Jiegeng decoction ameliorated acute pharyngitis through suppressing NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways

Hong Huang; Dan Wu; Qing Li; Lihang Niu; Zhun Bi; Jiahang Li; Xiaoman Ye; Chunfeng Xie; Cheng Yang

doi:10.1016/j.jep.2024.118328

Jiegeng decoction ameliorated acute pharyngitis through suppressing NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways

J Ethnopharmacol. 2024 May 9:332:118328. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118328. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Hong Huang¹, Dan Wu², Qing Li¹, Lihang Niu², Zhun Bi², Jiahang Li¹, Xiaoman Ye², Chunfeng Xie³, Cheng Yang⁴

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300353, People's Republic of China; High-throughput Molecular Drug Screening Centre, Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biomedicine, Tianjin, 300070, People's Republic of China.
² State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300353, People's Republic of China.
³ State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300353, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: xiechunfeng@nankai.edu.cn.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology, College of Pharmacy and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Molecular Drug Research, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300353, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: cheng.yang@nankai.edu.cn.

PMID: 38734391
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118328

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Jiegeng decoction (JGD), consisting of Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma and Platycodonis Radix at the ratio of 2:1, is a classical Chinese medicine prescription firstly recorded in "Treatise on Febrile Diseases". JGD has been extensively utilized to treat sore throat and lung diseases for thousands of years in China. However, the pharmacological effect and mechanism of JGD on acute pharyngitis (AP) remain unclear.

Aim of the study: Our research aimed to reveal the pharmacological effect of JGD on AP and its potential mechanisms.

Materials and methods: The chemical components of JGD were analyzed based on the UPLC-MS analysis. The anti-inflammatory effect of JGD was evaluated by NO production using the Griess assay in RAW 264.7 cells. The mRNA expression of iNOS, IL-1β, IL-10, TNF-α, IL-6 and MCP-1 was determined by qRT-PCR in vitro. A 15% ammonia-induced AP model was established. The histopathology, the inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and MCP-1 in serum and the apoptosis-related genes caspease-8 and caspease-3 were determined by H&E staining, ELISA and qRT-PCR, respectively. The expression levels of p-p65, p65, p-JNK, JNK, p-p38, p38, p-ERK1/2, ERK1/2, and COX2 were measured through western blotting.

Results: Nine compounds, including liquiritin, liquiritin apiosde, liquiritigenin, platycodin D, platycoside A, licorice saponin J2, licorice saponin G2, glycyrrhizic acid, and licochalcone A, were identified. JGD significantly inhibited NO production and regulated the mRNA expression levels of cytokines in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The results of in vivo experiments confirmed that JGD ameliorated AP through improving the pathological state of pharyngeal tissue, decreasing the serum levels of IL-6 and MCP-1 and preventing the tissue mRNA expression of caspease-8 and caspease-3. Furthermore, JGD also inhibited the NF-κB and MAPK pathways in the AP model.

Conclusions: This study suggested that JGD could alleviate AP through its anti-inflammation via NF-κB and MAPK pathways, which supported the traditional application of JGD for the treatment of throat diseases.

Keywords: Acute pharyngitis; Anti-inflammation; Jiegeng decoction; NF-κB and MAPK pathways.