Effect of Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang on deficiency of N-glycan/nitric oxide and islet damage induced by streptozotocin in diabetic rats

Bu zhong Yiqi Decoction ameliorates mild cognitive impairment by improving mitochondrial oxidative stress damage via the SIRT3/MnSOD/OGG1 pathway

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi Decoction(BZYQD) is a traditional formula commonly used in China, known for its effects in tonifying Qi and raising Yang. It can relieve symptoms of cognitive impairment such as forgetfulness and lack of concentration caused by qi deficiency, which is common in aging and debilitating. However, much of the current research on BZYQD has been focused on its impact on the digestive system, leaving its molecular mechanisms in improving cognitive function largely unexplored.

AIM OF THE STUDY

Cognitive decline in the aging central nervous system is intrinsically linked to oxidative damage. This study aims to investigate the therapeutic mechanism of BZYQD in treating mild cognitive impairment caused by qi deficiency, particularly through repair of mitochondrial oxidative damage.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A rat model of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) was established by administering reserpine subcutaneously for two weeks, followed by a two-week treatment with BZYQD/GBE. In vitro experiments were conducted to assess the effects of BZYQD on neuronal cells using a H2O2-induced oxidative damage model in PC12 cells. The open field test and the Morris water maze test evaluated the cognitive and learning memory abilities of the rats. HE staining and TEM were employed to observe morphological changes in the hippocampus and its mitochondria. Mitochondrial activity, ATP levels, and cellular viability were measured using assay kits. Protein expression in the SIRT3/MnSOD/OGG1 pathway was analyzed in tissues and cells through western blotting. Levels of 8-OH-dG in mitochondria extracted from tissues and cells were quantified using ELISA. Mitochondrial morphology in PC12 cells was visualized using Mito Red, and mitochondrial membrane potential was assessed using the JC-1 kit.

RESULTS

BZYQD treatment significantly improved cognitive decline caused by reserpine in rats, as well as enhanced mitochondrial morphology and function in the hippocampus. Our findings indicate that BZYQD mitigates mtDNA oxidative damage in rats by modulating the SIRT3/MnSOD/OGG1 pathway. In PC12 cells, BZYQD reduced oxidative damage to mitochondria and mtDNA in H2O2-induced conditions and was associated with changes in the SIRT3/MnSOD/OGG1 pathway.

CONCLUSION

BZYQD effectively counteracts reserpine-induced mild cognitive impairment and ameliorates mitochondrial oxidative stress damage through the SIRT3/MnSOD/OGG1 pathway.

Jianpi Shengqing Huazhuo Formula improves abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism in obesity by regulating mitochondrial biogenesis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Jianpi Shengqing Huazhuo Formula (JSH) is a modified prescription based on traditional Chinese medicine theory and classic prescriptions (Buzhong Yiqi Decoction and Yuye Decoction). It has been found that JSH has a good effect on obese patients with early abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to study its clinical efficacy and pharmacological effect.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To observe the clinical efficacy of JSH and explore the mechanism of the formula to improve glucose and lipid metabolism in obese rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

1.

CLINICAL OBSERVATION

10 overweight/obese patients with abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism were selected to observe the indicators of serum glucose, serum lipids and liver damage of the patients before and after treatment with JSH. 2. Animal experiments: Fifty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, Metformin group (120 mg/kg/day), JSH-L group (5 g/kg/day) and JSH-H group (20 g/kg/day), with 10 rats in each group. The obese SD rat model was produced by feeding 60% high-fat diet for 8 weeks, and the drug group was given prophylactic administration for 8 weeks. At the end of the experiment, body weight, abdominal fat, plasma glucose, plasma lipids, plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were measured. The levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in plasma were detected by Elisa, and the changes of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT) in plasma and liver tissue were detected by kits. The pathological changes and lipid deposition in liver were observed by HE staining and oil red O staining, and the changes in the number of mitochondria in liver cells were observed by transmission electron microscopy. RT-qPCR and Western Blot (WB) were used to detect the mitochondrial regulation-related indicators PGC-1α, NRF1, TFAM, MFN2, DRP1 and apoptosis-related indicators Bcl-2, Bax, caspase 8 in liver tissue.

RESULTS

1.

