1.Action Mechanism of Huamoyan Granules in Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis Based on TRPV1/p38 MAPK Pathway
Jin ZHANG ; Lili YANG ; Canwen ZHENG ; Jing KANG ; Yanlei MA ; Yue SHI ; Lei LI ; Hongxu MENG
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(4):79-89
ObjectiveThis paper aims to observe the protective effect of Huamoyan granules on knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and explore whether its protective effect is oriented toward an anti-inflammatory direction by regulation of macrophage polarization, which can effectively inhibit the progression of pathological inflammatory response, reduce the release of inflammatory pain mediators, and downregulate the protein expression level of transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), so as to provide experimental evidence for its clinical application and investigate its action mechanism. MethodsAfter adaptive feeding, Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into six groups: sham group, model group, celecoxib group, and high, medium, and low-dose synovitis granule groups (9.6, 4.8, 2.4 g·kg-1). The administration dose of celecoxib capsules was 20 mg·kg-1. There were 10 rats in the sham group and 12 rats in the model group and each administration group. A KOA animal model was established by means of intra-articular injection of sodium iodoacetate into the knee joint. From the 10th day of the experiment, each administration group was given intragastric administration at a dose of 10 mL·kg-1 for 4 weeks. General conditions of rats in each group were assessed daily. The pressure pain threshold (PPT) to mechanical stimulation and joint diameter were recorded. X-ray examination was performed on the right knee joints of rats for imaging analysis. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to detect the tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), serum interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and other pro-inflammatory cytokines in rat serum samples, as well as the expression levels of neurogenic inflammatory mediators such as nerve growth factor (NGF) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Histopathological changes in the knee joint synovial tissues were examined by hematoxylineosin (HE) staining. Safranin O-fast green staining was performed to observe and evaluate the degree of knee cartilage lesions. Western blot was employed to quantitatively analyze TRPV1, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), and phosphorylated (p)-p38 MAPK in rat knee synovial tissues. Immunofluorescence (IF) was used to measure and assess M1/M2 macrophage polarization. ResultsCompared with those in the sham group, the circumference and joint diameter of the right knee were markedly enlarged in the model group (P<0.01), while PPTs of rats showed a significant reduction (P<0.01). The contents of IL-1β, TNF-α, CGRP, and NGF in rats' serum were significantly elevated (P<0.01), and the synovial Krenn score was increased (P<0.01). The Mankin score of cartilage tissue was increased (P<0.01), and the protein expressions of TRPV1 and p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK were significantly upregulated (P<0.01). The experimental intervention significantly reduced the proportion of pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages in the total macrophage population (P<0.01), and the percentage of M2 macrophages was decreased (P<0.01). The M1/M2 macrophage ratio was significantly elevated (P<0.01). Knee joint diameters of all dose groups of Huamoyan granules and the celecoxib group were reduced (P<0.01) compared with those of the model group, and the PPT recovery speeds in the high and medium-dose groups of Huamoyan granules were more obvious (P<0.05). The contents of IL-1β, CGRP, and NGF in the rats' serum in all administration groups were significantly reduced (P<0.05, P<0.01), and the content of TNF-α in rats' serum was significantly reduced (P<0.01). All dose groups of Huamoyan granules demonstrated significant reductions in both synovial Krenn score (P<0.05, P<0.01) and protein expression of TRPV1 and p-p38 MAPK/p38 MAPK in rats' synovial tissues (P<0.01). The percentage of M1 macrophages in the synovial tissues of the celecoxib group and all dose groups of Huamoyan granules was decreased (P<0.01). The percentage of M2 macrophages was increased (P<0.05), and the M1/M2 ratio was decreased (P<0.01). ConclusionHuamoyan granules can alleviate the inflammatory response of KOA, reduce the release of inflammatory pain mediators, and downregulate TRPV1 protein expression by regulating macrophage polarization. Its mechanism may be related to the TRPV1/p38 MAPK signaling pathway, thereby achieving the effect of improving peripheral pain hypersensitivity in KOA.
