VEGFA and rheumatoid arthritis: Within the HIF-1 signaling pathway, the Q-Marker of Xanthocerais lignum against RA may exert pharmacological effects such as inhibiting angiogenesis by targeting ERK, NF-κB, HIF-1α, and VEGF, thereby mitigating the progression of RA, with the detailed mechanism of action delineated in Figure 8D.