RESUMEN
The Traditional Chinese Medicine compound preparation known as Diwu Yanggan capsule (DWYG) can effectively hinder the onset and progression of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is recognized worldwide as a significant contributor to fatalities associated with cancer. Nevertheless, the precise mechanisms implicated have remained ambiguous. In present study, the model of HCC was set up by the 2-acetylaminofluorene (2-AAF)/partial hepatectomy (PH) in rats. To confirm the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) identified in the microarray analysis, real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) was conducted. In the meantime, the liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS/MS) was employed to characterize the component profile of DWYG. Consequently, the DWYG treatment exhibited the ability to reverse 51 variation genes induced by 2-AAF/PH. Additionally, there was an overlap of 54 variation genes between the normal and model groups. Upon conducting RT-qPCR analysis, it was observed that the expression levels of all genes were increased by 2-AAF/PH and subsequently reversed after DWYG treatment. Notably, the fold change of expression levels for all genes was below 0.5, with 3 genes falling below 0.25. Moreover, an investigation was conducted to determine the signaling pathway that was activated/inhibited in the HCC group and subsequently reversed in the DWYG group. Moreover, the component profile of DWYG encompassed a comprehensive compilation of 206 compounds that were identified or characterized. The findings of this study elucidated the potential alleviative mechanisms of DWYG in the context of HCC, thereby holding significant implications for its future clinical utilization and widespread adoption.
RESUMEN
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common chronic liver disorders worldwide and had no approved pharmacological treatments. Diwuyanggan prescription (DWYG) is a traditional Chinese medicine preparation composed of 5 kinds of herbs, which has been used for treating chronic liver diseases in clinic. Whereas, the synergistic mechanism of this prescription for anti-NAFLD remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the synergetic effect of DWYG by using the disassembled prescriptions and untargeted metabolomics research strategies. The therapeutic effects of the whole prescription of DWYG and the individual herb were divided into six groups according to the strategy of disassembled prescriptions, including DWYG, Artemisia capillaris Thunb. (AC), Curcuma longa L. (CL), Schisandra chinensis Baill. (SC), Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. (RG) and Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. (GU) groups. The high fat diets-induced NAFLD mice model was constructed to evaluate the efficacy effects of DWYG. An untargeted metabolomics based on the UPLC-QTOF-MS/MS approach was carried out to make clear the synergetic effect on the regulation of metabolites dissecting the united mechanisms. Experimental results on animals revealed that the anti-NAFLD effect of DWYG prescription was better than the individual herb group in reducing liver lipid deposition and restoring the abnormality of lipidemia. In addition, further metabolomics analysis indicated that 23 differential metabolites associated with the progression of NAFLD were identified and 19 of them could be improved by DWYG. Compared with five single herbs, DWYG showed the most extensive regulatory effects on metabolites and their related pathways, which were related to lipid and amino acid metabolisms. Besides, each individual herb in DWYG was found to show different degrees of regulatory effects on NAFLD and metabolic pathways. SC and CL possessed the highest relationship in the regulation of NAFLD. Altogether, these results provided an insight into the synergetic mechanisms of DWYG from the metabolic perspective, and also supported a scientific basis for the rationality of clinical use of this prescription.
RESUMEN
Objective: There is a limited diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Thus, the noninvasive assessments are worth exploring. We determined the associations of phase angles (PhAs) obtained from bioelectric impedance analysis (BIA) with the risk of NAFLD in an overweight population. Methods: A study involving 953 overweight participants was conducted in Wuhan city, China. The associations between PhAs (right arm, left arm, body trunk, right leg, left leg, and whole body) and the risk of NAFLD were conducted using multivariate logistic regression analyses. The associations of PhAs with the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), a noninvasive assessment of liver steatosis and fibrosis, were also evaluated by both linear and logistic regression analyses. Results: The PhA values of the whole body, trunk, and legs were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the NAFLD group than the non-NAFLD group. After adjustment for BMI, gender, education, income/year, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, passive smoking, and drinking, significant associations of PhA values of the right leg, left leg, and whole body with the risk of NAFLD were observed. In addition, the PhA of the right leg, left leg, and whole body were significantly related to the CAP values. Further stratified analyses indicated that these associations were significant in the participants with BMI <30, but not in the participants with BMI ≥30. Conclusions: PhAs might be effective indicators in the management of NAFLD among overweight people.