Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of Qinghuayin (清化饮, QHY) in rat chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) models and explored the molecular mechanism of QHY in treating CAG.

METHODS: In total, 65 Wistar rats were randomly divided into the control (n = 10) and CAG groups (n = 55). CAG model rats were further divided into five groups: model (n = 10), vitacoenzyme (n = 10), low-dose QHY (n = 10), medium-dose QHY (n = 10), and high-dose QHY groups (n = 10). We analyzed histopathological changes using hematoxylin and eosin staining and measured interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 levels in serum using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (Boster Bio, Pleasanton, USA). In addition, gastrin (GAS), pepsinogen I (PGI), and PGII expressions were evaluated using ELISA. The protein and mRNA expression of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and toll or interleukin-1 receptor domain-containing adaptor inducing interferon-β (TRIF) was detected by Western blotting and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, respectively.

RESULTS: Our results revealed that histopathological changes in CAG model rates could be restored by low-, medium-, and high-dose QHY. The changes in GAS and PGI/II expression demonstrated that QHY improved CAG. Serum IL-6 and IL-levels were decreased by QHY administration. TLR4 and TRIF were upregulated at the mRNA and protein levels in the model group but downregulated by QHY administration.

CONCLUSION: We concluded that QHY could effectively improve the histopathological changes of the gastric mucosa induced by CAG in rats. The therapeutic mechanism of QHY may be related to inhibition of the inflammatory factors IL-6 and IL-8 and suppression of TLR4/TRIF mRNA and protein expression.

Key words: gastritis, atrophic, toll-like receptor 4, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, toll or interleukin-1 receptor domain-containing adaptor inducing interferon-β, Qinghuayin