Protective effects of Huang-Qi-Ge-Gen decoction against diabetic liver injury through regulating PI3K/AKT/Nrf2 pathway and metabolic profiling.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Huang-Qi-Ge-Gen decoction (HGD) is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription that has been used for centuries to treat "Xiaoke" (the name of diabetes mellitus in ancient China). However, the ameliorating effects of HGD on diabetic liver injury (DLI) and its mechanisms are not yet fully understood.

Aim Of The Study: To elucidate the ameliorative effect of HGD on DLI and explore its material basis and potential hepatoprotective mechanism.

Beneficial effects of ginsenosides on diabetic nephropathy: A systematical review and meta-analysis of preclinical evidence.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Ginseng is one of the most widely used herbs in the world for the treatment of various diseases, and ginsenoside is the representative bioactive component in ginseng. There have been many in vivo studies on ginsenoside for the treatment of diabetic nephropathy (DN), the most common diabetic microvascular complication and the main cause of diabetic morbidity and mortality.

Aim Of The Study: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of ginsenosides on DN by preclinical evidence and meta-analysis.

Screening bioactive components of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. with isolated perfused lung extraction and HPLC-ESI-MS analysis.

The isolated perfused rat lung (IPL), coupled with high performance liquid chromatography\tandem mass spectrometry analysis (HPLC-ESI-MS), has been developed as a tool for screening bioactive components in Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. (GU). First, IPL was perfused with the water extract of GU (EGU), the bioactive components in the EGU would selectively combine to the receptors or channels of lung.

The C-terminal tails of 4,4'-diphenylmethane-bis(methyl) carbamate are essential for binding to receptor for advanced glycation end products to attenuate advanced glycation end products-induced inflammation and apoptosis responses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Objectives: A novel compound 4,4'-diphenylmethane-bis(methyl) carbamate (CM1) was shown to possess preventive activity on AGEs-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) damage via binding to RAGE. However, the underlying structural basis of CM1 on binding to RAGE was not fully understood.

Methods: In the present study, CM1 analogues were designed and synthesized to compare the activity differences on inhibiting AGEs-induced inflammatory response including TGF-β1, RAGE protein expression in HUVECs, and macrophages migration and adhesion to HUVECs.

Calycosin entered HUVECs and ameliorated AGEs-promoted cell apoptosis via the Bcl-2 pathway.

Endothelial cell (EC) apoptosis plays a pivotal role in the progression of diabetic complications. Abundant studies have demonstrated the pivotal role of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on the development of diabetes. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of calycosin, a phytoestrogen, on AGEs-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) apoptosis.

Protection of glycyrrhizic acid against AGEs-induced endothelial dysfunction through inhibiting RAGE/NF-κB pathway activation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Licorice (Glycyrrhiza uralensis roots) is used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus and its vascular complications. Glycyrrhizic acid (GA, also known as Glycyrrhizin), a triterpenoid saponin glycoside, is considered to be a bioactive component in Licorice and is beneficial to diabetic vascular complications.

Aim Of Study: The present study was conducted to evaluate the potential protective activities on AGEs-induced endothelial dysfunction, including anti-apoptosis, antioxidant stress and anti-proinflammatory responses, and explore the underlying mechanism.

Pre-column incubation followed by fast liquid chromatography analysis for rapid screening of natural methylglyoxal scavengers directly from herbal medicines: case study of Polygonum cuspidatum.

Methylglyoxal (MGO), a very reactive metabolite of glucose, plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of several chronic diseases associated with diabetes, and it has been validated as an attractive target for them. In the present study, a simple and effective method, namely pre-column incubation followed by fast high performance liquid chromatography based on superficially porous particles (shell), coupled with diode array detection and tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-MS(n)), was proposed for rapid and high-throughput screening of natural MGO scavengers directly from the crude extract of Polygonum cuspidatum Sieb. et Zucc, a well-known traditional Chinese medicine which was used for treatment of diabetic complications.

Macrophage biospecific extraction and HPLC-ESI-MSn analysis for screening immunological active components in Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma.

A cell-permeable membrane, as typified by Transwell insert Permeable Supports, permit accurate repeatable invasion assays, has been developed as a tool for screening immunological active components in Smilacis Glabrae Rhizoma (SGR). In this research, components in the water extract of SGR (ESGR) might conjugate with the receptors or other targets on macrophages which invaded Transwell inserts, and then the eluate which contained components biospecific binding to macrophages was identified by HPLC-ESI-MS(n) analysis. Six compounds, which could interact with macrophages, were detected and identified.

The in vitro protective effects of curcumin and demethoxycurcumin in Curcuma longa extract on advanced glycation end products-induced mesangial cell apoptosis and oxidative stress.

Curcuma longa L. (CLL), a traditional herbal medicine, has been widely used for the prevention of diabetic vascular complications in recent years. However, the protective effects of curcuminoids in CLL on the AGEs-induced damage to mesangial cell are not fully understood.

Development of self-microemulsifying drug delivery system for oral bioavailability enhancement of berberine hydrochloride.

The purpose of this study was to develop a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system (SMEDDS) to improve the oral bioavailability of Berberine hydrochloride (BBH), an important bioactive compound from Chinese Medicines with poor water solubility. Pseudoternary phase diagrams were constructed using oil, surfactant and co-surfactant types to identify the efficient self-microemulsification region. SMEDDS was characterized by morphological observation, droplet size, zeta-potential determination, stability, in vitro release and in vivo bioavailability study.

Preventative effects of 4,4'-diphenylmethane-bis(methyl) carbamate isolated from cortex mori on human umbilical vein endothelial cell dysfunction induced by advanced glycation end products.

Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) have been regarded as an initial motivating factor in the pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction in diabetic complications. 4,4'-Diphenylmethane-bis(methyl) carbamate (DMPC), a carbamate compound, was isolated from Cortex Mori and its prevention effects against AGEs-induced endothelial dysfunction were studied. 4,4'-Diphenylmethane-bis(methyl) carbamate significantly reduced cell apoptosis to normal level at 10⁻⁹  mol/L concentration.

Inhibitory effects of two major isoflavonoids in Radix Astragali on high glucose-induced mesangial cells proliferation and AGEs-induced endothelial cells apoptosis.

Radix Astragali, the dried roots of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus, is well known to have a protective effect on diabetic nephropathy. However, the effects of isoflavonoids in Radix Astragali on glomerular cells, which play a key role in the development of diabetic vascular complications, remain largely unknown.

Isolated perfused lung extraction and HPLC-ESI-MS(n) analysis for predicting bioactive components of Saposhnikoviae Radix.

A novel strategy for predicting bioactive components in traditional Chinese material herb was proposed, using isolated perfused rat lung (IPL) extraction and high performance liquid chromatography\tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS(n)) analysis. The hypothesis is that when the IPL is perfused with the extract of Saposhnikoviae Radix (ESR), the potential bioactive components in the ESR should selectively combine with the receptor or channel of lung, by changing the pH of perfused liquid, the combining components would be eluated and then detected by HPLC-ESI-MS(n). Five compounds were detected in the desorption eluate of IPL; among these compounds, two potential bioactive compounds, prim-O-glucosylcimifugin (2) and 4'-O-β-D-glucosyl-5-O-methylvisamminol (4) were identified by comparing with the chromatography of the standard sample, and three other compounds, i.