2.Expert Consensus on Clinical Application of Qidong Yixin Oral Liquid
Changkuan FU ; Xiaochang MA ; Mingjun ZHU ; Yue DENG ; Hongxu LIU ; Mingxue ZHANG ; Ying CHEN ; Yan ZHOU ; Ling ZHANG ; Jianhua FU ; Wei YANG ; Yu'er HU ; Ming CHEN ; Yanming XIE ; Yuanyuan LI
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2026;32(4):147-158
The prescription of Qidong Yixin oral liquid is derived from the experience of national medical master Ren Jixue in treating viral myocarditis (VMC). It has the functions of tonifying Qi, nourishing the heart,calming the mind, and relieving palpitations. It is used to treat VMC and angina pectoris of coronary heart disease caused by deficiency of both Qi and Yin. However,the understanding of its efficacy evidence, advantageous aspects, dosage and administration, and medication safety remains insufficient in clinical practice. Therefore,the development of the Expert Consensus on the Clinical Application of Qidong Yixin Oral Liquid (hereinafter referred to as consensus) was initiated. Consensus strictly followed the process and methods of the expert consensus on the clinical application of Chinese patent medicines of the China Association of Chinese Medicine,successively completing multiple tasks such as the consensus project initiation,determination of clinical problems,evidence search and evaluation,formation of recommendation opinions and consensus suggestions,solicitation of opinions,peer review, submission for review and release, and so on. Consensus formed a total of 10 recommendation opinions and 12 consensus suggestions,clarifying the clinical positioning,efficacy advantages,syndrome differentiation,dosage and administration,combination therapy,timing of medication,adverse reactions,contraindications, and precautions of Qidong Yixin oral liquid,indicating that it has good clinical advantages and safety in the treatment of VMC and angina pectoris of coronary heart disease,providing norms and references for physicians to safely and rationally apply Qidong Yixin oral liquid. Consensus was reviewed and approved for release by the Standardization Office of the China Association of Chinese Medicine on December 23, 2024. Standard number:GSCACM-376-2024.
3.Analysis of Influencing factors on the therapeutic effect of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography stent implantation for Malignant obstructive jaundice
Hongxu LI ; Jinzhi SONG ; Yang CHEN ; Jianbo XIAO ; Shoujun WANG
Journal of Clinical Surgery 2025;33(8):856-859
Objective To investigate the influencing factors of ERCP stent implantation for patients with malignant obstructive jaundice.Methods 130 patients with malignant obstructive jaundice who received ERCP stent implantation in our hospital from January 2017 to January 2024 were retrospectively included,and grouped according to the jaundice control effect 4 weeks after surgery.Univariate and multivariate analysis of the efficacy of ERCP stent placement in malignant obstructive jaundice after 4 weeks.Construction of a predictive model for the efficacy of ERCP stent placement in malignant obstructive jaundice after 4 weeks and clinical efficacy analysis.Results There were 64 cases for jaundice resolved in 4 weeks after surgery among all 130 patients with the regression rate for 49.23%.The results of univariate analysis showed that the type of biliary obstruction,stent type,and preoperative Child Pugh grading may all be related to the efficacy of ERCP stent placement in malignant obstructive jaundice after 4 weeks(P<0.05).The results of Logistic multivariate analysis showed that the type of biliary obstruction,stent type,and preoperative Child Pugh grade were all independent influencing factors on the efficacy of ERCP stent placement for malignant obstructive jaundice at 4 weeks(P<0.05).Using the independent influencing factors and P-value prediction probability of Logistic regression model to predict the prognosis of patients,the ROC curve was used,with areas under the curve of 0.713,0.823,0.907,and 0.971,respectively.Conclusion The clinical effects of ERCP stent implantation in malignant obstructive jaundice was closely related to the type of biliary obstruction,stent type and preoperative Child-Pugh grade.The data model constructed using the above three factors has shown good performance in predicting the prognosis of patients.
