Exploring the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory potential of licochalcone B against psoralidin-induced liver injury.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Herb-induced liver injury (HILI) represents an exacerbated inflammatory response, with Psoraleae fructus (PF) and its preparations recently associated with hepatotoxicity. Licorice, historically recognized as a detoxifying herbal remedy, is considered to possess hepatoprotective properties. Our previous research identified bavachin, bakuchiol, and psoralidin (PSO) as potential toxic constituents in PF, while licochalcone B (LCB) and echinatin were identified as bioactive components in licorice. However, evidence regarding the interactions of active compounds in herbs and their underlying mechanisms remains limited.
Aim of the Study: The objective of this study is to assess the potential mechanisms through which LCB modulates immunological and anti-inflammatory responses to treat PSO-induced liver injury by using human hepatocyte cells (L02) and LPS-primed mice.
Methods: The ameliorative effects of LCB and echinatin on bavachin, bakuchiol, and PSO-induced liver injury were demonstrated in L02 cells. Subsequently, the efficacy of LCB on PSO-induced idiosyncratic liver injury was further validated in C57BL/6 mice under moderate inflammatory stress induced by LPS priming. The mechanisms were preliminarily explored with an integrated strategy of molecular docking, RT-PCR verification, and untargeted metabolomics.
Results: The study shows that LCB significantly reduced cell injury induced by the three chemicals in PF and provided substantial protection against PSO-induced hepatic damage, as indicated by the levels of ALT, AST, and LDH. LCB normalized liver function and remarkedly alleviated hepatic lesions and inflammation caused by PSO in mice under moderate inflammatory stress. The mRNA profiles of both L02 cells and mice liver tissue revealed that LCB mitigated PSO-induced hepatotoxicity by regulating the gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL1B and TNF, as well as immunoinflammatory genes PIK3CA, AKT1, NFKB1, and NLRP3. Furthermore, untargeted metabolomics of liver tissue indicated that LCB could reverse the abnormal expression of 11 discriminatory metabolites, with the interrelationship between differential metabolites and target genes primarily clustering in glycerophospholipid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, and phosphatidylinositol signaling system.
Conclusion: LCB demonstrated a superior anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effect on PSO-induced hepatotoxicity by modulating the inflammatory response and metabolic signaling system. Key interactive targets included phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidic acid, and subunit isoforms of PI3K.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)