Anti-obesity and Gut Microbiota Modulation Effect of Astragalus Polysaccharides Combined with Berberine on High-Fat Diet-Fed Obese Mice / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate whether astragalus polysaccharides (APS) combined with berberine (BBR) can reduce high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in mice.@*METHODS@#Except for normal mice, 32 HFD-induced obese mice were randomized into HFD, APS (1,000 mg/kg APS), BBR (200 mg/kg BBR), and APS plus BBR (1,000 mg/kg APS plus 200 mg/kg BBR) groups, respectively. After 6-week treatment (once daily by gavage), the obesity phenotype and pharmacodynamic effects were evaluated by histopathological examination of epididymal fat, liver, and colon using hematoxylin-eosin staining and serum biochemical analyses by an automated chemistry analyzer. The feces were collected at the 12 th week, and taxonomic and functional profiles of gut microbiota were analyzed by 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (16S rRNA) sequencing.@*RESULTS@#Compared with HFD group, the average body weight of APS plus BBR group was decreased (P<0.01), accompanied with the reduced fat accumulation, enhanced colonic integrity, insulin sensitivity and glucose homeostasis (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Importantly, APS combined with BBR treatment was more effective than APS or BBR alone in improving HFD-induced insulin resistance (P<0.05 or P<0.01). 16S rRNA sequence-based analysis of fecal samples demonstrated that APS combined with BBR treatment exhibited a better impact on HFD-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis, exclusively via the enriched abundances of Bacteroides, which corresponded to the large increase of predicted bacterial genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism.@*CONCLUSION@#APS combined with BBR may synergistically reduce obesity and modulate the gut microbiota in HFD-fed mice.

Research progress on processing history evolution as well as effect on chemical compositions and traditional pharmacological effects of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma / 中国中药杂志

Rhei Radix et Rhizoma(RRR) is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine, with extensive pharmacological effects and clinical applications. This paper summarized processing history evolution of RRR and its effect on chemical compositions and pharmacological effects, and provided feasible insights for further studies on the chemical compositions and pharmacological effects of RRR before and after processing. Relevant information demonstrated that RRR has a long history of processing and various methods. At pre-sent, Chinese Pharmacopoeia mainly records four processing methods: cleaning(raw RRR), wine processing(RRR stir-fried with wine), steaming processing(RRR wine steaming), fried charcoal(RRR charring). RRR has a good effect in clearing heat effect, hemostatic effect and blood promoting effect, and its main chemical components are anthraquinone/anthrones, stilbene, phenylbutanone, chromogens, flavonoids and tannin compounds. This paper reviewed the history evolution of RRR and its effect on chemical composition and pharmacological changes, and put forward further study ideas, with the aim to provide a basic reference for processing mechanism, effective material basis and clinical application of RRR.

Research progress on insulin resistance-attenuating mechanisms of Chinese materia medica based on gut microbiota / 中草药

The characteristics and advantages of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have promoted the development of TCM in the treatment of chronic metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes related to insulin resistance. However, the ambiguity of their corresponding mechanisms has greatly limited the modernization, internationalization and industrialization of Chinese materia medica (CMM). With the rapid development of second-/three-generation gene sequencing technologies, gut microbiota has become a hotspot and a new approach to study the mechanisms of CMM. Therefore, in this review, we explored the relationship between gut microbiota, metabolites of gut microbiota and insulin resistance, and then analyzed the research progress of CMM in regulating gut microbiota to improve insulin resistance by formulae, herb pair, single herb and active ingredients, so as to provide new thoughts for studying the mechanism of CMM.

Effects of LncRNA-ATB on human peritoneal mesothelial cells phenotypic transition and proliferation induced by high glucose / 解放军医学杂志

Objective To explore the effect of long noncoding RNA-ATB (LncRNA-ATB) on phenotypic transition and proliferation of human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs) induced by high glucose.Methods HPMCs used in experiment were divided into three groups:control group,mannitol group and hypertonic glucose group.HPMCs in control group received no treatment,and in hypertonic glucose group and mannitol group were treated with 50mmol/L D-glucose and isotonic mannitol for 72 hours,respectively.Real-time PCR was employed to detect the mRNA expression of LncRNA-ATB,E-cadherin,α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA),connective tissue growth factor (CTGF),Cyclin D1,cyclin dependent kinase inhibitor 4 (CDK4),protein 27 (p27)and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA).Western blotting was performed to detect the proteins expression of E-cadherin,α-SMA,CTGF,Cyclin D1,CDK4,p27 and PCNA,and flow cytometry was used to test the cell cycle.Lentivirus artifice was used to up-or down-regulate the expression of LncRNA-ATB in untreated HPMCs.Real-time PCR was employed to detect the mRNA expression of E-cadherin,α-SMA and CTGF,Western blotting was performed to detect the proteins expression of E-cadherin,α-SMA and CTGF,and flow cytometry was used to test the cell cycle.Results It is revealed by Real-time PCR,Western blotting and flow cytometry that the expressions increased of LncRNA-ATB,α-SMA,CTGF,Cyclin D1,CDK4 and PCNA induced by hypertonic glucose,and decreased of E-cadherin and p27 (P＜0.05).Up-regulation of LncRNA-ATB promoted HPMCs phenotypic transition and proliferation,while down-regulation alleviated HPMCs phenotypic transition and proliferation.Conclusion Hypertonic glucose may accelerate HPMCs phenotypic transition and proliferation by up-regulating the expression of LncRNA-ATB.

