Yang Xue, Zheng Dongming, Yong Jiangyan, Li Yuchen, Sun Yunzhi, Zhao Fei, Tang Daiyan, Xie Yi, Bi Dongming
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Hospital of Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610072, China.
Department of Nuclear Medicine, Ya'an People's Hospital, Ya'an 625000, China.
Pathogens. 2025 Jul 4;14(7):662. doi: 10.3390/pathogens14070662.
is a leading pathogen involved in healthcare-associated diarrhea. With its increasing incidence, mortality, and antibiotic resistance, there is an urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies to address the infection and prevent its recurrence. Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GQD) is a traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of diarrhea, but its main active ingredient is not known. Therefore, in this study, we evaluated the biological activity of berberine (BER) and baicalein (BAI), key components of GQD, against . Time-kill curves and scanning electron microscopy were employed to assess their effects on growth, while Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbnent Assay (ELISA) and cytotoxicity assays were used to examine their impact on toxin production. We also employed Quantitative Reverse Transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) to examine how BER and BAI influenced the expression of toxin-associated genes. At sub-inhibitory concentrations, these compounds exerted antibacterial activity against by disrupting the integrity of the cell membrane and cell wall. Furthermore, BER and BAI also suppressed toxin production, demonstrating effects comparable to those of vancomycin. This suppression likely resulted from their bactericidal activity and the inhibition of toxin gene expression. This study not only highlights the potential application of GQD in treating infections but also offers promising options for developing drugs targeting the growth and virulence of this pathogen. infection (CDI) is a leading cause of severe diarrhea, and its treatment remains challenging due to limited drug options and its high recurrence rate. BAI and BER, the main active components of the traditional Chinese medicinal formula GQD, inhibited the growth of by disrupting its cellular structure and significantly reduced the production of toxins associated with disease severity. Furthermore, the effects of BAI and BER on were comparable to those of conventional antibiotics, suggesting that these compounds could be potential alternative therapies for CDI. This study not only highlights the therapeutic potential of GQD in treating CDI but also provides a replicable research strategy for the development of novel anti-CDI agents.
是医疗保健相关腹泻的主要病原体。随着其发病率、死亡率和抗生素耐药性的不断增加，迫切需要新的治疗策略来应对感染并防止其复发。葛根芩连汤（GQD）是一种治疗腹泻的传统中药，但其主要活性成分尚不清楚。因此，在本研究中，我们评估了GQD的关键成分小檗碱（BER）和黄芩苷（BAI）对的生物活性。采用时间 - 杀菌曲线和扫描电子显微镜评估它们对生长的影响，同时使用酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）和细胞毒性测定来检查它们对毒素产生的影响。我们还采用定量逆转录PCR（qRT-PCR）来研究BER和BAI如何影响毒素相关基因的表达。在亚抑菌浓度下，这些化合物通过破坏细胞膜和细胞壁的完整性对发挥抗菌活性。此外，BER和BAI还抑制毒素产生，其效果与万古霉素相当。这种抑制可能是由于它们的杀菌活性和对毒素基因表达的抑制。本研究不仅突出了GQD在治疗感染方面的潜在应用，还为开发针对该病原体生长和毒力的药物提供了有前景的选择。艰难梭菌感染（CDI）是严重腹泻的主要原因，由于药物选择有限及其高复发率，其治疗仍然具有挑战性。传统中药配方GQD的主要活性成分BAI和BER通过破坏其细胞结构抑制了的生长，并显著降低了与疾病严重程度相关的毒素产生。此外，BAI和BER对的作用与传统抗生素相当，表明这些化合物可能是CDI的潜在替代疗法。本研究不仅突出了GQD在治疗CDI方面的治疗潜力，还为新型抗CDI药物的开发提供了可复制的研究策略。
