Deciphering the Pharmacological Mechanisms of Wen-Jing-Zhi-Tong Decoction in Treating Primary Dysmenorrhea by UPLC-Q-ExactiveOrbitrap-MS/MS with GC-MS and Network Pharmacology

Abstract

Background: Primary dysmenorrhea (PDM) is a prevalent menstrual disorder among women, often underreported and undertreated. Wen-Jing-Zhi-Tong Decoction (WJZTD), a patented Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbal decoction, has shown efficacy in treating PDM. However, the underlying therapeutic mechanism of WJZTD in PDM treatment remains to be elucidated.

Objective: This study aimed to employ integrative pharmacology and experimental validation to investigate the potential therapeutic mechanisms of WJZTD in treating PDM.

Methods: The bioactive compounds of WJZTD were identified by UPLC-Q-Exactive-Orbitrap MS/MS and GC-MS. Putative targets of WJZTD were obtained from Swiss Target Prediction, STITCH, and BATMAN-TCM databases. Known targets of PDM were retrieved from Gene Cards and Drug Bank databases. Protein-to-protein interactions were constructed to screen key targets using the STRING database. Subsequently, GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed based on Metascape. Finally, a PDM rat model was established to validate the potential therapeutic mechanisms of WJZTD using Western Blot, PCR, and ELISA.

Results: 390 bioactive compounds in WJZTD were identified through UPLC-Q-ExactiveOrbitrap MS/MS and GC-MS. Network pharmacology revealed 7 key compounds with 20 targets and pathways that are crucial for WJZTD in treating PDM. Behavioral tests confirmed that WJZTD can effectively ameliorate menstrual pain in PDM. WJZTD also inhibited prostaglandin production, thereby relieving uterine smooth muscle contraction. The downregulation of the BDNF/TrkB/ERK/CREB signaling pathway, identified as the key target and pathway through network pharmacology, may be crucial to the anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of WJZTD in treating PDM.

Conclusion: This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of the key compounds, targets, and pathways of WJZTD, laying a solid foundation for future pharmacological studies on PDM. The anti-nociceptive and anti-inflammatory effect may be attributed to the downregulation of the BDNF/TrkB/ERK/CREB signaling pathway.

Keywords: Dysmenorrhea; Mass Spectrometry; Menstruation Disturbances; Network Pharmacology; Traditional Chinese Medicine.