4.Effect and mechanism of Hypericum japonicum Thunb-Prunella vulgaris on reg-ulating NF-κB-NLRP3 pathway to alleviate liver injury
Kunzhao YANG ; Hao ZHOU ; Tao WANG ; Fugui ZHANG ; Zhanghao FU ; Lijuan SU ; Zhengke HE ; Liting CAO ; Hongxu DU
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(7):1458-1468
Based on network pharmacology,molecular docking,and experimental validation,this study explored the mechanism by which Hypericum japonicum Thunb-Prunella vulgaris treat liver injury.Mice were randomly divided into four groups:a control group(CON),a model group(CCl4),a high-dose drug group(TXD-H),and a low-dose drug group(TXD-L).A mouse liver in-jury model was established using CCl4 induction.The pathological morphology of liver tissue was observed,and the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase(AST)and alanine aminotransferase(ALT)were measured.Active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine and targets related to these medicines and diseases were obtained from databases such as TCMSP,PubChem,Swiss Tar-get Prediction,GeneCards,and DisGeNET.The intersection of these targets was used to identify potential drug targets.A network diagram illustrating the relationships between"drug-active com-ponent-intersection target"was constructed using Cytoscape.Potential targets were analyzed using the STRING database for protein-protein interaction(PPI)analysis and the DAVID database for Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway analysis.Molecular docking validation was performed using AutoDock Tools software.Subsequently,key target genes,including those related to the NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis,were detected to validate the molecular docking results.Animal experimental results showed that compared to the CON group,serum AST and ALT activities in the CCl4 group mice were significantly increased(P<0.01),while in the TXD-L group,serum AST and ALT activities were significantly decreased(P<0.05)compared to the CCl4 group,and in the TXD-H group,AST and ALT activities were significantly decreased(P<0.01).Through network pharmacology,135 potential targets were i-dentified,with key components found to be tetramethoxyluteolin,quercetin,kaempferol,luteolin and morin based on degree values,and key targets including TNF,SRC,AKT1,EGFR and ESR1.GO enrichment analysis yielded 304 entries,while KEGG enrichment analysis identified 91 biologi-cal pathways.Molecular docking results demonstrated strong binding between the main compo-nents of Hypericum japonicurn Thunb-Prunella vulgaris and key targets.qPCR results showed that compared to the CON group,the CCl4 group exhibited upregulated relative expression levels of SRC,EGFR,TNF-α,AKT1,and IL-18 mRNA,with significant increases in MyD88,NF-κB,IL-1β,NLRP3,Caspase-1,and ASC mRNA(P<0.05),and significant upregulation of TLR4 and GS-DMD mRNA(P<0.01).Compared to the CCl4 group,the TXD-H group displayed significant downregulation of EGFR,AKT1,TLR4,IL-1β,and GSDMD mRNA(P<0.01),significant decrea-ses in TNF-α,MyD88,NF-κB,NLRP3,and ASC mRNA(P<0.05),while SRC,IL-18,and Caspase-1 mRNA showed a downward trend.In conclusion,Hypericum japonicum Thunb-Prunel-la vulgaris exerts hepatoprotective effects through multiple components and pathways,among which inhibition of the NF-κB-NLRP3 pathway to reduce hepatocyte pyroptosis may be one of the important pathways for its protective effects.
