Effects of folic acid and folic acid plus zinc supplements on the sperm characteristics and pregnancy outcomes of infertile men: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Folic acid and zinc supplements have been used to treat male infertility, but their efficacy is still debated. Objective: To systematically evaluate the effects of folic acid and folic acid plus zinc supplements on sperm characteristics and pregnancy outcomes of infertile men. Methods: An online systematic search was performed using PubMed, Cochrane Library, and EMBASE databases from inception to August 1, 2022. The goal was to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that used folic acid or folic acid plus zinc to improve sperm characteristics of infertile men. Data were extracted by two investigators who independently screened the literature and assessed for quality according to the criteria. The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software. Results: A total of 8 RCT studies involving 2168 patients were included. The results showed that compared with the controls, folic acid significantly increased sperm motility (MD, 3.63; 95% CI, -1.22 to 6.05; P = 0.003), but did not affect the sperm concentration (MD, 2.53; 95% CI, -1.68 to 6.73; P = 0.24) and sperm morphology (MD, -0.02; 95% CI, -0.29 to 0.24; P = 0.86) in infertile men. Folic acid plus zinc did not affect sperm concentration (MD, 1.87; 95% CI, -1.39 to 5.13; P = 0.26), motility (MD, 1.67; 95% CI, -1.29 to 4.63; P = 0.27), and morphology (MD, -0.05; 95% CI, -0.27 to 0.18; P = 0.69) in infertile men. Secondary results showed that compared with a placebo, folic acid alone had a higher rate of pregnancy in transferred embryos (35.6% vs. 20.4%, P = 0.082), but the difference was not significant. Folic acid plus zinc did not affect pregnancy outcomes. Conclusions: Based on the meta-analysis, no significant improvements in sperm characteristics with folic acid plus zinc supplements were seen. However, folic acid alone has demonstrated the potential to improve sperm motility and in vitro fertilization-intracytoplasmic sperm injection (IVF-ICSI) outcomes. This indicates that folic acid supplements alone may be a viable treatment option for male infertility.

The Developments of Surface-Functionalized Selenium Nanoparticles and Their Applications in Brain Diseases Therapy.

Selenium (Se) and its organic and inorganic compounds in dietary supplements have been found to possess excellent pharmacodynamics and biological responses. However, Se in bulk form generally exhibits low bioavailability and high toxicity. To address these concerns, nanoscale selenium (SeNPs) with different forms, such as nanowires, nanorods, and nanotubes, have been synthesized, which have become increasingly popular in biomedical applications owing to their high bioavailability and bioactivity, and are widely used in oxidative stress-induced cancers, diabetes, and other diseases. However, pure SeNPs still encounter problems when applied in disease therapy because of their poor stability. The surface functionalization strategy has become increasingly popular as it sheds light to overcome these limitations in biomedical applications and further improve the biological activity of SeNPs. This review summarizes synthesis methods and surface functionalization strategies employed for the preparation of SeNPs and highlights their applications in treating brain diseases.

Multifunctional all-in-one adhesive hydrogel for the treatment of perianal infectious wounds.

Postoperative wound of perianal infectious disease represents a common but unique refractory wound in clinical practice. The reasons that hinder the wound healing process include not only the severe bacterial infection of the wound itself and the narrow and deep shape of the wound, but also its frequent bacterial contact. Therefore, the development of biofunctional dressings to aid in therapy is essential. In this study, we synthesized a new type of dressing comprising a hydrogel host based on the Schiff base principle and catechol groups between polydopamine, oxidized dextran, and quaternized chitosan, and then loaded it with traditional Chinese medicine molecules. These formed an integrated hydrogel for accelerated wound repair in a perianal infection model. The prepared hydrogels exhibited excellent wet tissue adhesion, antifouling, morphological variability, suitable swelling properties, and complete degradability, as well as remarkable contact antibacterial ability and the ability to rapidly scavenge free radicals. Hemostatic experiments showed excellent hemostatic properties, as the integrated hydrogel could instantly gel to seal the hemorrhage. Hemocompatibility and in vitro cell experiments showed that the integrated hydrogel had good biosafety and significantly promoted cell proliferation, which in turn accelerated the repair of infected whole cortexes in rats. A histomorphological evaluation showed that the integrated hydrogel promoted the recovery of normal anatomical tissue in rats by promoting the formation of collagen fibers and inhibiting inflammation. The results showed that this multifunctional integrated hydrogel has great potential for the treatment of continuously infected skin regeneration, providing a promising therapeutic strategy for postoperative wound healing in perianal infectious diseases.

