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. 2025 Dec 6.
doi: 10.1007/s10528-025-11291-0. Online ahead of print.

Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation Reveal Wu Miao Pill's Therapeutic Effects on Acute Gouty Arthritis Through P2X7R Regulation

Wei-Qin Gao  1 , Xue-Zhong Gong  2 , Cen Chang  2 , Li Li  3 , Yang-Yi Gu  3 , Dong-Yi He  4
Affiliations

Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation Reveal Wu Miao Pill's Therapeutic Effects on Acute Gouty Arthritis Through P2X7R Regulation

Wei-Qin Gao et al. Biochem Genet. .

Abstract

Acute gouty arthritis (AGA) is a common inflammatory joint disease with limited therapeutic options and notable side effects from conventional treatments. This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects and underlying mechanisms of the traditional Chinese herbal formula Wu Miao Pill (WMP) in a rat model of AGA induced by monosodium urate crystals. WMP administration markedly alleviated joint inflammation and swelling, improved synovial histopathology, and reduced the expression of P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) and pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-18, and TNF-α. P2X7R inhibition and knockdown experiments confirmed its central role in the therapeutic effect of WMP. Network pharmacology further revealed multiple active compounds targeting inflammatory pathways, notably IL-17 and NF-κB signaling. Overall, WMP exhibits significant anti-inflammatory efficacy through modulation of P2X7R and related pathways, providing experimental and mechanistic evidence for its potential as a novel therapeutic agent for AGA.

Keywords: Acute gouty arthritis; Anti-inflammatory; P2X7 receptor; Pro-inflammatory cytokines; Rat model; Wu Miao Pill.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interest: The author declares no conflict of interest. Ethical Approval: All animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Guanghua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (No. WTPZ-20231025001).

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