Total glucosides of Picrorhizae Rhizome alleviate non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) by specifically targeting acyl-CoA oxidase 1
Fang-Fang Zhuo,
Xiao-Qing Li,
Jun Zhang,
Fu-Ming Zhang,
Zhao-Hui Song,
Yi He,
Li Ding,
Dan Liu,
Peng-Fei Tu,
Xiao-Hui Ma,
Ke-Wu Zeng
Affiliations
Fang-Fang Zhuo
State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
Xiao-Qing Li
National Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Modernization, Tasly Academy, Tasly Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Tianjin, 300410, China
Jun Zhang
National Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Modernization, Tasly Academy, Tasly Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Tianjin, 300410, China
Fu-Ming Zhang
National Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Modernization, Tasly Academy, Tasly Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Tianjin, 300410, China
Zhao-Hui Song
National Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Modernization, Tasly Academy, Tasly Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Tianjin, 300410, China
Yi He
National Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Modernization, Tasly Academy, Tasly Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Tianjin, 300410, China
Li Ding
School of Chinese Materia Medica, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, 301617, China
Dan Liu
Proteomics Laboratory, Medical and Healthy Analytical Center, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, 100191, China
Peng-Fei Tu
State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China; Corresponding author.
Xiao-Hui Ma
National Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine Modernization, Tasly Academy, Tasly Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., Tianjin, 300410, China; Corresponding author.
Ke-Wu Zeng
State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China; Corresponding author.
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a chronic liver disease characterized by the accumulation of fat in the liver, is highly prevalent on a global scale. In this study, we investigated the effects of total glucosides of Picrorhizae Rhizome (TGPR), the primary active ingredients in traditional Chinese herbal medicine derived from Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora Pennell. TGPR is known for its efficiency in attenuating NASH, in mouse models induced by methionine-choline deficient (MCD) diet or high-fat diet (HFD). Our findings indicated that TGPR exhibited efficacy in reducing hepatic steatosis and lowering serum lipid levels, specifically triglyceride and total cholesterol in the NASH model. Meanwhile, TGPR exhibited a suppressive effect on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Mechanistically, we identified acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (Acox1) as a crucial cellular target of TGPR, influencing lipid metabolism and ATP production to treat NASH. Additionally, we found that the major components of TGPR, including Picroside I, Picroside II, and Picroside IV, exhibit significant binding abilities to the target Acox1 at its catalytic C-terminal α-domain, stabilizing its protein expression. TGPR binding to Acox1 facilitated the degradation of fatty acids via the Acox1-mediated MAPK signaling pathways, and consequently plays a role in regulating energy metabolism and reducing liver inflammation. In summary, our study demonstrates that TGPR effectively counteracts NASH by specifically targeting Acox1, thereby providing a significant clinical solution for the treatment of NASH.
