Letter to the Editor: Xietu Hemu prescription: A novel therapeutic strategy for obesity and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease?

In the recent issue of the World Journal of Hepatology, Cheng et al investigated the mechanisms by which the traditional Chinese medicine Xietu Hemu prescription (XHP) exerts therapeutic effects on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). XHP has been shown to.educe hepatic lipid accumulation and improve metabolic parameters. In this study, serum containing XHP decreased lipid deposition in HepG2 cells and inhibited adipogenic differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells in a dose-dependent manner,.educing triglycerides, cholesterol, and adipogenic markers. UPLC-QTOF/MS/MS identified 233 XHP metabolites, mainly flavonoids, while network pharmacology revealed targets associated with lipid metabolism and obesity-related pathways, particularly AMPK signaling. Integrated analyses identified PPARG as a central hub gene. Functional experiments demonstrated that XHP enhances leptin secretion, activates AMPK phosphorylation, and suppresses lipogenic regulators, effects that were abolished by LEPR silencing. These findings suggest that XHP exerts anti-lipogenic effects through leptin-mediated AMPK activation, supporting its potential as a multitarget therapeutic for MASLD and related metabolic disorders.