Serum metabolomics analysis combined with network pharmacology reveals possible mechanisms of postoperative cognitive dysfunction in the treatment of Mongolian medicine Eerdun Wurile basic formula

This study analyzed the endogenous metabolites and metabolic pathways in the serum of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats gavaged with the Eerdun Wurile basic formula (EWB) using metabolomics methods and network pharmacology to explore the possible mechanism of action of the EWB in improving postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD). SD rats were divided into the basic formula group, which received the EWB, and the control group, which received equal amounts of distilled water. The blood was collected from the abdominal aorta and analyzed for metabolite profiles using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS). Network pharmacology predicts the targets of the differential metabolites and disease targets; takes the intersection and constructs a "metabolite-disease-target" network; and performs protein-protein interaction, Gene Ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses. A total of 56 metabolites were selected for significant differences between the groups, mainly affecting amphetamine addiction, alcoholism, and regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes. A total of 177 potential targets for differential metabolite action in POCD were selected. The PI3K-Akt pathway, the HIF-1 pathway, and the FoxO pathway were in key positions. The studies have shown that EWB could improve POCD through multicomponents, multitargets, and multipathways, providing new possibilities and reference values for the treatment of POCD.