Siji Kangbingdu Mixture Ameliorates LPS-Induced Acute Lung Injury by Downregulating the TNF/IL-17 Signaling Pathways

Sep 28, 2026

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Acute lung injury (ALI) is a high-morbidity respiratory disorder marked by severe inflammation, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can trigger rapid immune activation and lung tissue damage. This study investigates how Siji Kangbingdu Mixture (SJM) alleviates LPS-induced ALI. UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS identifies SJM active ingredients, and mouse models evaluate pulmonary indices, pathology scores, and inflammatory factors. Transcriptomics and network pharmacology predict TNF/IL-17 pathway regulation, which is confirmed using qRT-PCR, Western blotting, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry.

LanguageEnglish

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Background

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Materials and Methods

Results

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Introduction

Journal of Inflammation Research Open Access Full Text Article ORIGINAL RESEARCH Siji Kangbingdu Mixture Ameliorates LPS-Induced Acute Lung Injury by Downregulating the TNF/ IL-17 Signaling Pathways: A Comprehensive Study Using Transcriptomics, Network Pharmacology and Experimental Verification Yuan Wang 1 , Huiying Zhou 1 , Bo Wang2 , Yuxi Liu 1 , Kaihua Long 1 , Hong Zhang 1 1Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, Shaanxi Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Shaanxi Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine), Xi’an, People’s Republic of China; 2College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of China Correspondence: Kaihua Long; Hong Zhang, Shaanxi Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Shaanxi Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine), No. 4 Xihuamen, Lianhu District, Xi’an, 710003, People’s Republic of China, Email [longkaihua@126.com](longkaihua@126.com); [zhanghong919919@163.com](zhanghong919919@163.com) | Background: Acute lung injury (ALI), as a respiratory condition triggered by various internal and external factors, is characterized clinically by high rates of incidence and mortality. In the current context where respiratory system diseases are on the rise, the incidence of ALI has been increasing annually. Previous research has established the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in inhibiting ALI. Siji Kangbingdu Mixture (SJM), has demonstrated a clear clinical therapeutic effect in managing respiratory infections. Nevertheless, its mechanism of action in treating ALI is still lacking.
Purpose: To clarify the mechanism by which SJM exerts its therapeutic effects in the treatment of ALI.
Materials and Methods: In our study, we initially elucidated the chemical constituents of SJM by the UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS (LC-MS), and established an ALI model. Next, we evaluated how SJM inhibited ALI by measuring the weight curve of mice, the wetto-dry lung weight ratio (W/D), the HE lung tissue pathological change score, along with the inflammatory factor expression. Then, by employing transcriptomics and network pharmacology approaches, the mechanism of SJM acting on ALI were predicted and analyzed. Finally, the expression and regulatory interactions of the differentially expressed target proteins in the key pathways were verified by qRT-PCR analysis, Western blotting (WB), immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry.
Results: The LC-MS analysis identified 148 active ingredients. In vitro experiments indicated that SJM could significantly reduce the W/D index, pulmonary tissue pathological score, and the inflammatory factor levels. The findings from transcriptomics and network pharmacology suggested that SJM may alleviate ALI as a TNF and IL-17 signaling pathway. Further, through WB, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry, we noted significant downregulations in the pulmonary tissue expression of keys proteins in the SJM-H group.
Conclusion: SJM has the potential to inhibit the progression of ALI, and its mechanism of action may involve the TNF and IL-17 signaling downregulation.
Keywords: Siji kangbingdu mixture, acute lung injury, network pharmacology, transcriptomics, TNF signaling pathway, IL-17 signaling pathway | | --- | | Introduction
Acute lung injury (ALI)/acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) represents a dynamic process typified by lung edema and immediate inflammation 1 In recent years, despite extensive research concerning ALI, the mortality rate among ALI patients in the intensive care units remains alarmingly high, ranging from 40% to 60% .2 Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), as a crucial cellular wall element for Gram-negative bacteria, can initiate the inherent immunity and inflict | Received: 27 August 2025 Accepted: 21 November 2025 Published: 30 December 2025 Journal of Inflammation Research 2025:18 18267–18290 18267 © 2025 Wang et al. This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited. The

FAQs

What therapeutic problem does the study focus on?

The study focuses on clarifying how Siji Kangbingdu Mixture (SJM) treats LPS-induced acute lung injury (ALI), whose mechanism is not fully understood.

How did the researchers characterize SJM and build the ALI model?

SJM chemical constituents were identified using UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS, and an ALI model was established in mice to assess therapeutic effects.

What signaling mechanism does the study propose for SJM’s protective effect?

The study suggests SJM alleviates ALI by downregulating TNF and IL-17 signaling pathways, supported by transcriptomics/network pharmacology predictions and experimental verification.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by dawugda