Comparison and Analysis on the Existing Single-Herbal Strategies against Viral Myocarditis

Effect of Yangxin Huoxue Jiedu recipe on inflammatory factors and oxidative stress on viral myocarditis in children

OBJECTIVE

This observation purposed to investigate the effect of the Yangxin Huoxue Jiedu formula on children with viral myocarditis and its effect on inflammatory factors and oxidative response.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 121 children with viral myocarditis were randomly divided into two groups, namely the control group (N = 60) and the traditional Chinese medicine group (N = 61). The control group was mainly treated with routine therapy, while the traditional Chinese medicine group was treated with Yangxin Huoxue Jiedu recipes based on the control group. The creatine kinase, creatine kinase myocardial isoenzyme, aspartate aminotransferase, lactic dehydrogenase, hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, cardiac troponin I, brain natriuretic peptide, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha, superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde in viral myocarditis patients were tested to estimate the myocardial function, inflammation, and oxidative situation.

RESULTS

After Yangxin Huoxue Jiedu treatment, 15 cases were recovered, 20 were excellent, and 21 were effective, which had a significant difference from the control group. The concentration of creatine kinase, creatine kinase myocardial isoenzyme, aspartate aminotransferase, lactic dehydrogenase, hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, cardiac troponin I and brain natriuretic peptide was decreased in the traditional Chinese medicine group. The levels of interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and tumour necrosis factor-alpha in the traditional Chinese medicine group were significantly lower than those in the control group. Superoxide dismutase was higher and malondialdehyde was lower than those in the control group.

CONCLUSION

The use of Yangxin Huoxue Jiedu in the treatment of viral myocarditis has a definite clinical effect, which could improve myocardial function, reduce body inflammation, and promote oxidative recovery.

Jingfang Granule mitigates Coxsackievirus B3-induced myocardial damage by modulating mucolipin 1 expression

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Jingfang Granules (JFG) originate from the traditional herbal formula Jingfang Baidu powder. It has the effects of inducing sweating and dispelling wind. It is a classic medication used for treating external pathogenic factors and viral diseases. However, the therapeutic mechanism of JFG for viral myocarditis needs further clarification.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to explore the therapeutic efficacy of JFG on coxsackievirus B3-induced viral myocarditis (VMC), along with the elucidation of its underlying mechanisms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

C57 BL/6JNifdc mice were divided randomly into several groups: control, model, Jingfang Granule groups (0.23, 0.46, and 0.69 g/20g, respectively), and a positive group (oseltamivir, 19.33 mg/kg). Following the establishment of the VMC model, the mice underwent an 8 -week treatment regimen. Pathological alterations in cardiac tissues and inflammatory protein expression were monitored. Differential gene analysis was conducted utilizing transcriptomic techniques. The differential gene mucolipin 1 (Mcoln1) was knocked down by transfection with siRNA in H9C2 cell, and investigative techniques such as immunoblotting, qRT-PCR, immunofluorescence, JC-1 staining, reactive oxygen species (ROS) detection, and mitochondrial stress testing were employed to examine its mechanism of action.

RESULTS

JFG significantly mitigates the pathological damage observed in the cardiac tissues of CVB3-induced VMC mice and attenuates the expression of inflammatory genes. Subsequently, differentially expressed genes are identified through transcriptomic analysis and validated via PCR. Among these, the upregulation of Mcoln1 promotes autophagy, facilitating the clearance of damaged mitochondria and excessive ROS. This has been substantiated through in vitro experiments. Excessive ROS precipitates a reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential, instigating cell apoptosis. In accordance with TUNEL staining results, JFG acts to inhibit cell apoptosis. To ascertain whether Mcoln1 is a crucial target for JFG in treating VMC, Mcoln1 was suppressed in H9C2 cells. The suppression of Mcoln1 hinders the elevation in autophagy levels post-JFG treatment, obstructs the enhancement of mitochondrial function, and impedes the clearance of ROS. Furthermore, the inhibitory effect of JFG on cell apoptosis is attenuated.

CONCLUSION

The research findings indicate that JFG has a protective effect on CVB3-induced H9C2 cell injury. JFG may exert its effects in VMC treatment by enhancing autophagy to suppress cell apoptosis through the mitochondrial pathway, thereby counteracting cell damage.

Exploring Ganweikang Tablet as a Candidate Drug for NAFLD Through Network Pharmacology Analysis and Experimental Validation

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined as liver disease in which more than 5% of hepatocytes are steatotic with little or no alcohol consumption. NAFLD includes benign nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Importantly, NASH is an advanced progression of NAFL and is characterized by steatosis, hepatocyte ballooning, lobular inflammation, and fibrosis. However, to date, no drugs specifically targeting NAFLD have been approved by the FDA. Therefore, a new drug or strategy for NAFLD treatment is necessary. However, the pathogenesis of NAFLD is complex and no single-target drugs have achieved the desired results. Noticeably, traditional Chinese medicine formulations are a complex system with multiple components, multiple targets, and synergistic effects between components. The Ganweikang tablet is a compound formula based on traditional Chinese medicine theory and clinical experience. In this study, network pharmacology analysis indicates Ganweikang tablet as a candidate for NAFLD treatment. Furthermore, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of Ganweikang tablet on the NAFL and NASH and tried to clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms in animal models and cell experiments. As expected, Ganweikang tablet was found to improve NAFL and NASH by modulating inflammation, apoptosis, and fatty acid oxidation by inhibiting NFκB, caspase-8, and activating PPARα, which not only indicates that Ganweikang tablet as a drug candidate but also provides a theoretical basis of Ganweikang tablet for the treatment of NAFL and NASH.