Publication Name	World Journal of Hepatology
Manuscript ID	118607
Country	China

Category	Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Manuscript Type	Basic Study
Article Title	Yinchen Wuling San ameliorates high-fat diet-induced metabolic-associated fatty liver disease in rats by remodeling the gut microbiota
Manuscript Source	Unsolicited Manuscript
All Author List	Yi Zhang, Jie Liu, Ai-Si Huang, Yu-Fei Wang, Jie Cao, Mu-Lan Li, Dan-Dan Shi, Yi-Lin Hu, Qin Deng, Piao Long and Bi-Chen Ai
Funding Agency and Grant Number	Funding Agency Grant Number Major Scientific Research Project for High-level Talents in Health and Wellness of Hunan Province, China R2023130 Scientific Research Project of Hunan Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China D2022016 Postgraduate Scientific Research and Innovation Project of Hunan Provincial Department of Education, China LXBZZ2024155
Corresponding Author	Bi-Chen Ai, Professor, School of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, No. 300 Xueshi Road, Changsha 410208, Hunan Province, China. 003626@hnucm.edu.cn
Key Words	Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease; Yinchen Wuling San; Gut microbiota; Short-chain fatty acids; Gut-liver axis
Core Tip	Yinchen Wuling San (YCWLS), a classical traditional Chinese medicine formula, alleviated the phenotypes of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease in rats fed a high-fat diet. This improvement was evidenced by enhanced liver histopathology, reduced levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase, and corrected dyslipidemia. Profiling of the 16S rRNA revealed that YCWLS reshaped the gut microbiota by significantly enriching Akkermansia and Lachnospiraceae while decreasing Firmicutes-associated taxa. Although there were only modest and non-significant increases in fecal short-chain fatty acids, the observed shift in microbiota was associated with metabolic improvements, suggesting a microbiota-linked mechanism through which YCWLS exerts its effects on metabolic-associated fatty liver disease.
Citation	Zhang Y, Liu J, Huang AS, Wang YF, Cao J, Li ML, Shi DD, Hu YL, Deng Q, Long P, Ai BC. Yinchen Wuling San ameliorates high-fat diet-induced metabolic-associated fatty liver disease in rats by remodeling the gut microbiota. World J Hepatol 2026; In press

Received	2026-01-07 05:52
Peer-Review Started	2026-01-09 07:30
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-01-19 08:48
Return for Revision	2026-01-19 08:48
Revised	2026-01-30 12:49
Publication Fee Transferred	2026-02-03 13:15
Second Decision by Editor	2026-03-30 02:34
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-03-30 09:52
Articles in Press	2026-03-30 09:52
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ISSN	1948-5182 (online)
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