5.The ferroptosis is induced in degenerated temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis chondrocytes by abnor-mal biological force
Qinghua LI ; Peinan FAN ; Qinyu LUO ; Yang YU ; Hongxu YANG
Journal of Practical Stomatology 2025;41(2):181-188
Objective:The aim of this study is to explain the key role of chondrocyte ferroptosis in TMJ OA and demonstrate that abnormal occlusion stimulation is an important causative factor of ferroptosis.Methods:We observed the morphological changes of mouse condylar cartilage in unilateral anterior crossbite(UAC,an abnormal occlusion stimulation)and bilateral anterior elevation(BAE,a proliferation occlusion stimulation)mice by HE and SO staining,and analyzed the expression of intracellular GPX4 by im-munofluorescence staining,and analyzed the changes in the content of mitochondria and reactive oxygen species by JC-1 and ROS staining.Results:The UAC caused degeneration of condylar cartilage and ferroptosis of chondrocytes in mice.The accumulation of iron ions and the dysfunction of mitochondria in chondrocytes significantly upregulated.The expression of GPX4,which is a key reg-ulator in the regulation of ferroptosis was lowered in UAC mice condyle cartilage.Moreover,in BAE model the condylar cartilage hy-perplasia was observed,but not the ferroptosis of chondrocytes.Conclusion:This study revealed that the abnormal biological force caused by abnormal occlusion could induce ferroptosis of chondrocytes,and ferroptosis is one of the main factors leading to the de-generation and thinning of condylar cartilage.GPX4 could regulate the ferroptosis of chondrocytes.
6.Effects and mechanisms of anti-enteritis properties of Yang Shuhua
Kunzhao YANG ; Cheng CHEN ; Yu PAN ; Hao ZHOU ; Yixiang ZHOU ; Lijuan SU ; Zhengke HE ; Liting CAO ; Hongxu DU
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(4):807-817
Through molecular docking and experimental validation,24 SPF male KM mice were ran-domly divided into four groups:the control group(CON),model group(LPS),high-dose Yang Shuhua group(YSH-H),which was gavaged with drug solution containing 1 g/mL crude Yang Shuhua,and the low-dose Yang Shuhua group(YSH-L),which was gavaged with drug solution containing 0.5 g/mL crude Yang Shuhua for a 17-day experimental period.Mouse body weight was recorded during the experiment,and fecal scoring was done 1 h after intraperitoneal injection of LPS.At the end of the experiment,histopathological changes in the jejunum tissue were examined,and the expression of tight junction protein-related genes was detected.Compared to the CON group,mice in the LPS group showed significant decreases in villus height,villus height/crypt depth(V/C)ratio(P<0.01),and significant increase in crypt depth(P<0.01).The mRNA ex-pression levels of ZO-1 and claudin-1 were significantly decreased(P<0.01).Compared to the LPS group,mice in the YSH-H group showed significant decrease in crypt depth(P<0.05),significant increase in villus height(P<0.05),and significant increase in V/C ratio(P<0.01).The YSH-L group showed a significant increase in V/C ratio(P<0.05),a trend of decreased crypt depth,and an increasing trend of villus height.The mRNA expression of ZO-1 in the YSH-H group showed a significant increase(P<0.05)and claudin-1 showed an increasing trend.Luteolin,quercetin,kaempferol,eriodictyol,and the top 5 potential key targets TP53,IL-1β,TNF,AKT1,and IL-10 exhibited molecular docking scores less than-20.95 kJ/mol,indicating strong activity.GO and KEGG enrichment analysis suggested that Yang Shuhua compounds might act on enteritis through the TNF signaling pathway,IL-17 signaling pathway,and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.The qPCR results showed an upward trend in the mRNA expression levels of TLR4 and AKT1,significant in-crease in Caspase-1 and ASC(P<0.05),and significantly increased expression of NF-κB and NL-RP3(P<0.01).The mRNA expression level of AKT1,TLR4,NLRP3,ASC,Caspase-1,and NF-κB decreased compared to the LPS group,with significant differences in Caspase-1 and NF-κB(P<0.05).This study suggests that Yang Shuhua exerts anti-enteritis effects through multiple compo-nents and pathways,with blockade of the TLR4-AKT-NF-κB pathway possibly being a key thera-peutic mechanism for treating enteritis.