Mussel-Inspired Redox-Active and Hydrophilic Conductive Polymer Nanoparticles for Adhesive Hydrogel Bioelectronics.

Conductive polymers (CPs) are generally insoluble, and developing hydrophilic CPs is significant to broaden the applications of CPs. In this work, a mussel-inspired strategy was proposed to construct hydrophilic CP nanoparticles (CP NPs), while endowing the CP NPs with redox activity and biocompatibility. This is a universal strategy applicable for a series of CPs, including polyaniline, polypyrrole, and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene). The catechol/quinone contained sulfonated lignin (LS) was doped into various CPs to form CP/LS NPs with hydrophilicity, conductivity, and redox activity. These CP/LS NPs were used as versatile nanofillers to prepare the conductive hydrogels with long-term adhesiveness. The CP/LS NPs-incorporated hydrogels have a good conductivity because of the uniform distribution of the hydrophilic NPs in the hydrogel network, forming a well-connected electric path. The hydrogel exhibits long-term adhesiveness, which is attributed to the mussel-inspired dynamic redox balance of catechol/quinone groups on the CP/LS NPs. This conductive and adhesive hydrogel shows good electroactivity and biocompatibility and therefore has broad applications in electrostimulation of tissue regeneration and implantable bioelectronics.

An Injectable, Bifunctional Hydrogel with Photothermal Effects for Tumor Therapy and Bone Regeneration.

Significant attention has been focused on bone tumor therapy recently. At present, the treatment in clinic typically requires surgical intervention. However, a few tumor cells remain around bone defects after surgery and subsequently proliferate within several days. Thus, fabrication of biomaterials with dual functions of tumor therapy and bone regeneration is significant. Herein, the injectable hydrogel containing cisplatin (DDP) and polydopamine-decorated nano-hydroxyapatite is prepared via Schiff base reaction between the aldehyde groups on oxidized sodium alginate and amino groups on chitosan. The hydrogel exhibits sustained release properties for DDP due to the immobilization of DDP via abundant functional groups on polydopamine (PDA). Additionally, given the intense absorption of PDA in the near-infrared region, the hydrogel exhibits excellent photothermal effects when exposed to the NIR laser (808 nm). Based on the properties, the hydrogel effectively ablates tumor cells (4T1 cells) in vitro and suppresses tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, the hydrogel promotes the adhesion and proliferation of bone mesenchymal stem cells in vitro due to the abundant functional groups on PDA and further induces bone regeneration in vivo. Therefore, the study extends research on novel biomaterials with dual functions of tumor therapy and bone regeneration.

Plant-inspired adhesive and tough hydrogel based on Ag-Lignin nanoparticles-triggered dynamic redox catechol chemistry.

Adhesive hydrogels have gained popularity in biomedical applications, however, traditional adhesive hydrogels often exhibit short-term adhesiveness, poor mechanical properties and lack of antibacterial ability. Here, a plant-inspired adhesive hydrogel has been developed based on Ag-Lignin nanoparticles (NPs)triggered dynamic redox catechol chemistry. Ag-Lignin NPs construct the dynamic catechol redox system, which creates long-lasting reductive-oxidative environment inner hydrogel networks. This redox system, generating catechol groups continuously, endows the hydrogel with long-term and repeatable adhesiveness. Furthermore, Ag-Lignin NPs generate free radicals and trigger self-gelation of the hydrogel under ambient environment. This hydrogel presents high toughness for the existence of covalent and non-covalent interaction in the hydrogel networks. The hydrogel also possesses good cell affinity and high antibacterial activity due to the catechol groups and bactericidal ability of Ag-Lignin NPs. This study proposes a strategy to design tough and adhesive hydrogels based on dynamic plant catechol chemistry.

Serum from Jiao-Tai-Wan treated rats increases glucose consumption by 3T3-L1 adipocytes through AMPK pathway signaling.

