Akebia saponin D attenuates ulcerative colitis via targeting EGFR and remodeling gut microbiota homeostasis.

BACKGROUND

Ulcerative colitis (UC), a refractory subtype of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), is clinically characterized by chronic abdominal pain and bloody hematochezia. Although therapeutic interventions have advanced significantly in recent years, existing treatment modalities remain limited. Akebia saponin D (ASD), a bioactive triterpenoid saponin extracted from the traditional medicinal herb Dipsacus asper, has been demonstrated potent multimodal bioactivity.

PURPOSE: This study systematically evaluates the therapeutic potential of ASD in UC treatment and elucidates its underlying molecular mechanisms.

METHODS

A dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced UC mouse model was established, and ASD treatment was administered to observe its effects on colitis and organ toxicity. Inflammation was induced in NCM460 and HT29 cells using lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and ASD treatment was applied to evaluate its anti-inflammatory effects. To assess the involvement of the gut microbiota and metabolite landscape, fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), 16S rRNA sequencing, and untargeted metabolomics were conducted. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) was performed using the MGISEQ-2000 platform to characterize the ASD-induced cellular landscape of the colon. Additionally, network pharmacology approaches were employed to predict and validate potential molecular targets of ASD.

RESULTS

ASD demonstrated significant therapeutic efficacy in UC, as evidenced by attenuated body weight loss, restored colonic length, and improved mucosal barrier integrity. Treatment with ASD substantially remodeled the gut microbiota composition and metabolic profiles, notably elevating the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila (A. muciniphila) and levels of indole-3-carbinol (I3C). Single-cell resolution analysis revealed that ASD promoted the expansion of Hmgb2+ transit-amplifying cells (TACs) and Muc2+ goblet cells (GCs) in colonic tissues. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that EGFR is a key molecular target of ASD upstream of the MEK/ERK/AP-1 signaling cascade.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrates that ASD, as a microbiota-modulating therapeutic agent, alleviates intestinal inflammation by inhibiting the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway.