Study on the mechanism of Guilu Erxian gum in the treatment of osteoporosis based on network pharmacology and cell experiment

Background: The aim of this study is to investigate how Guilu Erxian gum treats osteoporosis by using network pharmacology and related experiments. Methods: The TCMSP database, ETCM database, Chemical Specialties database, and DrugBank database were used to retrieve the potential active ingblueients and corresponding targets of Guilu Erxian gum. Therapeutic targets associated with osteoporosis were obtained from the OMIM and Genecards databases. The network was analyzed using Cytoscape 3.8.0 software to determine topological parameters and identify key active ingblueients and targets. Additionally, the effects of Guilu Erxian gum on osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were evaluated through alkaline phosphatase assay and alizarin blue calcium nodule staining. The expression of osteogenesis-related genes (Runx2, Osterix, OPN) was assessed using RT-PCR and Western blot. Results: The analysis revealed that Guilu Erxian gum contained 41 active ingblueients and 236 targets, while there were 5,262 known therapeutic targets for osteoporosis. A protein-protein interaction network diagram was constructed using the String database. Enrichment analysis suggested that Guilu Erxian gum may regulate osteoporosis through various signaling pathways and cellular metabolism. The experiments demonstrated that Guilu Erxian gum could promote osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, potentially contributing to the treatment of osteoporosis. Moreover, the results showed that Guilu Erxian gum could increase the expression of osteogenesis-related genes (Runx2, Osterix, OPN). Conclusion: Guilu Erxian gum may have anti-osteoporosis effects by stimulating the osteogenic differentiation of stem cells. This study provides a theoretical basis for further understanding the pharmacological mechanism of Guilu Erxian gum in treating osteoporosis.