Hepatic Effect of 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside，the Signature Component of Traditional Chinese Medicine Heshouwu: Advances and Prospects

Traditional Chinese medicine Heshouwu, named Polygoni Multiflori Radix in Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (PPRC, 2020), is derived from the root tuber of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. Heshouwu or processed Heshouwu is well known for its function in reducing lipids and nourishing the liver. However, increasing cases of Heshouwu-induced hepatotoxicity were reported in recent years. Researchers have begun to study the paradoxical effects of Heshouwu on the liver. 2,3,5,4'-tetrahydroxystilbene-2-O-β-D-glucoside (TSG), an abundant functional component of Heshouwu, shows various biological activities, among which its effect on the liver is worthy of attention. This paper reviews the current studies of TSG on hepatoprotection and hepatotoxicity, and summarizes the doses, experimental models, effects, and mechanisms of action involved in TSG's hepatoprotection and hepatotoxicity, aiming to provide insight for future study of TSG and understanding the effects of Heshouwu on the liver. Emerging evidence suggests that TSG ameliorates both pathological liver injury and chemical-induced liver injury by modulating lipid metabolism, inhibiting the inflammatory response and oxidative stress in the liver. However, with the reports of clinical cases of Heshouwu induced liver injury, it has been found that long-term exposure to a high dose of TSG cause hepatocyte or hepatic tissue damage. Moreover, TSG may cause hepatotoxicity by affecting the transport and metabolism of other possible hepatoxic compounds in Heshouwu. Studies indicate that trans-TSG can be isomerized into cisTSG under illumination, and cis-TSG had a less detrimental dose to liver function than trans-TSG in LPS-treated rats. In brief, TSG has protective effects on the liver, but liver injury usually occurs under high-dose TSG or is idiosyncratic TSG-induced liver injury.

Comparative transcriptome analysis of goat (Capra hircus) adipose tissue reveals physiological regulation of body reserve recovery after the peak of lactation

Adipose tissue is the energy storage organ providing energy to other tissues, including mammary gland, that supports the achievement of successive lactation cycles. Our objective was to investigate the ability of goats to restore body fat reserves by comparing lipogenic enzyme activities and by transcriptomic RNA-Seq data at two different physiological stages, mid- and post-lactation. Key lipogenic enzyme activities were higher in goat omental adipose tissue during mid-lactation (74 days in milk) than during the post-lactation period (300 days postpartum). RNA-Sequencing analysis revealed 19,271 expressed genes in the omental adipose tissue. The comparison between adipose transcriptome analysis from mid- and post-lactation goats highlighted 252 differentially expressed genes (p_adj < 0.05) between these two physiological stages. The differential expression of 11 genes was confirmed by RT-qPCR. Functional genomic analysis revealed that 31% were involved in metabolic processes among which 38% in lipid metabolism. Most of the genes involved in lipid synthesis and those in lipid transport and storage were upregulated in adipose tissue of mid- compared to post-lactation goats. In addition, adipose tissue plasticity was emphasized by genes involved in cellular signaling and tissue integrity. Network analyses also highlighted three key regulators of lipid metabolism (LEP, APOE and HNF4A) and a key target gene (VCAM1). The greatest lipogenic enzyme activities with the upregulation of genes involved in lipid metabolism highlighted a higher recovery of lipid reserves after the lactation peak than 4 months post-lactation. This study contributes to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms controlling the body lipid reserves management during the successive lactations.

Effect of embryo-remaining oat rice on the lipid profile and intestinal microbiota in high-fat diet fed rats

Embryo-remaining oat rice (EROR), as a newly developed oat product, is popular in China for its good taste, but little is known about its healthy functions. In this study, the effects of EROR on lipid metabolism regulation were investigated in in vitro and in vivo models. The results showed that the oat ethanol extracts significantly alleviated lipid accumulation, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in HepG2 cells. EROR supplementation dramatically improved the lipid profile in the serum and liver and downregulated the expression levels of HMGCR, SREBP-1C and FAS, which are related to lipid metabolic disorder in high-fat diet (HFD) fed rats. A HFD decreases the production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the cecum, which are related to intestinal microbiota dysbiosis. The intake of EROR significantly increased the total SCFAs, acetate and propionate and promoted the abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria. Furthermore, the intake of EROR led to abundant increases in Bifidobacterium and Akkermansia and decreases of Rombutsia, Fusicatenibacter, Holdemanella and Turicibacter, which were negatively and positively correlated with the lipid metabolism-related indices. These results provide evidence that EROR is a good functional food candidate to ameliorate lipid metabolic disorder and hyperlipidemia.