Exploring Synergistic Mechanism of Vinegar-processed Olibanum in Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis Based on Bile Acid-regulated "Gut-liver" Crosstalk / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the synergistic mechanism of vinegar-processed Olibanum on ulcerative colitis（UC） via the bile acids regulating "gut-liver" crosstalk. MethodRats were randomly divided into normal group， model group， Olibanum group and vinegar-processed Olibanum group. UC model of rats was induced by intracolonic instillation of 2，4，6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid（TNBS）. Ultra high performance liquid chromatography-triple quadrupole-mass spectrometry（UPLC-QQQ-MS） was used to perform the qualitative analysis of 30 bile acids in the colon of rats. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（Real-time PCR） and Western blot were used to detect changes in the expression of farnesoid X receptor（FXR）， fibroblast growth factor 15（FGF15） and FGF receptor 4（FGFR4） in "gut-liver" crosstalk at mRNA and protein levels. And with the help of HcoEpiC cell model intervened by conjugated bile acids， simulating the UC state， and according to the different modes of intervention， they were divided into the blank group， conjugated bile acid group， Olibanum group， vinegar-processed Olibanum group and 3-O-acetyl-9，11-dehydro-β-boswellic acid（ADHBA） group. The effect of Olibanum before and after processing with vinegar and the main differential component ADHBA on the mRNA expression of FXR and FGF19 were explored by Real-time PCR. ResultCompared with the normal group， the levels of conjugated bile acids in the model group increased significantly（P<0.01）， and the mRNA and protein expressions of "gut-liver" crosstalk factors FXR， FGF15 and FGFR4 decreased significantly（P<0.05， P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the content of conjugated bile acids in the Olibanum group and vinegar-processed Olibanum group was significantly decreased（P<0.01）， the mRNA and protein expressions of FXR， FGF15 and FGFR4 were significantly elevated（P<0.05， P<0.01）， and vinegar-processed Olibanum exhibited superior effects than Olibanum. In cellular experiments， a significant decrease in mRNA expression of FXR and FGF19 was observed in the conjugated bile acid group when compared with the blank group（P<0.01）. Compared with the conjugated bile acid group， the mRNA expressions of FXR and FGF19 were significantly higher in the Olibanum， vinegar-processed Olibanum and ADHBA groups（P<0.05， P<0.01）， and the effect of vinegar-processed Olibanum was more favorable. ConclusionVinegar-processed Olibanum may enhance the ameliorating effect on UC by enhancing the down-regulation of conjugated bile acids in the colon and the up-regulation of FXR-FGF15/19-FGFR4 "gut-liver" crosstalk pathway， and ADHBA may be the main material basis for the synergy.

Role of bile acid on maintaining metabolic homeostasis / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Bile acids are the main products of the cholesterol degradation in the liver. They promote the absorption and transportation of the intestinal lipids. Diverse bile acid receptors are widely distributed in human tissues and organs, including farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and Takeda G protein receptor (TGR5). The expression pattern of different bile acid receptors and their different affinities to various bile acids as their ligands determines their pleiotropic downstream effects, including regulating bile acid synthesis and transportation, immune and metabolism homeostasis. In addition, the bile acid pool includes components derived from both host and gut microbiota, which collaboratively contribute to the bile acid signaling activation in different compartments. Therefore, bile acid pool represents an information hub allowing the crosstalk between the host and gut microbiome and hereby modulating host metabolic homeostasis and gut microbiome symbiosis. This article reviews the recent advances in the field of bile acid regulation and the related mechanisms of bile acid signaling pathway to maintain metabolic homeostasis.

New insight into inter-organ crosstalk contributing to the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver dysfunction and a significant global health problem with substantial rise in prevalence over the last decades. It is becoming increasingly clear that NALFD is not only predominantly a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome, but also involves extra-hepatic organs and regulatory pathways. Therapeutic options are limited for the treatment of NAFLD. Accordingly, a better understanding of the pathogenesis of NAFLD is critical for gaining new insight into the regulatory network of NAFLD and for identifying new targets for the prevention and treatment of NAFLD. In this review, we emphasize on the current understanding of the inter-organ crosstalk between the liver and peripheral organs that contributing to the pathogenesis of NAFLD.

What is Obesity Doing to Your Gut?

Obesity is a fast-emerging epidemic in the Asia-Pacific region, with numbers paralleling the rising global prevalence within the past 30 years. The landscape of gut diseases in Asia has been drastically changed by obesity. In addition to more non-specific abdominal symptoms, obesity is the cause of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, various gastrointestinal cancers (colorectal cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, oesophageal adenocarcinoma, gastric cardia adenocarcinoma, pancreatic cancer and gallbladder cancer) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Abnormal cross-talk between the gut microbiome and the obese host seems to play a central role in the pathogenesis, but more studies are needed.