Basic Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 28, 2022; 28(32): 4635-4648
Published online Aug 28, 2022. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i32.4635
The mechanism of Yinchenhao decoction in treating obstructive-jaundice-induced liver injury based on Nrf2 signaling pathway
Jun-Jian Liu, Yan Xu, Shuai Chen, Cheng-Fei Hao, Jing Liang, Zhong-Lian Li
Jun-Jian Liu, Cheng-Fei Hao, Zhong-Lian Li, The Second Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Tianjin Medical University NanKai Hospital, Tianjin 300102, China
Yan Xu, Graduate School, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 3000070, China
Shuai Chen, Department of Thoracic Surgery, Xuzhou City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xuzhou 221000, Jiangsu Province, China
Jing Liang, School of Foreign Languages, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610000, Sichuan Province, China
Author contributions: Liu JJ, Xu Y, and Li ZL designed and coordinated the study; Liu JJ, Xu Y, and Chen S performed the experiments and acquired the data; Xu Y, Chen S, and Hao CF analyzed the data; Liu JJ, and Xu Y wrote the manuscript; Liang J proofread the manuscript; and All authors approved the final version of the article.
Supported by the Scientific and Technological Project in Key Areas of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Tianjin Municipal Health and Health Committee, China, No. 2019003; and the Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Project of Tianjin Municipal Health and Health Committee, China, No. 2021042.
Institutional review board statement: The study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Tianjin Medical University Nankai Hospital.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: All animal experiments conformed to the internationally accepted principles for the care and use of laboratory animals (license No. SCXK Jin 2020-0008). The experimental protocol was approved by the Animal Research Committee of Tianjin Medical University Nankai Hospital (approval No. NKYY-DWLL-2021-102).
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Zhong-Lian Li, MD, PhD, Chief Doctor, Doctor, Professor, Surgeon, The Second Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Tianjin Medical University NanKai Hospital, No. 6 Changjiang Street, Nankai District, Tianjin 300102, China. nkyylzl@163.com
Received: March 24, 2022
Peer-review started: March 24, 2022
First decision: May 30, 2022
Revised: June 8, 2022
Accepted: June 24, 2022
Article in press: June 24, 2022
Published online: August 28, 2022
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Research background

Obstructive jaundice (OJ) may lead to liver injury through various mechanisms. Oxidative stress is an important pathological mechanism of OJ-induced liver injury. It is present throughout the OJ process. Yinchenhao decoction (YCHD), a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, has been widely used for treating jaundice in clinical practice. Recent studies have confirmed that YCHD can effectively alleviate liver injury. However, the mechanism of YCHD treating OJ-induced liver injury has not yet been fully clarified.

Research motivation

To provide much more scientific evidence for the clinical application of YCHD and promote the combination of TCM and modern medicine to treat diseases more effectively.

Research objectives

We aimed to investigate the effective chemical components of YCHD and predict the mechanism of YCHD in the treatment of OJ-induced liver injury and oxidative damage.

Research methods

By the network pharmacology approach, we predicted the chemical composition of YCHD and its associated targets. Measurements of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), the nucleus positive rate of NF-E2 related factor 2 (Nrf2) protein, and the protein expression levels of Nrf2, Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1, NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were used to assess the status of oxidative stress caused by OJ.

Research results

Network pharmacology research showed that YCHD had multicomponent, multitarget, and multipathway function characteristics. YCHD increased expression of Nrf2, promoted translocation of Nrf2 to the nucleus, reduced overexpression of NO by adjusting eNOS and iNOS, and activated expression of GST and NQO1; all of which protect liver tissue from oxidative damage.

Research conclusions

YCHD can alleviate liver injury and reduce oxidative damage. Although various mechanisms are involved in the occurrence and development of OJ, we report that YCHD can promote the translocation of Nrf2 to the nucleus, and upregulate the Nrf2 signaling pathway, which may provide a new perspective for the study of the mechanism of antioxidation. This provides the theoretical basis for further research into the molecular mechanism of action of YCHD in the treatment of OJ.

Research perspectives

TCM formulas like YCHD have been widely used for thousands of years. In the near future, more in-depth research on the molecular mechanism of TCM can guide clinical treatment more effectively.