Effects of Ramulus Uncariae et Uncus on body mass, food intake,serum glucose and total antioxidative ability of high-fat-fed obese rats / 中国组织工程研究

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Ramulus Uncariae et Uncus can be used to treat many diseases of cardiovesculer and neurosystem by calming and protecting endothelium and neuron.OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of drinking water extracts of Ramulus Uncariae et Uncus on body mass, food intake, energy intakes, serum glucose, insulin, total antioxidative ability of high-fat-fed rats.DESIGN: A completely randomized and controlled experiment.SETTING: Institute of Physiology, Foundational Medical College of Lanzhou University.MATERIALS The experiment which is Gansu Province Key Labor of Pre-clinical Research for Chinese Herbs & New Drugs was carried out at the Physiological Laboratory of Institute of Foundational Medical College of Lanzhou University from March 2003 to May 2003. Twenty-seven healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into the following three groups (9 rats each group) namely, the normal control group, the high-fat-fed group and the Ramulus Uncariae et Uncus group.METHODS: [1] The rats of control group were fed with referenced diets(Protein, fat and carbohydrate was made up fore18.2%, 4.5%, 55.2% respectively), while the rats of high-fat-fed and the Ramulus Uncariae et Uncus group were fed with high-fat diets in which protein, fat and carbohydrate accounted for 23.7%, 21.6%, 39.0% respectively. [2]The rats in control and high-fat group could drink water freely every day while the rats in Ramulus Uncariae et Uncus group drank freely one percent water extract of Ramulus Uncariae et Uncus at the first day of the experiment, later the concentration of Ramulus Uncariae et Uncus increased gradually to six percent at the sixth day, which lasted until the end of the experiment. [3]Food intake was monitored daily, and body mass weekly at set time, the energy intake was calculated on basis of food intake. We calculated the Lee's Index [(body mass)1/3 (g) × 103 / body length (cm)]. [4] At the end of the seventh week, all rats were fasted for twelve hours to collect blood for the measure of some serum items. The serum levels of glucose were determined with hexokinase. The levels of insulin was measured by Radioimmunology methods. Malondiadehyde was measured by thiobarbituricbased colorimetric assay. Total antioxidative ability and free fatty acid were evaluated by colorimetric assay. [5] The difference of quantity data among the tree groups were statistically analyzed by F analysis, while the difference between two groups was analyzed by LSD methods. The main indexes of the experiment were body mass, food intake, energy intake, serum glucose after fasting, insulin, free fatty acid, malondialdehyde and total antioxidative ability respectively.RESULTS: Twenty-seven rats date was analyzed and nine rats in every group. [1] Body mass Compared with the high-fat-fed group, body mass in rats of the control group and the Ramulus Uncariae et Uncus group were less from the end of the third week to the end of the experiment (P ＜ 0.05-0.01).As compared between the Ramulus Uncariae et Uncus group and the control group, there was no significant difference from the first week to the sixth week (P ＞ 0.05), while the body mass of the former group was bigger than that of the latter at the end of the seventh week (P ＜ 0.01). [2] Lee's Index of the rats in high-fat-fed group was significantly higher than those of the rats in the control and Ramulus Uncariae et Uncus group (P ＜ 0.01).[3] Food intake From the first week, compared with the control group, the food intake of rats in Ramulus Uncariae et Uncus group was less (P ＜ 0.01)and lower than that in high-fat-fed group at the end of the third, fifth, sixth and seventh week, too (P ＜ 0.05-0.01). [4] Energy intake As the food was high-fat, the Energy intake of rats in the Ramulus Uncariae et Uncus group was higher than that of the control group at the end of the first, second and forth week (P ＜ 0.05-0.01), while less than that of the high-fat-fed group at the end of the third, fifth, sixth and seventh week (P ＜ 0.01). [5] The serum glucose There was no statistical significance among the three groups. [6]The level of serum insulin and malondiadehyde of the rats in high-fat-fed group were higher than that of the control group and the Ramulus Uncariae et Uncus (P ＜ 0.01). [7] The level of free fatly acid of rats in high-fat-fed group was higher than that of the control group (P ＜ 0.05), while there wasno statistical difference compared with the Ramulus Uncariae et Uncus group. [8] The level of total antioxidative of the rats in high-fat group was lower than that of the Ramulus Uncariae et Uncus group (P ＜ 0.01).CONCLUSION: [1] Drinking water extracts of Ramulus Uncariae et Uncus could inhibit the weight gain and food intake, [2] reduce level of free radical and insulin of serum, which could be caused by the dec lining of free fatty acid. [3] In the same time, increase the total antioxidative ability of the obese rats caused by high-fat diets.