The protective effect of 999 XiaoErGanMao granules on the lungs and intestines of influenza A virus-infected mice

CONTEXT: Gastrointestinal symptoms are a common complication of influenza virus infection in children, which the gut-lung axis become involved in its biological progress. The protective effect of 999 XiaoErGanMao granules (XEGMG) on multi-organ injury in viral pneumonia remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effect of XEGMG on lungs and intestines injury in A/FM/1/47 (H1N1) influenza virus-infected mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male BALB/c mice were infected with the 2LD(50) H1N1 influenza virus and then treated with XEGMG (6 or 12 g/kg) intragastrically once a day for 4 days. The lung and colon samples were then collected for pathological observation, and assays for inflammatory cytokines and intestinal barrier. Mouse feces were collected to evaluate the intestinal microbiota. RESULTS: Treating with XEGMG (12 g/kg) can mitigate body weight loss caused by 2LD(50) H1N1 infection. It can also reduce lung index and pathological damage with the decreased inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-1β. Furthermore, XEGMG (12 g/kg) can maintain the goblet cell number in the colons to protect the intestinal barrier and regulate the major flora such as Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Muribaculaceae back to normal. Meanwhile, the expression of IL-17A in the colon tissues was significantly lower in the group of XEGMG (6, 12 g/kg) compared to H1N1 group. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: XEGMG can protect against H1N1 invasion involved in gut-lung axis regulation. The results provide new evidence for the protective effect of XEGMG, which is beneficial to vulnerable children.