LWDHD from the TCMSP database and collected OP-related targets from the GeneCards database. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the STRING database to screen for key targets. Finally, Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the DAVID platform. Resultly, the results indicated that LWDHD likely exerts its therapeutic effects primarily through core active ingredients such as quercetin, kaempferol, and beta-sitosterol. These compounds act on key targets including TNF, IL6, and CASP3, modulating pathways such as the TNF signaling pathway and HIF-1 signaling pathway. The potential mechanisms involve anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, as well as the regulation of apoptosis. In conclusion, this study preliminarily reveals that LWDHD treats OP through a "multi-component, multi-target, multi-pathway" collaborative network, laying a theoretical foundation for subsequent experimental validation and clinical application.