ABSTRACT
This study was undertaken to determine whether aqueous blackcurrant extracts (BC) improve glucose metabolism and gut microbiomes in non-obese type 2 diabetic animals fed a high-fat diet and to identify the mechanism involved. Partially pancreatectomized male Sprague-Dawley rats were provided a high-fat diet containing 0% (control), 0.2% (L-BC; low dosage), 0.6% (M-BC; medium dosage), and 1.8% (H-BC; high dosage) blackcurrant extracts; 0.2% metformin (positive-C); plus 1.8%, 1.6%, 1.2%, 0%, and 1.6% dextrin, specifically indigestible dextrin, daily for 8 weeks. Daily blackcurrant extract intakes were equivalent to 100, 300, and 900 mg/kg body weight (bw). After a 2 g glucose or maltose/kg bw challenge, serum glucose and insulin concentrations during peak and final states were obviously lower in the M-BC and H-BC groups than in the control group (p < 0.05). Intraperitoneal insulin tolerance testing showed that M-BC and H-BC improved insulin resistance. Hepatic triglyceride deposition, TNF-α expression, and malondialdehyde contents were lower in the M-BC and H-BC groups than in the control group. Improvements in insulin resistance in the M-BC and H-BC groups were associated with reduced inflammation and oxidative stress (p < 0.05). Hyperglycemic clamp testing showed that insulin secretion capacity increased in the acute phase (2 to 10 min) in the M-BC and H-BC groups and that insulin sensitivity in the hyperglycemic state was greater in these groups than in the control group (p < 0.05). Pancreatic ß-cell mass was greater in the M-BC, H-BC, and positive-C groups than in the control group. Furthermore, ß-cell proliferation appeared to be elevated and apoptosis was suppressed in these three groups (p < 0.05). Serum propionate and butyrate concentrations were higher in the M-BC and H-BC groups than in the control group. BC dose-dependently increased α-diversity of the gut microbiota and predicted the enhancement of oxidative phosphorylation-related microbiome genes and downregulation of carbohydrate digestion and absorption-related genes, as determined by PICRUSt2 analysis. In conclusion, BC enhanced insulin sensitivity and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, which improved glucose homeostasis, and these improvements were associated with an incremental increase of the α-diversity of gut microbiota and suppressed inflammation and oxidative stress.
ABSTRACT
The management of post-stroke complications plays an important role in the quality of life. Di-Tan Decoction (DTD; ) is a widely used traditional Chinese medicine. This study incorporated systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of DTD in post-stroke neurological disorders. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) were searched from English, Chinese and Korean electronic medical databases, by including the keywords "Di-Tan Tang", "Di-Tan Decoction", "Scour Phlegm Decoction", "stroke", and "RCT. Each RCT included control (placebo, conventional therapy, or Western medicine) and experimental (DTD treatment) groups. For patients inflicted with stroke for 1-6 weeks, the outcomes of post-stroke neurological disorders were measured by scales for post-stroke symptoms and were classified as "completely healed", "markedly effective", "effective" and "ineffective". Totally, 11 RCTs (n = 490 controls and n = 502 DTD subjects) were selected from 210 articles identified in the initial search. A meta-analysis of evaluation criteria in post-stroke symptoms revealed that the overall odds ratio (ORs) for alleviating post-stroke neurological disorders were 0.30-fold lower (95% CI = 0.21-0.43) in the DTD group than the control (Western medicine) group (P < 0.000 01). Moreover, regardless of the type of stroke diagnostic scale applied (including NFA, HDS, and NIHSS), the overall post-stroke symptoms determined were less severe in the DTD group (n = 219) than the control group (n = 217). No adverse effects of DTD were observed in the 11 RCTs reviewed. All 11 studies used an appropriate method for randomization of subjects to evaluate the risk of bias (ROB), and 7 studies included allocation concealment as well as blinding of patients and practitioners. High-risk ROB was included in 6 RCTs. No significant publication bias was derived from the funnel plot. Our results indicate that the administration of DTD alone, and DTD in combination with Western medicine, exert greater efficacy for post-stroke complication therapy, than Western medicine administered alone. More rigorous and regulated studies are required to confirm the therapeutic efficacy of DTD for post-stroke neurological disorders. disorders.
Subject(s)
Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Nervous System Diseases/drug therapy , Stroke , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use , Humans , Medicine, Chinese Traditional , Nervous System Diseases/etiology , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Stroke/complications , Stroke/drug therapyABSTRACT
Previous studies have evaluated the association between the phospholipase A2 m-type receptor (PLA2R1) rs4664308 polymorphism and the risk of idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN), but the results need to be integrated. We hypothesized that the PLA2R1 rs4664308 polymorphism is associated with IMN risk in different ethnicities and assessed this hypothesis by using meta-analysis and case-control studies.A literature searches on PLA2R1 rs4664308 and IMN risk was conducted using the EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Chinese Medical Databases. The relationship between PLA2R1 rs4664308 and IMN risk was evaluated in 5 genetic models, namely, allelic (AG), recessive (RG), dominant (DG), homozygous (HMG), and heterozygous (HTG) models. Subgroup analysis was conducted by ethnicity on Asian and non-Asian populations.Eight sets of data from 6 articles met study objectives were selected and 6797 subjects (IMN: 2324 Controls: 4,473) were included. Heterogeneity was found in the DG, HMG, and HTG models but not in the AG or RG models. The minor allele(G) of PLA2R1 rs4664308 showed a significant negative correlation with IMN risk in all genetic random models: odds ratio of AG: 0.44(0.37-0.51), RG: 0.35(0.29-0.42), DG: 0.38(0.31-0.48), HMG: 0.26(0.19-0.37), and HTG: 0.61(0.48-0.77; Pâ<â.00001), and Asians and non-Asians showed the same effect of PLA2R1 rs4664308 on IMN risk. Analysis of Asians and non-Asians revealed no publication bias in any of the 5 genetic models.The minor allele of PLA2R1 rs4664308 has a protective activity against IMN in Asians and non-Asians. It provided new insights into potential curative and preventative treatments for IMN.
