Zhuang-Gu-Fang Treats Osteoporosis in Ovariectomized Rats by Increasing the Osteogenesis-Related Factors Leptin, Ghrelin, and PYY.

Zhuang-Gu-Fang is a Chinese medicinal compound mixture, which is mainly composed of traditional remedies like the Epimedium Herb, Astragalus, and Eucommia among many others. The study is aimed at investigating the therapeutic effect of Zhuang-Gu-Fang in ovariectomized rats. Fifty six-month-old Wistar rats were randomly selected and divided into 5 groups (n = 10), namely, model group, positive group, low-dose Chinese medicine group, medium-dose group, and high-dose group. Another 10 sham operation Wistar rats were taken as a negative control group. After 3 months of intervention, the bone mineral density (BMD), procollagen type I N-peptide (PINP), beta C-terminal cross-linked telopeptides of type I collagen carboxyl-terminal peptide (ß-CTX), Leptin, Ghrelin, and Peptide YY (PYY) of each group were measured. Besides, the ultrastructure of bone structure and osteoblasts was also observed by transmission electron microscopy. Western blot method was used to detect the expression levels of Leptin and Ghrelin in bone tissue, and RT-PCR detected the mRNA expression levels of Leptin and Ghrelin. BMD test indicated that Zhuang-Gu-Fang could effectively prevent the loss of tibia bone in ovariectomized rats. Histomorphology analysis showed that Zhuang-Gu-Fang could preserve trabecular bone structure integrity and improve osteoblast ultrastructure. Notably, the study found out that Zhuang-Gu-Fang worked through balancing the bone metabolism via increasing bone formation/resorption ratio. Additionally, Zhuang-Gu-Fang highlighted the recovery effects in multiple levels of osteogenesis- and osteanagenesis-related factors Leptin, Ghrelin, and PYY. Conclusively, the study proved the therapeutic potential of the Zhuang-Gu-Fang for postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMOP) and further revealed that its therapeutic effect was related to the balance of bone metabolism and the recovery effects of bone-related factors Leptin, Ghrelin, and PYY.

Protective role of Pollen Typhae total flavone against the palmitic acid-induced impairment of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion involving GPR40 signaling in INS-1 cells.

Prolonged elevated levels of free fatty acids (FFAs) contribute to the impairment of insulin secretion function of pancreatic ß cells, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes, which is partly attributed to the dysfunction of G-protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40) signaling. Pollen Typhae total flavone (PTF), an extract from a Chinese herbal medicine named Pollen Typhae, has been reported to effectively treat type 2 diabetes, but the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. In the present study, palmitic acid (PA), a saturated fatty acid, severely impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) in a time-dependent manner in INS-1 cells, and PTF treatment prevented the impairment in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, PTF improved insulin secretion function in rats presenting with type 2 diabetes induced by a high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin. Furthermore, PA exposure for 24 h decreased the protein expression of GPR40, phospholipase C (PLC)ß1, PLCß3, and protein kinase C (PKC), and inhibited the activity of PLC and PKC stimulated by GW9508, a GPR40 agonist. In addition, PTF enhanced the protein expression of GPR40 and to a certain extent strengthened the protein expression of PKC, increased cellular levels of triphosphoinositide (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG), and promoted GW9508-stimulated activity of PLC and PKC reduced by PA in INS-1 cells, which were blocked by PLC inhibitor U-73122 and PKC inhibitor staurosporine, respectively. Additionally, the improvement in PA-induced impairment of GSIS by PTF in INS-1 cells was restrained by U-73122, staurosporine, and calcium channel inhibitor nifedipine, respectively. The results indicate that PTF exerts a protective role against PA-induced impairment of GSIS involving GPR40 signaling in INS-1 cells.

GPR40: a therapeutic target for mediating insulin secretion (review).

G-protein-coupled receptor 40 (GPR40), known as free fatty acid receptor 1, is mainly expressed in pancreatic ß-cells and activated by medium- and long-chain fatty acids. Increasing evidence indicates that the activation of GPR40 in cells causes insulin secretion, and GPR40 has become an attractive therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes. Recently, certain novel GPR40 agonists have been identified that regulate glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, leading to the development of new drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. In this review, we focus on progress in the physiological role of GPR40 and potential drugs targeting GPR40 over the past decade.

Yidiyin, a Chinese herbal decoction, improves erectile dysfunction in diabetic patients and rats through the NO-cGMP pathway.

