Antiulcerogenic Activity of Li-Zhong Decoction on Duodenal Ulcers Induced by Indomethacin in Rats: Involvement of TLR-2/MyD88 Signaling Pathway

Modulating gut microbiota for treating antibiotic-associated diarrhea from Clostridium difficile infection: insights from Lizhong decoction and its polysaccharide component

To investigate whether the polysaccharide component of the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) formula Lizhong decoction (LZD) has therapeutic effects and regulates gut microbiota in antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) related to Clostridium difficile infection, a polysaccharide was extracted from LZD, consisting of rhamnose, five monosaccharides, arabinose, galactose, glucose, and galacturonic acid in a molar ratio of 1.12:8.49:4.06:80.67:5.66. An AAD model related to C. difficile infection was established using clindamycin gavage and oral colonization with C. difficile. Subsequently, oral treatment experiments with LZD polysaccharides and different doses of the decoction were conducted. The results indicated that the polysaccharide showed the best therapeutic effect on AAD related to C. difficile infection, with post-treatment gut microbiota clustering closest to the normal control group. The polysaccharide from LZD has therapeutic effects on AAD related to C. difficile infection, possibly achieved through the regulation of gut microbiota. It modulates the dominant gut microbiota, specifically increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria by adjusting the ratio of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, thereby reversing the dysbiosis caused by C. difficile infection and antibiotics. Thus, LZD polysaccharide may be one of the important active components for gut microbiota regulation in this TCM formula.

Exploration of Therapeutic Strategies of Herbal Prescriptions for Carbuncle Treatment to Suggest Modern Approaches to Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Cluster and Network Analyses of the Book «Liu Juan Zi Gui Yi Fang»

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatments in East Asian traditional medicine (EATM) originate from principles for treating abscesses and carbuncles. Understanding the therapeutic principles of Liu Juan Zi Gui Yi Fang (GYF) is essential for optimizing EATM treatment strategies for IBD, but quantitative analysis is lacking. This study aims to extract quantitative information on therapeutic strategies from GYF and present the EATM conceptual framework for IBD treatment. Oral prescriptions for carbuncles were selected, and their constituent herbs and indications were standardized and tokenized for analysis. An EATM expert group classified prescriptions based on the similarity of herbs and indications. Hierarchical and k-means cluster analyses were performed based on herb similarity. The herb-indication (H-I) network for all prescriptions was constructed. Additionally, H-I subnetworks based on the expert group's classifications and the k-means clustering results were constructed and compared to identify treatment goals and the herbs used for each goal. The results showed that the treatment focused on abscess status, wound healing, and patient's recovery capacity, with 'fever' and 'deficiency' as the main indications addressed by tonifying and anti-inflammatory herbs. The therapeutic principles identified in this study can serve as a foundation for developing future herbal intervention units. Further preclinical and clinical research is needed to validate these findings.

Retracted: Antiulcerogenic Activity of Li-Zhong Decoction on Duodenal Ulcers Induced by Indomethacin in Rats: Involvement of TLR-2/MyD88 Signaling Pathway

[This retracts the article DOI: 10.1155/2020/6538156.].

Astragaloside IV ameliorates indomethacin-induced intestinal inflammation in rats through inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome

The administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may cause significant intestinal alteration and inflammation and lead to the occurrence of inflammatory diseases resembling duodenal ulcers. Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is a glycoside of cycloartane-type triterpene isolated from the dried root of Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bge. (family Fabaceae), and has been used for ameliorating the NSAID-induced inflammation in the small intestine. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of AS-IV on indomethacin (IND)-induced inflammation in the small intestine of rats and its underlying mechanisms. Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, transmission and scanning electron microscopy were carried out to observe the surface morphology and ultrastructure of the small intestinal mucosa. Immunofluorescence and ELISA tests were employed to detect the expressions of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, and NF-κB proteins, as well as inflammatory factors IL-1β and IL-18, to uncover potential molecular mechanisms responsible for mitigating small intestinal inflammation. The results demonstrated that AS-IV significantly decreased the ulcer index, improved the surface morphology and microstructure of the small intestinal mucosa, and increased mucosal blood flow. Molecular docking revealed a strong and stable binding capacity of AS-IV to NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, and NF-κB proteins. Further experimental validation exhibited that AS-IV markedly decreased levels of IL-1β and IL-18, and inhibited the protein expression of NLRP3, ASC, caspase-1, and NF-κB. Our data demonstrate that AS-IV ameliorates IND-induced intestinal inflammation in rats by inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and reducing the release of IL-1β and IL-18, thereby representing a promising therapy for IND-induced intestinal inflammation.

Investigation of the material basis and mechanism of Lizhong decoction in ameliorating ulcerative colitis based on spectrum-effect relationship and network pharmacology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Lizhong decoction (LZD), a classical herbal prescription recorded by Zhang Zhongjing in Treatise on Febrile and Miscellaneous Diseases, has been extensively used to treat ulcerative colitis (UC) in clinical practice for thousands of years. However, its material basis and underlying mechanism are not yet clear.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aims to explore the material basis and potential mechanism of LZD against UC based on the spectrum-effect relationship and network pharmacology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

First, LZD was extracted by a systematic solvent extraction method into four parts. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS) technique was used to identify the compounds from different polar parts, and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model was used to evaluate the efficacy of each fraction. Then, the spectrum-effect analyses of compounds and efficacy indicators were established via grey relational analysis (GRA), bivariate correlation analysis (BCA) and partial least squares regression (PLSR). Finally, the potential mechanism of LZD for UC therapy was explored by network pharmacology, and the results were further verified by molecular docking and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).

