Efficacy and potential pharmacological mechanism of <i>Astragalus-Salvia miltiorrhiza</i> combination in diabetic nephropathy: integrating meta-analysis, network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental validation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a diabetes mellitus (DM)-induced complication that poses high morbidity and mortality risks. The Astragalus and Salvia miltiorrhiza couplet medicines (AS) are commonly employed in DN clinical treatment in China, but their clinical efficacy and potential pharmacological mechanisms are yet to be evaluated.

Material and methods

A meta-analysis of 15 studies involving 1,443 patients was conducted. Furthermore, network pharmacology predicted components and targets, which were verified by molecular docking and in vivo validation.

Results

In our meta-analysis, AS notably elevated clinical outcomes and renal function among patients with DN. Meanwhile, when the treatment duration exceeds 12 weeks, AS demonstrated a s

SUBMITTER: Liang H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11869347 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature