Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39897525›Full record

ArticleJournal of inflammation research2025

Dose-Weighted Network Pharmacology: Evaluating Traditional Chinese Medicine Formulations for Lumbar Disc Herniation.

Changwen Zhou, Ting Xiang, Yu Yu, Hongzhong Ma, Ce Liu, Feng Yang, Lixue Yang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of inflammation research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Changwen ZhouThe First Clinical Medical College, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.ORCID 0009-0007-7376-588X
Ting XiangRehabilitation Department, Xiang Xi Autonomous Prefecture National Hospital, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
Yu YuDepartment of Chinese Medicine, Minda Hospital of Hubei Minzu University, Hubei, People's Republic of China.
Hongzhong MaThe First Clinical Medical College, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
Ce LiuThe First Clinical Medical College, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
Feng Yang *The First Clinical Medical College, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
Lixue Yang *The First Clinical Medical College, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) significantly impacts individuals, particularly those aged 40-45. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formulations such as Taohong Siwu Decoction (TSD), Yaotong Jizheng Decoction (YJD), and Panlong Qi Tablet (PQT) are widely used for treatment. This study introduces dose-weighted network pharmacology, a novel approach that incorporates drug dosage as a quantitative factor into network analysis to evaluate better and compare the therapeutic potential of TCM formulations. Methods: This study combines drug dosage with the PPI network to propose a theoretical algorithm for comparing the therapeutic efficacy of different traditional Chinese medicine formulations. The VIKOR method was used to assess the importance of therapeutic targets, with weights assigned based on both drug and disease perspectives. TSD, YJD, and PQT were evaluated in animal experiments, and the algorithm's feasibility was validated through GO and KEGG pathway analysis, Thermal Hyperalgesia Test, H&E staining, Western blotting (WB), RT-PCR, and ELISA assays. Results: The computational model indicated that YJD and PQT had higher predicted efficacy compared to TSD. These predictions were confirmed in animal studies, where YJD demonstrated the greatest reduction in thermal hyperalgesia and the most significant decrease in inflammatory markers, surpassing both TSD and PQT. GO and KEGG pathway analyses highlighted key pathways related to oxidative stress and inflammation, providing mechanistic insights into the effectiveness of the treatments. Conclusion: Incorporating dosage as a reference factor into network pharmacology research proved feasible and effective, emphasizing the importance of precise dosage control in TCM formulations for treating LDH. The new algorithm provided reliable predictions, demonstrating its potential to enhance the design and evaluation of TCM formulations. Future improvements, such as establishing a target acceptance rate database, could further refine the algorithm, expanding its application in personalized medicine and targeted therapy.

Indexed as

dose-weighted network pharmacologylumbar disc herniationPanlong Qi TabletTaohong Siwu decoctiontraditional Chinese medicineVIKOR

Identifiers

PMID39897525
PMCPMC11784360

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.