Effects and mechanisms of tea on obesity.

Obesity has become a global health concern. It increases the risk of several diseases, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and certain cancers, which threatens human health and increases social economic burden. As one of the most consumed beverages, tea contains various phytochemicals with potent bioactive properties and health-promoting effects, such as antioxidant, immune-regulation, cardiovascular protection and anticancer. Tea and its components are also considered as potential candidates for anti-obesity. Epidemiological studies indicate that regular consumption of tea is beneficial for reducing body fat. In addition, the experimental studies demonstrate that the potential anti-obesity mechanisms of tea are mainly involved in increasing energy expenditure and lipid catabolism, decreasing nutrient digestion and absorption as well as lipid synthesis, and regulating adipocytes, neuroendocrine system and gut microbiota. Moreover, most of clinical studies illustrate that the intake of green tea could reduce body weight and alleviate the obesity. In this review, we focus on the effect of tea and its components on obesity from epidemiological, experimental, and clinical studies, and discuss their potential mechanisms.

Using omics approaches to dissect the therapeutic effects of Chinese herbal medicines on gastrointestinal cancers.

Chinese herbal medicines offer a rich source of anti-cancer drugs. Differences between the pharmacology of Chinese herbal medicines and modern synthetic chemicals hinder the development of drugs derived from herbal products. To address this challenge, novel omics approaches including transcriptomics, proteomics, genomics, metabolomics, and microbiomics have been applied to dissect the pharmacological benefits of Chinese herbal medicines in cancer treatments. Numerous Chinese herbal medicines have shown potential anti-tumor effects on different gastrointestinal (GI) cancers while eliminating the side effects associated with conventional cancer therapies. The present study aimed to provide an overview of recent research focusing on Chinese herbal medicines in GI cancer treatment, based on omics approaches. This review also illustrates the potential utility of omics approaches in herbal-derived drug discovery. Omics approaches can precisely and efficiently reveal the key molecular targets and intracellular interaction networks of Chinese herbal medicines in GI cancer treatment. This study summarizes the application of different omics-based approaches in investigating the effects and mechanisms of Chinese herbal medicines in GI cancers. Future research directions are also proposed for this area of study.

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.): Bioactive Compounds, Health Functions, and Applications.

Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) is rich in many bioactive compounds and exhibits diverse health functions, of which an understanding can be helpful for its better utilization in the food industry. This review mainly summarizes recent studies about the bioactive compounds and health functions of elderberry, highlighting the potential mechanism of action. In addition, the applications of elderberry in foods are also discussed. Elderberry contains diversely bioactive ingredients, such as (poly)phenolic compounds and terpenoid compounds. Recent studies report that some food processing methods can affect the content of bioactive compounds in elderberry. Additionally, elderberry exhibits various health functions in vitro and in vivo, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, anti-influenza, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, cardiovascular protective, and neuroprotective activities, and their potential molecular mechanisms are associated with regulating some key signaling pathways and molecular targets. Up to now, there have been limited clinical trials supporting the health benefits of elderberry. Overall, elderberry is a promising dietary source of bioactive ingredients and has the potential to be developed into functional foods or nutraceuticals for preventing and treating certain chronic diseases.

Health Functions and Related Molecular Mechanisms of Tea Components: An Update Review.

Tea is widely consumed all over the world. Generally, tea is divided into six categories: White, green, yellow, oolong, black, and dark teas, based on the fermentation degree. Tea contains abundant phytochemicals, such as polyphenols, pigments, polysaccharides, alkaloids, free amino acids, and saponins. However, the bioavailability of tea phytochemicals is relatively low. Thus, some novel technologies like nanotechnology have been developed to improve the bioavailability of tea bioactive components and consequently enhance the bioactivity. So far, many studies have demonstrated that tea shows various health functions, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immuno-regulatory, anticancer, cardiovascular-protective, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, and hepato-protective effects. Moreover, it is also considered that drinking tea is safe to humans, since reports about the severe adverse effects of tea consumption are rare. In order to provide a better understanding of tea and its health potential, this review summarizes and discusses recent literature on the bioactive components, bioavailability, health functions, and safety issues of tea, with special attention paid to the related molecular mechanisms of tea health functions.

