Conclusions
Elian granules may play a critical role in the treatment of rat PLGC by up-regulating the expression of p-JNK and p-p38 proteins in the MAPK signalling pathway, thus providing a scientific basis for clinical application.
Methods
Through network pharmacological methods, the targets of the active component of Elian granules against PLGC were obtained. Subsequently, Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into normal, model, and Elian granule groups. The N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine comprehensive method was used to establish the PLGC rat model. The model and Elian granule groups were given normal saline and Elian granule aqueous solution (3.24 g/kg/d) intragastric administration, respectively, for 24 weeks. The pathological changes in gastric tissues were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. The protein expression of p-JNK and p-p38 was verified by western blotting.
Results
394 and 4,395 targets were identified in Elian granules and PLGC, respectively. The 190 common targets were mainly enriched in MAPK signalling pathways. The gastric mucosal epithelium was still intact, the glands were arranged regularly, and no goblet cells or apparent inflammatory cell infiltration were observed in the Elian granule group. The expression of p-JNK and p-p38 protein of the Elian granule group (0.83 ± 0.08; 1.18 ± 0.40) was significantly higher than the model group (0.27 ± 0.14; 0.63 ± 0.14) (p < 0.01; p < 0.05).