CLINICAL OBSERVATION

After one month administration, the patient's body weight, BMI, 2 h oral glucose tolerance test (2hOGTT), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) decreased significantly, and the indicators of liver damage AST and ALT also decreased significantly. 2. Animal experiments: JSH can significantly reduce body weight and abdominal fat area, improve glucose and lipid metabolism, and also reduce plasma IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α content in obese rats, and improve oxidative stress; HE staining and oil red O staining also showed that JSH can alleviate liver damage and lipid deposition in the liver. Further observations of liver cell ultrastructure showed that JSH can ameliorate the reduction of liver mitochondria caused by a high-fat diet and promote the expression of indicators of mitochondrial biogenesis related to PGC-1α, NRF1, and TFAM. Moreover, JSH could promote the expression of MFN2 and DRP1, decrease Bcl-2 and increase Bax in the liver.

CONCLUSIONS

1.

CLINICAL OBSERVATION

JSH can reduce body weight, serum glucose, serum lipid, and liver injury in overweight/obese patients. 2. Animal experiments: JSH regulates PGC-1α/NRF1/TFAM signaling pathway promotes liver mitochondrial biogenesis, improves glucose and lipid metabolism in obese rats, and regulates mitochondrial dependent apoptosis indicators Bcl-2/Bax to reduce liver injury.

Potential therapeutic compounds from traditional Chinese medicine targeting endoplasmic reticulum stress to alleviate rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease which affects about 0.5-1% of people with symptoms that significantly impact a sufferer's lifestyle. The cells involved in propagating RA tend to display pro-inflammatory and cancer-like characteristics. Medical drug treatment is currently the main avenue of RA therapy. However, drug options are limited due to severe side effects, high costs, insufficient disease retardation in a majority of patients, and therapeutic effects possibly subsiding over time. Thus there is a need for new drug therapies. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, a condition due to accumulation of misfolded proteins in the ER, and subsequent cellular responses have been found to be involved in cancer and inflammatory pathologies, including RA. ER stress protein markers and their modulation have therefore been suggested as therapeutic targets, such as GRP78 and CHOP, among others. Some current RA therapeutic drugs have been found to have ER stress-modulating properties. Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) frequently use natural products that affect multiple body and cellular targets, and several medicines and/or their isolated compounds have been found to also have ER stress-modulating capabilities, including TCMs used in RA treatment by Chinese Medicine practitioners. This review encourages, in light of the available information, the study of these RA-treating, ER stress-modulating TCMs as potential new pharmaceutical drugs for use in clinical RA therapy, along with providing a list of other ER stress-modulating TCMs utilized in treatment of cancers, inflammatory diseases and other diseases, that have potential use in RA treatment given similar ER stress-modulating capacity.

Hypoglycemic effect of standardized Chrysanthemum zawadskii ethanol extract in high-fat diet/streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice and rats

Chrysanthemum zawadskii (CZ) is a perennial herb belonging to the Asteraceae family. CZ is used medicinally to treat inflammatory and uterine diseases in Asia. CZ was extracted with 50% ethanol and CZ extract (CZE; at 125, 250, and 500 mg/kg body weight) was administered orally every day for 5 or 6 weeks to investigate the anti-diabetic effects in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced rats and STZ + high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. CZE significantly decreased fasting blood glucose levels in STZ- and STZ + HFD-induced diabetic models. In addition, glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance were improved in the STZ + HFD + CZE group by increasing insulin levels and decreasing hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in serum. Furthermore, CZE supplements decreased components of the serum lipid profile such as triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. These results suggest that CZE may be a potential candidate for controlling hyperglycemia.

