Synergistic effects of three traditional herbs green tea,mulberry leaf and corn silk on glucose uptake level of L6 myoblasts and the hypoglycemic mechanism

Background:Green tea,mulberry leaf and corn silk are traditional herbs used in the prevention and treatment of diabetes in China for a long time,but their synergistic hypoglycemic effects and mechanisms remain unclear.Methods:The effective components of green tea,mulberry leaf and corn silk were extracted and enriched.Mixture design of experiments was used to study the influences of different combinations on the cell viability and glucose uptake level of L6 myoblasts,so as to determine the optimal synergistic hypoglycemic combination.The possible hypoglycemic mechanism of the optimal synergistic combination was explored by cytotoxicity assay,glucose uptake assay,and western blot.Results:Three polyphenol enrichment fractions of the herbs,30%ethanol elution fraction of green tea(GT),50%ethanol elution fraction of mulberry leaf(ML)and 60%ethanol elution fraction of corn silk(CS)were obtained.The antioxidant activities of GT-30%,ML-50%and CS-60%were superior to those of crude extracts,and showed strong potential inα-amylase andα-glucosidase inhibition activities.The optimal synergistic combination of crude extracts G7(crude extract of green tea:crude extract of mulberry leaf:crude extract of corn silk=1:5:3),polyphenol enrichment fractions R3(GT-30%:ML-50%:CS-60%=1:7:1)and monomers X2(epigallocatechin gallate:morusin:formononetin=3:1:2)were selected,respectively.G7,R3,and X2 showed promoting effects on the cell viability and glucose uptake of L6 myoblasts within the detected concentration range.In addition,G7,R3,and X2 could increase the expression levels of p-PI3K/PI3K and p-Akt/Akt in L6 myoblasts,and promote the translocation of Glut4,but G7 and R3 showed more significant effects.Conclusion:The synergistic hypoglycemic effects of green tea,mulberry leaf and corn silk had the characteristics of multiple-components and multiple-targets with p-PI3K/PI3K,p-Akt/Akt and the translocation of Glut4 signal pathways involved.The three traditional herbs might have the potential to be combined used for the prevention and treatment of diabetes based on the synergistic hypoglycemic effects.

Study on the effect of Rhizoma Anemarrhenae on glucose and lipid metabolism in diabetic mice

Objective:To investigate the effect of Rhizoma Anemarrhenae extract on glucose and lipid metabolism in diabetic mice,and provide basis for follow-up research.Methods:The method of streptozotocin combined with high-fat diet was used to replicate the diabetes model in this study.After continuous intragastric administration for 6 weeks,the effects of Rhizoma Anemarrhenae extract on body weight,blood sugar,blood lipids,serum insulin and the organ index in diabetic mice were detected.Results:The fasting blood glucose and blood lipids(serum total cholesterol,triglyceride,low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels)of the Rhizoma Anemarrhenae group of mice were significantly decreased,which was statistically significant compared with the model group.The area under the curve of the Rhizoma Anemarrhenae group is significantly smaller than that of the model group,and the result is statistically significant.Rhizoma Anemarrhenae can increase serum insulin levels in diabetic mice,which is statistically significant compared with the model group.Compared with the model group,the liver,spleen,kidney and pancreas indexes of the Rhizoma Anemarrhenae group are significantly reduced.Conclusion:The extract of Rhizoma Anemarrhenae can significantly reduce blood glucose concentration,lower blood lipid levels,promote serum insulin secretion,and protect liver,kidney,spleen,pancreas and other tissues and organs.

Protection of Shengmai Recipe on Improving Cardiac Function and Attenuating Kidney Injury in Pressure Overload Rats

Objective Shengmai Recipe （SMR） is a Chinese patent medicine used for the treatment of chronic heart disease. In order to further assess the renal-protective effect against ischemia lesion of SMR, the cardioprotective effect of SMR on pressure overload-induced left ventricular （LV） systolic dysfunction and the potential mechanism on alleviating myocardial damage, myocardial fibrosis, and renal ischemia lesion in chronic heart failure （CHF） rats were investigated. Methods Rats with partially ligated abdominal aorta were randomly divided into model, Sham, and SMR groups. One week after recovery from surgery, animals were preventively ig administered with SMR at the dose of 810 mg/kg once daily for 8 weeks. Cardiac function and structure, endogenous biomarkers （CK-MB and LDH）, myocardial fibrosis, and organ pathological change were estimated by echocardiography, immunodepression and velocity method, hematoxylin- eosin staining, and masson＇s trichrome staining, respectively. Results The administration of SMR significantly decreased serum CK-MB and LDH levels and reduced myocardial fibrosis. Interestingly, SMR not only improved cardiac function but also ameliorated kidney injury induced by ischemia in CHF rats. Conclusion SMR could enhance the LV contractile function, reduce myocardial necrosis, and reverse LV remodeling in CHF rats, and most importantly, SMR could be used to treat the renal ischemia injury in pressure overload rats.

Toxicity-efficacy converting of ginseng combined with Fuzi Banxia incompatibility in heart failure stage of cor pulmonale

Objective：Fuzi Banxia is one of eighteen antagonisms,previous studies have shown that the incompatibility could play special effects in the specific condition of diseases and appropriate compatible environment.The present study aims to evaluate the toxicity-efficacy of ginseng combined with Fuzi Banxia incompatibility intervening in the heart failure stage of cor pulmonale and to explore its mechanism.Methods：Monocrotaline（MCT）-induced cor pulmonale were used in this study.Ultra high-resolution small animal ultrasound real-time imaging system and the right heart catheterization were used to estimate cardiac function.Semi automatic biochemical analyzer was used to test myocardial enzyme LDH,CK,and CK-MB in serum.The heart tissues were stained with HE,and TUNEL assay was used to assess the pathomorphological changes and myocardial apoptosis.The expression of hypertrophy and apoptosis associated genes：ANP,BNP,β-MHC,Bax,and Bcl-2 in the right ventricle were determined by RT-PCR.Results：Fuzi Banxia combined with ginseng obviously attenuated mortality,decreased RVHI,and increased cardiac index;RVSP and m PAP were significantly reduced,and EF and FS were raised obviously;Myocardial enzymes LDH,CK,and CK-MB were pronounced attenuated;heart diameter reduced,right ventricular dilatation was significantly decreased,inflammatory cell infiltration notably reduced,and cardiac apoptosis rate was decreased obviously.Meanwhile,the expression of hypertrophy-related ANP,BNP,andβ-MHC m RNA were up-regulated,the expression of apoptosis-related Bax m RNA was down-regulated,and the expression of anti-apoptosis-related Bcl-2 m RNA and Bcl-2/Bax ratio were upregulated.Conclusion：Ginseng compatible environment could attenuate cardiac toxicity of Fuzi Banxia incompatibility intervening in the heart failure stage of cor pulmonale,and improve cardiac function,which may be related to the expression of hypertrophy and apoptosis associated genes,and thus delay the occurrence and development of heart failure.