Exploring the mechanism of Shuangyu Granule in regulating immune-inflammatory responses in influenza through UPLC-Orbitrap-MS/MS, GC-MS, and network target analysis

Abstract

Influenza, an acute respiratory infectious disease caused by the influenza virus, remains a significant challenge for prevention and treatment due to rapid viral mutation and high pathogenicity. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), including Shuangyu Granule (SYKL), has demonstrated efficacy in managing influenza. This study aimed to systematically identify the chemical components of SYKL in vitro and its absorbed constituents in vivo, and to preliminarily explore its potential mechanism in regulating influenza-related immune inflammation. UPLC-Orbitrap-MS/MS and GC-MS were used to characterize SYKL’s chemical profile, identifying 148 in vitro components and 21 prototype absorbed blood components. Network target analysis, integrated with single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from influenza patients, predicted that the absorbed components may target multiple immune-inflammatory regulatory genes across various immune cell types. Molecular docking suggested favorable predicted binding potential between these components and target proteins. Experimental validation using poly(I:C)-induced inflammatory models in both RAW264.7 macrophages and mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) showed that the absorbed components—loganic acid, 8-epiloganic acid, calycosin, atractylodin, eucalyptol, secoxyloganin, and paeoniflorin—significantly reduced mRNA expression of immune-inflammatory genes (DUSP6, MAPKAPK2, NOD2) and inhibited secretion of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-8, and NO. These findings suggest that SYKL may alleviate influenza-associated inflammation through multi-component, multi-cell, and multi-target pathways, highlighting its potential in modulating excessive immune responses in influenza.