Mechanism of action of Daifan powder in the prevention and treatment of primary biliary cholangitis via its interventional effect on Th17/Treg balance

Objective To investigate the effect of different doses of Daifan powder on peripheral blood T helper 17 ( Th17) cells, CD4+CD25+Foxp3+regulatory T ( Treg) cells, and Th17/Treg ratio in a mouse model of primary biliary cholangitis ( PBC) induced by polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid ( Poly I∶ C) and the mechanism of action of Daifan powder in the treatment of PBC. Methods A total of 90 C57 BL/6 female mice were randomly divided into normal group, model group, low-, middle-, and high-dose Daifan powder groups, and ursodeoxycholic acid ( UDCA) group. Poly I: C was used to establish a model of PBC, and the effect of Daifan powder on the serology of PBC mice was observed. Liver function parameters were measured; flow cytometry was used to measure the percentages of peripheral blood Treg cells and Th17 cells; HE staining was used to observe liver pathology. The t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups; a one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t-test was used for further comparison between two groups. The Mann-Whitney U test ( for two independent samples) was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups; the Kruskal-Wallis H test ( for two or more independent samples) was used for comparison between multiple groups. Spearman correlation was used for the correlation analysis. Results Compared with the normal group, the model group and the UDCA group had significant increases in the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase ( ALT) , aspartate aminotransferase ( AST) , alkaline phosphatase ( ALP) , total bilirubin ( TBil) , and direct bilirubin ( DBil) ( all P <0. 05) . Compared with the model group, the low-, middle-, and high-dose Daifan powder groups had significant reductions in the serum levels of ALT, AST, ALP, TBil, and DBil ( all P < 0. 05) . In the model group, peripheral blood Th17/Treg ratio was not correlated with ALT, AST, ALP, TBil, and DBil ( all P < 0. 05) . Compared with the normal group, the model group had a significant increase in the percentage of peripheral blood Th17 cells ( P < 0. 01) ; compared with the model group, the low-, middle-, and high-dose Daifan powder groups had a significant reduction in the percentage of peripheral blood Th17 cells ( all P < 0. 01) . Compared with the normal group, the model group had a significant reduction in the percentage of peripheral blood Treg cells ( P < 0. 01) ; compared with the model group, the low-, middle-, and high-dose Daifan powder groups had a significant increase in the percentage of peripheral blood Treg cells ( all P <0. 01) . Compared with the normal group, the model group had a significant increase in peripheral blood Th17/Treg ratio ( P < 0. 01) ; compared with the model group, the low-, middle-, and high-dose Daifan powder groups had a significant reduction in peripheral blood Th17/Treg ratio ( all P < 0. 01) . Conclusion Daifan powder exerts a therapeutic effect on PBC by breaking Th17/Treg balance and reducing immune inflammatory reaction.