RESULTS

66 chemical components of LZD were identified by UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS technology. The pharmacodynamic results showed that extraction parts of LZD had different therapeutic effects on UC, among which ethyl acetate and n-butanol extracts had significant anti-colitis effects, which might be the main effective fractions of LZD. Furthermore, the spectrum-effect analyses indicated that 21 active ingredients such as liquiritin apioside, neolicuroside, formononetin, ginsenoside Rg1, 6-gingesulfonic acid, licoricesaponin A3, liquiritin, glycyrrhizic acid were the main material basis for LZD improving UC. Based on the above results, network pharmacology suggested that the amelioration of LZD on UC might be closely related to the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Additionally, molecular docking technology and RT-qPCR further verified that LZD could markedly inhibit the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

CONCLUSION

Overall, our study first identified the chemical compositions of LZD by using UPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS. Furthermore, the material basis and potential mechanism of LZD in improving UC were comprehensively elucidated via spectrum-effect relationships, network pharmacology, molecular docking and experimental verification. The proposed strategy provided a systematic approach for exploring how herbal medicines worked. More importantly, it laid the solid foundation for further clinical application and rational development of LZD.

Protective effect of Lizhong Pill on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats: Possible involvement of TNF and IL-17 signaling pathways

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The traditional Chinese medicine formula Lizhong Pill (LZP) and its herbal constituents are frequently utilized in Asian (China, Saudi Arabia, India, Japan, etc.) and some European (Russia, Sweden, UK, etc.) nations to treat various gastrointestinal ailments.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to investigate the protective impact and potential mechanism of LZP against indomethacin (IND)-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Using a biochemical kit, we investigated the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) in rat serum, as well as pepsin in rat stomach tissue, using an IND-induced rat model of gastric mucosal injury. Various imaging tools, including HE staining, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), were used to examine the gastric mucosa's surface morphology and ultrastructure. Furthermore, molecular docking was employed to predict the binding capacity of the primary bioactive components of LZP to the critical molecular protein targets in the IL-17 and TNF signaling pathways. At the same time, immunofluorescence was used to determine the protein expressions of CASP3, VCAM1, MAPK15, MMP3, IL-17RA, and TNFR1.

RESULTS

The present study demonstrates that LZP (3.75 and 7.50 g/kg) significantly reduces the gastric mucosal injury index induced by IND. This effect is evidenced by the improved morphology, surface, and structure of the gastric mucosa, as determined by HE, SEM, and TEM findings. Additionally, 3.75 and 7.50 g/kg LZP intervention significantly increased SOD and CAT contents and inhibited pepsin and GST activities. Molecular docking analysis revealed that the small molecular components of LZP can bind spontaneously to crucial proteins involved in the IL-17 and TNF signaling pathways, including MAPK15, MMP3, VCAM1, and CASP3. The immunofluorescence findings proved that LZP (3.75 and 7.50 g/kg) can inhibit the protein expressions of MAPK15, MMP3, VCAM1, CASP3, IL-17RA, and TNFR1.

CONCLUSIONS

Our investigation findings demonstrate that LZP can potentially ameliorate IND-induced damage to the gastric mucosa by inhibiting IL-17 and TNF signaling pathways. These results offer encouraging support for using alternative medicine to manage drug-induced gastric mucosal injury.

Interplay of Biochemical, Genetic, and Immunohistochemical Factors in the Etio-Pathogenesis of Gastric Ulcer in Rats: A Comparative Study of the Effect of Pomegranate Loaded Nanoparticles Versus Pomegranate Peel Extract

Background

Few data are available about the role of herbal extract loaded nanoparticles as an alternative safe medicine for the management of a gastric ulcer.

Aim

This work is targeted at exploring the physiological effects of pomegranate loaded nanoparticles (PLN) against an indomethacin IND-induced gastric ulcer and comparing the results with traditional pomegranate peel extract (PPE).

Methods

Twenty-four rats were equally distributed into four groups: control, IND-treated, PLN-treated, and PPE-treated groups. Gross examination of gastric mucosa, and the calculation of ulcer and inhibition indices were done. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-6, IL-10, gastric homogenate prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂), and nitric oxide (NO) were estimated. Mucosal endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS mRNA) expression was identified by qPCR. Histological and immuno-histochemical staining of Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and eNOS of stomach mucosa were performed.

Results

In comparison with the control group, IND-treated rats showed visible multiple ulcers with ulcer index, serum MDA, IL-2 and IL-6 were elevated while IL-10, PGE₂, NO, and eNOS mRNA expression were significantly reduced. Damaged surface epithelium with disrupted glandular architecture and heavy leucocyte infiltration of lamina propria was noticed. Immunohistochemical staining of stomach mucosa revealed marked increased TNF-α and reduced eNOS. Oral administration of PLN and PPE succeeded in improving the gross mucosal picture, and all biochemical, histological, and immunohistochemical alterations.

Conclusion

Both PLN and PPE potently alleviated IND-induced gastric ulceration via increasing TAC, PGE₂, NO, eNOS mRNA, and protein expression. However, the healing effect of PLN was obviously greater than PPE-treated rats.