Hypolipidemic effect of XH601 on hamsters of Hyperlipidemia and its potential mechanism

Validating the Health Benefits of Coffee Berry Pulp Extracts in Mice with High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity and Diabetes

The effects of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) berry pulp extracts (CBP extracts) on the improvement of diabetes, obesity, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were evaluated using various in vitro antioxidant activity assays and through a high-fat diet-induced mild diabetic obese mouse model. After an 84-day oral administration of CBP extracts (400-100 mg/kg), bioactivities were evaluated. The in vitro analysis showed the highest DPPH● scavenging activity of 73.10 ± 4.27%, ABTS● scavenging activity of 41.18 ± 1.14%, and SOD activity of 56.24 ± 2.81%, at a CBP extract concentration of 1000 µg/mL. The in vivo analysis of the CBP extracts showed favorable and dose-dependent anti-obesity, anti-diabetic, NAFLD, nephropathy, and hyperlipidemia refinement effects through hepatic glucose enzyme activity, 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) up-regulation, antioxidant activity, lipid metabolism-related gene expression, and pancreatic lipid digestion enzyme modulatory activities. This study shows that an appropriate oral dosage of CBP extracts could function as a potent herbal formulation for a refinement agent or medicinal food ingredient to control type 2 diabetes and related complications.

Mechanism of rhubarb in the treatment of hyperlipidemia: A recent review

Hyperlipidemia is a metabolic disorder, which is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis, stroke, and coronary heart disease. Although lipid-lowering treatments have been extensively studied, safer treatments with fewer adverse effects are needed. Rhubarb is a traditional Chinese medicine that has lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Disturbance in lipid metabolism is the basis of tissue damage caused by hyperlipidemia and plays a key role in the development of hyperlipidemia; however, the molecular mechanisms by which rhubarb regulates lipid metabolism to lower lipid levels are yet to be elucidated. We conducted this study to summarize the phytochemical constituents of Rheum officinale and provide a comprehensive review of the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of lipid metabolism during hyperlipidemia treatment. It was found that rhubarb extracts, including emodin, rhubarb acid, and rhubarb phenol, regulate total cholesterol, triglyceride, TNF-α, and IL-1β levels through signaling pathways such as C/EBP α, 3T3-L1, PPAR α, and AMPK, thereby improving the hyperlipidemic state. This suggests that rhubarb is a natural drug with lipid-lowering potential, and an in-depth exploration of its lipid-lowering mechanism can provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of hyperlipidemia.

Protective effect of microorganism biotransformation-produced resveratrol on the high fat diet-induced hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis and synaptic impairment in hamsters

Background: Resveratrol, a natural antioxidant polyphenol, has the functions of anti-inflammation, anti-cancer, liver protection and cardioprotection. Microorganism biotransformation-produced resveratrol (MBR) product shows higher purity than the natural source of resveratrol and costs less than the chemically synthesized resveratrol. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effects of MBR in hamsters treated with a high-fat diet (HFD). Methods: MBR was obtained by the fermentative process of piceid. Hamsters were randomly divided into four groups: HFD plus oral administration of MBR 0 (C), 5 (L), 20 (M) or 50 mg/kg (H), respectively. After six-week of treatment, hamsters were sacrificed, and tissues were collected for further analysis. Results: MBR at these three dosages did not influence the appetite or growth of the hamsters. Liver enzymes, blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and liver weight were significantly reduced in the MBR groups than in the control group. Additionally, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) was also elevated in all MBR groups. On the other hand, serum low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) was decreased in the MBR groups. Triglyceride (TG) in liver tissue and fatty liver level were lower in group H. Memory-associated proteins, phosphorylation of calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (p-CaMK II) and synaptophysin (SYP), were increased in the brains of MBR groups. Conclusion: The high yield- and short procedure-produced MBR has the potential to protect animals fed with HFD from hyperlipidemia, hepatic steatosis, hyperglycemia, and synaptic impairment, which might be beneficial for patients with these types of diseases.

