Effects of Fanqi Tea and Swimming Exercise Intervention on Hepatic Glucolipid Metabolism and Inflammatory Response in db/db Mice

Objective This study aimed to investigate the effect of the patented herbal formula Fanqi Tea (Guava leaf, Panax notoginseng flower, Momordica grosvenori, and Jasmine flower) and swimming exercise intervention on hepatic glucolipid metabolism and inflammatory response in db/db mice, to explore whether a combination intervention could bring in a synergistic effect on the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Method Network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to predict the mechanism of action of Fanqi Tea on T2DM and NAFLD. 36 db/db mice were divided randomly into six groups: the model control (Control) group, the metformin (MET) group, the Fanqi Tea low-dose (FT-L) group, the Fanqi Tea high-dose (FT-H) group, the swimming exercise (Exercise) group, and the Fanqi Tea high-dose combined with exercise (FT-H + Exercise) group. Six wt/wt mice were set as the (Normal) group. Results The screened main active ingredients and the key targets PIK3R1, AKT2, and GSK3β may have good binding activity. The hepatic Pik3r1 and Akt2 mRNA expression, as well as p-PI3K and p-AKT level tended to increase in the intervention groups, and the expression level of Gsk3β mRNA and p-GSK3β was significantly inhibited. Fanqi Tea and swimming exercise interventions differentially decreased CD86 fluorescence intensity and increased CD206 fluorescence intensity. The expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF- α ), was significantly decreased. While the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10 was significantly increased. Conclusions Fanqi Tea and swimming exercise may regulate hepatic glucolipid metabolism by acting on the PI3K/AKT/GSK3β pathway. These interventions can decrease hepatic inflammatory responses, which may be attributed to the modulation of macrophage polarization. However, the effect of Fanqi Tea combined with exercise in improving glucolipid metabolism and alleviating inflammation was not significantly better than exercise alone or Fanqi Tea alone.