Role of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in diabetic kidney disease and research progress of traditional Chinese medicine intervention / 中国中药杂志

Diabetic kidney disease is an important microvascular complication of diabetes and the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. Its pathological characteristics mainly include epithelial mesenchymal transition(EMT) in glomerulus, podocyte apoptosis and autophagy, and damage of glomerular filtration barrier. Transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)/Smad signaling pathway is specifically regulated by a variety of mechanisms, and is a classic pathway involved in physiological activities such as apoptosis, proliferation and differentiation. At present, many studies have found that TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway plays a key role in the pathogenesis of diabetic kidney disease. Traditional Chinese medicine has significant advantages in the treatment of diabetic kidney disease for its multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway characteristics, and some traditional Chinese medicine extracts, traditional Chinese medicines and traditional Chinese medicine compound prescription improve the renal injury of diabetic kidney disease by regulating TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway. This study clarified the mechanism of TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in diabetic kidney disease by expounding the relationship between the key targets of the pathway and diabetic kidney disease, and summarized the research progress of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of diabetic kidney disease by interfering with TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway in recent years, to provide reference for drug research and clinical treatment of diabetic kidney disease in the future.

Effect of Hedysarum Polysaccharides on Bcl-2/Caspase-3 Signaling Pathway of Schwann Cells Cultured in High Glucose / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the effects of Hedysarum polysaccharides（HPS）on the signaling pathways of B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease 3 （Caspase-3）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax） in Schwann cells（SCs）cultured in high glucose，and explore the possible mechanism of HPS against diabetic peripheral neuropathy（DPN）. MethodFour SD suckling mice aged 5-7 days were randomly divided into a normal group，a high-glucose group，an HPS + high-glucose group，and an α-lipoic acid（α-LA）+ high-glucose group. SCs were extracted from the sciatic nerve and cultured in a 37 ℃，5% CO2 incubator. After the cells reached 80% confluence，Cell Counting Kit-8（CCK-8）was used to screen the experimental concentrations suitable for high glucose，HPS， and α-LA interventions. Western blot and Real-time polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）were used to detect the protein and mRNA expression of Bcl-2，Bax，and Caspase-3. The apoptosis rate of SCs was detected by flow cytometry using Annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate （FITC）/propidium iodide （PI）. ResultAs revealed by Western blot and real-time PCR，compared with the normal group，the high-glucose group showed reduced protein and mRNA expression of Bcl-2 and increased protein and mRNA expression of Bax and Caspase-3（P<0.01）. Compared with the high-glucose group，the HPS + high-glucose group and the α-LA + high-glucose group showed increased protein and mRNA expression of Bcl-2 and decreased protein and mRNA expression of Bax and Caspase-3（P<0.01）. As displayed by the results of flow cytometry using Annexin V/PI， compared with the normal group，the high-glucose group showed increased apoptosis rate；compared with the high-glucose group，the HPS + high-glucose group and the α-LA + high-glucose group showed reduced apoptosis rate（P<0.01）. ConclusionHPS can alleviate the apoptotic response of SCs，and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of the activation of the Bcl-2/Caspase-3 signaling pathway.

Effect of Tangzhiping granule on blood lipids and free fatty acids in rats with insulin resistant diabetes / 中国中西医结合杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of Tangzhiping Granule (TZPG) on blood lipids and free fatty acids (FFA) in rats with insulin resistant diabetes (IRD).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A blank control group consisted of randomly selected normal rats was set up. The remaining rats were established to IRD model by high-fat high-sugar diet feeding and streptozotocin injection. Then the 32 successfully modeled rats were randomized into the model group (treated by saline), the Tangmaikang group (treated with Tangmaikang Granule 1.35 g/kg), and the two TZPG groups treated with high dose (2.70 g/kg) and low dose TZPG (1.35 g/kg) respectively through intragastric infusion for 4 weeks. The body weight (BW), fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin (INS), blood lipids including triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and FFA were detected, and the insulin sensitivity index (ISI) calculated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the blank control group, BW, FBG and INS increased while ISI decreased in the model group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). All the above-mentioned abnormal indices were improved in the three treated groups (Tangmaikang, high and low dose TZPG group), but the improvements in the high dose TZPG group were more significant than those in the other two groups (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Similar outcomes were also seen in blood lipids detection, in which TG, TC, LDL-C and FFA were higher and HDL-C were lower in model rats than those in blank controls, they were improved in the three treated groups (P < 0.05), and the best improvements were seen in the high dose TZPG group (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TZPG could reduce levels of BW, FBG, INS, TC, TG, LDL-C and FFA, and increase levels of ISI and HDL-C in rat model of insulin resistant type 2 diabetes, so as to improve the insulin resistance in them.</p>

Effect of Hedysarum Polybotys Saccharide on Insulin Resisance of Experimental NIDDM Rats / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of Hedysarum Polybotys saccharide(HPS)on insulin resistance rats.Methods The model of type 2 diabetic-insulin resistance rat was successfully made by STZ and high caloric diet.Then the rats were intervene by Metformin(MT)and HPS.Results Compared with the model group,the level of blood glucose,INS and CP were lowered,ISI were improved and FFA were restrained by HPS.Conc(?)sion HPS can reduce the insulin resistance in multiple ways.