Lycium barbarum Polysaccharides Alleviate Ethanol‐Induced Liver Injury by Activating PPAR ‐α and Inhibiting NLRP ‐3/Caspase‐1‐Mediated Pyroptosis

ABSTRACT This Research Aimed to Discuss the Protective Mechanism of Lycium barbarum Polysaccharides ( LBPs ) Against Ethanol ( EtOH )‐caused Hepatocellular Damage. Normal human hepatocytes (L‐02 cells) were processed with 100 μg/mL EtOH to simulate liver injury, followed by treatment with LBPs at different concentrations (12, 24, 48 μg/mL) to determine the optimal dose. Cells were divided into the control, EtOH, EtOH+LBP‐treated, and EtOH+LBP‐treated with siRNA against PPAR‐α groups. To evaluate treatment effects, the MTT assay was utilized for measuring cell viability, succeeded by the assessment of liver injury markers (ALT, AST, TG) and inflammatory cytokines (IL‐1β, TNF‐α, and IL‐6). Besides, the GSDMD, NLRP‐3, caspase‐1, and PPAR‐α protein levels were analyzed via western blotting. Relative to the Control group, EtOH exposure remarkably decreased cell viability, increased TG, AST, and ALT levels ( p < 0.01), and induced cell damage and lipid accumulation. It also elevated inflammatory cytokine levels and triggered pyroptosis ( p < 0.01). However, LBP treatment alleviated EtOH‐induced damage, reduced lipid accumulation, inhibited pyroptosis‐related protein expression, suppressed inflammatory responses, and upregulated PPAR‐α protein expression ( p < 0.01). LBPs can alleviate EtOH‐induced L‐02 cell injury, lipid accumulation, inflammatory response, and pyroptosis. The mechanism is possibly associated with inhibiting NLRP‐3/caspase‐1‐mediated cell pyroptosis by activating PPAR‐α expression, thus protecting hepatocytes from injury.