Abstract

Paeonol (Pae) exhibits potent anti-inflammatory and antitumor effects. Chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG) is considered a gastric precancerous lesion, and the JAK2/STAT3 pathway plays a key role in gastrointestinal inflammation and tumorigenesis. Whether Pae ameliorates CAG by regulating this pathway remains unclear. A 1-methyl-3-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)-induced malignant transformed cell (MC) model and a CAG rat model were established. The malignant biological behaviors of MC cells were assessed using the Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) assay, clone formation, and Transwell assays. Gastric histopathological changes were examined by pathological staining, inflammatory factors and gastric mucosa-associated factors were detected via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Inflammation, proliferation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), and the JAK2/STAT3 pathway-related protein expression was analyzed by Western blotting. MC cells exhibited enhanced proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT, all of which were significantly suppressed by Pae treatment. CAG rats showed severe gastric mucosal damage, intestinal metaplasia, collagen fiber disorganization, and increased Ki-67 expression. Pae treatment alleviated histopathological injury, reduced inflammatory factor levels, and promoted gastric mucosa-associated factor synthesis. Furthermore, Pae markedly inhibited the JAK2/STAT3 pathway in MC cells and gastric tissues. In conclusion, Pae suppresses malignant transformation and alleviates gastric histopathological injury in CAG by modulating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway.