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Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine >

2026 , Vol. 46 >Issue 3: 561 - 570

DOI: https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2026.03.004

Original Articles

Hepatoprotection of Jianpi Qingre Lishi prescription (健脾清热利湿法) on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis via miRNA-27/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma axis

  • XU Mengjun ,
  • YAN Zixing ,
  • CHEN Xi ,
  • CAI Juanjuan ,
  • ZHANG Haiou ,
  • LIN Zhenwen
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  • 1 Department of Spleen and Stomach, Fuzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350001, China
    2 Department of Spleen and Stomach, Fujian Provincial Second People's Hospital, Fuzhou 350003, China
First author contact:

XU Mengjun and YAN Zixing are co-first authors and contributed equally to this work

Dr. ZHANG Haiou, Department of Spleen and Stomach, Fujian Provincial Second People's Hospital, Fuzhou 350003, China. 18950285266@163.com, Telephone: +86-18950285266;
Dr. LIN Zhenwen, Department of Spleen and Stomach, Fuzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou 350001, China. 1410967276@qq.com, Telephone: +86-15392001062

Received date: 2024-12-12

  Accepted date: 2025-10-10

  Online published: 2026-06-08

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To elucidate the molecular targets and physiological mechanisms underlying the therapeutic efficacy of Jianpi Qingre Lishi prescription (健脾清热利湿法, JQLP) in the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).

METHODS: This study used 120 Sprague-Dawley rats to establish six groups at random (n = 20): blank control (BC), model, low-dose JQLP (L-JQLP), medium-dose JQLP (M-JQLP), high-dose JQLP (H-JQLP), and positive control (PC) groups. Rats in the BC group received a diet with methionine- and choline-sufficient (MCS), while those in the remaining groups were fed with methionine- and choline-deficient (MCD) diet. Blood samples were collected for biochemical analyses and inflammatory factors determination; while liver tissues were harvested to identify the histological alterations through hematoxylin-eosin staining and oil red O staining. In addition, the levels of miRNA-27 (miR-27) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) were determined utilizing quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting.

RESULTS: Compared to the BC group, the model group showed no significant changes in fasting blood glucose (FBG), which was substantially reduced after both M-JQLP and H-JQLP treatments. MCD diet induced a series of pathological alterations, such as extensive vacuole-like steatosis, disorganized hepatic plates, and significant inflammatory cell infiltration in liver tissues, which were dose-dependently weakened by JQLP intervention. Rats fed with MCD diet demonstrated increase in total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities, but decrease in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. JQLP treatment effectively normalized these parameters in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, rats with MCD diet were detected with largely secreted tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6); while JQLP intervention decreased TNF-α and IL-6 secretion, but enhanced IL-4 content. Additionally, miR-27 upregulation and PPARγ downregulation were induced in liver tissues of rats with MCD diet, which were counteracted by JQLP treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: JQLP can ameliorate NASH progression, potentially through the regulation of miR-27/ PPARγ axis. JQLP may be a promising therapeutic candidate worthy of further clinical investigation for NASH treatment.

Key words： non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; PPAR gamma; inflammation; miRNA-27; Jianpi Qingre Lishi prescription

Cite this article

XU Mengjun , YAN Zixing , CHEN Xi , CAI Juanjuan , ZHANG Haiou , LIN Zhenwen . Hepatoprotection of Jianpi Qingre Lishi prescription (健脾清热利湿法) on non-alcoholic steatohepatitis via miRNA-27/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma axis[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2026 , 46(3) : 561 -570 . DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2026.03.004

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