A New Strategy for Treating Renal Fibrosis Based on a Drug-Food Homogeneous Formula of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Renal fibrosis is a common pathological feature of chronic kidney disease (CKD) as it progresses to the end stage. Currently, about 10% of adults worldwide are affected by this disease. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the field of renal fibrosis treatment, with both traditional drugs and innovative therapies showing new hope. In this study, we propose a novel therapeutic strategy for renal fibrosis based on the traditional Chinese medicine concept of "medicinal and edible homology". This involves the use of a compound formulation comprising red ginseng, dandelion, and oyster shell, and evaluating its therapeutic effect on renal fibrosis through the colon administration route. Through integrated network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses, we identified AKT1, JUN, TNF, HSP90AA1, and IL-6 as core targets, with the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway playing a key role. Colon administration of the formulation significantly restored intestinal barrier function by upregulating tight junction proteins ZO-1 and occludin, thereby reducing circulating endotoxin (LPS) and systemic inflammatory markers (IL-6, IL-1β). Concurrently, the treatment intervened in the renal PI3K/AKT pathway, upregulated expressions of PI3KR1, PKCa, and AKT1/2/3, improved renal function (reduced creatinine and urea nitrogen), and ameliorated fibrosis markers (reduced fibronectin and α-SMA, increased E-cadherin). These findings demonstrate that the medicinal-edible homologous formulation alleviates renal fibrosis via modulation of the gut-kidney axis, combining intestinal barrier repair with suppression of pro-fibrotic signaling. This study supports the use of colon-delivered traditional Chinese medicine as a promising therapeutic strategy for renal fibrosis.