San Huang Xiao Yan recipe promoted wound healing in diabetic ulcer mice by inhibiting Th17 cell differentiation.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Diabetic ulcer is a serious diabetes complication and a primary reason for amputations. For many years, the San Huang Xiao Yan (SHXY) recipe has served as a conventional remedy for these ulcers, effectively reducing inflammatory factors and exhibiting considerable therapeutic efficacy. However, the precise mechanism remains incompletely understood.
Aim of the Study: To explore the efficacy and mechanisms of SHXY and its active ingredients in treating diabetic ulcer.
Materials and Methods: A diabetic ulcer mouse model was established using C57BL/6J mice on a high-fat diet, followed by streptozotocin injection and skin damage. We investigated the bioactive compounds, key targets, and pharmacological mechanisms of SHXY in addressing diabetic ulcers through network pharmacology, molecular docking, both in vitro and in vivo validation experiments.
Results: One week after intragastric administration, SHXY can reduce inflammation and edema, increase collagen synthesis, and reduce the expression of RORγT and IL-17A without affecting Treg cells. In vitro, SHXY-containing serum inhibited the differentiation of Th17 cells but did not affect Treg and Th1 cells. Network pharmacology found that SHXY acts through inflammatory pathways, including TNF, IL-17, Th17 cell differentiation, HIF-1, and PI3K-Akt.
Conclusions: SHXY and its candidate enhance healing in diabetic ulcers by modulating CD4 ⁺ T cells, particularly by inhibiting Th17 cell differentiation.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)