ABSTRACT
This study aimed to compare fat accumulation in young and aged mice raised on a high-fat diet and to characterize the obesity-reducing effects of a Kampo medicine, bofutsushosan (BTS; fangfengtongshengsan in Chinese). Aged mice fed a high-fat diet containing 2% BTS extract for 28 days exhibited a significant reduction in weight gain and accumulation of visceral and subcutaneous fat, which were greater degree of reduction than those of the young mice. When the treatment period was extended to two months, the serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels and the accumulation of fat droplets in the hepatocytes decreased. The mRNA expression of mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in the brown adipose tissue was significantly reduced in the aged mice compared to the young mice but increased by 2% in the BTS-treated aged mice. Additionally, the effect of BTS extract on oleic acid-albumin-induced triglyceride accumulation in hepatoblastoma-derived HepG2 cells was significantly inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner. Evaluation of the single crude drug extracts revealed that Forsythia Fruit, Schizonepeta Spike, and Rhubarb were the active components in BTS extract. These results suggest that BTS extract is effective against visceral, subcutaneous, and ectopic fats in the liver, which tend to accumulate with aging. Thus, BTS extract is useful in preventing and ameliorating the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Subject(s)
Aging , Diet, High-Fat , Drugs, Chinese Herbal , Obesity , Animals , Obesity/drug therapy , Obesity/metabolism , Mice , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology , Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry , Male , Diet, High-Fat/adverse effects , Aging/drug effects , Humans , Hep G2 Cells , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Uncoupling Protein 1/metabolism , Triglycerides/blood , Triglycerides/metabolism , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Plant Extracts/chemistry , Aspartate Aminotransferases/bloodABSTRACT
Background/Aim: Obesity is a major technical limiting factor for laparoscopic surgery because abundant visceral fat is known to extend the operation time. However, special hardware is needed to assess it. We hypothesized that the depth from the peritoneum to the bifurcation of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) defined as 'peritoneum to IMA distance (PID)' might be a simple predictive factor for extended operation time during laparoscopic colectomy. Patients and Methods: One hundred twenty-four patients who were diagnosed with sigmoid or rectosigmoid colon cancer and underwent laparoscopic colectomy were included. The patients were divided into two groups based on the operation time (210 min). The vertical distance from the peritoneum to the bifurcation of the inferior mesenteric artery was defined as PID. The factors eliciting an operation time longer than 210 min were investigated. Results: There was significant difference in sex, BMI, cT, cN, and PID between the Early group (<210 min) and Late group (≥210 min). Less blood loss was observed in the Early group than in the Late group. Multivariate analysis showed that PID was the only independent factor that affected operation time (p<0.001). Conclusion: PID predicts the operation time during laparoscopic colectomy for sigmoid or rectosigmoid colon cancer.