Anti-diabetic Activity of Zhenqing Recipe and Ligustri Lucidi Fructus in Type 2 Diabetic Rats

Objective To investigate the influence of Zhenqing Recipe(ZQR)and Ligustri Lucidi Fructus(LLF)on diabetic rats and its possible mechanism.Methods The model of type 2 diabetic rats was established by feeding a high-sucrose-high-fat diet and injecting a low dose of Streptozotocin in Wistar rats.The model rats were randomly divided into three groups:diabetic model,ZQR-treated,and LLF-treated groups for 8-weeks treatment.The normal Wistar rats were as a normal control group.Results The level of fasting blood glucose in ZQR and LLF groups was decreased compared with model group(P<0.01,0.05,respectively).Both ZQR and LLF markedly reduced serum triglycerides(P<0.01,0.05,respectively),and increased the insulin sensitivity index(P<0.05).Histopathology revealed that ZQR and LLF reduced pancreatic damage.Immunohistochemistry evaluation showed that the percentage of insulin positive cells in pancreatic island was higher than model group(P<0.01,0.05,respectively).The mRNA and protein expression of SREBP-1c in pancreas were significantly decreased in ZQR and FLL group(P<0.01).Conclusion ZQR has therapeutic effect on type 2 diabetes,it ameliorates the histopathological changes of pancreas,protectsβcells,improves insulin resistance,and attenuates the expression of SREBP-1c.This study also provides the anti-diabetic evidence of FLL even its effects are weaker than ZQR.

LC-MS determination and pharmacokinetic study of salidroside in rat plasma after oral administration of suspensions of traditional Chinese medicine Erzhi Wan and Fructus Ligustri lucidi

A simple,rapid and sensitive liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry（LC-MS）method was developed for the determination of salidroside in rat plasma and study of its pharmacokinetics after oral administration of suspension of Erzhi Wan and Fructus Ligustri lucidi into Wistar rats.Plasma sample of 200 μL was extracted with acetic ether-isopropanol（2∶1）and the extraction was performed on a Kromasil C18 column（150 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm）with the mobile phase of methanol-water（41∶59,v/v）within a run time of 6.0 min.The analyte was monitored with positive electrospray ionization（ESI）by selected ion monitoring（SIM）mode.The target ions were m/z 323.05 for salidroside and m/z 411.05 for internal standard（IS）geniposide.A good linear relationship was obtained over the range of 5.0-500.0 ng/mL and the lower limit of quantification was 5.0 ng/mL.The validated method was successfully applied to the pharmacokinetic study of salidroside in rat plasma after oral administration of suspension of Erzhi Wan and Fructus Ligustri lucidi.

Application Progress of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi( FLL) in Animal Husbandry

Fructus Ligustri Lucidi （ FLL）, a well-known and commonly used Chinese herbal medicine in clinical practice, is often applied in animal husbandry in the form of monomer or compound. The chemical composition, pharmacological effects of FLL and its application progress in animal husbandry are reviewed.

Compatibility with Fructus Ligustri Lucidi Effectively Mitigates Idiosyncratic Liver Injury of Epimedii Folium by Modulating NOD-like Receptor Family Pyrin Domain Containing 3 Inflammasome Activation

Background: Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury(IDILI) is a serious side effect of drugs, Epimedii Folium(EF) is unequivocally implicated in idiosyncratic liver injury onset, potentially due to its ability to perturb the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain containing 3(NLRP3) inflammasome. Fructus Ligustri Lucidi(FLL), a frequently used medicinal combination with EF, has not yet been investigated for its ability to ameliorate EF-associated hepatotoxicity. Aims and Objectives: Study on the mechanism of compatibility of FLL to alleviate liver injury caused by EF. Materials and Methods: Western blot was used to determine the expression of related proteins, ELISA was used to detect the secretion of related inflammatory factors IL-1β, IL-18, IL-6 and TNF-α, liver injury indexes were detected and liver pathological tissue staining was used to evaluate the liver injury. Results: Our results demonstrated that EF exerted a particular augmenting effect on the stimulation of the NLRP3 inflammasome mediated by nigericin or ATP, whereas FLL suppressed the NLRP3 inflammasome stimulation. Furthermore, an equal EF to FLL ratio significantly reduced the stimulatory effects of EF. Moreover, EF has the potential to induce hepatic injury and augment pro-inflammatory cytokine synthesis in rats subjected to LPS. However, when combined with FLL, the detrimental effects of EF were mitigated. Conclusions: FLL possesses the capacity to attenuate EF-associated hepatotoxicity by suppressing EF-triggered NLRP3 inflammasome activation. Thus, FLL holds promise for improving the clinical safety profile of EF, shedding light on the potential of compatibility and detoxification theories in traditional Chinese medicine.

