Mechanism of Atractylenolide Ⅲ alleviating pyrotinib-induced diarrhea by regulating AMPK/CFTR pathway through metabolite of gut microbiota

Atractylenolide III, a sesquiterpene extracted from the rhizome of Atractylodes macrocephala (Asteraceae), exhibits pharmacological effects, including improvement of gastrointestinal function, regulation of immune function, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. Pyrotinib, a representative TKI originally developed in China, is classified as a Class 1.1 novel drug, exhibits superior efficacy compared to similar drugs. Notably, the overall incidence of pyrotinib-induced diarrhea stands at 95 %, with 40 % of cases classified as grade ≥3 diarrhea. Currently, the effect of Atractylenolide III on pyrotinib-induced diarrhea and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, we established a pyrotinib (80 mg/kg/day) Wistar rat diarrhea model to explore the effect of Atractylenolide III on pyrotinib-induced diarrhea. We exploded the potential mechanism of Atractylenolide III via MQAE chloride fluorescent probe, RT-qPCR, Western blot, 16S rRNA sequencing, metabolomics, etc. We found that Atractylenolide III demonstrated the ability to alleviate pyrotinib-induced diarrhea without compromising its anti-tumor effects, inhibited pyrotinib-induced chloride secretion, and the potential mechanism of action involved enhancing AMPK phosphorylation while decreasing CFTR protein expression. Additionally, Atractylenolide III alleviated pyrotinib-induced diarrhea by modulating intestinal flora structure and increasing lithocholic acid content. This study could provide potential novel traditional Chinese medicine targets for treating diarrhea caused by tyrosine kinase inhibitor drugs, such as pyrotinib. The study emphasizes the role of TCM in minimizing adverse effects during tumor treatment.