MRI-Based Multifunctional Nanoliposomes for Enhanced HCC Therapy and Diagnosis.

The morbidity and mortality rates of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are high and continue to increase. The antitumor effects of single therapies are limited because of tumor heterogeneity and drug resistance, and the lack of real-time monitoring of tumor progression during the treatment process leads to poor therapeutic outcomes. Therefore, novel nanodelivery platforms combining tumor therapy and diagnosis have garnered extensive attention.

Scopoletin ameliorates hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis via AMPK, Nrf2/HO-1 and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Scopoletin (SC) is one of the important phenolic coumarin constituents derived from many edible plants and fruits, and exerts a wide range of biological activities. In the present study, we investigated the effects of SC on tyloxapol (TY)-induced hyperlipidemia and hepatic steatosis in C57BL/6j mice and free fatty acid (FFA) 0.5 mM-stimulated lipid accumulation in human L02 cells.

Anti-lipid accumulation effects and mechanism of the extract and isolated compounds from Potentilla longifolia.

Potentilla longifolia is effective in the treatment of hepatitis as a Chinese herb. We firstly evaluated the effect of water extract of P. longifolia (WEPL) on mice with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by high-fat (HF) diet.

Pharmacological Properties of Ginsenoside Re.

Ginsenoside Re is a protopanaxatriol-type saponin extracted from the berry, leaf, stem, flower bud, and root of . In recent years, ginsenoside Re (Re) has been attracting attention as a dietary phytochemical. In this review, studies on Re were compiled by searching a combination of keywords, namely "pharmacology," "pharmacokinetics," and "toxicology," in the Google Scholar, NCBI, PubMed, and Web of Science databases.

Corosolic acid ameliorates non-alcoholic steatohepatitis induced by high-fat diet and carbon tetrachloride by regulating TGF-β1/Smad2, NF-κB, and AMPK signaling pathways.

Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge. var. major) is an edible and medicinal fruit that is very common in food and traditional Chinese medicine.

Inhibitory effects of compounds from the roots of Potentilla longifolia on lipid accumulation.

Potentilla longifolia is a kind of Chaoyao medicine, which is a branch of traditional Chinese medicine. The plant is often referred to as ganyancao or ganyearmcao, which means that it has a significant therapeutic effect on liver inflammation. In previous experiments, we found that a water extract of ganyearmcao inhibited lipid accumulation.

Corosolic Acid Attenuates Hepatic Lipid Accumulation and Inflammatory Response via AMPK/SREBPs and NF-B/MAPK Signaling Pathways.

Corosolic acid (CA) is the main active component of and has been known to serve as several different pharmacological effects, such as antidiabetic, anti-oxidant, and anticancer effects. In this study, effects of CA on the hepatic lipid accumulation were examined using HepG2 cells and tyloxapol (TY)-induced hyperlipidemia ICR mice. CA significantly inhibited hepatic lipid accumulation via inhibition of SREBPs, and its target genes FAS, SCD1, and HMGCR transcription in HepG2 cells.

Synergistic Inhibitory Effects of Acacetin and 11 Other Flavonoids Isolated from Artemisia sacrorum on Lipid Accumulation in 3T3-L1 Cells.

Artemisia sacrorum Ledeb., a Compositae forage plant in China, has been found to have an inhibitory effect on lipid accumulation. We selected 12 flavonoids, which we had isolated from A.

How Can Synergism of Traditional Medicines Benefit from Network Pharmacology?

Many prescriptions of traditional medicines (TMs), whose efficacy has been tested in clinical practice, have great therapeutic value and represent an excellent resource for drug discovery. Research into single compounds of TMs, such as artemisinin from L., has achieved great success; however, it has become evident that a TM prescription (which frequently contains various herbs or other components) has a synergistic effect in effecting a cure or reducing toxicity.

Tetrahydropalmatine inhibits lipid accumulation through AMPK signaling pathway in 3T3‑L1 adipocytes.

Tetrahydropalmatine (THP), one of the active components of Rhizoma corydalis, has been reported to exert several pharmacological effects, including anti‑inflammatory, anti‑tumor and analgesic activities. However, its effect on obesity and the underlying molecular mechanisms that may be involved have not yet been elucidated. In the present study, the inhibitory effects of THP on the adipogenesis in 3T3‑L1 adipocytes was examined using hstology, western blotting and RT‑qPCR.

Flavonoids from Ledeb. and their cytotoxic activities against human cancer cell lines.

Flavonoids have been demonstrated to have cytotoxic activities toward numerous human cancer cells, whereas they have little or no effect on normal cells. The numerous flavonoids in traditional Chinese herbs may be promising candidates for the development of novel anti-cancer drugs. Our previous study demonstrated that CHCl and 95% ethanol eluate (EE) fractions have the strongest cytotoxic activities against human cancer cell lines of the 9 fractions separated from Ledeb.

The Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine from Natural Products.

Natural products and traditional medicines are of great importance. Such forms of medicine as traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Kampo, traditional Korean medicine, and Unani have been practiced in some areas of the world and have blossomed into orderly-regulated systems of medicine. This study aims to review the literature on the relationship among natural products, traditional medicines, and modern medicine, and to explore the possible concepts and methodologies from natural products and traditional medicines to further develop drug discovery.

Combination of deep sea water and leaf extract prevents high-fat diet-induced obesity through AMPK activation in visceral adipose tissue.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the protective effects of a combination of deep sea water (DSW) and Sesamum indicum leaf extract (SIE) against high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and investigate its molecular mechanisms in adipose tissue. ICR mice were randomly divided into three groups: HFD control (HFC), DSW and DSW + 125 mg/kg SIE (DSS) groups. The mice in the HFC group had free access to drinking water while those in the DSW and DSS groups had free access to DSW.

