Mechanism of Jiawei Sanpian decoction in treating migraine through network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental studies

To analyze and validate how Jiawei Sanpian decoction treats migraines by integrating network pharmacology, molecular docking technology, and experimental studies. Using network pharmacology, the chemical components and core target proteins of the Jiawei Sanpian decoction were analyzed. Key chemical components were docked with core targets using molecular docking, and the results were visualized. Nitroglycerin was injected into the dorsal cervical region to establish a rat migraine model. Finally, experiments were conducted to verify the effects of Jiawei Sanpian on related pathways and targets. Four notable chemical components were identified, namely, β-sitosterol, quercetin, mairin, and kaempferol. Five representative targets were identified, namely, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), matrix metallopeptidase 2 (MMP-2), interleukin-2 (IL-2), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (NOS2). Molecular docking results revealed that the minimum binding energies between the four chemical components and the five targets were below −5 kcal/mol, indicating favorable binding activity. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results demonstrated the efficacy of high-dose Jiawei Sanpian decoction in treating migraine by targeting IGF-1, IL-2, MMP-2, and SOD2 ( P < .001). Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) results demonstrated the effectiveness of high-dose Jiawei Sanpian decoction in treating migraine by targeting IGF-1, IL-2, MMP-2, and SOD2 ( P < .001). After using erastin, the therapeutic effect of Jiawei Sanpian decoction declined. This study provides initial insights into the complex and multilayered therapeutic mechanisms of Jiawei Sanpian decoction in treating migraine, primarily through its diverse components, targets, and pathways. These findings indicate that Jiawei Sanpian decoction may exert its effects mainly through processes linked to the mitochondrial inflammatory pathway, thereby providing therapeutic benefits for migraine.