Scoparone enhances the stability of TAT protein by inhibiting the Ubiquitin-Proteasome pathway, regulates mitochondrial damage againest chronic alcoholic liver disease

Ethnopharmacological relevance Artemisia capillaris Thunb. is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb commonly used in clinical practice for chronic alcoholic liver disease (CALD).Scoparone, one of the major active components of Artemisia capillaris Thunb., has emerged as a promising candidate for CALD intervention, yet its mechanism remains unclear. Aim of the study This study aimed to systematically elucidate the pharmacological effects of scoparone and its molecular mechanisms in CALD via multi-omics combined with targeted validation. Materials and methods The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) animal model was established. The NIAAA-established CALD mouse model (chronic ethanol feeding + acute binge, mimicking acute-on-chronic liver injury) was diagnosed via classic clinical methods (liver function biomarkers + histopathology). After validation, scoparone exhibited significant efficacy across different doses. Metabolomics and transcriptomics analyzed urine/tissue samples, with integrated analysis identifying core hubs. Meanwhile, primary hepatocytes were cultured and treated with scoparone. Potential targets were validated via gene knockdown, CETSA, CHX chase, and ubiquitination assays. We used the Seahorse XF Mito Stress Test to evaluate CALD-associated mitochondrial damage and elucidate the key interrelationships. Results Scoparone normalized serum biochemical indices and liver pathology to near-healthy levels. Urinary metabolomics identified 9 biomarkers, and liver transcriptomics detected 3665 differentially expressed genes.Integrated omics pinpointed the phenylalanine pathway, with TAT/AST co-regulation identified as key. In vitro, primary hepatocytes were cultured with 100 mmol/L ethanol ±25 μmol/L scoparone; CETSA and CHX chase assays confirmed scoparone enhances TAT stability via inhibiting the Ubiquitin-Proteasome pathway. Seahorse analysis showed TAT knockdown-induced hepatocyte apoptosis, oxidative stress, lipid accumulation, and mitochondrial damage were reversed by scoparone or TAT level restoration. Conclusions This study first reveals scoparone’s novel mechanism in treating CALD: it directly binds tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT), stabilizes its level by inhibiting Ubiquitin-Proteasome-mediated degradation, restores TAT’s regulation of phenylalanine to prevent tyrosinemia and associated liver injury or jaundice, and normalizes tyrosine regulation to recover mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid cycle-related pyruvate, reversing oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction.This study validates scoparone as a potential CALD therapeutic and provides robust preclinical data for TAT-targeted therapy.