Evidence mapPaperPMID 41214635Full record

ArticleBMC complementary medicine and therapies2025

Shugan Xiaozhi Decoction attenuates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis by modulating oxidative stress and AMPK pathway.

Rong Yang, Lian Feng, Zhijian Gong, Huili Yang, Haiyan Du, Jing Chen, Meirong Qin, Ning Chen, Houshuang Huang, Ping Wang and 2 more

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Article in BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Rong Yang *Faculty of Chinese Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, 999078, Macau, China.
Lian Feng *Faculty of Chinese Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, 999078, Macau, China.
Zhijian GongHepatology Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, 518033, China.
Huili YangHepatology Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, 518033, China.
Haiyan DuHepatology Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, 518033, China.
Jing ChenHepatology Department, Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, The Fourth Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen, 518033, China.
Meirong QinShenzhen Institute for Drug Control, National Medical Products Administration, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
Ning ChenShenzhen Institute for Drug Control, National Medical Products Administration, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
Houshuang HuangShenzhen Institute for Drug Control, National Medical Products Administration, Shenzhen, 518057, China.
Ping WangShenzhen Institute for Drug Control, National Medical Products Administration, Shenzhen, 518057, China. wangping662@sina.com.
Qibiao WuFaculty of Chinese Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, 999078, Macau, China. qbwu@must.edu.mo.
Yufeng XingFaculty of Chinese Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, 999078, Macau, China. yufeng000729@163.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundNonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), particularly the histological phenotype nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is considered the primary cause of chronic liver diseases. Shugan Xiaozhi decoction (SX), a composite Chinese medicinal formula, has shown therapeutic potential for NASH, although the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely defined. In this study, the effects and mechanisms of SX in rats with NASH and fibrosis induced by a high-fat and high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet were investigated.

methodsNASH rats with fibrosis were induced by an HFHC diet, with different doses of SX administered. Biochemical indices, histological changes, and gene expression were assessed to evaluate lipid metabolism, inflammation, fibrosis of the liver. The histological changes of white and brown adipose tissue were also determined. Hepatic transcriptomics and network pharmacology based on the blood components were employed to elucidate the biological processes and signaling pathways, which was subsequently verified, and the material basis of SX was investigated through docking simulations.

resultsSX treatment effectively corrected disordered lipid profiles, mitigated hepatic phagocyte infiltration, and alleviated damage in the white and brown adipose tissues. It also downregulated the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β, α-SMA, Col1a1, and TGF-β, to improve hepatic inflammation and fibrosis. Mechanistically, transcriptomics and network pharmacology analyses revealed that SX ameliorated hepatic oxidative stress and activated the AMPK pathway, and the downstream effector Nrf2 and inactivated of SREBP1/FAS signaling. Three putative phytochemicals, namely, gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, and rhein with the highest binding affinity for AMPKα were also identified.

conclusionsSX ameliorates HFHC diet-induced NASH by regulating hepatic oxidative stress and AMPK pathway, suggesting the potential therapeutic value of SX in NASH treatment.

Indexed as

AMP-Activated Protein KinasesDrugs, Chinese HerbalNon-alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseOxidative StressAnimalsDiet, High-FatDisease Models, AnimalLiverMaleRatsRats, Sprague-DawleySignal TransductionAMP-Activated Protein KinasesDrugs, Chinese HerbalAMPK signaling pathwayNetwork pharmacologyNonalcoholic steatohepatitisOxidative stressShugan xiaozhi decoctionTranscriptomics

Identifiers

PMID41214635
PMCPMC12599033

What Socratic holds

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.