Effects of Herba Epimedii and Fructus Ligustri lucidi on the Transcription Factors in Hypothalamus of Aged Rats

Objective： To comparatively analyze the difference in the expression of 54 transcription factors in the hypothalamus using protein chips following the medication of Chinese drugs for Shen （肾）-tonification, Herba Epimedii, and Fructus Ligustri lucidi （FL） to aged rats. Methods： Wistar rats, aged 15 months of SPF grade, were randomized into three groups, three males and three females in each group. They were medicated with Herba Epimedii decoction （HED, 0.14 g/kg）, Fructus Ligustri lucidi decoction （FLD, 0.12 g/kg）, and distilled water, respectively, twice a day for 15 days. The rats were sacrificed at the morning of the 16th day 1 h after medication, and their hypothalamus was taken and made into homogenate under an ice-bath for detecting the expression of transcription factors with chip technique. Results： The expressions of signal transduction and transcription activation factor-6 （Stat-6） and androgen receptor （AR） were up-regulated, and those of pre-B transcription factor1 （Pbx-1）, stat-1 and AP-2 were down-regulated in both HED and FLD treated groups, but these changes occurred mainly in female rats in the former while mainly in males in the latter. Conclusions： Chinese drugs for Shen-tonification could impact the expression of transcription factors in the hypothalamus of aged rats, dominantly on the neuro-endocrine factors responsible for the growth and development. The effects of drugs for tonifying Shen-yang and for tonifying Shen-yin are different, which is probably one of the pharmacological mechanisms of the Shen-tonifying drugs.

Sources of varieties and quality of circular Fructus Ligustri Lucidi

This study aimed to trace sources and quantitatively analyze the specnuezhenide content of circular Fructus Ligustri Lucidi for clinical use. Different specifications of Fructus Ligustri Lucidi were identified using DNA barcoding technology and the specnuezhenide content was analyzed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography(HPLC). The ITS sequence of circular Fructus Ligustri Lucidi was identical to that of standard privet, which was determined through botanical identification. ITS sequence similarity between circular Fructus Ligustri Lucidi and Fructus Ligustri Lucidi which was registered in NCBI ranged from 99.5% to 100%. The sequences of circular and other Fructus Ligustri Lucidi were clustered in a Neighbor-Joining tree with bootstrap value of 95, and these sequences could be distinguished from adulterants. Conforming to pharmacopoeia standard, the average specnuezhenide content of circular Fructus Ligustri Lucidi was higher than that of chicken waist Fructus Ligustri Lucidi. Circular Fructus Ligustri Lucidi derived from Ligustrum lucidum Ait. and the specnuezhenide content was higher in circular Fructus Ligustri Lucidi than that in chicken waist Fructus Ligustri Lucidi.

Protective effects of kidney-tonifying Chinese herbal preparation on substantia nigra neurons in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease

The Chinese herbs Herba Epimedii, Fructus Ligustri Lucidi and Rhizoma Polygonati were injected into Parkinson＇s disease mice established via intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1, 2, 3, 6-tetrahydropyridine hydrochloride. The selective monoamine oxidase B inhibitor selegiline was used as a positive control drug. After successive administration for 4 weeks, Herba Epimedii could downregulate the expression of caspase-3 and increase the brain-derived neurotrophic factor level, as well as increase tyrosine hydroxylase activity in the substantia nigra of Parkinson＇s disease mouse models. Rhizoma Polygonaticould downregulate the expression of caspase-3 and FasL, and increase neural growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels. Fructus Ligustn Lucidi could downregulate caspase-3 expression. Rhizoma Polygonati and Fructus Ligustn Lucidi did not produce obvious effects on tyrosine hydroxylase activity. Herba Epimedii and Fructus Ligustri Lucidi yielded similar effects on apoptosis-promoting factors to those elicited by selegiline. Herba Epimedii and Rhizoma Polygonati significantly increased the levels of neurotrophic factors compared with selegiline. Herba Epimedii significantly increased tyrosine hydroxylase activity compared with selegiline. It is indicated that the kidney-tonifying Chinese herbal preparation can downregulate the expression of apoptosis-promoting factors, increase neurotrophic factors levels in the substantia nigra and striatum, as well as increase tyrosine hydroxylase activity in the substantia nigra of Parkinson＇s disease mouse models, thereby exerting a stronger or similar neuroprotective effects compared with selegiline.

Effect of ligustrum fruit extract on reproduction in experimental diabetic rats

Aim: To study the effect of ligustrum fruit on spermatogenesis and blood gonadal hormones in diabetic rats.Methods: Experimental diabetes was induced in male Wistar rats with streptozotocin. Ligustrum fruit extract wasgiven by gastric gavage at a dose of crude drug 30 g·kg^(-1)·d^(-1) for 110 days. The serum gonadadotropic hormones andtestosterone were determined on d 60 and testicular histology examined on d 110. Results: In the control diabeticrats, the seminiferous tubules were dilated and the spermatogenic cells irregularly arranged. Spermatogenesis was arrest-ed with the number of spermatids highly reduced and spermatozoa not observed. In the treated rats, all types of sper-matogenic cells were practically normal. The serum luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)and testosterone levels were higher in the treated than in the control rats, but the difference was insignificant. Conclu-sion: In experimental diabetic rats, ligustrum fruit extract protects the damaging effect of experimental diabetes onspermatogenesis. (Asian J Androl 2001 Mar; 3 : 71-73)