Dendrobine targeting JNK stress signaling to sensitize chemotoxicity of cisplatin against non-small cell lung cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is the standard treatment for lung cancer, but chemoresistance and adverse effects especially cardiotoxicity limit its efficacy. PURPOSE: The efficacy of combination treatment of dendrobine, a plant alkaloid isolated from Dendrobium nobile, with cisplatin was examined as a possible anti-non-small cell lung cancer strategy. METHODS: The cytotoxicity of dendrobine and cisplatin against A549 lung cancer cells was analyzed by MTT and colony formation assays. Apoptosis was measured by annexin V/PI double staining. Apoptosis-related proteins were assessed by western blotting and qPCR analysis. In vivo efficacy was determined using A549 xenograft in nude mice. JNK and Bim inhibition were achieved by siRNA knockdown and/or chemical inhibition. Cardiotoxicity was assessed by serum creatine phosphokinase activity assay. RESULTS: Dendrobine induced apoptotic cell death through mitochondrial-mediated pathway. Combination treatment of dendrobine with cisplatin showed enhanced cytotoxicity through stimulation of JNK/p38 stress signaling pathways and, consequently, the induction of apoptosis involving pro-apoptotic proteins Bax and Bim. In addition, dendrobine attenuated the body weight reduction and cardiotoxicity induced by cisplatin in nude mice. CONCLUSION: The combination treatment showed enhanced anticancer activity toward non-small cell lung cancer cells without aggravating the cardiotoxic effects of cisplatin suggesting that the combination strategy deserves further investigation for human lung cancer treatment.

Chinese medicines in the treatment of experimental diabetic nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a severe micro vascular complication accompanying diabetes mellitus that affects millions of people worldwide. End-stage renal disease occurs in nearly half of all DN patients, resulting in large medical costs and lost productivity. The course of DN progression is complicated, and effective and safe therapeutic strategies are desired. While the complex nature of DN renders medicines with a single therapeutic target less efficacious, Chinese medicine, with its holistic view targeting the whole system of the patient, has exhibited efficacy for DN management. This review aims to describe the experimental evidence for Chinese medicines in DN management, with an emphasis on the underlying mechanisms, and to discuss the combined use of herbs and drugs in DN treatment.

Liquiritigenin exhibits antitumour action in pituitary adenoma cells via Ras/ERKs and ROS-dependent mitochondrial signalling pathways.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate antitumour effects of liquiritigenin (LQ) on pituitary adenoma in in-vitro and in-vivo models. METHODS: The effects of LQ on cell viability, apoptosis rate, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and various apoptosis-related mediators were examined in MMQ and GH3 cells that are derived from rat pituitary adenoma. Antitumour effect of LQ was also examined in the mouse model of GH3-xenografted tumour. KEY FINDINGS: LQ inhibited cell viability, caused G1 phase arrest and initiated apoptosis in both MMQ and GH3 cells. LQ dissipated MMP, increased intracellular ROS level and cytosol cytochrome C, and reduced the expression of Ras, B-cell lymphoma 2 and B-cell lymphoma-extra large. LQ also inhibited the activation of extracellular signalling-regulated kinases (ERKs) and the translocation of from cytoplasm to nucleus. LQ markedly reduced tumour size without affecting bodyweight in mice with GH3 cells xenograft. CONCLUSIONS: LQ effectively inhibits pituitary adenoma tumour growth and induces cell apoptotic death mainly via Ras/ERKs and ROS-dependent mitochondrial pathways, suggesting that LQ is a potential suppressor of pituitary adenoma.

Paeoniflorin, a natural neuroprotective agent, modulates multiple anti-apoptotic and pro-apoptotic pathways in differentiated PC12 cells.

