Network pharmacology and transcriptomic profiling elucidate the therapeutic effects of Thunb on liver fibrosis via MK3-NF-κB inhibition.

Activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) is critical in the progression of liver fibrosis and is a promising target for anti-hepatic fibrosis drug development. Moreover, effective pharmacological interventions targeting this pathomechanism are scarce. Our study confirms the therapeutic value of β-sitosterol, a major constituent of Thunb, in hepatic fibrosis and identifies its underlying mechanisms. After treatment with β-sitosterol, CCL4-induced hepatic fibrosis was reversed in mice, while inflammatory and hepatic fibrosis indices were improved. Meanwhile, we explored the molecular mechanism of β-sitosterol treatment for hepatic fibrosis and, based on RNA-seq results, found that the ameliorative effect of β-sitosterol on hepatic fibrosis was associated with the MK3 and NF-κB signalling pathways. MK3, an important kinase in the MAPK pathway, plays a role in transmitting upstream and downstream signals, whereas the NF-κB signalling pathway has been shown to be associated with HSC activation. We verified the interaction between MK3 and IκB in HSC cells using endogenous Co-IP, whereas β-sitosterol reduced the binding of MK3 to IκB and the activation of the NF-κB signalling pathway. Our findings reveal the mechanism of β-sitosterol in the treatment of liver fibrosis, suggesting that β-sitosterol may be a promising drug for the treatment of liver fibrosis and deserves further investigation.