The nitric-oxide (NO)-cyclic-guanosine-monophosphate (cGMP) pathway plays a key role in penile erection. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a complication in male diabetic patients that impacts their quality of 1ife. Recently, Yidiyin, a Chinese herbal decoction, is used to treat diabetic ED, but convincing evidence is lacking, and the potential mechanisms remain uncertain. In the study, diabetic ED patients had low scores on international index of erectile function-5 (IIEF-5), and administration of Yidiyin and hypoglycemic drugs for 16 weeks ameliorated patients' scores on IIEF-5 more than the hypoglycemic drug alone. Moreover, streptozotocin-induced diabetes severely impaired rats' erectile function and the activity of the NO-cGMP pathway in the corpora cavernosum, and treatment with Yidiyin for 4 weeks obviously increased the rats' erectile function, remarkably enhanced the activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and elevated the contents of NO and cGMP. Our findings indicate that Yidiyin improves diabetic ED probably by enhancing the NO-cGMP pathway.

Xiao-Ban-Xia-Tang inhibits cisplatin-induced pica by down regulating obestatin in rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Xiao-Ban-Xia-Tang (XBXT), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, has been used in China for more than 2000 years, and proved to be effective in various cases of vomiting in the clinic. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the inhibitive effect of XBXT on cisplatin-induced pica behaviour and its effective mechanism on obestatin, CCK and CGRP in the pica model of rat. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The inhibitive effect of XBXT was investigated in the pica model of rats induced by cisplatin (3mg kg(-1), i.p.) in 72h observation, the expression of obestatin in the area postrema and ileum was measured by immunohistochemistry and PCR, and the levels of CCK and CGRP in blood were measured by Elisa. RESULTS: The weight of kaolin eaten in rats induced by cisplatin was significantly reduced by pretreatment with XBXT in a dose-dependent manner during the 0-24h and 24-72h periods (P<0.05). XBXT exhibited effective dose-dependent (P<0.05) inhibition on the increase of expression levels of obestatin in both the ileum and area postrema, and markedly suppressed the increase levels of CCK and CGRP in blood induced by cisplatin in a dose-dependent manner (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: XBXT has good activity against cisplatin-induced eating kaolin in rats possibly by inhibiting central or peripheral increase of obestatin, or the levels of CCK and CGRP in blood.

JinQi-Jiangtang tablet, a Chinese patent medicine, for pre-diabetes: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Pre-diabetes is a growing health concern where a large percentage of these patients develop full type 2 diabetes. Effective interventions on pre-diabetes can prevent or delay the occurrence or development of diabetes. Pharmacodynamics and pre-clinical of JinQi-Jiangtang tablets (JQJT) suggest that it could be benefit for pre-diabetes. METHODS/DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial (RCT) is implemented in this study. The study term is 24 months (12 months for intervention and 12 months for follow up). Participants are recruited from four cities of China: Beijing, Tianjin, Xi'an and Nanning. Four hundred participants are randomized to treatment group (JQJT tablets) and control group (Placebo); two hundred participants each. People being included in this study must have been diagnosed as pre-diabetes via western medicine criteria and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) criteria. The end-point indexes include: incidence of diabetes mellitus and reversion rate. Primary outcome indexes include: oral glucose tolerance test; insulin releasing test; glycosylated hemoglobin (HA1c). Secondary outcome indexes include: score of the Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36); score of TCM symptoms; blood lipid test. Indexes of safety include: general medical examination; blood and urine regular test; electrocardiogram (ECG), liver function (ALT) and renal function (BUN, Creatinine) test; record of adverse event, such as headache, faint, etc. Qualitative control will be implemented and a number of standard operating processes (SOPs) will be formed throughout the study: laboratory quality control measures; compliance control for researchers and participants; researcher training before study; supervision; investigational drug management and others. DISCUSSION: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of JinQi JiangTang (JQJT) tablets for the treatment of patients with pre-diabetes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Chinese clinical trials register ChiCTR-TRC-00000401.

[Effects of Jiangtang Bushen Recipe on serum C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus].

UNLABELLED: OBJECTIVE To observe the effect of Jiangtang Bushen Recipe (JBR) on inflammatory cytokines in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), and explore its therapeutic mechanism. METHODS Sixty-four patients with T2DM were randomly divided into the treated group (n = 34) and the control group (n = 30). Education course, dietary treatment and conventional hypoglycemic agent were given to both groups, and JBR, mainly composed of Cibot Rhizome, Radix Dipsaci, Glossy Privet Fruit; Ecliptae Herba, Radicis Lycii, Radix Astragali, Rehmannia Dride Rhizome, etc., was given additionally to patients in the treated group, one dose a day for 4 weeks by boiled water and taking in two times. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FINS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-a) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured, and insulin sensitive index (ISI) and clinical TCM symptom score were calculated before and after treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, the clinical symptom score dropped in both groups (P < 0.01), and it was lower in the treated group than that in the control group (P < 0.01). At the same time, serum levels of FINS, CRP, TNF-alpha and IL-6 decreased and ISI increased significantly, the effect showed in the treated group was also superior to that in the control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: JBR, which could tonify Pi and Shen, nourish Yin and clear away heat, can improve insulin resistance and alleviate clinical symptoms of T2DM patients, the mechanism may be related with its actions in regulating the production of inflammatory cytokines and inhibiting inflammatory reac-