Formononetin alleviates hepatic steatosis by facilitating TFEB-mediated lysosome biogenesis and lipophagy

Formononetin has been reported to ameliorate hyperlipidemia and obesity, but its effect and mechanism of action in anti-non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remain unclear. Lipophagy is a critical protective mechanism during steatosis development that results in the decomposition of lipid droplets through autophagy and the prevention of cellular lipid accumulation. This study aimed to investigate the beneficial role of formononetin in treating NAFLD and explore the mechanism of lipophagy in formononetin anti-hepatic steatosis effects. Formononetin treatment significantly ameliorated hepatic steatosis in HFD mice. Consistently, formononetin also reduced FFAs-stimulated lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells and primary mouse hepatocytes. Further analysis revealed that steatosis increased LC3B-II, a marker of autophagy, but caused blockade of autophagic flux associated with a lack of lysosomes. Treatment with formononetin promoted lysosome biogenesis and autophagosome-lysosome fusion, relieving the blockade in autophagic flux and further induced lipophagy. Mechanistically, formononetin activated adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK) and promoted subsequent nuclear translocation of transcription factor EB (TFEB), a key regulator of lysosome biogenesis. TFEB inhibition markedly abolished formononetin-induced lysosome biogenesis, autophagosome-lysosome fusion and lipophagy and concomitantly alleviated lipid accumulation. Formononetin improved hepatic steatosis via TFEB-mediated lysosome biogenesis, which provides new evidence regarding formononetin's anti-NAFLD effects.

Hypolipidemic effect of Fragarianilgerrensis Schlecht. medicine compound on hyperlipidemic rats

BACKGROUND

Fragarianilgerrensis Schlecht. medicine compound (FN-MC) is a kind of Chinese herbs' compound consisted of Fragarianilgerrensis Schlecht. and Centella asiatica (L.) Urban. The study was to investigate the hypolipidemia effect of FN-MC in a hypolipidemic rat model.

METHODS

Male SD rats were randomly divided into five groups: normal-fat diet (NFD) group, high-fat diet (HFD) group, FN-MC (2 g/Kg) group, FN-MC (4 g/Kg) group and simvastatin (PDC) group. After FN-MC treatment, body weight, food intake, serum and hepatic biochemistry parameters of rats were measured and the pathological changes of liver and its cells were observed by optical microscope and transmission electron microscopy.

RESULTS

The results showed that FN-MC significantly decreased the levels of serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C), apolipoprotein B (ApoB) and hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA), while increased serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1) and hepatic Superoxide Dismutase (SOD). FN-MC also improved the structure of liver and decreased the lipid drops in the cytoplasm significantly. In addition, FN-MC significantly decreased the weight gain and had no significant effects on food intake.

CONCLUSIONS

The study suggested that FN-MC exhibited strong ability to improve the dyslipidemia and prevent hepatic fatty deposition in rats fed with high-fat diet. Meanwhile, FN-MC exerted anti-obesity and antioxidant properties.

HIGHLIGHTS

Fragarianilgerrensis Schlecht. medicine compound possesses a hypolipidemic effect on hyperlipidemic rat model Fragarianilgerrensis Schlecht. medicine compound administration improves the antioxidant capacity of rats Fragarianilgerrensis Schlecht. medicine compound prevents hepatic fatty deposition.

Lipid reducing activity of novel cholic acid (CA) analogs: Design, synthesis and preliminary mechanism study

Bile acids, initially discovered as endogenous ligands of farnesoid X receptor (FXR), play a central role in the regulation of triglyceride and cholesterol metabolism and have recently emerged as a privileged structure for interacting with nuclear receptors relevant to a large array of metabolic processes. In this paper, phenoxy containing cholic acid derivatives with excellent drug-likeness have been designed, synthesized, and assayed as agents against cholesterol accumulation in Raw264.7 macrophages. The most active compound 14b reduced total cholesterol accumulation in Raw264.7 cells up to 30.5% at non-toxic 10 μM and dosage-dependently attenuated oxLDL-induced foam cell formation. Western blotting and qPCR results demonstrate that 14b reduced both cholesterol and lipid in Raw264.7 cells through (1) increasing the expression of cholesterol transporters ABCA1 and ABCG1, (2) accelerating ApoA1-mediated cholesterol efflux. Through a cell-based luciferase reporter assay and molecular docking analysis, LXR was identified as the potential target for 14b. Interestingly, unlike conventional LXR agonist, 14b did not increase lipogenesis gene SREBP-1c expression. Overall, these diverse properties disclosed herein highlight the potential of 14b as a promising lead for further development of multifunctional agents in the therapy of cardiovascular disease.

