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.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the protective effect and possible related mechanisms of Sophora subprostrate polysaccharide(SSP)on intestinal epithelial cell injury in-duced by Tert-Butyl hydroperoxide(TBHP).The optimal dose of TBHP and the safe concentra-tion range of SSP were determined using the MTT method.In this study,IPEC-J2 cells were divid-ed into five groups:the control group,the model group,the SSPL group,the SSPM group and the SSPH group,and the cell morphology,cell survival rate and LDH release rate were observed and measured.The content of intracellular reactive ROS was observed and determined by DCFH-DA staining.The content of MDA in the supernatant and the antioxidant index of cells were determined by the reagent kit.Transcriptome technology was employed to analyze the potential mechanisms by which SSP mitigates oxidative damage in IPEC-J2 cells.The results showed that treatment with 625 μmol/L TBHP for 2 h significantly reduced the activity of IPEC-J2 cells,markedly increased LDH release(P＜0.05),inhibited CAT superoxide SOD and glutathione GPX activities(P＜0.05),and significantly elevated MDA and ROS levels(P＜0.05).Compared to the model group,after SSP treatment,intracellular ROS levels were significantly reduced(P＜0.05),while CAT,SOD,and GPX activities were significantly increased(P＜0.05),and MDA content and LDH re-lease were significantly decreased(P＜0.05)in a dose-dependent manner.Transcriptome analysis revealed that TBHP treatment significantly altered the transcriptional profiles of IPEC-J2 cells,while SSP treatment could restore the transcriptional profiles of the damaged cells to a certain ex-tent.Gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)indicated that the differentially expressed genes between the CC and TBHP groups were significantly enriched in oxidative phosphorylation,ribosome,and other pathways.Meanwhile,the differentially expressed genes between the SSP and TBHP groups were mainly enriched in oxidative phosphorylation,ap-optosis,glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism,and other pathways.These results suggest that TBHP may disrupt normal oxidative respiration in IPEC-J2 cells by affecting oxidative phospho-rylation and interfering with metabolism pathways involving glycine,serine,and threonine,leading to oxidative damage in intestinal epithelial cells.Conversely,SSP treatment may potentially restore oxidative phosphorylation processes,alleviate lysosomal damage,reduce cell apoptosis,and miti-gate oxidative damage in intestinal epithelial cells through modulation of oxidative phosphoryla-tion,apoptosis,and lysosomal pathways.This discovery provides a theoretical basis for the clinical application of SSP in alleviating oxidative damage in the porcine intestinal tract.

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.

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.

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.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the protective effect and possible related mechanisms of Sophora subprostrate polysaccharide(SSP)on intestinal epithelial cell injury in-duced by Tert-Butyl hydroperoxide(TBHP).The optimal dose of TBHP and the safe concentra-tion range of SSP were determined using the MTT method.In this study,IPEC-J2 cells were divid-ed into five groups:the control group,the model group,the SSPL group,the SSPM group and the SSPH group,and the cell morphology,cell survival rate and LDH release rate were observed and measured.The content of intracellular reactive ROS was observed and determined by DCFH-DA staining.The content of MDA in the supernatant and the antioxidant index of cells were determined by the reagent kit.Transcriptome technology was employed to analyze the potential mechanisms by which SSP mitigates oxidative damage in IPEC-J2 cells.The results showed that treatment with 625 μmol/L TBHP for 2 h significantly reduced the activity of IPEC-J2 cells,markedly increased LDH release(P＜0.05),inhibited CAT superoxide SOD and glutathione GPX activities(P＜0.05),and significantly elevated MDA and ROS levels(P＜0.05).Compared to the model group,after SSP treatment,intracellular ROS levels were significantly reduced(P＜0.05),while CAT,SOD,and GPX activities were significantly increased(P＜0.05),and MDA content and LDH re-lease were significantly decreased(P＜0.05)in a dose-dependent manner.Transcriptome analysis revealed that TBHP treatment significantly altered the transcriptional profiles of IPEC-J2 cells,while SSP treatment could restore the transcriptional profiles of the damaged cells to a certain ex-tent.Gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG)indicated that the differentially expressed genes between the CC and TBHP groups were significantly enriched in oxidative phosphorylation,ribosome,and other pathways.Meanwhile,the differentially expressed genes between the SSP and TBHP groups were mainly enriched in oxidative phosphorylation,ap-optosis,glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism,and other pathways.These results suggest that TBHP may disrupt normal oxidative respiration in IPEC-J2 cells by affecting oxidative phospho-rylation and interfering with metabolism pathways involving glycine,serine,and threonine,leading to oxidative damage in intestinal epithelial cells.Conversely,SSP treatment may potentially restore oxidative phosphorylation processes,alleviate lysosomal damage,reduce cell apoptosis,and miti-gate oxidative damage in intestinal epithelial cells through modulation of oxidative phosphoryla-tion,apoptosis,and lysosomal pathways.This discovery provides a theoretical basis for the clinical application of SSP in alleviating oxidative damage in the porcine intestinal tract.

