Lomatogonium rotatum extract alleviates diabetes mellitus induced by a high-fat,high-sugar diet and streptozotocin in rats

BACKGROUND Lomatogonium rotatum(LR)is traditionally used in Mongolian folk medicine as a hypoglycemic agent,but its evidence-based pharmacological effects and mechanisms of action have not been fully elucidated.AIM To emphasize the hypoglycemic action mechanism of LR in a type 2 diabetic rat model and examine potential biomarkers to obtain mechanistic understanding regarding serum metabolite modifications.METHODS A high-fat,high-sugar diet and streptozotocin injection-induced type 2 diabetic rat model was established.The chemical composition of the LR was identified by high performance liquid chromatography.LR extract administrated as oral gavage at 0.5 g/kg,2.5 g/kg,and 5 g/kg for 4 wk.Anti-diabetic effects of LR extract were evaluated based on histopathological examination as well as the measurement of blood glucose,insulin,glucagon-like peptide 1(GLP-1),and lipid levels.Serum metabolites were analyzed using an untargeted metabolomics approach.RESULTS According to a chemical analysis,swertiamarin,sweroside,hesperetin,coumarin,1.7-dihydroxy-3,8-dimethoxyl xanthone,and 1-hydroxy-2,3,5 trimethoxanone are the principal active ingredients in LR.An anti-diabetic experiment revealed that the LR treatment significantly increased plasma insulin and GLP-1 levels while effectively lowering blood glucose,total cholesterol,triglycerides,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,and oral glucose tolerance test compared to the model group.Furthermore,untargeted metabolomic analysis of serum samples detected 236 metabolites,among which 86 were differentially expressed between the model and the LR group.It was also found that LR considerably altered the levels of metabolites such as vitamin B6,mevalonate-5P,Dproline,L-lysine,and taurine,which are involved in the regulation of the vitamin B6 metabolic pathway,selenium amino acid metabolic pathway,pyrimidine metabolic pathway,and arginine and proline metabolic pathways.CONCLUSION These findings indicated that LR may have a hypoglycemic impact and that its role may be related to changes in the serum metabolites and to facilitate the release of insulin and GLP-1,which lower blood glucose and lipid profiles.

Protective effect and mechanisms of action of Mongolian medicine Sulongga-4 on pyloric ligation-induced gastroduodenal ulcer in rats

BACKGROUND Sulongga-4(SL-4)is a herbal formula used in traditional Mongolian medical clinics for the treatment of peptic ulcers and gastroenteritis,even though its pharmacological mechanism has not been well characterized.AIM To evaluate the protective effect and identify the mechanisms of action of SL-4 on gastroduodenal ulcer induced by pyloric ligation(PL)in rats.METHODS PL was performed to induce gastric and duodenal ulcers in rats,which were then treated with oral SL-4(1.3,2.6,or 3.9 g/kg per day)for 15 d.PL-induced gastroduodenal ulceration.Therapeutic effects were characterized by pathological and histological evaluations and inflammatory indicators were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Microarray analyses were conducted to identify gene expression profiles of gastroduodenal tissue in PL rats with or without SL-4 treatment.The candidate target genes were selected and verified by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR).RESULTS SL-4 decreased histopathological features in the PL-induced ulcerated rats.SL-4 significantly (P < 0.05) decreased expression of tumor necrosis factor-α,interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, endotoxin, platelet-activating factor, and increasedprostaglandin E2 and epidermal growth factor in ulcer tissue. Microarray analysiswas used to identify a panel of candidate target genes for SL-4 acting on PLinducedulceration. Genes included some complement and coagulation cascadeand retinol metabolism pathways that are closely associated with inflammatoryresponses and gastric mucosal protective mechanisms. qRT-PCR showed thataltered expression of the selected genes, such as CYP2b2, UGT2b1, A2m, andMASP1 was consistent with the microarray results.CONCLUSIONSL-4 exerts protective effects against PL-induced gastroduodenal ulcers viareducing inflammatory cytokines and elevating expression of gastric acidinhibitory factors. Downregulation of CYP2b2 and UGT2b1 genes in retinolmetabolism and upregulation of A2m and MASP1 genes in the complement andcoagulation cascades pathways are possibly involved in SL-4-mediated protectionagainst gastroduodenal ulcer.

Bitter components related to alleviating intestinal obstruction in traditional Mongolian medicine

Intestinal obstruction is a blockage that keeps digesta from passing through upper or lower intestine.Traditional Mongolian medicine(TMM)has been proven to be efficacious in the clinical treatment of intestinal obstruction.However,the mechanism of its treatment has not been studied.The bitter taste receptors(T2Rs)are highly expressed in the extra-oral digestive system,such as gastrointestinal tract,which can regulate gastrointestinal peristalsis and contraction of gastrointestinal smooth muscle.In the respiratory system,T2Rs can relax the airway smooth muscle and effectively alleviate asthma symptoms.In this review,the theory and clinical applications of bitter herbs in TMM were discussed and the functional expression of T2Rs and bitter taste signal transduction pathway were analyzed to investigate whether bitter Mongolian medicine may play an effective role in promoting gastrointestinal peristalsis.Therefore,the scientific connotation of the theory of bitter medicinal property of TMM was interpreted by combining T2Rs research and application of modern technology.This new research approach may enrich and improve the basic theory and accelerate the modernization of TMM.