ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo study the effect of isoflavones from Sojae Semen Praeparatum （ISSP） on lipid metabolism in atherosclerotic mice， and decipher the underlying mechanism via the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma/liver X receptor alpha/ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 （PPARγ/LXRα/ABCA1） signaling pathway. MethodFifty ApoE-/- mice were randomly assigned into the model group， western medicine （atorvastatin calcium， 3.03 mg·kg-1） group， and low-， medium-， and high-dose ISSP （2.5， 5， 10 mg·kg-1， respectively） groups， with 10 rats in each group. Atherosclerosis model mice were established by bilateral ovariectomy and feeding high-fat diet. Another 10 ApoE-/- mice receiving ovariectomy and high-fat diet were taken as the sham group. Some mice died of postoperative infection， and finally 6 mice were included in each group. One week after operation， each group was administrated with corresponding drugs or equivalent amount of normal saline. After 12 weeks， the levels of triglyceride （TG）， total cholesterol （TC）， high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C）， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C）， and non-esterified fatty acids （NEFAs） in serum and liver tissue were measured. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） and interleukin-6 （IL-6） in serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining and oil red O staining were used for observation of aortic plaque formation and liver lipid deposition. The mRNA and protein levels of PPARγ， LXRα， ABCA1， and ATP-binding cassette transporter G1 （ABCG1） in liver were determined by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR） and Western blot. ResultCompared with the sham group， the modeling of atherosclerosis increased the aortic plaque area （P<0.01）， elevated the serum TC， TG， LDL-C， TNF-α， and IL-6 levels （P<0.01）， decreased the level of HDL-C （P<0.01）， increased the liver index （P<0.05） and the levels of TC， TG， and NEFAs in liver （P<0.01）， and caused obvious hepatic fat vacuoles and lipid deposition. In addition， the modeling down-regulated the mRNA levels of PPARγ， LXRα， ABCA1 in liver （P<0.05， P<0.01），and regulated the mRNA and protein levels of ABCG1（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， atorvastatin calcium and middle-， high-dose ISSP reduced the serum TC， TG， LDL-C， TNF-α， and IL-6 levels （P<0.01）， decreased the liver index （P<0.01）， alleviated the liver fat vacuoles and lipid deposition， and increased the levels of TC， TG， and NEFAs in the liver （P<0.05， P<0.01）. Furthermore， they up-regulated the mRNA and protein levels of PPARγ， LXRα， ABCA1， and ABCG1 in the liver （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionISSP may regulate lipid metabolism through PPARγ/LXRα/ABCA1 signaling pathway to down-regulate the expression of inflammatory cytokines in serum and alleviate liver lipid deposition， thereby suppressing the formation of atherosclerotic plaque.
ABSTRACT
Objective:To study the effect of Gegen Qinliantang （GQT） on the structure of intestinal flora in dysbacterial diarrhea rats by 16S rRNA sequencing. Method:Sixty healthy SD rats were randomly and equally divided into a control group， a model group， high-， medium-， and low-dose GQT groups， and a Bifidobiogen group. The rat model was induced in the five groups except the control group by administration of mixed antibiotics （178.6 mg·kg<sup>-1</sup> cefradine and 31.25 mg·kg<sup>-1 </sup>gentamicin sulfate） according to the dose. Drug intervention was carried out in each group （7.02， 3.51， and 1.755 g·kg<sup>-1</sup> GQT for the high-， medium-， and low-dose GQT groups， 0.125 g·kg<sup>-1</sup> bifidobacterium capsules for the Bifidobiogen group， and sterile distilled water for the control and model groups） with a volume of 10 mL·kg<sup>-1</sup> for seven days. Colon contents of rats were obtained under anesthesia. The extracted fecal DNA underwent 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing and the results were analyzed. Result:GQT was proved capable of adjusting the species number and Alpha and Beta diversity， improving the biological richness and diversity of the flora， and positively regulating three differential phyla （Firmicutes， Proteobacteria， and Bacteroidetes） and 14 differential genera （<italic>Bacteroides</italic>，<italic> Parabacteroides</italic>，<italic> Blautia</italic>， etc.） in rat model of dysbacterial diarrhea. Conclusion:The present study confirmed the regulatory effect of GQT on intestinal flora of dysbacterial diarrhea rats， and revealed the physiological and pathological mechanism between intestinal flora and dysbacterial diarrhea.
