{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T05:01:51Z","timestamp":1787029311085,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,15]],"date-time":"2026-06-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1781481600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001809","name":"Regional Science Fund Project","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["82260795"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["82260795"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001809","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"Joint special key project of basic research of traditional Chinese medicine in Yunnan Province","award":["202301AZ070001-001"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["202301AZ070001-001"]}]},{"name":"Reserve talents for young and middle-aged academic and technical leaders in Yunnan Province","award":["202405AC350030"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["202405AC350030"]}]},{"name":"Innovative Team of Traditional Chinese Medicine to Prevent Metabolic Syndrome in Yunnan Province","award":["202505AS350014"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["202505AS350014"]}]},{"name":"The Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilisation of Southern Medicinal Plants","award":["202105AG070012"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["202105AG070012"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pharmaceuticals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the major complications of diabetes mellitus. EJPs (Erjing Pills) are believed in Traditional Chinese Medicine to have the effects of a nourishing essence and a brightening of the eyes, but the specific effect on DR remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of EJPs on DR. Methods: The chemical profile of EJPs was characterized by UHPLC-MS. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were employed to predict its active ingredients and potential targets. A DR rat model was induced by streptozotocin. Retinal morphology and function were assessed by OCT, FFA, and H&amp;E staining. The expressions of proteins and mRNAs related to the AGE-RAGE pathway, oxidative stress, inflammation, and tight junctions were detected by Western blot, qPCR, and ELISA. Results: LC-MS and network pharmacology analysis identified 638 common targets between EJPs and DR, with core targets including SRC, AKT1, and MAPK1, primarily enriched in the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway. Molecular docking confirmed strong binding (binding energy &lt; \u22125.0 kcal\/mol) between key EJP constituents and core targets. In vivo, EJP treatment significantly alleviated retinal vascular leakage, improved retinal thickness, and alleviated histopathological damage. In addition, EJPs downregulated the AGEs-RAGE\/NF-\u03baB axis and pro-inflammatory cytokines while enhancing antioxidant defenses and tight junction proteins in the retinas of DR rats. Conclusions: EJPs ameliorate DR by protecting the blood\u2013retinal barrier and modulating the AGE-RAGE\/oxidative stress\/inflammation network, demonstrating a multi-component, multi-target, and multi-pathway mechanism. This study provides a mechanistic basis for the potential application of EJPs in DR management.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ph19060940","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,18]],"date-time":"2026-06-18T00:49:42Z","timestamp":1781743782000},"page":"940","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Ameliorative Effect of Erjing Pills on Retinal Damage in Rats with Diabetic Retinopathy"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0007-5649-0423","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Xiangduo","family":"Zuo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Chinese Materia Medica and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Southern Medicinal Resource, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, 1076 Yuhua Road, Kunming 650500, China"},{"name":"School of Pharmaceutical Science and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650500, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mijia","family":"Mei","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Chinese Materia Medica and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Southern Medicinal Resource, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, 1076 Yuhua Road, Kunming 650500, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yiping","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Beijing Ocean Peace Environmental Protection Technology Co., Beijing 100024, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Meixia","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Chinese Materia Medica and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Southern Medicinal Resource, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, 1076 Yuhua Road, Kunming 650500, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiaolan","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Chinese Materia Medica and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Southern Medicinal Resource, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, 1076 Yuhua Road, Kunming 650500, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiang","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Chinese Materia Medica and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Southern Medicinal Resource, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, 1076 Yuhua Road, Kunming 650500, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yirong","family":"Ni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Office of International Exchange & Cooperation, South China Normal University Guangzhou Shipai Campus, No. 55, West Zhongshan Avenue, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510631, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jingping","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Chinese Materia Medica and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Southern Medicinal Resource, Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, 1076 Yuhua Road, Kunming 650500, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"195","DOI":"10.1038\/s41574-020-00451-4","article-title":"Current understanding of the molecular and cellular pathology of diabetic retinopathy","volume":"17","author":"Antonetti","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nat. 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