1.Protective Effect against Helicobacter pylor Gastritis in Mice by Flavonoid Combinations of Alpiniae Officinarum Rhizoma via Inhibition of PI3K/Akt Pathway
Xin LUO ; Wuyinxiao ZHENG ; Jingyu YANG ; Jianting ZHAN ; Haoran MA ; Xiaochuan YE ; Guopin GAN ; Dan LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2025;31(8):61-68
ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect and mechanism of action of flavonoid combination of Alpiniae Officinarum Rhizoma (A. officinarum) against Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) gastritis in mice. MethodsAfter acclimatization for one week, 56 SPF-grade healthy C57BL/6J mice were gavaged with mixed antibiotics for three consecutive days. They were randomly divided into a normal group, model group, positive drug group (triple therapy group), and low- and high-dose groups (100, 200 mg·kg-1) of flavonoid combination of A. officinarum. The H. pylori gastritis mice model was established by gavage with H. pylori bacterial suspension in each group except for the normal group. After successful modeling, mice were administrated with corresponding drugs once a day for two weeks. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes in gastric tissue. Rapid urease test paper was used to detect the positive rate of H. pylori. Silver staining was used to observe the H. pylori adherence on the surface of gastric tissue. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the protein expression of interleukin-8 (IL)-8 and myeloid differentiation factor (MyD88) in gastric tissue. The serum levels of IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-8, and IL-1β were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The expressions of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) protein were detected by Western blot. ResultsCompared with those in the normal group, mice in the model group had lower gastric weight coefficients, higher pH of gastric juice, 100% H. pylori infection rate, and significantly changed gastric histopathology. The expressions of IL-8 and MyD88 proteins in the gastric tissue of mice in the model group were significantly elevated, and the serum levels of inflammatory factors IL-6, TNF-α, IL-8, and IL-1β were significantly up-regulated in mice. Compared with that in the model group, the gastric weight coefficient of mice in each treatment group of the flavonoid combinations of A. officinarum was elevated (P<0.01), and the pH of gastric juice was reduced (P<0.01). The infection rate of H. pylori was reduced. The expressions of IL-8 and MyD88 proteins in the gastric tissue of mice in the treatment groups were significantly reduced (P<0.01), and the serum levels of inflammatory factors IL-6, TNF-α, IL-8, and IL-1β were significantly reduced in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.01). The flavonoid combinations of A. officinarum down-regulated the expression of PI3K and Akt proteins in H. pylori gastritis-infected cells (P<0.01). ConclusionThe protective effect of flavonoid combinations of A. officinarum against H. pylori gastritis is associated with the inhibition of H. pylori infection rate and regulation of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway, resulting in inhibiting the release of inflammatory factors.