Andrographolide ameliorates hepatic steatosis by suppressing FATP2-mediated fatty acid uptake in mice with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Excessive intrahepatocellular lipid accumulation or steatosis is caused by abnormal lipid metabolism and a common character of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which may progress into cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer. Andrographolide (Andro) is the primary active ingredient extracted from Andrographis paniculata, showing a protective role against dietary steatosis with the mechanism not fully understood. In this study, we showed that administration of Andro (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks, respectively) attenuated obesity and metabolic syndrome in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice with improved glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and reduced hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, and hyperlipidemia. HFD-fed mice presented hepatic steatosis, which was significantly prevented by Andro. In vitro, Andro decreased the intracellular lipid droplets in oleic acid-treated LO2 cells. The selected RT-PCR array revealed a robust expression suppression of the fatty acid transport proteins (FATPs) by Andro treatment. Most importantly, we found that Andro consistently reduced the expression of FATP2 in both the oleic acid-treated LO2 cells and liver tissues of HFD-fed mice. Overexpression of FATP2 abolished the lipid-lowering effect of Andro in oleic acid-treated LO2 cells. Andro treatment also reduced the fatty acid uptake in oleic acid-treated LO2 cells, which was blunted by FATP2 overexpression. Collectively, our findings reveal a novel mechanism underlying the anti-steatosis effect of Andro by suppressing FATP2-mediated fatty acid uptake, suggesting the potential therapeutic application of Andro in the treatment of NAFLD.

Astragalus mongholicus Bunge and Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F.H. Chen Formula for Renal Injury in Diabetic Nephropathy-In Vivo and In Vitro Evidence for Autophagy Regulation.

BACKGROUND: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) with limited treatment options. DN leads to progressive renal failure and accelerates rapidly into end-stage renal disease. Astragalus mongholicus Bunge and Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F.H. Chen formula (APF) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula widely used to treat chronic kidney diseases (CKD) in the clinic in the southwest of China. The aim of this study is to explore how APF and its related TCM theory work on DN and whether mTOR/PINK1/Parkin signaling plays a part in this process. METHODS: HPLC was used for preliminary chemical analysis and quantitative analysis of the five components of APF. An in vivo autophagy deficiency model was established in C57BL/6 mice by streptozocin (STZ) combined with a high-fat and high-sugar diet, while the in vitro autophagy deficiency model was induced with high glucose (HG) in renal mesangial cells (RMCs). Renal histopathology staining was performed to investigate the extents of inflammation and injury. Real time-PCR and Western blotting techniques were utilized to assess autophagy-related proteins. RESULTS: APF significantly ameliorated renal injury in DN mice, specifically restoring blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and 24-hour albuminuria. APF also reduced the mRNA and protein expressions of TNFα, IL-1ß, and IL-6 in STZ-induced DN mice. Furthermore, APF improved the autophagy deficiency induced by STZ in vivo or HG in vitro, as revealed by changes in the expressions of mTOR, PINK1, Parkin, Beclin 1, p62, and LC3B. Notably, inhibition of autophagy with 3-methyladenine in APF-treated RMCs aggravated cellular damage and altered mTOR/PINK1/Parkin signaling, indicating that APF rescued HG damage through promoting autophagy. CONCLUSION: APF may protect the kidneys from inflammation injuries in DN by upregulating autophagy via suppressing mTOR and activating PINK1/Parkin signaling. This experimental evidence strongly supports APF as a potential option for the prevention and treatment of DN.

Probiotics and fructo-oligosaccharide intervention modulate the microbiota-gut brain axis to improve autism spectrum reducing also the hyper-serotonergic state and the dopamine metabolism disorder.

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is increasing, but its etiology remains elusive and hence an effective treatment is not available. Previous research conducted on animal models suggests that microbiota-gut-brain axis may contribute to ASD pathology and more human research is needed. This study was divided into two stages,.At the discovery stage, we compared the differences in gut microbiota profiles (using 16S rRNA sequencing), fecal SCFAs (using GC-MS) and plasma neurotransmitters (using UHPLC-MS/MS) of 26 children with ASD and 24 normal children. All 26 children with ASD participated in the intervention stage, and we measured the gut microbiota profiles, SCFAs and neurotransmitters before and after probiotics + FOS (n = 16) or placebo supplementation (n = 10). We found that gut microbiota was in a state of dysbiosis and significantly lower levels of Bifidobacteriales and Bifidobacterium longum were observed at the discovery stage in children with ASD. An increase in beneficial bacteria (Bifidobacteriales and B. longum) and suppression of suspected pathogenic bacteria (Clostridium) emerged after probiotics + FOS intervention, with significant reduction in the severity of autism and gastrointestinal symptoms. Compared to children in the control group, significantly lower levels of acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid were found, and a hyperserotonergic state (increased serotonin) and dopamine metabolism disorder (decreased homovanillic acid) were observed in children with ASD. Interestingly, the above SCFAs in children with autism significantly elevated after probiotics + FOS intervention and approached those in the control group. In addition, our data demonstrated that decreased serotonin and increased homovanillic acid emerged after probiotics + FOS intervention. However, the above-mentioned changes did not appear in the placebo group for ASD children. Probiotics + FOS intervention can modulate gut microbiota, SCFAs and serotonin in association with improved ASD symptoms, including a hyper-serotonergic state and dopamine metabolism disorder.