Table 4_Therapeutic potential of five frequently prescribed herbs in obesity-associated Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: insights from efferocytosis regulation.xlsx

BackgroundPatients with obesity-associated Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) have been prevalent in clinical practice. Obesity is a risk factor for HT as it promotes pro-inflammatory processes and influences the balance of immune cell subsets. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is characterized by its multi-component and multi-target approach and shows potential in treating HT. Specifically, TCM can reduce thyroid antibody levels and alleviate clinical symptoms without impairing thyroid function. Moreover, TCM offers significant benefits in regulating lipid metabolism and decreasing systemic inflammation.
MethodsTargets of five high-frequency herbs (Hedysarum multijugum Maxim, Radix Bupleuri, Prunella vulgaris, Fritillaria thunbergii Bulbus, and Angelicae sinensis Radix) were obtained from the TCMSP and Swiss Target Prediction databases. Targets associated with obesity-associated HT were collected from the GeneCards, OMIM, and DisGeNET databases. Subsequently, we employed KEGG signaling pathway enrichment and GO biological process enrichment analyses to investigate the potential mechanisms by which the active ingredients of these herbs treat obesity-associated HT. Then, STRING database networks and Cytoscape software were used to construct the protein-protein interaction network and screen for key targets. Finally, molecular docking was performed to predict the binding interactions between the targets.
ResultsEfferocytosis emerged as the key mechanism in the context of five herbs and obesity-associated HT. Quercetin was identified as the primary active ingredient responsible for efferocytosis, and it bound well with efferocytosis-related targets.
ConclusionThis study’s key finding is that five high-frequency prescribed herbs may treat obesity-associated HT through efferocytosis. This provides new evidence to support the use of TCM in treating obesity-associated HT.

研究背景
临床中，肥胖合并桥本甲状腺炎（Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, HT）患者愈发常见。肥胖是桥本甲状腺炎的危险因素，其可促进促炎进程并影响免疫细胞亚群平衡。中医药（Traditional Chinese medicine, TCM）以多成分、多靶点为特点，在治疗桥本甲状腺炎方面展现出应用潜力。具体而言，中医药可降低甲状腺抗体水平、缓解临床症状，且不会损害甲状腺功能。此外，中医药在调节脂质代谢、减轻全身炎症方面亦具有显著优势。

研究方法
本研究从中药系统药理学数据库与分析平台（Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform, TCMSP）及Swiss Target Prediction数据库中，获取了5种高频中药（多序岩黄芪、柴胡、夏枯草、浙贝母、当归）的靶点信息；从GeneCards、OMIM及DisGeNET数据库中收集肥胖合并桥本甲状腺炎相关靶点。随后，采用京都基因与基因组百科全书（Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, KEGG）信号通路富集分析及基因本体（Gene Ontology, GO）生物过程富集分析，探究上述中药活性成分治疗肥胖合并桥本甲状腺炎的潜在作用机制。借助STRING数据库构建蛋白互作网络，并通过Cytoscape软件筛选核心靶点。最后通过分子对接技术预测靶点间的结合相互作用。

研究结果
胞葬作用是上述5种中药治疗肥胖合并桥本甲状腺炎的核心作用机制。槲皮素被鉴定为介导胞葬作用的主要活性成分，且可与胞葬作用相关靶点形成稳定结合。

研究结论
本研究核心发现为：5种高频使用中药可通过胞葬作用治疗肥胖合并桥本甲状腺炎，该结果为中医药治疗肥胖合并桥本甲状腺炎提供了新的理论依据。