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from insulin resistance. Jiao-Tai-Wan (JTW), a traditional Chinese medicine consisting of a 10:1 formulation of Rhizoma Coptidis (RC) and Cortex Cinnamomi (cinnamon) was shown to have hypoglycemic efficacy in a type 2 diabetic mouse model. Here we investigated whether glucose consumption by insulin-resistant adipocytes could be modulated by serum from JTW-treated rats, and if so, through what mechanism. JTW-medicated serum was prepared from rats following oral administration of JTW decoction twice a day for 4 days. Fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes - rendered insulin resistance by dexamethasone treatment - were cultured in medium containing JTW-medicated rat serum. JTW-medicated serum treatment increased glucose uptake, up-regulated levels of phosphorylated adenosine 5'-monophoshate-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK), and stimulated expression and translocation of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4). JTW-medicated serum induced significantly greater up-regulation of p-AMPK and GLUT4 than either RC or cinnamon-medicated serum. JTW-medicated serum induced effects on 3T3-L1 adipocytes could be partially inhibited by treatment with the AMPK inhibitor compound C. In conclusion, JTW-medicated serum increased glucose consumption by IR adipocytes partially through the activation of the AMPK pathway, and JTW was more effective on glucose consumption than either RC or cinnamon alone.

Osthole Enhances Osteogenesis in Osteoblasts by Elevating Transcription Factor Osterix via cAMP/CREB Signaling In Vitro and In Vivo.

Anabolic anti-osteoporotic agents are desirable for treatment and prevention of osteoporosis and fragility fractures. Osthole is a coumarin derivative extracted from the medicinal herbs Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson and Angelica pubescens Maxim.f. Osthole has been reported with osteogenic and anti-osteoporotic properties, whereas the underlying mechanism of its benefit still remains unclear. The objective of the present study was to investigate the osteopromotive action of osthole on mouse osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells and on mouse femoral fracture repair, and to explore the interaction between osthole-induced osteopromotive effect and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) elevating effect. Osthole treatment promoted osteogenesis in osteoblasts by enhancing alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralization. Oral gavage of osthole enhanced fracture repair and increased bone strength. Mechanistic study showed osthole triggered the cAMP/CREB pathway through the elevation of the intracellular cAMP level and activation of the phosphorylation of the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB). Blockage of cAMP/CREB downstream signals with protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor KT5720 partially suppressed osthole-mediated osteogenesis by inhibiting the elevation of transcription factor, osterix. In conclusion, osthole shows osteopromotive effect on osteoblasts in vitro and in vivo. Osthole-mediated osteogenesis is related to activation of the cAMP/CREB signaling pathway and downstream osterix expression.

Metabolomics study of renal fibrosis and intervention effects of total aglycone extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis in unilateral ureteral obstruction rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Scutellariae Radix (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi) is a well-known Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) which mainly contains flavonoids. Our previous studies have demonstrated that total aglycone extracts of Scutellaria baicalensis (TAES) can improve kidney disease in rats. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the renal fibrosis (RF) pathogenesis and TAES treatment mechanism in unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) rats, using a metabolomics approach based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). METHODS: Rats with RF were divided into 6 groups with rats subjected to sham operation as normal control. The effects of TAES on some RF closely related parameters in UUO rats were investigated. A metabolomics method, based on GC/MS, was developed to monitor metabolic alterations in urine. Multivariate data analysis was utilized to identify biomarkers potentially associated with RF and the anti-RF activity of TAES. Ontology-based enrichment analysis by BiNChE and pathway analysis by MetPA aid in the interpretation of difference metabolites. RESULTS: After 10 days of treatment, the parameters of renal function begin returning to normal, and the abnormal high expressions of genes associated with extracellular matrix (ECM) were relived. In the metabolomics study, metabolic perturbations induced by UUO were reversed after treatment and TAES showed a dose-dependent therapy effect on RF, meanwhile, 18 potential biomarkers associated with RF were identified. Enrichment analysis of metabolites shows an over representation of mostly alkane-alpha, omega-diamine and alpha, omega-dicarboxylic acid, and these biomarkers are primarily involved in Glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, Retinol metabolism, Arginine and proline metabolism and Fructose and mannose metabolism. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that TAES have positive effects on UUO-induced RF in rats, meanwhile, metabolomics method coupled with metabolites enrichment analysis is a useful tool for revealing the pathogenesis of diseases and action mechanism of TCM on the whole body.

Combination of active components of Xiexin decoction ameliorates renal fibrosis through the inhibition of NF-κB and TGF-ß1/Smad pathways in db/db diabetic mice.

