Anti-inflammatory effects of Chaishi Tuire Granules on influenza A treatment by mediating TRAF6/MAPK14 axis

Lili Wang; Jiamei Guo; Yingying Wang; Pengcheng Zhao; Bin Liu; Yan Zhang; Yibai Xiong; Qing Chen; Lin Lin; Li Li; Xiaojuan He; Yong Tan; Mengmeng Cao; Jianfeng Yi; Tao Deng; Cheng Lu

doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.943681

Anti-inflammatory effects of Chaishi Tuire Granules on influenza A treatment by mediating TRAF6/MAPK14 axis

Front Med (Lausanne). 2022 Nov 14:9:943681. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.943681. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Lili Wang^{1

2}, Jiamei Guo³, Yingying Wang³, Pengcheng Zhao⁴, Bin Liu¹, Yan Zhang¹, Yibai Xiong¹, Qing Chen², Lin Lin¹, Li Li¹, Xiaojuan He¹, Yong Tan¹, Mengmeng Cao⁵, Jianfeng Yi⁶, Tao Deng³, Cheng Lu¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Basic Research in Clinical Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
² College of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Yichun University, Yichun, China.
³ Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
⁴ School of Life Science, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, China.
⁵ Institute of Pathogen Biology, NHC Key Laboratory of Systems Biology of Pathogens, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China.
⁶ Research Center for Differentiation and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine Basic Theory, Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, China.

Abstract

Objectives: Influenza is an infectious respiratory disease that can cause severe inflammatory reactions and threaten human life. Chaishi Tuire Granules (CSTRG), a Chinese patent medicine widely used clinically in the treatment of respiratory diseases in China, has a definite anti-inflammatory effect. However, the mechanism of CSTRG in the treatment of influenza is still unclear. This study aimed to demonstrate the anti-inflammatory effect of CSTRG on influenza A treatment and potential mechanisms.

Methods: Influenza-associated mice pneumonia model was used to explore the antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects of CSTRG in vivo. Bioinformatics analysis methods such as network pharmacology and molecular docking were carried out to predict the main active components and potential anti-inflammatory targets of CSTRG. The anti-inflammatory activity of CSTRG was determined using the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced macrophages RAW264.7 cells in vitro.

Results: In vivo results showed that CSTRG can reduce the viral load in the lung tissue of infected mice, reduce the expression of TNF-α and IL-6 in lung tissue and serum, and regulate the host inflammatory response. Additionally, CSTRG treatment markedly improves the sick signs, weight loss, lung index, and lung pathological changes. Bioinformatics analysis predicted that six active compounds of CSTRG including quercetin, kaempferol, luteolin, beta-sitosterol, sitosterol, and stigmasterol could contribute to the anti-influenza activity through regulating the TRAF6/MAPK14 axis. The following research confirmed that CSTRG significantly inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α and IL-6) by suppressing the expression of TRAF6 and MAPK14 in LPS-stimulated macrophages RAW264.7 cells.

Conclusion: CSTRG might inhibit the inflammatory response by mediating the TRAF6/MAPK14 axis. In the future, in-depth research is still needed to verify the mechanism of CSTRG in the treatment of influenza.

Keywords: Chaishi Tuire Granules; MAPK14; TRAF6; anti-inflammation; influenza A.