Formononetin inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced release of high mobility group box 1 by upregulating SIRT1 in a PPARδ-dependent manner

Background

The release of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) induced by inflammatory signals acts as a cellular alarmin to trigger a chain of inflammatory responses. Although the inflammatory actions of HMGB1 are well studied, less is known about the therapeutic agents that can impede its release. This study investigated whether the isoflavonoid formononetin can modulate HMGB1 release in cellular inflammatory responses.

Methods

RAW264.7 murine macrophages were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the presence or absence of formononetin. The levels of HMGB1 release, sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) expression, and HMGB1 acetylation were analyzed by immunoblotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction. The effects of resveratrol and sirtinol, an activator and inhibitor of SIRT1, respectively, on LPS-induced HMGB1 release were also evaluated.

Results

Formononetin modulated cellular inflammatory responses by suppressing the release of HMGB1 by macrophages exposed to LPS. In RAW264.7 cells, formononetin significantly attenuated LPS-induced release of HMGB1 into the extracellular environment, which was accompanied by a reduction in its translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. In addition, formononetin significantly induced mRNA and protein expression of SIRT1 in a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ (PPARδ)-dependent manner. These effects of formononetin were dramatically attenuated in cells treated with small interfering RNA (siRNA) against PPARδ or with GSK0660, a specific inhibitor of PPARδ, indicating that PPARδ is involved in formononetin-mediated SIRT1 expression. In line with these effects, formononetin-mediated inhibition of HMGB1 release in LPS-treated cells was reversed by treatment with SIRT1-targeting siRNA or sirtinol, a SIRT1 inhibitor. By contrast, resveratrol, a SIRT1 activator, further potentiated the inhibitory effect of formononetin on LPS-induced HMGB1 release, revealing a possible mechanism by which formononetin regulates HMGB1 release through SIRT1. Furthermore, modulation of SIRT1 expression by transfection of SIRT1- or PPARδ-targeting siRNA significantly counteracted the inhibitory effects of formononetin on LPS-induced HMGB1 acetylation, which was responsible for HMGB1 release.

Discussion

This study shows for the first time that formononetin inhibits HMGB1 release by decreasing HMGB1 acetylation via upregulating SIRT1 in a PPARδ-dependent manner. Formononetin consequently exhibits anti-inflammatory activity. Identification of agents, such as formononetin, which can block HMGB1 release, may help to treat inflammation-related disorders.

Polyphenols isolated from virgin coconut oil attenuate cadmium-induced dyslipidemia and oxidative stress due to their antioxidant properties and potential benefits on cardiovascular risk ratios in rats

OBJECTIVE

Literature has confirmed the pathogenic role of cadmium (Cd) and its exposure in the induction of dyslipidemia implicated in the development and increasing incidence of cardiovascular diseases. The current study explored whether polyphenolics isolated from virgin coconut oil (VCO) prevent Cd-induced dyslipidemia and investigate the underlying mechanism of action, in rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Rats were pretreated with VCO polyphenols (10, 20 and 50 mg/kg body weight; orally) 2 weeks prior to concurrent Cd administration (5 mg/kg) for 5 weeks. Subsequently, serum concentrations of lipid and lipoprotein cholesterol and cardiovascular risk ratios were determined. Hepatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) as well as reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents were analyzed.

RESULTS

Sub-chronic Cd administration significantly increased the serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and very low density lipoprotein cholesterol while markedly reduced high density lipoprotein cholesterol. Hepatic activities of SOD and CAT as well as GSH content were suppressed by Cd, whereas MDA level was obviously increased. The co-administration of VCO polyphenol with Cd remarkably restored lipid profile and cardiovascular risk ratios and stabilized antioxidant defense systems comparable to control group.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study presenting that polyphenols isolated from VCO prevent Cd-induced lipid abnormalities and cardiovascular risk ratios by improving antioxidant defense systems.