Xiexin decoction, a herbal therapeutic agent commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, is recognized for its beneficial effects on diabetic nephropathy exerted through the combined action of multiple components, including Rhizoma Coptidis alkaloids (A), Radix et Rhizoma Rhei polysaccharides (P), and Radix Scutellaria flavones (F). Our previous studies have shown that a combination of A, P, and F (APF) exhibits renoprotective effects against diabetic nephropathy. This study was aimed at determining the effects of APF on renal fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy and elucidating the underlying molecular mechanisms. To evaluate the effects of APF, in vivo, db/db diabetic mice were orally administered a low or high dose of APF (300 or 600 mg/kg, respectively) once a day for 8 weeks. We evaluated the blood and urine indices of metabolic and renal function, renal tissue histopathology, renal inflammation, and fibrosis. APF treatment significantly ameliorated glucose and lipid metabolism dysfunction, decreased urinary albumin excretion, normalized creatinine clearance, and reduced the morphological changes in renal tissue. Additionally, APF administration in db/db diabetic mice reduced the elevated levels of renal inflammation mediators such as intercellular adhesion molecule-1, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1ß, and active nuclear factor κB (NF-κB). APF treatment also reduced type I and IV collagen, transforming growth factor-ß1 (TGF-ß1), and TGF-ß1 type II receptor expression levels, and decreased the phosphorylation of Smad2/3 in the kidneys of db/db diabetic mice. These results suggest that APF reduces renal fibrosis in diabetic nephropathy through the NF-κB and TGF-ß1/Smad signaling pathways. In vitro, APF treatment reduced cell proliferation and protein expression of α-smooth muscle actin, collagen I, TGF-ß1 and NF-κB in mesangial cells cultured with high glucose concentrations. Our findings indicate that treatment with multi-component herbal therapeutic formulations may be a useful approach for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy.

Effects of combinations of Xiexin decoction constituents on diabetic nephropathy in rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Xiexin decoction (XXD) has been used as a treatment for diabetes mellitus for more than 1300 years. XXD constituents with protective effects against diabetic nephropathy (DN) include Rhizoma Coptidis alkaloids (RA), Radix et Rhizoma Rhei polysaccharides (RP), and Radix Scutellaria flavones (RF). The aim of the study is to investigate the effects of combinations of RA, RP, and RF on DN and their mechanisms of action. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vitro, high glucose-induced rat mesangial cells were treated with RA, RP, RF, and combinations thereof. Cell proliferation and levels of inflammatory factors were measured. In vivo, high-fat diet and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were treated with different combinations of RA, RP, and RF once per day for 12 weeks. Blood and urine biochemical parameters, renal tissue morphology, and inflammation were investigated. RESULTS: In vitro, the combination of the three groups of components inhibited mesangial cell proliferation and reduced the levels of monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1) and collagen IV. The effects of the three constituent groups in combination were stronger than those of each group alone or combinations of two groups. In diabetic rats, combinations of the three groups of herb components ameliorated blood glucose, urinary albumin excretion and decreased renal mesangial matrix expansion and basement membrane thickening. In addition, the combinations reduced renal tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) protein levels, down-regulated the expression of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-ß1), and up-regulated the expression of inhibitor of nuclear factor κB (IκB) protein. Among the three groups of herb components, RA produced the strongest effects, followed by RP, and then by RF. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of the three groups of herb components produced anti-DN effects through inhibition of inflammation mediated by NF-κB. Among the three groups of herb components, RA produced the strongest effect while RP and RF produced weaker effects.

Deep learning based syndrome diagnosis of chronic gastritis.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), most of the algorithms used to solve problems of syndrome diagnosis are superficial structure algorithms and not considering the cognitive perspective from the brain. However, in clinical practice, there is complex and nonlinear relationship between symptoms (signs) and syndrome. So we employed deep leaning and multilabel learning to construct the syndrome diagnostic model for chronic gastritis (CG) in TCM. The results showed that deep learning could improve the accuracy of syndrome recognition. Moreover, the studies will provide a reference for constructing syndrome diagnostic models and guide clinical practice.

AduoLa Fuzhenglin down-regulates microwave-induced expression of β1-adrenergic receptor and muscarinic type 2 acetylcholine receptor in myocardial cells of rats / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

This paper is aimed to study the effect of ADL on expression of β1-AR and M2-AchR in myocardial cells of rats exposed to microwave radiation. Immunohistochemistry, Western blot and image analysis were used to detect the expression of β1-AR and M2-AchR in myocardial cells at 7 and 14 d after microwave exposure. The results show that the expression level was higher in microwave exposure group and 0.75 g/(kg•d) ADL group than in sham operation group and significantly lower in 1.5 and 3.0 g/(kg•d) ADL groups than in microwave group. So we have a conclusion that the expression of β1-AR and M2-AchR is down-regulated in myocardial cells of rats exposed to microwave radiation. ADL can protect rats against microwave-induced heart tissue injury.

