OBJECTIVE  To investigate the therapeutic effect of aphthous ulcer Nianfu powder(MKNP) on acetic acid-induced oral ulcers in rats and its potential molecular mechanism.

METHODS  Initially, the chemical components and target genes of MKNP compound herbs, as well as related target genes of oral ulcers, were searched in HERB and Diseases databases. Candidate target genes were identified through intersection processing. Subsequently, g:Profiler was utilized to enrich these genes and identify the major signaling pathways. Additionally, the impact of MKNP compound on oral epithelial cell activity was assessed in vitro, while the therapeutic effect and molecular mechanism of MKNP compound on an acetic acid-induced oral ulcer rat model were observed in vivo.

RESULTS  Network pharmacological analysis indicated that MKNP might influence cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and immunoinflammatory response by regulating nuclear factor kappa-B(NF-κB) signaling pathways. The outcomes of animal experiments demonstrated that MKNP significantly reduced mucosal damage and improved pathological changes in rats with oral ulcers induced by acetic acid. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen immunohistochemical staining revealed that MKNP promoted the proliferation and recovery of oral mucosal epithelial cells. Furthermore, MKNP effectively ameliorated the inflammatory factor disorder induced by acetate and inhibited the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway in rats.

CONCLUSION  MKNP compound can effectively alleviate symptoms of acetic acid-induced oral ulcers and promote mucosal repair in rats by regulating key signaling pathways such as NF-κB.