To investigate the alleviating effect of glycyrrhizic acid(GA)on chronic toxicity of afla-toxin B1(AFB1)in ducklings.Eighty 4-day-old ducklings were randomly divided into 4 groups,with 20 ducklings in each group,including a blank group,a model group(100 μg/kg AFB1),a high-concentration GA group(100 μg/kg AFB1+100 mg/kg GA),and a low-concentration GA group(100 μg/kg AFB1+50 mg/kg GA),with a trial period of 18 days.At the end of the experi-ment,the body weight of the ducklings in each group,AFB1-DNA content in the liver and liver tis-sues index,the biochemical indicators of liver function,and the pathological changes in liver tissues were examined.Additionally,the oxidative damage status of the liver tissues was eval-uated,and the mRNA expression levels of mitochondria-related apoptosis genes was detected.Com-pared with the control group,the body weight of ducklings in the model group decreased signifi-cantly(P＜0.01),AFB1-DNA content in the tissues increased significantly(P＜0.05),liver swell-ing and yellowing were observed,the liver index increased significantly(P＜0.01),as did the levels of aspartate aminotransferase(AST)and alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(P＜0.01).The AST/ALT levels also increased significantly(P＜0.01),while the serum total protein(TP)content de-creased significantly(P＜0.01).The liver tissues showed a large amount of inflammatory cell infil-tration,vacuolar degeneration,fibrotic changes and apoptosis.The activities of catalase(CAT),glutathione S-transferase(GST),the total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC)of the duckling liver all decreased significantly(P＜0.01)and the mRNA expression of mitochondria-related apoptosis genes Bax,Cyt-c,Caspase-3,and Caspase-9 significantly increased(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,GA treatment significantly increased the body weight of the model ducklings(P＜0.01),reduced AFB1-DNA content in the tissue,significantly reduced their liver index(P＜0.05),visibly restored the liver's apparent status,effectively reversed the abnormal changes in serum liver function indicators,improved the pathological changes in liver tissue histology,enhanced liver an-tioxidant function,significantly decreased expression of Bax,Cyt-c,Caspase-3,and Caspase-9 mR-NA(P＜0.05).Further correlation analysis showed that mRNA expression levels of Bax,Cyt-c,Caspase-3,and Caspase-9 in duck liver tissues were positively correlated with liver index,AFB1-DNA content,AST content,ALT content,AST/ALT ratio,and MDA content,and negatively cor-related with body weight,TP content,SOD activity,CAT activity,GST activity,and T-AOC activi-ty in ducklings.In conclusion,GA may alleviate liver damage to relieve duckling AFB1 chronic tox-icity by inhibiting the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis.

To investigate the alleviating effect of glycyrrhizic acid(GA)on chronic toxicity of afla-toxin B1(AFB1)in ducklings.Eighty 4-day-old ducklings were randomly divided into 4 groups,with 20 ducklings in each group,including a blank group,a model group(100 μg/kg AFB1),a high-concentration GA group(100 μg/kg AFB1+100 mg/kg GA),and a low-concentration GA group(100 μg/kg AFB1+50 mg/kg GA),with a trial period of 18 days.At the end of the experi-ment,the body weight of the ducklings in each group,AFB1-DNA content in the liver and liver tis-sues index,the biochemical indicators of liver function,and the pathological changes in liver tissues were examined.Additionally,the oxidative damage status of the liver tissues was eval-uated,and the mRNA expression levels of mitochondria-related apoptosis genes was detected.Com-pared with the control group,the body weight of ducklings in the model group decreased signifi-cantly(P＜0.01),AFB1-DNA content in the tissues increased significantly(P＜0.05),liver swell-ing and yellowing were observed,the liver index increased significantly(P＜0.01),as did the levels of aspartate aminotransferase(AST)and alanine aminotransferase(ALT)(P＜0.01).The AST/ALT levels also increased significantly(P＜0.01),while the serum total protein(TP)content de-creased significantly(P＜0.01).The liver tissues showed a large amount of inflammatory cell infil-tration,vacuolar degeneration,fibrotic changes and apoptosis.The activities of catalase(CAT),glutathione S-transferase(GST),the total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC)of the duckling liver all decreased significantly(P＜0.01)and the mRNA expression of mitochondria-related apoptosis genes Bax,Cyt-c,Caspase-3,and Caspase-9 significantly increased(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,GA treatment significantly increased the body weight of the model ducklings(P＜0.01),reduced AFB1-DNA content in the tissue,significantly reduced their liver index(P＜0.05),visibly restored the liver's apparent status,effectively reversed the abnormal changes in serum liver function indicators,improved the pathological changes in liver tissue histology,enhanced liver an-tioxidant function,significantly decreased expression of Bax,Cyt-c,Caspase-3,and Caspase-9 mR-NA(P＜0.05).Further correlation analysis showed that mRNA expression levels of Bax,Cyt-c,Caspase-3,and Caspase-9 in duck liver tissues were positively correlated with liver index,AFB1-DNA content,AST content,ALT content,AST/ALT ratio,and MDA content,and negatively cor-related with body weight,TP content,SOD activity,CAT activity,GST activity,and T-AOC activi-ty in ducklings.In conclusion,GA may alleviate liver damage to relieve duckling AFB1 chronic tox-icity by inhibiting the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis.