Protective effect of Qingluotongbi formula against Tripterygium wilfordii induced liver injury in mice by improving fatty acid beta-oxidation and mitochondrial biosynthesis

Context Qingluotongbi formula (QLT) is a Chinese medicine compound consisting of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. (Celastraceae, TW), Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F.H.Chen (Araliaceae, PN), Rehmannia glutinosa (Gaertn.) DC. (Orobanchaceae, RG), Sinomenium acutum (Thunb.) Rehder & E.H. Wilson (Menispermaceae, SA), and Bombyx mori L. (Bombycidae, BM). Objective This study investigated the protective effect and possible mechanism of QLT against TW-induced liver injury in mice. Materials and methods To establish the model of TW-induced liver injury in mice, C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into 4 groups: control group, low-dose TW group, middle-dose TW group, and high-dose TW group. To observe the effects of QLT and its individual ingredients against TW-induced liver injury, C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into 7 groups: control group, TW group, QLT group, PN group, RG group, SA group, BM group. After administration for 7 days, C57BL/6J mice were tested for biochemical indicators and liver pathological changes. Then, we evaluated the mitochondrial function and analysed the gene and protein expression related to the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR alpha)/peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1 alpha) pathway by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and Western blotting. Results Compared with the control group (0.30 +/- 0.35), TW significantly increased mice liver histological score (L, 0.95 +/- 1.14; M, 1.25 +/- 1.16; H, 4.00 +/- 1.13). QLT and its ingredients significantly improved the pathology scores (CON, 0.63 +/- 0.74; TW, 4.19 +/- 1.53; QLT, 1.56 +/- 0.62; PN, 1.94 +/- 0.68; RG, 2.75 +/- 1.39; SA, 4.13 +/- 0.99; BM, 4.13 +/- 0.99). Western blot and qRT-PCR analysis revealed that QLT and its ingredients reversed TW-induced suppression of PPAR alpha/PGC1-alpha pathway. Discussion and conclusions: These findings provide valuable information for compound compatibility studies and TW clinical applications.