Numerous studies have shown robust neuroprotective effects of paeoniflorin (PF), a natural compound derived from the herbal medicine Paeony radix. In the present study, we determined associations of PF neuroprotection with its modulation of various apoptotic and anti-apoptotic pathways. PF (50-400 µM) pretreatment significantly improved viability of differentiated PC12 cells exposed to methyl-4-phenylpyridine ion (MPP(+)), a neurotoxin, and inhibited over-release of lactate dehydrogenase, a biomarker of neuronal cell death. PF also ameliorated MPP(+)-induced nuclear and mitochondrial apoptotic alteration and intracellular calcium overload. PF treatment reversed MPP(+) suppression of activity of B cell lymphoma-extra large, which is a mitochondrial membrane molecule that protects cells from DNA damage-induced apoptosis, and strikingly inhibited the enhanced level of cleaved poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase, which is involved in the process of apoptosis. PF alone and coadministration with MPP(+) enhanced phospho activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases, Akt, and its downstream element glycogen synthase kinase-3, but the effects were completely abolished in the presence of their blockers PD98059 and LY294002. The presence of the blockers also diminished the potency of PF in improving viability of MPP(+)-exposed cells. These results indicate that neuroprotective effects of PF are related to its modulation of multiple anti-apoptotic and pro-apoptotic pathways, including blockade of intracellular calcium overload, prevention of mitochondrial membrane integrity, inhibition of pro-apoptotic molecules, and up-regulation of anti-apoptotic proteins associated with cell survival and proliferation. The study provides evidence supporting PF as a potential therapeutic agent used for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases and neural injury.

Not only dopamine D2 receptors involved in Peony-Glycyrrhiza Decoction, an herbal preparation against antipsychotic-associated hyperprolactinemia.

Clinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of an herbal preparation called Peony-Glycyrrhiza Decoction (PGD) in alleviating antipsychotic-induced hyperprolactinemia (hyperPRL). In the present study, we further examined the pharmacological action of PGD on prolactin (PRL) secretion using in vitro and in vivo models, with specific attention to the role of dopaminergic mediators and other sex hormones. Treatment with PGD at 1-5mg/ml significantly suppressed PRL secretion and synthesis in MMQ cells, a model of hyperPRL derived from pituitary adenoma cells. The suppressive effects were completely abolished by pretreatment with 10µM haloperidol, a dopamine D(2) receptor antagonist. Consistent with a D(2)-action, PGD did not affect PRL in rat pituitary lactotropic tumor-derived GH3 cells that lack the D(2) receptor expression but significantly increased the expression of D(2) receptors and dopamine transporters (DAT) in PC12 cells. In a rat model of hyperPRL, produced by repeated injection of the dopamine blocker metoclopramide (MCP), chronic PGD (2.5-10g/kg daily) significantly reduced elevated serum PRL. The reduction in magnitude was similar to that elicited by bromocriptine (BMT), a dopamine D(2) receptor agonist currently used for treatment of hyperPRL. Neither PGD nor BMT altered serum estradiol, but PGD reversed decreased serum progesterone to control level, whereas BMT did not. These results indicate that the anti-hyperPRL effects of PGD are associated not only with D(2) receptor and DAT modulation, but also with a normalization of other sex hormone dysfunction. This experimental evidence supports clinical use of PGD as an effective treatment of antipsychotic-induced hyperPRL.

An epidemiological study of concomitant use of Chinese medicine and antipsychotics in schizophrenic patients: implication for herb-drug interaction.

BACKGROUND: Herb-drug interactions are an important issue in drug safety and clinical practice. The aim of this epidemiological study was to characterize associations of clinical outcomes with concomitant herbal and antipsychotic use in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, 1795 patients with schizophrenia who were randomly selected from 17 psychiatric hospitals in China were interviewed face-to-face using a structured questionnaire. Association analyses were conducted to examine correlates between Chinese medicine (CM) use and demographic, clinical variables, antipsychotic medication mode, and clinical outcomes. The prevalence of concomitant CM and antipsychotic treatment was 36.4% [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 34.2%-38.6%]. Patients using concomitant CM had a significantly greater chance of improved outcomes than non-CM use (61.1% vs. 34.3%, OR = 3.44, 95% CI 2.80-4.24). However, a small but significant number of patients treated concomitantly with CM had a greater risk of developing worse outcomes (7.2% vs. 4.4%, OR = 2.06, 95% CI 2.06-4.83). Significant predictors for concomitant CM treatment-associated outcomes were residence in urban areas, paranoid psychosis, and exceeding 3 months of CM use. Herbal medicine regimens containing Radix Bupleuri, Fructus Gardenia, Fructus Schisandrae, Radix Rehmanniae, Akebia Caulis, and Semen Plantaginis in concomitant use with quetiapine, clozapine, and olanzepine were associated with nearly 60% of the risk of adverse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant herbal and antipsychotic treatment could produce either beneficial or adverse clinical effects in schizophrenic population. Potential herb-drug pharmacokinetic interactions need to be further evaluated.

