Si-Ni-San promotes liver regeneration by maintaining hepatic oxidative equilibrium and glucose/lipid metabolism homeostasis

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: The efficacy of clinical treatments for various liver diseases is intricately tied to the liver's regenerative capacity. Insufficient or failed liver regeneration is a direct cause of mortality following fulminant hepatic failure and extensive hepatectomy. Si-Ni-San (SNS), a renowned traditional Chinese medicine prescription for harmonizing liver and spleen functions, has shown clinical efficacy in the alleviation of liver injury for thousands of years. However, the precise molecular pharmacological mechanisms underlying its effects remain unclear.

Aims of the study: This study aimed to investigate the effects of SNS on liver regeneration and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Materials and methods: A mouse model of 70% partial hepatectomy (PHx) was used to analyze the effects of SNS on liver regeneration. Aquaporin-9 knockout mice (AQP9^-/-) were used to demonstrate that SNS-mediated enhancement of liver regeneration was AQP9-targeted. A tandem dimer-Tomato-tagged AQP9 transgenic mouse line (AQP9-RFP) was utilized to determine the expression pattern of AQP9 protein in hepatocytes. Immunoblotting, quantitative real-time PCR, staining techniques, and biochemical assays were used to further explore the underlying mechanisms of SNS.

Results: SNS treatment significantly enhanced liver regeneration and increased AQP9 protein expression in hepatocytes of wild-type mice (AQP9^+/+) post 70% PHx, but had no significant effects on AQP9^-/- mice. Following 70% PHx, SNS helped maintain hepatic oxidative equilibrium by increasing the levels of reactive oxygen species scavengers glutathione and superoxide dismutase and reducing the levels of oxidative stress molecules H₂O₂ and malondialdehyde in liver tissues, thereby preserving this crucial process for hepatocyte proliferation. Simultaneously, SNS augmented glycerol uptake by hepatocytes, stimulated gluconeogenesis, and maintained glucose/lipid metabolism homeostasis, ensuring the energy supply required for liver regeneration.

Conclusions: This study provides the first evidence that SNS maintains liver oxidative equilibrium and glucose/lipid metabolism homeostasis by upregulating AQP9 expression in hepatocytes, thereby promoting liver regeneration. These findings offer novel insights into the molecular pharmacological mechanisms of SNS in promoting liver regeneration and provide guidance for its clinical application and optimization in liver disease treatment.

Keywords: Aquaporin-9; Glucose/lipid metabolism; Liver regeneration; Oxidative equilibrium; Si–Ni-San.