Tang TC, Ming RX, Liu YM, Li B. Letter to the Editor: Lianhe Xiaozhi ointment for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease - a gut-liver-brain axis perspective. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(32): 118636 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.118636]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Bin Li, PhD, Assistant Professor, Institute of Comparative Medicine, Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, No. 88 Daxue South Road, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, China. 008480@yzu.edu.cn
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Cell Biology
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letter
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Tang TC, Ming RX, Liu YM, Li B. Letter to the Editor: Lianhe Xiaozhi ointment for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease - a gut-liver-brain axis perspective. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(32): 118636 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.118636]
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 28, 2026; 32(32): 118636 Published online Aug 28, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.118636
Letter to the Editor: Lianhe Xiaozhi ointment for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease - a gut-liver-brain axis perspective
Tian-Ci Tang, Rui-Xi Ming, Yu-Meng Liu, Bin Li
Tian-Ci Tang, Rui-Xi Ming, Yu-Meng Liu, Bin Li, Institute of Comparative Medicine, Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, China
Tian-Ci Tang, Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery, Saarland University, Homburg 66424, Saarland, Germany
Bin Li, Department of Molecular Physiology, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, University of Saarland, Homburg 66424, Saarland, Germany
Author contributions: Tang TC, and Li B contributed to the manuscript writing and conceptualization; Li B contributed to project administration; Li B, Tang TC, Ming RX, and Liu YM contributed to the manuscript reviewing, and editing and they participated in the formal analysis; all authors participated in manuscript discussions.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82504755; Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, No. BK20240907; the “Lv Yang Jin Feng” Outstanding Doctor of Yangzhou; and the Top-level Talents Support Program of Yangzhou University.
Conflict-of-interest statement: Authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Bin Li, PhD, Assistant Professor, Institute of Comparative Medicine, Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, No. 88 Daxue South Road, Yangzhou 225009, Jiangsu Province, China. 008480@yzu.edu.cn
Received: January 7, 2026 Revised: February 14, 2026 Accepted: February 28, 2026 Published online: August 28, 2026 Processing time: 206 Days and 23.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Lianhe Xiaozhi ointment (LXO), a multi-herb formulation, profoundly improved experimental metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) through a unique mechanism linking gut microbiota modulation to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) activation in the liver. This letter commends the study’s comprehensive strategy (network pharmacology, omics, in vivo or in vitro validation) and positions the findings in the context of emerging MASLD therapies. By comparing LXO’s outcomes to prior interventions and proposing next-step studies (e.g., Ppara knockout validation, metabolite profiling, brain inflammation assays), we underscore LXO as a concept-proof therapy that opens new avenues via the gut-PPARα-liver axis for metabolic liver disease.
