Effects of dachaihu decoction and its “prescription elements” on intestinal flora of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease model rats

Abstract

<br><b>Objective:</b> The study objective was to observe the effect of Dachaihu decoction and its “prescription elements” on intestinal flora of model rats with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following seven groups (<i>n</i> = 105): normal, model, pioglitazone hydrochloride (PH), Shuganlidan, Jianpihuatan, Tongfuxiezhuo, and dachaihu decoction (DD). 16SrRNA high-throughput IIlumina sequencing platform was used for sequencing, and bioinformatics analysis of rat intestinal flora was done. <b>Results:</b> Compared with the normal group, rats in the model, PH, Shuganlidan, Jianpihuatan, Tongfuxiezhuo, and DD groups showed significant differences in the intestinal microflora structure. The microorganisms that play an important role in the normal group are Ruminococcaceae, <i>Oscillospira</i>, <i>Lactobacillales</i>, <i>Lactobacillaceae</i>, <i>Lactobacillus</i>, bacilli, <i>Ruminococcus</i>, TM7, <i>Spirochaetes</i>, <i>Clostridium</i>, <i>Elusimicrobia</i>, <i>Elusimicrobiaceae</i>, <i>Elusimicrobiales</i>, <i>Lactobacillus helveticus</i>, <i>Lactobacillus reuteri</i>, <i>Elusimicrobium</i>, RF39, and Christensenellaceae; in the model group are <i>Ruminococcus gnavus</i>; in the PH group are <i>Prevotella</i>, Paraprevotellaceae, and <i>Blautia</i>; in the Jianpihuatan group are <i>Bacteroidetes</i>, <i>Bacteroidia</i>, <i>Bacteroidales</i>, <i>Roseburia</i>, Rikenellaceae, and <i>Stridium methylpentosum</i>; in the TongfuXiezhuo group are Bacteroidaceae, <i>Bacteroides</i>, <i>Porphyromonadaceae</i>, <i>Parabacteroide</i>, 4C0d_2, <i>Cyanobacteria</i>, YS2, <i>Parabacteroides distasonis</i>, <i>Bacteroides uniformis</i>, <i>Verrucomicrobiaceae</i>, <i>Verrucomicrobiae</i>, Verrucomicrobiales, <i>Akkermansia</i>, <i>Akkermansia muciniphila</i>, <i>Coprobacillus</i>, <i>Parabacteroides gordonii</i>, <i>Blautia producta</i>, and <i>Ruminococcus torques</i>; and in the DD group are Erysipelotrichales, Erysipelotrichi, and Erysipelothrichaceae. <b>Conclusion:</b> The Tongfuxiezhuo prescription elements of the DD significantly improved the intestinal flora of rats with NAFLD, improving the relative abundance of beneficial bacteria in the intestinal flora of NAFLD rats such as <i>Bacteroides</i>, <i>Sartre</i> genus, Vibrio pseudobutyrate bacteria, and <i>Akkermansia muciniphila</i>. This subsequently improved the glucose and lipid metabolism in NAFLD rats, reducing fat deposition in the liver, inhibiting intestinal inflammatory reaction, and maintaining the integrity of intestinal mucosal barrier. The action target is the intestinal axis of “intestinal–hepatic axis.”<br>