Filtration of active fractions with function of expelling water retention with drastic purgative from Kansui Radix stir-baked with vinegar / 中国中药杂志

To study the function of expelling water retention with drastic purgative of different polarities of Kansui Radix stir-baked with vinegar on the cancerous ascites model rats, the furosemide was taken as positive control drug, and the cancerous ascites model rats were respectively orally administered with different polarities of Kansui Radix stir-baked with vinegar for 7 d. The amount of urine and ascites, the level of urinary sodium, potassium, chloride ion and pH, and the content of PRL1, AII, ALD in serum were investigated. Compared with model groups, ethyl acetate extract group showed a decreasing trend in ascites; the amount of urine of showed a significant increase (P < 0.05); the level of urinary sodium, potassium, chloride ion (P < 0.05, P < 0.01), pH (P < 0.05), and the content of PRL1, AII, ALD in serum all showed a significant decrease (P < 0.01). The effects of petroleum ether extract and n-butanol extract were weaker than that of ethyl acetate extract. The water exact was the weakest. The results showed that ethyl acetate extract is the active part of Kansui Radix stir-baked with vinegar on the function of expelling water retention with drastic purgative on the cancerous ascites model rats, alleviating the water-electrolyte disorder and body fluid acid-base imbalance, regulating the renin angiotensin aldosterone system.

Study on toxicity of vinegar-processed Kansui Radix on basis of symptom-based prescription theory / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the differences in the toxicity of vinegar-processed Kansui Radix on normal and cancerous ascites model rats.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Normal and cancerous ascites model rats were taken as the research objects and orally administered with different doses of vinegar-processed Kansui Radix for 7 d. Pathological sections were prepared to observe the damages in liver, stomach, intestinal tissues in rats and detect the impacts on serum, liver, stomach and intestinal tissues and the oxidative damage index.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>Compared with the blank group, all of normal administration groups and model groups showed significant damages in liver, stomach and intestinal tissues. Compared with the model groups, all of normal administration groups revealed notable alleviation in damages. Compared with the blank group, the model groups showed significant increases in AST, ALT and MDA in serum and liver (P < 0.01) and a significant decrease in GSH in serum and liver, stomach, intestinal tissues (P < 0.01). Compared with the blank group, the results showed significant decreases in ALT, AST in serum and ALT in liver in model low, medium and high dose groups and AST activity in liver tissues in the normal high dose group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); significant decreases in GSH in serum and stomach tissues in normal low, medium and high dose groups and GSH content in liver and intestinal tissues in normal medium and high dose groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); notable rises in MDA in liver tissues in normal low, medium and high dose groups and MDA content in serum and stomach and intestinal tissues in normal medium and high dose groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with model groups, data revealed significant decreases in ALT, AST in serum in model low, medium and high dose groups, AST in liver tissues of model medium and high dose groups and ALT activity in liver in the model high dose group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); significant increases in GSH content in serum and stomach tissues of model low, medium and high dose groups, GSH in liver tissues in model medium and high dose groups and GSH in intestinal tissues in the high dose groups (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); and notable declines in MDA content in serum in model low, medium and high dose groups, MDA in liver tissues of model medium and high dose groups and MDA in stomach and intestinal tissues the high dose group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>According to the study, vinegar-processed Kansui Radix showed a significant lower toxicity liver, stomach, and intestines of cancerous ascites model rats, which provided a basis for clinical safe application of vinegar-processed Kansui Radix based on symptom-based prescription theory.</p>

Attenuation by stir baking with vinegar on effect of ethyl acetate fraction from Kansui Radix on mice gastrointestinal permeability / 中草药

Objective: To study the mechanism of attenuation by stir baking with vinegar on effect of ethyl acetate fraction of Kansui Radix on mice gastrointestinal permeability. Methods: Mice were randomly divided into blank control, Kansui Radix, and Kansui Radix stir-baked with vinegar groups. The gastric and intestinal tissues were removed from mice after ig administration for 7 d and were observed by the transmission electron microscope (TEM). The expression of E-cadherin and VCAM-l was examined by immunohistochemical techniques. Results: Using TEM, the arrangement and karyon morphology of gastric glandular epithelium cells were irregular with the uneven electronic of cytoplasm and lots of lysosomes in Kansui Radix group; The morphology of the gastric epithelial cells was irregular with some abnormal mitochondrions in the cytoplasm in Kansui Radix stir-baked with vinegar group; The intestinal mucosa cells were covered with short microvilli with well-connected intercellular junctions, but the tight junctions on the near-surface were short in Kansui Radix group; The arrangement and morphology of intestinal epithelial cells were fairly uniform with few and short microvilli and intact mitochondrion in Kansui Radix stir-baked with vinegar group. Using immunohistochemical techniques, compared with the control group, Kansui Radix could decrease the expression of E-cadherin and increase the expression of VCAM-l (P < 0.05, 0.01). While compared with Kansui Radix group, Kansui Radix stir-baked with vinegar could obviously increase the expression of E-cadherin (P < 0.05, 0.01) and decrease the expression of VCAM-l (P < 0.05, 0.01). Conclusion: Stir-baking with vinegar can attenuate the Kansui Radix-induced gastrointestinal inflammation. The mechanism may be that it can improve the morphology of mice gastrointestinal mucosal cells, reduce the membrane permeability, and decrease the stimulating effect of Kansui Radix.