Renal Protective Role of Xiexin Decoction with Multiple Active Ingredients Involves Inhibition of Inflammation through Downregulation of the Nuclear Factor-κB Pathway in Diabetic Rats.

In Chinese medicine, Xiexin decoction (XXD) has been used for the clinical treatment of diabetes for at least 1700 years. The present study was conducted to investigate the effective ingredients of XXD and their molecular mechanisms of antidiabetic nephropathy in rats. Rats with diabetes induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocin were treated with XXD extract for 12 weeks. XXD significantly improved the glucolipid metabolism disorder, attenuated albuminuria and renal pathological changes, reduced renal advanced glycation end-products, inhibited receptor for advanced glycation end-product and inflammation factors expression, suppressed renal nuclear factor- κ B pathway activity, and downregulated renal transforming growth factor- ß 1. The concentrations of multiple components in plasma from XXD were determined by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic analysis using partial least square regression revealed that 8 ingredients of XXD were responsible for renal protective effects via actions on multiple molecular targets. Our study suggests that the renal protective role of XXD with multiple effective ingredients involves inhibition of inflammation through downregulation of the nuclear factor- κ B pathway, reducing renal advanced glycation end-products and receptor for advanced glycation end-product in diabetic rats.

Anti-Diabetic Activities of Jiaotaiwan in db/db Mice by Augmentation of AMPK Protein Activity and Upregulation of GLUT4 Expression.

Jiaotaiwan (JTW), which is composed of Coptis chinensis (CC) and cinnamon (CIN), is one of the most well-known traditional Chinese medicines. In this study, we investigated the antidiabetic effects and mechanism of JTW in db/db mice. Results showed that JTW significantly decreased the level of fasting blood glucose and improved glucose and insulin tolerance better than CC or CIN alone. JTW also effectively protected the pancreatic islet shape, augmented the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the liver, and increased the expression of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) protein in skeletal muscle and white fat. AMPK and GLUT4 contributed to glucose metabolism regulation and had an essential function in the development of diabetes mellitus (DM). Therefore, the mechanisms of JTW may be related to suppressing gluconeogenesis by activating AMPK in the liver and affecting glucose uptake in surrounding tissues through the upregulation of GLUT4 protein expression. These findings provided a new insight into the antidiabetic clinical applications of JTW and demonstrated the potential of JTW as a new drug candidate for DM treatment.

Preventive and ameliorating effects of citrus D-limonene on dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia in mice with high-fat diet-induced obesity.

D-limonene is a major constituent in citrus essential oil, which is used in various foods as a flavoring agent. Recently, d-limonene has been reported to alleviate fatty liver induced by a high-fat diet. Here we determined the preventive and therapeutic effects of d-limonene on metabolic disorders in mice with high-fat diet-induced obesity. In the preventive treatment, d-limonene decreased the size of white and brown adipocytes, lowered serum triglyceride (TG) and fasting blood glucose levels, and prevented liver lipid accumulations in high-fat diet-fed C57BL/6 mice. In the therapeutic treatment, d-limonene reduced serum TG, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and fasting blood glucose levels and glucose tolerance, and increased serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) in obese mice. Using a reporter assay and gene expression analysis, we found that d-limonene activated peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α signaling, and inhibited liver X receptor (LXR)-ß signaling. Our data suggest that the intake of d-limonene may benefit patients with dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia and is a potential dietary supplement for preventing and ameliorating metabolic disorders.

Yiqixue buganshen recipe regulates the expression of integrin ανβ3 in the endometrium of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation mice / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the effect of Yiqixue Buganshen recipe(, YBR) on the expression of integrin ανβ3 in the endometrium of controlled ovarian hyperstimulation mice.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 180 mice were divided into three groups: model group, treatment group and control group. The treatment and model groups were intraperitoneally injected with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue for 7 days; pregnant mare serum gonadotropin was also injected on the 7th day. After 48 h, human chorionic gonadotropin was injected. The control group was injected with an equal volume of saline at the same time. From the start of the experiment, the treatment group was intragastrically administered Jinghouzengzhi Recipe() and Cuhuangti Recipe(). The model group and the control group were intragastrically administered an equal volume of saline. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression of integrin ανβ3 in mouse endometrium.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Integrin ανβ3 was expressed in mouse endometrium in all groups. Integrin αββ3 expression increased gradually along with pregnancy, progressing from pregnant day (Pd) 1. Integrin ανβ3 expression significantly increased on Pd 4, then began to decrease on Pd 6. Integrin ανβ3 expression in the treatment group was higher than in the model group, and the difference was statistically significant (P <0.05). The difference between the treatment group and the control group was not statistically significant (P >0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>YBR improves endometrial receptivity, and may play an important role in embryonic implantation.</p>