ABSTRACT
Atherosclerosis （AS） is a chronic inflammatory disease which has great threat to human health in our society. The coronary heart disease， stroke and other cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases caused by it have a high mortality and disability rate. AS is characterized by endothelial dysfunction， lipoproteins accumulation and inflammatory cell infiltration， with a complex pathological mechanism during its evolution. Inflammatory response runs through the whole process of occurrence and development of AS， and is a common link of many pathological factors. Intervention of inflammatory response is an effective way and important strategy to control AS. By virtue of its unique advantages， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） plays an important role in the clinical treatment. According to the TCM theory， the formation and development of AS are closely related to five factors， namely wind， fire， phlegm， blood stasis and deficiency. Among them， blood stasis and turbid phlegm are the most closely related. Blood stasis and turbid phlegm are both pathological products and pathogenic factors. Their formation is mainly due to the imbalance of Yin and Yang in the whole body， dysfunction of viscera and organs and obstruction of transfusion of Qi， blood and body fluid. The pathogenic factors are not only independent， but also related. In recent years， there are more and more studies on the intervention effect and mechanism of TCM on AS， but the intervention effect of TCM on the inflammatory response signaling pathways has not been reported. In this paper， it mainly introduces the understanding of the effect of TCM against AS and seven signaling pathways relating to the intervention effect of TCM on the inflammatory response， which are Janus kinase/signal transduction and activator of transcription （JAK/STAT） signaling pathway， nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway， mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） dependent signaling pathway， reactive oxygen species （ROS） dependent signaling pathway， CD40-CD40L signaling pathway and Toll-like receptor （TLR） dependent signaling pathway.
ABSTRACT
Objective: The effect of Xiexintang on Toll like receptor 9 (TLR9) signaling pathway in macrophage derived foam cells was studied by in vitro cell experiments. Method: The fifty SPF male SD rats were randomly divided into low, medium and high dose groups (1.4,4.2,12.6 g·kg-1·d -1) and normal groups. Except 20 rats in the normal group, 10 rats in each group were given equal volume of pure water gavage in the blank group. After the last Administration for 7 days, serum was separated,and the serum containing drugs in the low, medium and high dose groups of Xiexintang was prepared. Oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) was used to intervene the differentiation of RAW264.7 macrophages into foam cells. The cell foam was identified by oil red O staining. After observing the effect of drug containing serum on the proliferation of macrophage derived foam cells by methye thiazolye telrazlium(MTT) method,the serum containing 20%concentration of each drug was selected to act on the foam cell model. The expression of interleukin(IL) -1β and interferon (INF) -γ was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (Real-time PCR). TLR9, myeloid differentiation factor 88(MyD88)and nuclear factor(NF) -κB were detected by Western blot. Result: Oil red O staining showed that the red particles were obvious after ox-LDL intervention. The foam cell model was successfully prepared. MTT results showed that there was no significant difference in cell proliferation between the high dose group of Xiexintang in the 10%~30%concentration range and the normal group serum. Follow up selection of the serum containing 20%concentration of each dose intervened the foam cells induced by ox-LDL. Compared with the normal group,the model group after ox-LDL intervention induced the high expression of TLR9,MyD88,NF-κB p65,IL-1β,INF-γ (PPκB p65,IL-1β,INF-γ(PPConclusion: Xiexintang containing serum can inhibit ox-LDL-induced RAW264.7 macrophage foaming,and its mechanism may involve regulation of TLR9/MyD88/NF-κB p65 signaling pathway and inhibition of IL-1β and INF-γ overexpression. This may be one of its mechanisms of against atherosclerosis.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the contents of glycyrrhizic acid in hejian decoction (mixed the traditional Chinese herbs together, then boiling them with water) and the fenjian decoction (boiling the single traditional Chinese herb with water separately, then mixed the abstracts) of Sanaotang (composed of Ephedra sinica, Prunus armeniaca and Glycyrrhiza uralensis) and to compare with their anti-bacterial activities in vitro.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>A HPLC method was established with a Agilent Zorbax SB-C18 column (4. 6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm), a mobile phase of acetonitrile-0.2% acetic acid solution (35:65), a flow rate of 1 mL x min(-1) and a detection wavelength of 254 nmn in order to determine the contents of glycyrrhizic acid minimal bacterial inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) antagonized the common bacteria in different decoctions were rieasured in vitro by employing dilution method.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>The average content of glycyrrhizic acid of the hejian decoction was higher than that of the fenjian decoction. The hejian decoction could display the inhibitory bactericidal activity to Aeruginosus bacillus, but the fenjian decoction could not. And to Staphylococcus aureus, the inhibitory bactericidal activity the hejian decoction was slightly stronger than that of the fenjian decoction.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Comparing with that of the fenjian decoction, the content of glycyrrhizic acid of the hejian decoction was higher and the anti-bacterial activities was stronger.</p>