Asarinin alleviates hepatic fibrosis through TRα-STAT3 pathway: A new strategy by regulating liver microenvironment

Asarum heterotropoides F. Schmidt, a classic Chinese herb, traditionally treats liver deficiency with its pungent, warm nature and liver-qi smoothing properties. Asarinin (ASA), an abundant and characteristic lignan in Asarum, has the potential to protect the liver and has shown measurable systemic exposure in the body, making it a key candidate for verifying this traditional use.

We aim to delineate the molecular mechanisms underlying the hepatoprotective activity of ASA.

Liver injury and fibrosis was generated in C57BL/6 mice by intraperitoneal TAA and CCL₄, with oral ASA treatment. To investigate the mechanisms, neutrophil depletion and TRα knockdown approaches were employed. LX-2 were activated using TGF-β and co-cultured by ASA, neutrophils, and/or conditioned medium from primary hepatocytes; TRα was silenced via siRNA.

The findings indicate that ASA alleviates hepatic fibrosis by reducing extracellular matrix deposition, inflammation, EMT, and neutrophil extracellular traps through TRα-STAT3 signaling pathway. Loss of TRα exacerbates fibrotic progression, whereas neutrophil ablation attenuates pathology. In vitro, ASA modulates ECM composition, inflammatory cytokine levels, and EMT-related processes in activated hepatic stellate cells. These effects are mediated through TRα and STAT3 signaling, as TRα knockdown diminishes the regulatory influence of ASA on LX-2 activation. RNA sequencing was used to verify the relevant mechanisms. ASA exerts potent anti-fibrotic effects by disrupting intercellular crosstalk and modulating the TRα-STAT3 signaling axis.

The therapeutic efficacy of ASA against liver fibrosis may hinge on its ability to target TRα-dependent STAT3 activation, thereby reshaping the hepatic microenvironment.