Qihuzha Granule Attenuate Acute Spleen Injury in Mice

Abstract

For children that suffer from indigestion and anorexia due to stomach and spleen deficiencies, a cocktail of 11 edible medicinal plants called Qihuzha granule (QHZG) is a patented Chinese medicine. Moreover, QHZG boasts therapeutic activity in children suffering from recurrent respiratory tract infections. However, the mechanism of action at the molecular level remains elusive. Zhong and colleagues investigated the further potential therapeutic effects and elucidated the possible mechanism of action of QHZG on lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced spleen injury. Cytokines including interleukin-2 (IL-2), IFN-γ, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) IL-1β were drastically reduced as a result of the pretreatment with QHZG. Histological evaluation and immunofluorescence revealed protection to the spleen by QHZG in mice models with LPS-induced acute spleen injury. Src phosphorylation was also significantly inhibited by OHZG pretreatment. Phosphorylation of downstream signaling (P38JNK, ERK, STAT3) was also mitigated pointing toward the Src/MAPK/STAT3-dependent inhibitory effects of QHZG on spleen injury in mice. The authors argue that QHZG can serve as a potential new drug for treating LPS-induced acute spleen injury via inhibition of Src/MAPK, Stat3 signaling mechanism. J Ethnopharmacol. 2021 Dec 5;281:114458.