Therapeutic Effects and Mechanisms of Bixie Shenshi Decoction on Psoriasis: Evidence from Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation.

INTRODUCTION

Bixie Shenshi Decoction (BSSD), a traditional Chinese herbal formula, has long been used to treat inflammatory skin conditions. This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of BSSD on psoriasis-like mouse models and elucidate its underlying mechanisms.

METHODS

We evaluated inflammatory factors and signaling pathways via Western blot and RT-qPCR in mouse models. HPLC-MS was used to analyze BSSD components, while network pharmacology combined with database mining predicted its target pathways.

RESULTS

BSSD treatment improved psoriatic skin lesions, reduced epidermal hyperproliferation, and reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines in skin tissue and plasma. Additionally, BSSD decreased phosphorylation of STAT3 and Akt in mouse skin lesions. Network pharmacology analysis revealed that BSSD's targets were primarily enriched in the Th17 signaling pathway and metabolic pathways, with IL-6, TNF, ESR1, CASP3, TP53, and MMP9 identified as core targets. Molecular docking predicted the binding interactions between these targets and BSSD compounds.

DISCUSSION: BSSD's multi-target mechanism aligns with psoriasis pathogenesis. By integrating multicomponent, multi-target modulation, BSSD offers a complementary approach to single-target therapies, which are limited by a narrow focus on individual disease drivers.

CONCLUSION

BSSD exerts therapeutic effects against psoriasis by targeting key biological factors and inhibiting the activation of the JAK/STAT3 and PI3K/Akt pathways.