Wuwei Huanglian Wan inhibits Helicobacter pylori and alleviates associated gastritis: host metabolic remodeling and altered IL-6/STAT3 signaling.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Wuwei Huanglian Wan (WWHLW) is a traditional Tibetan medicine formula developed by Tibetan physician Takpe Pingcuo and officially documented in the Ministry of Health Drug Standards for Tibetan Medicines (Volume I, 1995). It has long been used for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, particularly conditions associated with gastrointestinal discomfort and inflammation. Given the overlap between its traditional indications and the clinical manifestations of H. pylori-associated gastritis (HAG), WWHLW represents a promising candidate for the management of H. pylori infection and related gastric inflammation. In addition, several constituent herbs of WWHLW have demonstrated anti-H. pylori and anti-inflammatory activities, providing a pharmacological basis for further investigating its therapeutic effects. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to systematically evaluate the therapeutic effects of WWHLW against H. pylori infection and HAG, and to explore the biological processes associated with these effects through integrated multi-omics and experimental validation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The therapeutic effects of WWHLW were evaluated through in vitro antibacterial assays and an H. pylori-infected mouse model. UHPLC-HRMS/MS was employed for chemical profiling and identification of serum-absorbed constituents. Serum metabolomics, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, network pharmacology analysis, molecular docking analysis, and molecular biological analyses were integrated to investigate the metabolic, microbial, and signaling changes associated with its therapeutic activity. RESULTS: WWHLW exhibited anti-H. pylori activity, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of 0.2-0.5 mg/mL against both standard strains and multidrug-resistant clinical isolates. At MIC concentrations, WWHLW treatment altered the expression of multiple virulence-associated genes and reduced gastric H. pylori colonization by 93.8% in infected mice. UHPLC-HRMS/MS analysis putatively annotated 121 compounds in the WWHLW extracts, of which 10 prototype constituents were detected in serum after oral administration. Integrated metabolomics and network pharmacology analyses revealed alterations in lipid and amino acid-related metabolic pathways following WWHLW treatment. Gut microbiota analysis showed that WWHLW was associated with less pronounced alterations in microbial diversity and composition than antibiotic treatment. Correlation analysis further revealed statistical associations between microbial taxa and lipid and amino acid-related features. Experimental validation showed that WWHLW reduced inflammatory cytokine expression and suppressed STAT3 phosphorylation, consistent with altered IL-6/STAT3-related molecular changes. CONCLUSIONS: WWHLW exhibits therapeutic potential against H. pylori infection and HAG through combined antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and metabolic regulatory effects. The protective activity of WWHLW was associated with reduced IL-6/STAT3 signaling, providing pharmacological evidence supporting its traditional use in gastrointestinal disorders.