Pectinase-Processed Ginseng Radix (GINST) Ameliorates Hyperglycemia and Hyperlipidemia in High Fat Diet-Fed ICR Mice.

To develop a ginseng product possessing an efficacy for diabetes, ginseng radix ethanol extract was treated with pectinase and obtained the GINST. In the present study, we evaluate the beneficial effect of GINST on high fat diet (HFD)-induced hyper-glycemia and hyperlipidemia and action mechanism(s) in ICR mice. The mice were randomly divided into five groups: regular diet group (RD), high fat diet group (HFD), HFD plus GINST at 75 mg/kg (GINST75), 150 mg/kg (GINST150), and 300 mg/kg (GINST300).

Ginseng and diabetes: the evidences from in vitro, animal and human studies.

Panax ginseng exhibits pleiotropic beneficial effects on cardiovascular system, central nervous system, and immune system. In the last decade, numerous preclinical findings suggest ginseng as a promising therapeutic agent for diabetes prevention and treatment. The mechanism of ginseng and its active components is complex and is demonstrated to either modulate insulin production/secretion, glucose metabolism and uptake, or inflammatory pathway in both insulin-dependent and insulin-independent manners.

Ginsenoside Rg2 induces orphan nuclear receptor SHP gene expression and inactivates GSK3β via AMP-activated protein kinase to inhibit hepatic glucose production in HepG2 cells.

Panax ginseng is known to have anti-diabetic activity, but the active ingredients have not been fully explored yet. Here, we test whether ginsenoside Rg2 has an inhibitory effect on hepatic glucose production and determine its mechanism of action. Rg2 significantly inhibits hepatic glucose production and induces phosphorylations of liver kinase B1 (LKB1), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) in time- and concentration-dependent manners in human HepG2 hepatoma cells, and these effects were abolished in the presence of compound C, a selective AMPK inhibitor.

Cytotoxic fraction from Artemisia sacrorum Ledeb. against three human cancer cell lines and separation and identification of its compounds.

Artemisia sacrorum Ledeb. was extracted by 95% ethanol and water, respectively. By partitioning the 95% ethanol extract successively with different solvents and separating the water extract by macroporous resin, nine separate parts were obtained.

Ginsenoside Re lowers blood glucose and lipid levels via activation of AMP-activated protein kinase in HepG2 cells and high-fat diet fed mice.

Ginsenoside Re is a protopanaxatriol-type saponin isolated from Panax ginseng berry. Although anti-diabetic and anti-hyperlipidemic effects of Re have been reported by several groups, its mechanism of action is largely unknown until now. Here, we examine anti-diabetic and anti-hyperlipidemic activities of Re and action mechanism(s) in human HepG2 hepatocytes and high-fat diet fed C57BL/6J mice.

Ginsenoside Rh2(S) induces differentiation and mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells through activation of the PKD/AMPK signaling pathways.

As part of our search for biologically active anti-osteoporotic agents that enhance differentiation and mineralization of osteoblastic MC3T3-E1 cells, we identified the ginsenoside Rh2(S). Mostly known to exhibit beneficial effects in cancer prevention and metabolic diseases, Rh2(S) is one of the most active ginsenosides. Here, we show that Rh2(S) stimulates osteoblastic differentiation and mineralization, manifested by the up-regulation of differentiation markers (alkaline phosphatase and osteogenic genes) and von Kossa/Alizarin Red staining, respectively.

An active part of Artemisia sacrorum Ledeb. suppresses gluconeogenesis through AMPK mediated GSK3β and CREB phosphorylation in human HepG2 cells.

In this study, we investigated the effects of a petroleum ether fraction of Artemisia sacrorum Ledeb. (Compositae) (PEASL) on glucose production through AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation in human HepG2 cells. PEASL significantly inhibited glucose production in a concentration-dependent manner, and this effect was reversed in the presence of compound C, a selective AMPK inhibitor.

20(S)-Ginsenoside Rg3-induced apoptosis in HT-29 colon cancer cells is associated with AMPK signaling pathway.

20(S)-ginsenoside Rg3 [20(S)-Rg3)], one of the main constituents isolated from Panax ginseng, has been shown to have an anti-cancer effect and to induce apoptosis by interfering with several signaling pathways. However, the molecular mechanisms of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) associated with apoptosis in HT-29 colon cancer cells remain unclear. In the present study, we investigated whether 20(S)-Rg3 exerts an anti-proliferative effect and induces apoptosis by modulating the AMPK signaling pathway in HT-29 cells.

An active part of Artemisia sacrorum Ledeb. inhibits adipogenesis via the AMPK signaling pathway in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Artemisia sacrorum Ledeb. (Compositae) (ASL) has long been used in Oriental folk medicine to treat diverse hepatic diseases. In this study, we investigated the effect of ASL on adipocyte differentiation in 3T3-L1 cells.

Beneficial effects of IH-901 on glucose and lipid metabolisms via activating adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase pathways.

IH-901 is an intestinal metabolite of ginsenosides found in Panax ginseng. In the present study, effects of IH-901 on glucose and lipid metabolisms were examined using C2C12 myotubes and C57BL/ksJ db/db mice. A significant increase in phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase was observed when differentiated C2C12 myotubes were treated with IH-901.

An active part of Artemisia sacrorum Ledeb. attenuates hepatic lipid accumulation through activating AMP-activated protein kinase in human HepG2 cells.

Artemisia sacrorum Ledeb. (Compositae) (ASL) is a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat different hepatic diseases. However, a hypolipidemic effect of ASL on fatty liver disease has not been reported.