Yang Zongtong, Jiao Ziqi, Wang Cheng, Li Xiaojing, Yuan Mengyu, Sui Zaiyun, Wang Wenhui, Hou Wenjing
Institute of Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shandong Academy of Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.
College of Pharmacy, Jining Medical University, Jining, China.
Front Pharmacol. 2025 Jul 2;16:1591558. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1591558. eCollection 2025.
Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is characterized by pain during the menstrual cycle, affects women's health. Our group developed a traditional Chinese medicine plaster (Wentong plaster, WTT) for the treatment of PD. However, the underlying mechanisms have not yet been elucidated.
In this study, the blood-entry components of WTT were detected using UPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS, and the therapeutic functions of WTT on PD were evaluated by the writhing response, pathological analysis, and the levels of estrogen, nitric oxide, progesterone, among other indicators. Network pharmacology and transcriptomics were used to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Finally, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and western blotting were used to determine the levels of relevant indicators.
Our findings indicate that 49 original blood-entry components were detected. Meanwhile, WTT upregulated the level of NO, and downregulated the levels of PGF2α, PGE2, estrogen, and progesterone, thereby increasing blood flow, alleviating inflammatory responses, and inhibiting the writhing response. Results from network pharmacology and transcriptomics analyses indicated that WTT could increase the expression of Lcn2 and decrease the expression of Cxcl6 and IL-17, thereby regulating the IL-17 signaling pathway, and alleviating inflammation to treat PD.
WTT mainly down-regulates the levels of Cxcl6 and IL-17 and up-regulates the expression of Lcn2, further regulates the IL-17 signaling pathway to alleviate inflammation, ultimately treating PD. This study provides a basis for further research on the mechanism of WTT, and offers a reference for its clinical application.
原发性痛经（PD）以月经周期疼痛为特征，影响女性健康。我们团队研发了一种用于治疗PD的中药膏药（温通膏，WTT）。然而，其潜在机制尚未阐明。
在本研究中，采用超高效液相色谱-四极杆-静电场轨道阱质谱联用仪检测WTT的入血成分，并通过扭体反应、病理分析以及雌激素、一氧化氮、孕酮等指标评估WTT对PD的治疗作用。运用网络药理学和转录组学阐明其潜在机制。最后，采用酶联免疫吸附测定法和蛋白质印迹法测定相关指标水平。
我们的研究结果表明，检测到49种原始入血成分。同时，WTT上调一氧化氮水平，下调前列腺素F2α、前列腺素E2、雌激素和孕酮水平，从而增加血流量、减轻炎症反应并抑制扭体反应。网络药理学和转录组学分析结果表明，WTT可增加脂联素2（Lcn2）的表达并降低趋化因子配体6（Cxcl6）和白细胞介素17（IL-17）的表达，从而调节IL-17信号通路，减轻炎症以治疗PD。
WTT主要下调Cxcl6和IL-17水平，上调Lcn2表达，进一步调节IL-17信号通路以减轻炎症，最终治疗PD。本研究为进一步研究WTT的作用机制提供了依据，并为其临床应用提供了参考。
