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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1495020

Mechanistic insights into Jianpi Qinghua Sanyu Yin treatment of raised erosive gastritis: ceRNA-mediated PI3K/AKT signaling pathways

Provisionally accepted
Liya Liu Liya Liu 1Ying Cheng Ying Cheng 1Guosheng Lin Guosheng Lin 1Huifang Zheng Huifang Zheng 1Xinran Zhang Xinran Zhang 1Peilin Zhao Peilin Zhao 2Meixuan Guo Meixuan Guo 3Qihong Liu Qihong Liu 2Wenyi Fang Wenyi Fang 2Wenrong Wang Wenrong Wang 3Anjum Jafri Anjum Jafri 4Aling Shen Aling Shen 1Xiao Ke Xiao Ke 2Youqin Chen Youqin Chen 3*
  • 1 Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
  • 2 The Second Affiliated Hospital, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
  • 3 School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
  • 4 Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleaveland, Ohio, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Raised erosive gastritis (REG) is a chronic gastritis with a high risk of malignant transformation. Current treatments often result in high recurrence rates and complications. Jianpi Qinghua Sanyu Yin (JPQHSYY), a traditional Chinese medicine, shows promise in treating REG. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the potential mechanism of JPQHSYY’s therapeutic effects on REG.Methods: RNA-seq was employed to systematically analyze mRNA, lncRNA, and miRNA profiles in gastric mucosal tissues from REG patients before and after JPQHSYY treatment. The pivotal lncRNA-miRNA and miRNA-mRNA networks were predicted from sequencing data and bioinformatic analysis, and the results were exported using Cytoscape software. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were used for functional exploration. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to validate RNA-seq analysis results. CCK8, cell cycle, apoptosis and western blot were performed to detect the effects of miR-122-5p in GES-1 cells in vitro.Results: RNA-seq analysis revealed 1,717 differentially expressed lncRNAs (770 up-regulated, 940 down-regulated), 33 differentially expressed miRNAs (13 up-regulated, 20 down-regulated), and 576 differentially expressed mRNAs (269 up-regulated, 307 down-regulated) in JPQHSYY-treated REG patients. GO and KEGG analyses highlighted key pathways, including the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, involved in cell cycle and apoptosis regulation. The ceRNA network analysis suggested that JPQHSYY impacts the miRNA–lncRNA interactions. Validation experiments confirmed that JPQHSYY inhibits the PI3K/AKT pathway, reducing cell viability, colony formation, and promoting apoptosis in miR-122-5p transfected GES-1 cells. Conclusion: The therapeutic efficacy of JPQHSYY in treating REG might be mediated by the ceRNA-driven PI3K/AKT pathway signaling pathways, which is implicated in the proliferation of gastric mucosal epithelial cells. Furthermore, the investigation of miRNA–lncRNA networks could reveal more information on potential new mechanisms and targets for JPQHSYY in the management of REG.

    Keywords: Jianpi Qinghua Sanyu Yin, raised erosive gastritis, ceRNA, miR-122-5p, PI3K/Akt signaling pathways

    Received: 30 Sep 2024; Accepted: 17 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Liu, Cheng, Lin, Zheng, Zhang, Zhao, Guo, Liu, Fang, Wang, Jafri, Shen, Ke and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Youqin Chen, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, 44106, Ohio, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.