Integrating Plasma Metabolomics, Network Pharmacology, and Experimental Validation to Investigate the Action Mechanism of Qiangxin Lishui Prescription in Chronic Heart Failure

The high mortality rate of chronic heart failure (CHF) makes it a primary battlefield in the field of cardiovascular diseases. Qiangxin Lishui Prescription (QLP) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription used clinically for treating CHF, but its underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study integrated plasma metabolomics, network pharmacology, and experimental validation to reveal the pharmacological effects of QLP and its potential mechanism of anti-CHF. Using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography combined with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q/TOF-MS/MS), 119 absorbed prototype compounds of QLP were identified from rat plasma. By applying network pharmacology and molecular docking techniques, a QLP absorption components–target–CHF network was constructed. The IL6/JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway is likely critical to QLP's therapeutic effect on CHF. A CHF mouse model was established using aortic ligation surgery to investigate the regulation of the IL6/JAK/STAT3 pathway by QLP in CHF mice. Network pharmacology analysis and in vivo experimental data indicate that QLP alleviates myocardial injury and inflammatory response in CHF mice by modulating the IL6/JAK/STAT3 pathway, significantly improving cardiac function. This presents a promising therapeutic strategy for CHF treatment.