轻微型肝性脑病（MHE）以认知功能障碍为主要表现，在肝硬化中发病率高，治疗手段局限，易复发，其发病机制有待阐明。已证实多种炎性因子参与其中，最新进展提示肠道菌群可调节认知功能与免疫应答。前期课题组发现血清中27个特异性代谢物参与MHE发病，中药六味醒神颗粒可提高MHE患者认知能力。因此，课题组提出肠道菌群变异、血清特异性代谢物及炎性因子交互协同参与MHE发病，六味醒神颗粒可通过影响以肠道菌群结构与功能代谢为核心的相关途径以改善MHE认知功能障碍的假说。为此，课题组采用16s RNA扩增与测序技术、代谢组学检测技术及ELISA技术，结合多元统计分析手段，确定MHE肠道菌群结构及功能代谢变异及其与血清特异性代谢物和炎性因子表达可能存在的致病关联性，明确六味醒神颗粒通过以调控肠道菌群为核心纠正MHE认知功能障碍的疗效机制。旨在为深入认识该病发病机制提供新的思路；亦为MHE中医药治疗拓宽视野。

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is mainly clinical manifestation as cognitive dysfunction. It has high morbidity in hepatocirrhosis, limited treatment,and easily palindromia,while pathogenesis is inadequately understood.The lastest progress prompts that intestinal flora can adjust cognitive function and immune response.Our research group has found 27 specific metabolites in serum are involved in the pathogenesis of MHE, LiuWeiXinShen granules can increase cognitive ability of MHE patients. Therefore, our research group proposes a mechanism hypothesis,that a variation of intestinal flora, serum specific metabolites and inflammatory factor are involved in the pathogenesis of MHE together, LiuWeiXinShen granules can improve the cognitive ability of MHE patients by affecting the the structure and function metabolism of intestinal flora. For this purpose, Our reseach group plan to using 16S RNA amplification and sequencing technology,metabonomics detection technique and ELISA technology , combined with multivariate statistical analysis method,to ensure MHE structure and function of intestinal flora metabolism variation and its metabolites and serum specific expression of inflammatory factors and pathogenic characteristics of relationship may exist, ensure LiuWeiXinShen granules through the mechanism to regulate the intestinal flora as the core to correct MHE cognitive dysfunction. In order to provide new ideas for further understanding the pathogenesis of this disease,and also broaden the vision of MHE treatment by traditional Chinese medicine.