Extract of Kuding tea prevents high-fat diet-induced metabolic disorders in C57BL/6 mice via liver X receptor (LXR) ß antagonism.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of ilex kudingcha C. J. Tseng (kuding tea), a traditional beverage in China, on the metabolic disorders in C57BL/6 mice induced by high-fat diets. DESIGN: For the preventive experiment, the female C57BL/6 mice were fed with a standard diet (Chow), high-fat diet (HF), and high-fat diet mixed with 0.05% ethanol extract of kuding tea (EK) for 5 weeks. For the therapeutic experiment, the C57BL/6 mice were fed high-fat diet for 3 months, and then mice were split and EK was given with oral gavages for 2 weeks at 50 mg/day/kg. Body weight and daily food intake amounts were measured. At the end of treatment, the adipocyte images were assayed with a scanning electron microscope, and the fasting blood glucose, glucose tolerance test, serum lipid profile and lipids in the livers were analyzed. A reporter gene assay system was used to test the whether EK could act on nuclear receptor transcription factors, and the gene expression analysis was performed with a quantitative PCR assay. RESULTS: In the preventive treatment, EK blocked the body weight gain, reduced the size of the adipocytes, lowered serum triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, fasting blood glucose levels and glucose tolerance in high-fat diet-fed C57BL/6 mice. In the therapeutic treatment, EK reduced the size of the white adipocytes, serum TG and fasting blood glucose levels in obese mice. With the reporter assay, EK inhibited LXRß transactivity and mRNA expression of LXRß target genes. CONCLUSION: We observed that EK has both preventive and therapeutic roles in metabolic disorders in mice induced with high-fat diets. The effects appear to be mediated through the antagonism of LXRß transactivity. Our data indicate that kuding tea is a useful dietary therapy and a potential source for the development of novel anti-obesity and lipid lowering drugs.

Rhein Reduces Fat Weight in db/db Mouse and Prevents Diet-Induced Obesity in C57Bl/6 Mouse through the Inhibition of PPARγ Signaling.

Rheum palmatum has been used most frequently in the weight-reducing formulae in traditional Chinese medicine. However, the components of Rheum palmatum that play the antiobesity role are still uncertain. Here, we tested the weight-reducing effect of two major Rheum palmatum compounds on db/db mouse. We found that rhein (100 mg kg(-1) day(-1)), but not emodin, reduced the fat weight in db/db mouse. Using diet-induced obese (DIO) C57BL/6 mice, we identified that rhein blocked high-fat diet-induced obesity, decreased fat mass and the size of white and brown adipocytes, and lowered serum cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose levels in the mice. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, we used reporter assay and gene expression analysis and found that rhein inhibited peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) transactivity and the expression of its target genes, suggesting that rhein may act as a PPARγ antagonist. Our data indicate that rhein may be a promising choice for antiobesity therapy.

Citrus ichangensis Peel Extract Exhibits Anti-Metabolic Disorder Effects by the Inhibition of PPARγ and LXR Signaling in High-Fat Diet-Induced C57BL/6 Mouse.

Obesity is a common nutritional disorder associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, dyslipidemia, and certain cancers. In this study, we investigated the effects of Citrus ichangensis peel extract (CIE) in high-fat (HF) diet-induced obesity mice. Female C57BL/6 mice were fed a chow diet or an HF diet alone or supplemented with 1% w/w CIE for 8 weeks. We found that CIE treatment could lower blood glucose level and improve glucose tolerance. In the HF+CIE group, body weight gain, serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) levels, and liver triglyceride (TG) and TC concentrations were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased relative to those in the HF group. To elucidate the mechanism of CIE on the metabolism of glucose and lipid, related genes expression in liver were examined. In liver tissue, CIE significantly decreased the mRNA expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and its target genes, such as fatty acid synthase (FAS) and acyl-CoA oxidase (ACO). Moreover, CIE also decreased the expression of liver X receptor (LXR) α and ß which are involved in lipid and glucose metabolism. These results suggest that CIE administration could alleviate obesity and related metabolic disorders in HF diet-induced obesity mice through the inhibition of PPARγ and LXR signaling.