Chebulinic acid from Chebulae fructus alleviates influenza virus-induced acute lung injury by inhibiting IDO1-Kyn...

Acute lung injury (ALI) induced by influenza virus arises from dysregulated immune hyperactivation and is intimately associated with profound dysregulation of the host's metabolic network. Chebulae Fructus (TC), a traditional Chinese medicine, has demonstrated significant potential in inhibiting influenza virus replication. Nevertheless, its regulatory effects on virus-induced immune and metabolic imbalances remain unexplored. This study comprehensively investigates the underlying therapeutic mechanisms of TC and its active constituents in alleviating influenza virus-induced ALI through targeted immunometabolic reprogramming.

The chemical composition of TC was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed using LC-MS and HPLC. ALI models were induced in mice by intranasal inoculation with H1N1 influenza virus to evaluate the survival rate, pulmonary viral load, histopathological damage, and immune organ indices. Subsequently, potential targets of TC were identified through network pharmacology and metabolomics analyses. Additionally, experimental validation was conducted using Western blotting, immunofluorescence staining, Luminex assays, and LC-MS.

Tannins and phenolic acids constitute the predominant chemical components in TC extracts, with chebulinic acid (CA) being the most abundant monomeric compound. Both TC and CA significantly suppressed viral titers and mitigated H1N1-induced lung injury in mice. Network pharmacology and metabolomics analyses demonstrated that the therapeutic effects of TC are mediated through the inhibition of MAPK signaling and inflammation resulting from tryptophan metabolic dysregulation. Mechanistically, CA, the principal bioactive constituent of TC, was found to regulate the IDO1-Kyn signaling axis, inhibit H1N1-induced RIG-I-dependent activation of NF-κB, p38/JNK/ERK MAPK, and JAK/STAT pathways, and restore Trp-Kyn metabolic homeostasis by reducing the elevated Kyn/Trp ratio, thereby alleviating inflammation and apoptosis. Furthermore, CA blocked IDO1-Kyn-dependent AhR activation. During H1N1 infection, CA attenuated IFN-β-driven amplification of IDO1-Kyn signaling and reduced IFN-β-mediated paracrine activation of the JAK/STAT pathway, thereby disrupting pro-inflammatory positive feedback loops. Notably, CA persistently inhibited both 3MI-induced IDO1 activation and elevation of the Kyn/Trp ratio, confirming its specific targeting of the IDO1-Kyn signaling axis.

This study for the first time elucidates that the "metabolic-inflammatory crosstalk" serves as the key mechanism underlying the therapeutic effects of TC and its active constituent CA on influenza-induced ALI. Moving beyond the conventional focus on either antiviral or isolated anti-inflammatory properties of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), our findings reveal an innovative mechanism by which TC/CA exerts its protective effects through targeted immunometabolic reprogramming. These results provide novel perspectives for understanding the multi-target and multi-pathway regulatory actions of TCM.