Education, Science, Technology, Innovation and Life
Open Access
Sign In
  1. Home
  2. Journals
  3. MEDS Clinical Medicine
  4. Vol 7, Issue 3, 2026

Effects of Liver-Smoothing and Spleen-Tonifying Therapy on Malignant Biological Behaviors of HepG2 Cells under Inflammatory Stimulation via Caspase-1 and IRAK1/TRAF6/NF-κB Signaling Pathways

Download as PDF

DOI: 10.23977/medsc.2026.070305 | Downloads: 0 | Views: 30

Author(s)

Yuan Yuan 1, Ke Huang 1, Yusha Guo 1, Mei Jiang 2, Xiao Jiang 2, Meng Zhang 2

Affiliation(s)

1 School of Public Health and Management, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, 530200, China
2 School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanning, Guangxi, 530200, China

Corresponding Author

Yuan Yuan

ABSTRACT

This study aimed to investigate the effects of liver-smoothing and spleen-tonifying therapy on proliferation, invasion, migration and apoptosis of human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) combined with adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and preliminarily explore the underlying molecular mechanisms. An in vitro inflammatory cell model was established by treating HepG2 cells with LPS plus ATP. Serum containing low-, medium- and high-dose Xiaoyao San was prepared for intervention, with blank group, model group and Caspase-1 inhibitor VX-765 positive control group set up simultaneously. EdU assay, Transwell invasion test, wound healing assay and Annexin V-APC/7-AAD double staining flow cytometry were adopted to detect cell proliferation, invasion, migration and apoptosis, respectively. Western blot was used to measure the protein expression levels of IRAK1, TRAF6, NF-κB p65 and Caspase-1. The results showed that compared with the blank group, the model group exhibited significantly elevated EdU positive rate, invasive cell number and wound healing rate, markedly reduced cell apoptotic rate, as well as upregulated protein expression of IRAK1, TRAF6, NF-κB p65 and Caspase-1 (P<0.01). Relative to the model group, serum containing Xiaoyao San at three doses significantly suppressed proliferation, invasion and migration, promoted apoptosis, and downregulated the expression of the four target proteins (P<0.01), with a dose-dependent pharmacological tendency observed. Serum containing Xiaoyao San reverses the malignant biological phenotypes of LPS/ATP-stimulated HepG2 cells by inhibiting cell proliferation, invasion and migration while inducing apoptosis. Its therapeutic effect may be attributed to the suppression of IRAK1/TRAF6/NF-κB p65 and Caspase-1 protein expression, thereby modulating inflammatory signaling cascades.

KEYWORDS

Liver-smoothing and spleen-tonifying therapy; Hepatocellular carcinoma; HepG2 cells; Inflammatory microenvironment

CITE THIS PAPER

Yuan Yuan, Ke Huang, Yusha Guo, Mei Jiang, Xiao Jiang, Meng Zhang. Effects of Liver-Smoothing and Spleen-Tonifying Therapy on Malignant Biological Behaviors of HepG2 Cells under Inflammatory Stimulation via Caspase-1 and IRAK1/TRAF6/NF-κB Signaling Pathways. MEDS Clinical Medicine (2026). Vol. 7, No. 3, 28-37. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/medsc.2026.070305.

REFERENCES

[1] Li YK. Methodology of Chinese Herbal Pharmacological Experiments. 2nd ed. Shanghai: Shanghai Science and Technology Press, 2006: 50-53.
[2] Kong YY, Guo YJ, Guan YJ, et al. Investigation on clinicians’ awareness and practice of the Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B (2022 Edition)[J]. Journal of Clinical Hepatology, 2025, 41(6): 1068-1074.
[3] Zhu MX, Li P. Curcumin inhibits HepG2 cell growth by inducing pyroptosis through NOX4/ROS/GSDMD axis[J]. Journal of Yunnan Minzu University (Natural Sciences Edition), 2025, 34(6): 694-700.
[4] Huang TK, Xie AZ. Research progress on traditional Chinese medicines for hepatocellular carcinoma based on NF-κB signaling pathway[J]. Cancer Research on Prevention and Treatment, 2026, 53(3): 211-218.
[5] Cheng XY, Shi WJ, Liu R. Mechanism of NF-κB signaling pathway regulating ferroptosis and its role in liver diseases[J]. Journal of Clinical Hepatology, 2025, 41(8): 1700-1707.
[6] Liu JM, Wang YL, Huang H, et al. Mechanism of Modified Xiaoyao San regulating PI3K/Akt pathway to improve learning and memory ability in liver stagnation insomnia rats based on transcriptomics[J]. Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae, 2025, 31(16): 114-125. DOI:10.13422/j.cnki.syfjx.20250764.
[7] Wei Y, Lu YL, Chen CL. Research progress on traditional Chinese medicines treating hepatocellular carcinoma via regulating PI3K/Akt signaling pathway[J]. Journal of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine, 2026, 29(2): 67-73.
[8] Li MZ, Fang ZQ, Zhang WF. Sijunzi Decoction inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma progression by regulating O-GlcNAc glycosylation modification of NF-κB p65 in peritumoral liver tissue[J]. Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae, 2024, 30(15): 21-28. DOI:10.13422/j.cnki.syfjx.20240129.
[9] Tang Y, Wang GT, Jiang YH. Therapeutic effects and mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicines regulating tumor-associated macrophages in hepatocellular carcinoma[J]. Journal of Clinical Hepatology, 2025, 41(6): 1199-1206.
[10] Song S, Zhao TT, Li XY. Curcumin alleviates liver fibrosis by regulating Cav-1 to suppress Ang Ⅱ-induced pyroptosis and activation of LX-2 hepatic stellate cells[J]. Drug Evaluation Research, 2025, 48(10): 2841-2852.

Subscription
E-Mail Alert
Most popular papers
Call for Special Issue
Publication Ethics & OA Statement
Plagiarism Policy
Contact Us
Downloads: 12121
Visits: 1083506

Sponsors, Associates, and Links

All published work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright © 2016 - 2031 Clausius Scientific Press Inc. All Rights Reserved.