Yin-Dan-Ping-Gan Capsule Mitigates CCL4-Induced Liver Fibrosis via Regulating PPAR γ/GPX4 Signaling and Suppressing Ferroptosis
<b>Background:</b> Liver fibrosis is a major global public health issue that is only getting worse. The underlying molecular mechanisms of Yindanpinggan Capsule (YDPG), a traditional Chinese medication, are still unknown, although it has shown notable effectiveness in treating fibrosis and other forms of liver injury. <b>Methods:</b> To evaluate the impact of YDPG on liver fibrosis, a mouse model of liver damage caused by carbon tetrachloride (CCL<sub>4</sub>) was used. Proteomics, deep learning, network pharmacology, and later biological process validation using Western blot were used to elucidate the possible mechanism of YDPG in reducing liver damage. <b>Results:</b> Following YDPG treatment, we observed a decrease in the fibrosis index and an improvement in liver function. Network pharmacology, deep learning, and proteomics collectively identified the ferroptosis and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathways as pivotal in the anti-fibrosis effects of YDPG on the liver. Further experimental results showed that YDPG inhibited Malondialdehyde (MDA) and Fe<sup>2+</sup> content and increased Glutathione (GSH) activity in fibrotic liver. Mechanistically, both SLC7A11/GSH pathway-mediated ferroptosis and oxidative stress up-regulated by the PPAR γ/GPx4 pathway were alleviated following YDPG treatment. <b>Conclusions:</b> Our present study corroborates that YDPG limits the progression of liver fibrosis by regulating the PPARγ-GPX4-ferroptosis pathway. These results indicate that YDPG could be a potential medication for hepatic fibrosis.
Authors
- Jicheng Yang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9303-1046)
- Xianyu Li
- Zhen Ouyang
- Ying Zhang
- Xue Jiang
- Chen Zhao
- Limin Lin
- Yusheng Zhang
- Luqi Huang
Institutions
- Jiangsu University (CN)
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College (CN)
- China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CN)
- Zhangzhou Vocational and Technical College (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Pharmaceuticals
- Published
- 2026-02-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/ph19020251
- Primary Topic
- Ferroptosis and cancer prognosis
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00