Effect of astragaloside IV on diabetic gastric mucosa in vivo and in vitro

This study evaluated the effects of AS-IV on high glucose induced-gastric mucosal lesions compared to the effects of the Bu-zhong-yi-qi pill and the Xiaoke pill, which are already in clinical use. STZ-induced diabetic SD rats were treated with drugs for 12 weeks. Diabetes serum (DS) was used to mimic high glucose conditions in GES-1 cells in vitro at different concentrations and time points. The drugs were set at three concentration gradients for 24, 48 and 72 h before being added to DS-induced GES-1 cells. The proliferation activity and inhibition ratio of cells were measured by the CCK-8 assay. Gastric tissues were examined by H&E staining. Cell morphology was observed by inverted phase contrast microscopy. Apoptosis of cells was detected by annexin V-FITC/PI. In addition, expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and mucin1 (MUC1) were measured by Western blots. We found that the drugs significantly alleviated the pathological damage in STZ-induced gastric mucosal lesions. DS inhibited the viability of the cells in a dose and time-dependent manner, while pretreatment with drugs reversed these effects. Pretreatment with drugs also ameliorated the changes in cell morphology and inhibited cell apoptosis. Furthermore, the drugs decreased the expression levels of iNOS, COX-2 and MUC1. AS-IV showed the most beneficial effect compared with buzhong and xiaoke. These results suggest that AS-IV had a significant effect on high glucose-induce gastric mucosal lesions compares with buzhong and xiaoke. We speculate that this is in part through restoring the balance of iNOS, COX-2 and MUC1 expressions. Thus, AS-IV may be a potential antioxidant drug for treating diabetic gastropathy.

MicroRNA Expression Varies according to Glucose Tolerance, Measurement Platform, and Biological Source

Dysregulated microRNA (miRNA) expression is observed during type 2 diabetes (T2D), although the consistency of miRNA expression across measurement platform and biological source is uncertain. Here we report miRNA profiling in the whole blood and serum of South African women with different levels of glucose tolerance, using next generation sequencing (NGS) and quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR). Whole blood-derived miRNAs from women with newly diagnosed T2D (n = 4), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (n = 4), and normal glucose tolerance (NGT) (n = 4) were subjected to NGS, whereafter transcript levels of selected miRNAs were quantified in the whole blood and serum of these women using qRT-PCR. Of the five significantly differentially expressed miRNAs identified by NGS, only the directional increase of miR-27b in women with IGT compared to NGT was confirmed in whole blood and serum, using qRT-PCR. Functional enrichment of miR-27b gene targets identified biological pathways associated with glucose transport and insulin regulation. In conclusion, this study showed poor correlation in miRNA expression profiled using NGS and qRT-PCR and in whole blood and serum. The consistent increased expression of miR-27b in women with IGT compared to NGT across measurement platform and biological source holds potential as a biomarker for risk stratification in our population.

Protective effect of Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi decoction, the water extract of Chinese traditional herbal medicine, on 5-fluorouracil-induced intestinal mucositis in mice

Intestinal mucositis is a serious toxic side effect of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment. Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi decoction (BZYQD), a water extract of Chinese traditional herbal medicine, is widely used in chemotherapy in Asia as an alternative treatment to reduce the side effects of chemotherapy. However, the mechanism is unknown. To evaluate its mechanism, we investigated the effect of BZYQD on 5-FU-induced intestinal mucositis in mice, especially with regard to apoptosis in the intestinal mucosal epithelia. In the present study, mice were divided into three groups: control, 5-FU, and 5-FU + BZYQD. Mice in the 5-FU and 5-FU + BZYQD groups were administered 5-FU (100 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneally) for 6 days, and the mice in the latter group were given BZYQD (8 g/kg/day, intragastrically) beginning 4 days before 5-FU and continuing until the termination of the experiment. Loss in body weight and diarrhea during the 5-FU treatment were significantly attenuated by administration of BZYQD. The morphological signs of intestinal damage, including shortened villi height, crypt destruction, apoptosis, and necrosis, in intestinal mucosal epithelia were also reversed, accompanied by reduced neutrophil infiltration, nitrite levels, and inflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor α and interleukin 1β) and increased levels of reduced glutathione. These results suggest that BZYQD inhibits 5-FU-induced intestinal mucositis, and this effect may be due to the reduction in apoptosis and necrosis in intestinal mucosal epithelia via the suppression of inflammatory cytokine upregulation. In conclusion, inhibiting cytokine-mediated apoptosis or necrosis can be the molecular mechanism by which BZYQD reduces the gastrointestinal side effects of cancer chemotherapy.

