[Comparative study on short and long-term intervention impacts of six Chinese herbs with cold or heat property on lipid and energy metabolism in mice].

This study selected three typical Chinese herbs with cold property(Rhei Radix et Rhizoma, Scutellariae Radix, and Coptidis Rhizoma) and another three with heat property(Cinnamomi Cortex, Zingiberris Rhizoma, and Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata) to observe their regulatory effects on metabolism in animal organism, especially on lipid and energy metabolism in mice after a short-(7 d) and long-term(35 d) intervention. The mRNA expression levels of lipid metabolism genes in epididymal adipose tissue and liver were determined by real-time PCR. The oxygen consumption, carbon dioxide production, and energy consumption were detected by metabolic system. After the short-term intervention, the Chinese herbs with heat property significantly reduced epididymal adipose tissue index and elevated the expression levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase(ACC), lipoprotein lipase(LPL), and carnitine-palmityl transferase 1(CPT-1) in liver and epididymal adipose tissues. However, those with cold property promoted the expression of above-mentioned genes in epididymal adipose tissue. After the long-term intervention, cold and heat Chinese herbs had no significant effect on epididymal adipose tissue index of animals, while cold Chinese herbs could increase carbon dioxide production and energy consumption and reduce activity. These findings demonstrated that the short-term intervention effects of cold and heat Chinese herbs on animal metabolism were significantly stronger than the long-term intervention effects. Specifically, the short-term intervention with cold Chinese herbs enhanced the lipid metabolism in epididymal adipose tissue, while the heat Chinese herbs promoted lipid metabolism in epididymal adipose tissue and liver. The long-term intervention with cold and heat Chinese herbs resulted in no obvious change in lipid level, but long-term intervention with cold Chinese herbs accelerated energy consumption of the body. This study preliminarily observed the effects of cold and heat Chinese herbs on normal animal physiology from lipid and energy metabolism, which would provide reference for explaining the biological basis of Chinese herbs with cold or heat property based on biological response.

[Investigation of modulating effect of Qingfei Paidu Decoction on host metabolism and gut microbiome in rats].

This study is to explore the effect of Qingfei Paidu Decoction(QPD) on the host metabolism and gut microbiome of rats with metabolomics and 16 S rDNA sequencing. Based on 16 S rDNA sequencing of gut microbiome and metabolomics(GC-MS and LC-MS/MS), we systematically studied the serum metabolites profile and gut microbiota composition of rats treated with QPD for continued 5 days by oral gavage. A total of 23 and 43 differential metabolites were identified based on QPD with GC-MS and LC-MS/MS, respectively. The involved metabolic pathways of these differential metabolites included glycerophospholipid metabolism, linoleic acid metabolism, TCA cycle and pyruvate metabolism. Meanwhile, we found that QPD significantly regulated the composition of gut microbiota in rats, such as enriched Romboutsia, Turicibacter, and Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, and decreased norank_f_Lachnospiraceae. Our current study indicated that short-term intervention of QPD could significantly regulate the host metabolism and gut microbiota composition of rats dose-dependently, suggesting that the clinical efficacy of QPD may be related with the regulation on host metabolism and gut microbiome.

DS147 improves pregnancy in mice with embryo implantation dysfunction induced by controlled ovarian stimulation.

The study examined the effect of DS147, the bioactive component of the traditional herbal recipe Bangdeyun, on pregnancy in mice with embryo implantation dysfunction induced by controlled ovarian stimulation (COS), and the underlying mechanisms. Female mice were superovulated by intraperitoneal injection of 7.5 IU of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) followed by an additional injection of 7.5 IU hCG 48 h later to establish embryo implantation dysfunction (EID) model. Pregnant mice were randomly divided into normal control group, COS group and DS147-treated groups. The pregnancy rate and the average implantation site were obtained on pregnancy day 8 (PD8). The side effect of 200 mg/kg of DS147 on naturally pregnant mice was also observed. Further, the uterine and ovarian tissue samples were collected on PD5 for measuring their weights, observing the development of the endometrium and ovary, and detecting the endometrial expression of MMP-2, TIMP-2, CD34 and angiogenin (ANG). The female mice treated with DS147 at doses of 100 to 800 mg/kg showed a higher pregnancy rate than those in COS group, and the highest pregnancy rate of 83.3% occurred in the 200 mg/kg DS147-treated group. Moreover, no obvious side effect was found in mice treated with 200 mg/kg DS147 on PD8 and PD16. The ovarian and uterine weights, and the expression levels of MMP-2, ANG and CD34 were significantly increased in DS147-treated groups when compared with COS group. The TIMP-2 expression level was much lower in DS147-treated mice than in COS mice and the ratio of MMP-2/TIMP-2 was much higher in DS147-treated group than in COS group, and even higher than normal control group. In all, these findings suggest that DS147 may improve pregnancy in mice with COS-induced EID by promoting matrix degradation and angiogenesis, and improving the development of corpus luteum and endometrial decidualization around the implantation window.

Protective effects of polysaccharides from Dendrobium huoshanense on CCl4-induced acute liver injury in mice / 中国中药杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the protective effects of polysaccharides from Dendrobium huoshanense (DHP) against CCl4-induced liver injury in mice.</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Eighty male Kunming mice were randomly divided into normal control group, model control group, dextran control group, starch control group, hydrolyzate control group, three different dose of DPH groups consisting of high-dosage group, middle-dosage group and low-dosage group (200, 100, 50 mg x kg(-1)). Each group contained ten mice. The mice were treated with DHP via intragastric administration for 15 days before treatment of 50% CCl4 in olive oil for consecutive two days. Both alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activities in serum and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in liver tissues were determined in all groups. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of TNF-alpha in hepatic tissue. Hepatic histopathological examination was observed.</p><p><b>RESULT</b>DHP effectively decreased the activities of ALT and AST in serum and the contents of hepatic MDA, and restored hepatic SOD activities in acute liver injury mice. Liver tissue damage induced by CCl4 was ameliorated in mice with DHP administration through histopathology examination. Furthermore, the expression of TNF-alpha was greatly decreased in groups treated with polysaccharides.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>DHP has a significantly hepatoprotective effect on CCl4-induced acute liver injury in mice. Protective effect of DHP on the liver may be related to its function of scavenging free radicals and inhibiting lipid peroxidation and TNF-alpha expression.</p>