Ginseng-Sanqi-Chuanxiong (GSC) Extracts Ameliorate Diabetes-Induced Endothelial Cell Senescence through Regulating Mitophagy via the AMPK Pathway.

Vascular endothelial senescence induced by high glucose and palmitate (HG/PA) contributes to endothelial dysfunction, which leads to diabetic cardiovascular complications. Reduction of endothelial senescence may attenuate these pathogenic processes. This study is aimed at determining whether Ginseng-Sanqi-Chuanxiong (GSC) extracts, traditional Chinese medicine, can ameliorate human aortic endothelial cell (HAEC) senescence under HG/PA-stressed conditions and further explore the underlying mechanism. We found that GSC extracts significantly increased antisenescent activity by reducing the HG/PA-induced mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) levels in senescent HAECs. GSC extracts also induced cellular mitophagy formation, which mediated the effect of GSC extracts on mtROS reduction. Apart from this, the data showed that GSC extracts stimulated mitophagy via the AMPK pathway, and upon inhibition of AMPK by pharmacological and genetic inhibitors, GSC extract-mediated mitophagy was abolished which further led to reverse the antisenescence effect. Taken together, these data suggest that GSC extracts prevent HG/PA-induced endothelial senescence and mtROS production by mitophagy regulation via the AMPK pathway. Thus, the induction of mitophagy by GSC extracts may provide a novel therapeutic candidate for cardiovascular protection in metabolic syndrome.

[Effect of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Chuanxiong Rhizoma extracts on intestinal flora of vascular aging mice induced by high glucose and high lipid].

The aim of this paper was to observe the changes of intestinal flora in vascular aging mice, in order to explore the relationship between vascular aging and intestinal flora and the effects of extracts of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Chuanxiong Rhizoma on intestinal flora of vascular aging mice. A model of vascular aging in mice was induced through intrape-ritoneal injection with streptozotocin(STZ) combined with high-fat diet. Biochemical detection was performed on serum cholesterol(CHO), triglyceride(TG), high-density liptein cholesterol(HDL-C), low-density liptein cholesterol(LDL-C) and blood glucose(GLU). HE staining was used to detect mice thoracic aorta morphology, and the expressions of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2 A(p16) and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 A(p21) protein in mice thoracic aorta were detected by Western blot. The 16 S rDNA gene of mice intestinal flora was detected by Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technology to explore the changes of intestinal flora in each group. The results demonstrated that the GLU level in low-dose and high-dose TCM groups decreased, but with unobvious changes in blood lipid indexes. Metformin could significantly decrease the levels of GLU(P<0.01), CHO and LDL-C in mice(P<0.05). Intravascular injury was not obvious in each drug group, and the expressions of p16 and p21 protein were significantly decreased(P<0.05). The intestinal flora of each group was mainly composed of Firmicutes(F) and Bacteroidetes(B) at the level of the phylum, but the B/F ratio was different from that of the youth group and the blank control group. The B/F ratio of the model group was significantly lower(P<0.01), and compared with the model group, the B/F ratio of the high-dose group and the metformin group was signi-ficantly higher(P<0.05). There were dominant and differential floras in the intestine of each group of mice. The results showed that extracts of Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma, Notoginseng Radix et Rhizoma and Chuanxiong Rhizoma could improve the intestinal flora structure and create a good intestinal environment by increasing the B/F ratio, which provides a new possible pathway for lowering blood glucose and blood lipids and delaying vascular aging.