Pectinase-Processed Ginseng Radix (GINST) Ameliorates Hyperglycemia and Hyperlipidemia in High Fat Diet-Fed ICR Mice

To develop a ginseng product possessing an efficacy for diabetes, ginseng radix ethanol extract was treated with pectinase and obtained the GINST. In the present study, we evaluate the beneficial effect of GINST on high fat diet (HFD)-induced hyper-glycemia and hyperlipidemia and action mechanism(s) in ICR mice. The mice were randomly divided into five groups: regular diet group (RD), high fat diet group (HFD), HFD plus GINST at 75 mg/kg (GINST75), 150 mg/kg (GINST150), and 300 mg/kg (GINST300). Oral glucose tolerance test reveals that GINST improves the glucose tolerance after glucose challenge. Fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels were decreased by 4.3% and 4.2% in GINST75, 10.9% and 20.0% in GINST150, and 19.6% and 20.9% in GINST300 compared to those in HFD control group. Insulin resistance indices were also markedly decreased by 8.2% in GINST75, 28.7% in GINST150, and 36.4% in GINST300, compared to the HFD control group. Plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol and non-esterified fatty acid levels in the GINST300 group were decreased by 13.5%, 22.7% and 24.1%, respectively, compared to those in HFD control group. Enlarged adipocytes of HFD control group were markedly decreased in GINST-treated groups, and shrunken islets of HFD control mice were brought back to near normal shape in GINST300 group. Furthermore, GINST enhanced phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4). In summary, GINST prevents HFD-induced hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia through reducing insulin resistance via activating AMPK-GLUT4 pathways, and could be a potential therapeutic agent for type 2 diabetes.

Ginseng in traditional herbal prescriptions

Panax ginseng Meyer has been widely used as a tonic in traditional Korean, Chinese, and Japanese herbal medicines and in Western herbal preparations for thousands of years. In the past, ginseng was very rare and was considered to have mysterious powers. Today, the efficacy of drugs must be tested through well-designed clinical trials or meta-analyses, and ginseng is no exception. In the present review, we discuss the functions of ginseng described in historical documents and describe how these functions are taken into account in herbal prescriptions. We also discuss the findings of experimental pharmacological research on the functions of ginseng in ginseng-containing prescriptions and how these prescriptions have been applied in modern therapeutic interventions. The present review on the functions of ginseng in traditional prescriptions helps to demystify ginseng and, as a result, may contribute to expanding the use of ginseng or ginseng-containing prescriptions.

The emerging role of autophagy in the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus

An emerging body of evidence supports a role for autophagy in the pathophysiology of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Persistent high concentrations of glucose lead to imbalances in the antioxidant capacity within the cell resulting in oxidative stress-mediated injury in both disorders. An anticipated consequence of impaired autophagy is the accumulation of dysfunctional organelles such as mitochondria within the cell. Mitochondria are the primary site of the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and an imbalance in ROS production relative to the cytoprotective action of autophagy may lead to the accumulation of ROS. Impaired mitochondrial function associated with increased ROS levels have been proposed as mechanisms contributing to insulin resistance. In this article we review and interpret the literature that implicates a role for autophagy in the pathophysiology of type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus as it applies to β-cell dysfunction, and more broadly to organ systems involved in complications of diabetes including the cardiovascular, renal and nervous systems.

Integrating pathway analysis and genetics of gene expression for genome-wide association studies

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have achieved great success identifying common genetic variants associated with common human diseases. However, to date, the massive amounts of data generated from GWAS have not been maximally leveraged and integrated with other types of data to identify associations beyond those associations that meet the stringent genome-wide significance threshold. Here, we present a novel approach that leverages information from genetics of gene expression studies to identify biological pathways enriched for expression-associated genetic loci associated with disease in publicly available GWAS results. Specifically, we first identify SNPs in population-based human cohorts that associate with the expression of genes (eSNPs) in the metabolically active tissues liver, subcutaneous adipose, and omental adipose. We then use this functionally annotated set of SNPs to investigate pathways enriched for eSNPs associated with disease in publicly available GWAS data. As an example, we tested 110 pathways from the Kyoto Encylopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database and identified 16 pathways enriched for genes corresponding to eSNPs that show evidence of association with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC) T2D GWAS. We then replicated these findings in the Diabetes Genetics Replication and Meta-analysis (DIAGRAM) study. Many of the pathways identified have been proposed as important candidate pathways for T2D, including the calcium signaling pathway, the PPAR signaling pathway, and TGF-beta signaling. Importantly, we identified other pathways not previously associated with T2D, including the tight junction, complement and coagulation pathway, and antigen processing and presentation pathway. The integration of pathways and eSNPs provides putative functional bridges between GWAS and candidate genes or pathways, thus serving as a potential powerful approach to identifying biological mechanisms underlying GWAS findings.