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World J Gastroenterol. Oct 7, 2026; 32(37): 121244
Published online Oct 7, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.121244
Published online Oct 7, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.121244
Wenyang Jiedu Huayu Formula targets succinate metabolism to alleviate acute-on-chronic liver failure
Jie Zhou, Nian-Hua Tan, Bin Chen, Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha 410007, Hunan Province, China
Xiao-Ling Tian, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, School of Health and Medicine, China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, Hubei Province, China
Yi-Fang Zhou, Department of Gastroenterology, Hunan Provincial Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Changsha 410006, Hunan Province, China
Zhuo-Yu Zhou, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hunan Women and Children’s Hospital, Changsha 410208, Hunan Province, China
Co-corresponding authors: Nian-Hua Tan and Bin Chen.
Author contributions: Zhou J performed the experiments, analyzed the data, and wrote the manuscript; Tian XL, Zhou YF, and Zhou ZY performed the experiments and analyzed the data; Tan NH and Chen B designed and coordinated the study as co-corresponding authors. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82575008; Chinese Medicine Advantageous Disease (Clinical Evidence-Based Capacity Enhancement) Project of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. czxm-kyb-2025001; Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 2026JJ30167 and No. 2026JJ50326; University-Hospital Joint Fund Project of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 2024XYLH343; and Hunan Provincial Postgraduate Research Innovation Project, No. 2024CX018.
Institutional animal care and use committee statement: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, No. ZYFY202503313.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
ARRIVE guidelines statement: The authors have read the ARRIVE guidelines, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the ARRIVE guidelines.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Corresponding author: Bin Chen, MD, Department of Hepatology, The First Hospital of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 95 Shaoshan Middle Road, Yuhua District, Changsha 410007, Hunan Province, China. chenbin0410@126.com
Received: March 20, 2026
Revised: April 25, 2026
Accepted: June 30, 2026
Published online: October 7, 2026
Processing time: 165 Days and 17 Hours
Revised: April 25, 2026
Accepted: June 30, 2026
Published online: October 7, 2026
Processing time: 165 Days and 17 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: This study demonstrated that Wenyang Jiedu Huayu Formula (WYJD) ameliorated acute-on-chronic liver failure by targeting succinate metabolism. WYJD acts partly through succinate dehydrogenase to clear accumulated succinate and suppress hypoxia-inducible factor-1α signaling, thereby correcting energy metabolic disturbances and attenuating macrophage-mediated inflammation. These findings suggested that succinate metabolism can be a potential therapeutic target in acute-on-chronic liver failure, and the study provided mechanistic insights supporting the clinical application of WYJD from a metabolic-immune perspective.