Protective effects of a combination of salvia miltiorrhiza bunge and astragalus membranaceus bunge against concanavalin A-induced liver injury in rats: A biomechanical perspective

Immune liver injury is a special type of chronic liver disease caused by immune dysfunction in the body. Salvia Miltiorrhiza (Danshen) and Astragalus membranaceus (Huangqi) have shown a synergistic effect in treating liver diseases in clinical settings. Nevertheless, the ideal combination ratio, dosage, and underlying mechanism of action of them remain uncertain. This research aimed to explore the biomechanical and immunological mechanisms of the combined use of Danshen and Huangqi in the treatment of liver injury, Which points to the regulation of lymphocyte biomechanics. To induce liver injury in rats, we administered Concanavalin A (ConA) via the tail vein. By observing liver indicators, serum biochemical indicators and liver tissue pathological changes in rats, the optimal ratio and dosage of the combination of “Danshen-Huangqi” was determined. Flow cytometry was used to analyze T lymphocyte subsets in rat peripheral blood. ELISA was performed to measure serum cytokine levels. RT-PCR was conducted to quantify specific transcription factors in rat aged 6–8 weeks liver tissue. Immunohistochemistry was utilized to evaluate the expression of apoptosis-related genes in rat liver tissue. The findings demonstrated that “Danshen-Huangqi” exerts bidirectional regulation on T lymphocyte subsets., influencing their biomechanical properties, such as cell stiffness and migratory behavior. The combination modulates the secretion of Th1, Th2, Th17, and Treg cytokines and specific transcription factors, thus rectifying the imbalance of Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg (P < 0.05) lymphocyte subsets, but also inhibits atypical apoptosis of liver lymphocytes by controlling the expression of apoptosis-related genes in the rat liver with liver injury through the death receptor pathway and mitochondrial pathway. The biomechanical interactions of herbal remedies is to have a full effect on the protein molecules of target cells. Thus, the combination of Danshen and Huangqi may be a promising drug pair in improving liver injury. Compared with existing treatment options, this study is more mild and can be applied more widely in different populations.