7.Analysis of Influencing factors on the therapeutic effect of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography stent implantation for Malignant obstructive jaundice
Hongxu LI ; Jinzhi SONG ; Yang CHEN ; Jianbo XIAO ; Shoujun WANG
Journal of Clinical Surgery 2025;33(8):856-859
Objective To investigate the influencing factors of ERCP stent implantation for patients with malignant obstructive jaundice.Methods 130 patients with malignant obstructive jaundice who received ERCP stent implantation in our hospital from January 2017 to January 2024 were retrospectively included,and grouped according to the jaundice control effect 4 weeks after surgery.Univariate and multivariate analysis of the efficacy of ERCP stent placement in malignant obstructive jaundice after 4 weeks.Construction of a predictive model for the efficacy of ERCP stent placement in malignant obstructive jaundice after 4 weeks and clinical efficacy analysis.Results There were 64 cases for jaundice resolved in 4 weeks after surgery among all 130 patients with the regression rate for 49.23%.The results of univariate analysis showed that the type of biliary obstruction,stent type,and preoperative Child Pugh grading may all be related to the efficacy of ERCP stent placement in malignant obstructive jaundice after 4 weeks(P<0.05).The results of Logistic multivariate analysis showed that the type of biliary obstruction,stent type,and preoperative Child Pugh grade were all independent influencing factors on the efficacy of ERCP stent placement for malignant obstructive jaundice at 4 weeks(P<0.05).Using the independent influencing factors and P-value prediction probability of Logistic regression model to predict the prognosis of patients,the ROC curve was used,with areas under the curve of 0.713,0.823,0.907,and 0.971,respectively.Conclusion The clinical effects of ERCP stent implantation in malignant obstructive jaundice was closely related to the type of biliary obstruction,stent type and preoperative Child-Pugh grade.The data model constructed using the above three factors has shown good performance in predicting the prognosis of patients.
8.Effect and mechanism of Hypericum japonicum Thunb-Prunella vulgaris on reg-ulating NF-κB-NLRP3 pathway to alleviate liver injury
Kunzhao YANG ; Hao ZHOU ; Tao WANG ; Fugui ZHANG ; Zhanghao FU ; Lijuan SU ; Zhengke HE ; Liting CAO ; Hongxu DU
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(7):1458-1468
Based on network pharmacology,molecular docking,and experimental validation,this study explored the mechanism by which Hypericum japonicum Thunb-Prunella vulgaris treat liver injury.Mice were randomly divided into four groups:a control group(CON),a model group(CCl4),a high-dose drug group(TXD-H),and a low-dose drug group(TXD-L).A mouse liver in-jury model was established using CCl4 induction.The pathological morphology of liver tissue was observed,and the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase(AST)and alanine aminotransferase(ALT)were measured.Active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine and targets related to these medicines and diseases were obtained from databases such as TCMSP,PubChem,Swiss Tar-get Prediction,GeneCards,and DisGeNET.The intersection of these targets was used to identify potential drug targets.A network diagram illustrating the relationships between"drug-active com-ponent-intersection target"was constructed using Cytoscape.Potential targets were analyzed using the STRING database for protein-protein interaction(PPI)analysis and the DAVID database for Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway analysis.Molecular docking validation was performed using AutoDock Tools software.Subsequently,key target genes,including those related to the NLRP3 inflammasome and pyroptosis,were detected to validate the molecular docking results.Animal experimental results showed that compared to the CON group,serum AST and ALT activities in the CCl4 group mice were significantly increased(P<0.01),while in the TXD-L group,serum AST and ALT activities were significantly decreased(P<0.05)compared to the CCl4 group,and in the TXD-H group,AST and ALT activities were significantly decreased(P<0.01).Through network pharmacology,135 potential targets were i-dentified,with key components found to be tetramethoxyluteolin,quercetin,kaempferol,luteolin and morin based on degree values,and key targets including TNF,SRC,AKT1,EGFR and ESR1.GO enrichment analysis yielded 304 entries,while KEGG enrichment analysis identified 91 biologi-cal pathways.Molecular docking results demonstrated strong binding between the main compo-nents of Hypericum japonicurn Thunb-Prunella vulgaris and key targets.qPCR results showed that compared to the CON group,the CCl4 group exhibited upregulated relative expression levels of SRC,EGFR,TNF-α,AKT1,and IL-18 mRNA,with significant increases in MyD88,NF-κB,IL-1β,NLRP3,Caspase-1,and ASC mRNA(P<0.05),and significant upregulation of TLR4 and GS-DMD mRNA(P<0.01).Compared to the CCl4 group,the TXD-H group displayed significant downregulation of EGFR,AKT1,TLR4,IL-1β,and GSDMD mRNA(P<0.01),significant decrea-ses in TNF-α,MyD88,NF-κB,NLRP3,and ASC mRNA(P<0.05),while SRC,IL-18,and Caspase-1 mRNA showed a downward trend.In conclusion,Hypericum japonicum Thunb-Prunel-la vulgaris exerts hepatoprotective effects through multiple components and pathways,among which inhibition of the NF-κB-NLRP3 pathway to reduce hepatocyte pyroptosis may be one of the important pathways for its protective effects.
