Abstract: Objective To investigate the effect of Fuzheng Huayu Capsules (FZHY) on the progression of hepatic fibrosis. Methods The impact of FZHY on the activity of LX-2 cells was evaluated using the CCK-8 assay. The expression levels of α-SMA in TGF-β-transfected LX-2 cells were assessed using RT-qPCR and Western blot analysis after treatment with or without FZHJ. A total of 80 patients with chronic hepatitis B undergoing antiviral treatment at Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital between January 2022 and December 2022 were enrolled in the study and divided into a control group and a treatment group. The treatment group received 1.5 g of Fuzheng Huayu Capsules three times daily, and liver elasticity F-value were measured using transient elastography before and after treatment in both groups. Results The inhibitory effect of FZHY on LX-2 cells growth was significantly dose-dependen (P<0.05). Overexpression of TGF-β significantly inceased α-SMA mRNA level (57.14 ± 4.81) compared to the control group (P<0.001). Treatment with 10% or 20% FZHY resulted in a reduction in α-SMA mRNA levels (37.42 ± 3.65 and 21.79 ± 0.496) compared to the TGF-β group, with significant differences (P<0.05, P<0.001). Western blot analysis demonstrated that FZHY partially reversed the upregulated expression of α-SMA induced by TGF-β. While the liver elasticity F value decreased in the treatment group after therapy, but there was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05). Conclusion FZHY exhibits antifibrotic effects by influencing LX-2 cell proliferation and modulating α-SMA expression.

Key words: Hepatic fibrosis, Hepatic stellate cells, Fuzheng Huayu Capsules