Introduction: Stomatitis Powder, a classic Traditional Chinese Medicine formula with heat-clearing and blood-cooling properties, is clinically used for treating Oral Ulcers (OU). However, its therapeutic mechanisms remain unclear. This study investigated the pharmacological mechanisms of Stomatitis Powder using RNA sequencing technology. Methods: We performed RNA sequencing of oral mucosal tissues before and after Stomatitis Powder treatment to identify Differentially Expressed Genes (DEGs). Pain-related genes (n = 820) were obtained from the HPPAIN gene set in the GSEA database and intersected with the DEGs to identify pain-related DEGs. Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network analysis was then employed to screen for key genes. Finally, the bioinformatics findings were validated in an OU rat model. Results: Following data quality control, we identified 443 DEGs, which were intersected with pain-related genes to yield 20 candidate genes. Subsequent PPI network analysis identified four key genes (Col11a1, Col5a1, Enpp1, and Pth1r). In the OU rat model, Stomatitis Powder treatment was found to upregulate Col11a1 expression, alleviate mucosal tissue fibrosis, and accelerate ulcer wound healing, thereby improving OU symptoms. Conclusion: The results of the present study provide a scientific basis for the application of stomatitis powder to the treatment of oral ulcers using modern pharmacological techniques.
Wang et al. (Tue,) studied this question.