9.Analysis on the current status and characteristic of clinical trials for oral diseases in China
Jia JU ; Yihuan LIU ; Hongxu YANG ; Shuibing LIU ; Huan ZHANG ; Zhiqiang SHI ; Yuanming SUN ; Bin FENG
Chinese Journal of Stomatology 2025;60(4):394-402
Objective:To understand the current status and characteristics of clinical trials for oral diseases in China, for the purpose of providing a reference for the research and development of oral diseases in China.Methods:Retrieving the information on clinical trials related to oral diseases registered on the "Platforms for drug clinical trial registration and information" of the National Medical Products Administration from the date of the database establishment to December 31, 2024. The number of clinical trials, type of drugs, trial phases, indication, trial scope, design types were statistically analyzed.Results:As of December 31, 2024, a total of 578 drug clinical trials for oral disease were registered, accounting for 2.1% (578/27 905) of the clinical trials disclosed on the platform during the same period. Bioequivalence clinical trials accounted for the highest proportion [73.9% (427/578)], followed by Phase Ⅰ [9.0% (52/578)], Phase Ⅱ [8.0% (46/578)], and Phase Ⅲ [4.5% (26/578)]. The 578 clinical trials involved 149 types of trial drugs, mainly chemical drugs, among which 127 were developed by domestic pharmaceutical enterprises and 27 by international pharmaceutical enterprises (the five investigational drugs have undergone clinical trials by both domestic and international pharmaceutical companies). The project leader units of the 578 drug clinical trials were distributed in 27 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities, and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Excluding 427 bioequivalence clinical trials, the project leader units of 151 new drug clinical trials showed a significant aggregation phenomenon, and only three specialized oral hospitals have served as project leader units for drug clinical trials.Conclusions:The number of drug clinical trials for oral disease in China has generally shown an increasing trend, but there are still problems such as small number of clinical trials, low proportion of investment in new drug development and international multicenter trials, concentrated indications of clinical trials and insufficient clinical trial experience in specialized oral medical institutions. Enhancing the enthusiasm and innovation capabilities of domestic pharmaceutical enterprises in the research and development of oral diseases drugs, exploring the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine/natural medicine resources for oral diseases, and establishing a clinical research system in specialized oral medical institutions are of great significance for the development of oral drugs.
