Effect of a novel proteoglycan PTP1B inhibitor from Ganoderma lucidum on the amelioration of hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia in db/db mice.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is implicated in the negative regulation of the insulin signalling pathway by dephosphorylating the insulin receptor (IR) and IR substrates. Ganoderma lucidum has traditionally been used for the treatment of diabetes in Chinese medicine; however, its anti-diabetic potency and mechanism in vivo is still unclear. Our previously published study reported a novel proteoglycan PTP1B inhibitor, named Fudan-Yueyang-Ganoderma lucidum (FYGL) from G. lucidum, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 5·12 (sem 0·05) µg/ml, a protein:polyglycan ratio of 17:77 and 78 % glucose in polysaccharide, and dominant amino acid residues of aspartic acid, glycine, glutamic acid, alanine, serine and threonine in protein. FYGL is capable of decreasing plasma glucose in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice with a high safety of median lethal dose (LD50) of 6 g/kg. In the present study, C57BL/6 db/db diabetic mice were trialed further using FYGL as well as metformin for comparison. Oral treatment with FYGL in db/db diabetic mice for 4 weeks significantly (P < 0·01 or 0·05) decreased the fasting plasma glucose level, serum insulin concentration and the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance. FYGL also controlled the biochemistry indices relative to type 2 diabetes-accompanied lipidaemic disorders. Pharmacology research suggests that FYGL decreases the plasma glucose level by the mechanism of inhibiting PTP1B expression and activity, consequently, regulating the tyrosine phosphorylation level of the IR ß-subunit and the level of hepatic glycogen, thus resulting in the improvement of insulin sensitivity. Therefore, FYGL is promising as an insulin sensitiser for the therapy of type 2 diabetes and accompanied dyslipidaemia.

A protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B activity inhibitor from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum (Fr.) Karst and its hypoglycemic potency on streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic mice.

Inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) activity has been considered to be a promising therapy approach to treat type 2 diabetes. In this work, a novel PTP1B activity inhibitor, named FYGL (Fudan-Yueyang-G. lucidum), was screened from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum and showed an efficient PTP1B inhibitory potency with IC50 = 5.12 ± 0.05 µg/mL. FYGL is a water-soluble macromolecular proteoglycan with a protein to polysaccharide ratio of 17:77 and a viscosity-average molecular weight (M(η)) of 2.6 × 105. The type 2 diabetic mice treated orally by FYGL showed an obvious decrease in plasma glucose level compared with the diabetic controls without drug treatment, comparable with that of diabetic mice treated with metformin, a clinical drug. The toxicity of FYGL is very low. The results indicate that FYGL may serve as a drug candidate or a health-care food for diabetic therapy or protection.

In vitro anti-tumor activity of isorhamnetin isolated from Hippophae rhamnoides L. against BEL-7402 cells.

Isorhamnetin, a flavonol aglycone, isolated from the traditional Chinese medicine Hippophae rhamnoides L., was investigated in its cytotoxicity and its influence on human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (BEL-7402). The cytotoxic effects of isorhamnetin showed dose- and time-dependency against BEL-7402 cells, with IC(50) equal to 74.4+/-1.13 microg ml(-1) after treatment with isorhamnetin for 72 h. Cytotoxicity of the flavonols on tumor cells depends on cellular accumulation of the drugs. The amount of isorhamnetin accumulated in BEL-7402 cells was assayed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and showed that isorhamnetin could permeate the cell membrane into the cell. Staining with Hoechst 33258 showed fragmentation and condensation of chromatin in the cell treated with 50 microg ml(-1) isorhamnetin for 48 h. Flow cytometric analysis was performed to determine hypodiploid cells. The results of flow cytometry assay indicated that the percentage of hypodiploid BEL-7402 cells were 13.77+/-1.05% after 48 h treatment with 50 microg ml(-1) isorhamnetin. The treatment resulted in the appearance of a hypodiploid peak (sub-G(0)/G(1) peak), probably due to the presence of cells in apoptosis and apoptotic bodies with DNA content less than 2n. To our knowledge, this is the first report against human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (BEL-7402) of isorhamnetin.