Regulation of PPARγ/RXRα signaling pathway by Huaji Jianpi decoction in the prevention and treatment of simple obesity

Introduction Simple obesity is a common metabolic disease , which threatens human health. Huaji Jianpi Decoction (HJJPD), as a compound of traditional Chinese medicine , has significant advantages in the treatment of simple obesity, but its specific mechanism is still unclear. This paper was designed to explore the mechanism of HJJPD to exert weight loss effect by affecting PPARγ/RXRα signaling pathway through network pharmacology and animal experiments. Methods The network pharmacology method was used to construct the chemical component-target network of HJJPD. The key targets of HJJPD on PPARγ/RXRα signaling pathway were identified by protein interaction (PPI) network and enrichment analysis. Animal experiments were used to evaluate the efficacy of HJJPD in treating simple obesity. Results A total of 115 active components and 280 targets were identified. 102 targets related to signal pathway were retrieved from STRING database. 23 intersection targets were obtained by Venn diagram visualization analysis. 11 key targets were obtained by the evaluation of network topology parameters. Animal experiments show that HJJPD could reduce the body weight of mice, Lee’s index, blood lipids, inhibit inflammatory factors, and improve the lipid accumulation of liver. Moreover, HJJPD could significantly regulate the mRNA and proteins expression levels of PPARγ, RXRα, and ADIPOQ. Conclusion HJJPD can prevent and treat simple obesity, repair liver structure and reduce inflammation in vivo by regulating PPARγ/RXRα signaling pathway.