10.Network pharmacology analysis and experimental validation of Geranium wilfor-dii Maxim in ameliorating liver injury through the necroptosis pathway
Jingyi YANG ; Kunzhao YANG ; Lu ZHANG ; Zhanghao FU ; Linxi HAN ; Weijie SONG ; Shuang XU ; Hongxu DU
Chinese Journal of Veterinary Science 2025;45(9):1977-1989
Based on network pharmacology,molecular docking,and experimental validation,this study explored the mechanisms of Geranium wilfordii Maxim(GWM)in the treatment of liver injury.Mice were randomly divided into a control group(CON group),a model group(CCl4 group),a high-dose drug group(GWM-H group),and a low-dose group(GWM-L group).The liv-er injury model in mice was induced by CCl4,and liver tissue pathological morphology was ob-served,along with the measurement of the relative gene expression levels of liver inflammatory factors.Active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine and target information of Chinese medi-cine and diseases were obtained through databases such as TCMSP,PubChem,Swiss Target Pre-diction,Super-PRED,Gene Cards,and DisGeNET.Intersecting the targets of liver injury,necropto-sis,and drugs yielded potential drug targets.String database was used for protein-protein interac-tion(PPI)analysis of the potential targets.Furthermore,Cytoscape was utilized to construct a net-work diagram of"drug-disease-active ingredient-intersection target,"Wei Sheng Xin was used for GO and KEGG pathway analysis.Molecular docking was performed using MOE software,and the results of molecular docking were experimentally validated to detect the expression of key targets in the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL signaling pathway.Animal experiments showed that compared to the CON group,the CCl4 group of mice exhibited a significant increase in liver organ index(P<0.05),markedly elevated serum AST activity(P<0.05),and a highly significant increase in ALT activity(P<0.01).Pathological examination revealed chaotic liver lobules,severe hepatocyte steatosis,ex-tensive hepatocyte necrosis,and inflammatory cell infiltration in the livers of mice in the CCl4 group.In comparison to the CCl4 group,the GWM-H group showed a significant decrease in liver organ index(P<0.05),while the GWM-L group displayed a downward trend.The GWM-H group exhibited a significant reduction in serum AST activity(P<0.05),the GWM-L group showed a decreasing trend in serum AST activity,the GWM-H group demonstrated a highly significant de-crease in serum ALT activity(P<0.01),and the GWM-L group displayed a significant decrease in serum ALT activity(P<0.05).Histopathological examination revealed that the drug treatment groups could improve CCl4-induced liver injury,with the GWM-H group showing better efficacy than the GWM-L group.RT-qPCR results of liver tissues showed that compared to the CON group,the CCl4 group exhibited a highly significant increase in the relative expression of IL-1βand PGE2 mRNA(P<0.01),while the mRNA relative expression of COX2 showed an increasing trend.In contrast,compared to the CCl4 group,the GWM-H group showed a remarkably significant decrease in the relative expression of IL-1βmRNA(P<0.01),a significant decrease in PGE2 mR-NA expression(P<0.05),and a decreasing trend in COX2 mRNA expression.Through network pharmacology,56 potential targets related to GWM in ameliorating necroptosis-induced liver injury were identified.Key targets,based on degree value,include TNF,Bcl2,HSP90AA1,and Caspase8,while the key components are quercetin,luteolin,kaempferol,and ellagic acid.Functional enrich-ment analysis yielded 2 173 entries for GO and 146 biological pathways for KEGG.Molecular doc-king results indicated a strong binding capacity between the main components of GWM and key targets.RT-qPCR experimental results showed that compared to the CON group,the CCl4 group exhibited a extremely significantly increase in the mRNA relative expression of TNF-α,TNFR1,MLKL(P<0.01),significantly increase in the mRNA relative expression of FAS,RIPK1,RIPK3 mRNA(P<0.05),and a significant decrease in Caspase 8 mRNA expression(P<0.05).The addi-tion of GWM successfully reversed this trend;compared to the CCl4 group,the GWM-H group showed a highly significant decrease in the mRNA relative expression of TNF-α,TNFR1,FAS and MLKL mRNA(P<0.01),significant decrease in RIPK1,RIPK3 mRNA expression(P<0.05),and an increasing trend in CASPASE8 mRNA expression.GWM exerts hepatoprotective effects through multiple components and pathways,among which inhibition of the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL pathway reduces hepatocyte necroptosis,potentially serving as one of the essential mechanisms for its protective effects.

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