Dendrobium candidum extract increases the expression of aquaporin-5 in labial glands from patients with Sjögren's syndrome.

This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of Dendrobium candidum extract in promoting expression of aquaporin-5 for treatment of Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Sixteen patients with SS suffered from deficient secretion of saliva due to an autoimmune destruction of salivary glands leading to dry mouth symptoms (xerostomia). However, glandular dysfunction also occurred without destruction. Based upon its abnormal distribution in SS salivary glands, a potential role of the water channel protein aquaporin-5 (AQP-5) in the pathogenesis of SS was proposed. After oral administration of D. candidum extracted liquid (DCEL) for 1 week, saliva and salivary gland biopsies from labial glands of patients were collected and examined by employing immunoreactivity and immunohistochemistry techniques. Results showed that salivary secretion increased by about 65% in patients treated with DCEL as compared with the control group. Higher labeling indices (percentage of acinus area immunoreactive for AQP-5) in the biopsies were found in SS patients who had taken DCEL. This study demonstrated that D. candidum would regulate the expression of AQP-5 in labial glands of SS patients and thereby promoted secretion of saliva to improve dry mouth symptoms.

[Explore new clinical application of Huanglian and corresponding compound prescriptions from their traditional use].

Huanglian is a commonly used Chinese medicinal herb in the ancient and the present. It has a history of 2000 years in clinical application, having the efficacy of "Clear away heat and remove dampness, purge the sthenic fire and eliminate toxic materials", therefore can be used for various diseases or syndromes in types of dampness-heat and fire-toxin by internal or external use. Compound prescriptions mainly based on Huanglian or prescribed by Huanglian, such as Puji Xiaodu Yin, Huanglian Jiedu Tang, Zhusha Anshen Wan, Qingying Tang, Angong Niuhuang Wan, Niuhuang Qingxin Wan, Jiaotai Wan, Huanglian Ejiao Tang, Zuojin Wan, Danggui Longhui Wan, Huanglian Yanggan Wan, Wu Xiexin Tang, Lianpu Yin, Gegen Huangqin Huanglian Tang, Baitouweng Tang, Xianglian Wan etc. All of these are well-known formulas for clearing away toxin of heat-fire of heart and liver, as well as dampness-heat of stomach and intestines. Nowadays, Huanglian is generally considered as a kind of antibiotic and antivirus herb and is widely used for many infective diseases. In fact, it is also used to cure cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer based on pharmacological studies. Having been using Huanglian in treating the above diseases and having conducted clinical and experimental research on cancer and liver diseases, the author observed that Huanglian and its compound prescriptions have obvious effects on liver diseases such as acute or chronic hepatitis, liver fibrosis, liver cirrhosis and liver cancer due to types of dampness-heat and fire-toxin. Part of the effects has been proved by experimental research and it is worth carrying out more research in this area for development and clinical application.

Application of SCAR (sequence characterized amplified region) analysis to authenticate Lycium barbarum (wolfberry) and its adulterants.

Fructus Lycii (Gouqizi) is well known in Chinese herbal medicine for its restorative function of benefiting the liver and kidney, replenishing vital essence and improving eyesight. However, ten species and varieties of Lycium have benn found to be substitutes or adulterants of Lycium barbarum (wolfberry) in commercial markets in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and in China generally. L. barbarum cv. 'Tianjinense' and Lycium chinense var. potaninii are the most common examples. It is difficult to differentiate among the Lycium species by traditional morphological and histological analyses. An easy and reliable approach based on SCAR (sequence characterized amplified region) analysis was developed in the present study to differentiate L. barbarum from other Lycium species. Two characteristic bands of approx. 700 and 650 bp were detected on the RAPD (random amplification of polymorphic DNA) profiles generated from samples of L. barbarum and L. chinense var. potaninii using the primer OPC-7. They were isolated and sequenced. Two primer sets, based on the sequences, could amplify a single specific band in samples of L. barbarum respectively, whereas no bands were detected in samples of L. chinense var. potaninii. The results confirmed that the SCAR technique can be employed for authenticating L. barbarum and its adulterants.