Ginseng extract improves pancreatic islet injury and promotes β-cell regeneration in T2DM mice.

Introduction: . (Araliaceae; Ginseng Radix et Rhizoma), a traditional plant commonly utilized in Eastern Asia, has demonstrated efficacy in treating neuro-damaging diseases and diabetes mellitus. However, its precise roles and mechanism in alleviating type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) need further study.

Ginsenoside Rb1 Promotes Hepatic Glycogen Synthesis to Ameliorate T2DM Through 15-PGDH/PGE/EP4 Signaling Pathway.

Purpose: Ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1), one of the crucial bioactive constituents in C. A. Mey.

15-Hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase inhibitor SW033291 ameliorates hepatic abnormal lipid metabolism, ER stress, and inflammation through PGE/EP4 in T2DM mice.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a rapidly growing epidemic that results in increased morbidity, mortality, and soaring medical costs. Prostaglandin E (PGE), a vital lipid mediator, has been reported to protect against hepatic steatosis, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and insulin resistance, indicating its potential therapeutic role in T2DM. PGE can be degraded by 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH).

FTZ promotes islet β-cell regeneration in T1DM mice via the regulation of nuclear proliferation factors.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Fufang-Zhenzhu-Tiaozhi capsule (FTZ), a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) patent prescription commonly used in clinical practice, has a significant curative effect on hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. Previous studies have shown that FTZ can treat diabetes, but the effect of FTZ on β-cell regeneration needs to be further explored in T1DM mice.

Aim Of The Study: The aim is to investigate the role of FTZ in promoting β-cell regeneration in T1DM mice, and to further explore its mechanism.

Role of prostaglandin E2 in macrophage polarization: Insights into atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis, a trigger of cardiovascular disease, poses grave threats to human health. Although atherosclerosis depends on lipid accumulation and vascular wall inflammation, abnormal phenotypic regulation of macrophages is considered the pathological basis of atherosclerosis. Macrophage polarization mainly refers to the transformation of macrophages into pro-inflammatory (M1) or anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes, which has recently become a much-discussed topic.

Fufang-zhenzhu-tiaozhi formula protects islet against injury and promotes β cell regeneration in diabetic mice.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Fufang-zhenzhu-tiaozhi formula (FTZ) is a patented preparation of traditional Chinese medicine that has been used to treat hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia in the clinic for almost 10 years. Our previous study had demonstrated that FTZ can protect islet β cell injury in vitro. However, the efficacy of FTZ on β cell regeneration in vivo and the involved anti-diabetic mechanism remains unknown.

Chinese medicine Fufang Zhenzhu Tiaozhi capsule ameliorates coronary atherosclerosis in diabetes mellitus-related coronary heart disease minipigs.

Background: Diabetes mellitus-related coronary heart disease (DM-CHD) is the most common cause of death in diabetic patients. Various studies have shown that Chinese medicine Fufang-Zhenzhu-Tiaozhi capsule (FTZ) has therapeutic effects on cardiovascular diseases. More research is required to determine the mechanism of FTZ protection against coronary atherosclerosis.

Trefoil factor 3: New highlights in chronic kidney disease research.

Trefoil factor 3 (TFF3, also known as intestinal trefoil factor) is a small-molecule peptide containing a typical trefoil structure. TFF3 has several biological effects, such as wound healing, immune regulation, neuroprotection, and cell migration and proliferation promotion. Although TFF3 binding sites were identified in rat kidneys more than a decade ago, the specific effects of this small-molecule peptide on kidneys remain unclear.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Fufang-Zhenzhu-Tiaozhi capsule prevents renal injury in diabetic minipigs with coronary heart disease.

Background: Renal injury is one of the common microvascular complications of diabetes, known as diabetic kidney disease (DKD) seriously threatening human health. Previous research has reported that the Chinese Medicine Fufang-Zhenzhu-Tiaozhi (FTZ) capsule protected myocardia from injury in diabetic minipigs with coronary heart disease (DM-CHD). And we found significant renal injury in the minipigs.

The Chinese medicine Fufang Zhenzhu Tiaozhi capsule protects against renal injury and inflammation in mice with diabetic kidney disease.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Fufang Zhenzhu Tiaozhi capsule (FTZ) is a patented preparation of Chinese herbal medicine that has been used to treat hyperlipidemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, atherosclerosis, and other glucolipid metabolic diseases (GLMDs) in the clinic for almost 10 years. However, how FTZ reduces albuminuria and attenuates diabetic kidney disease (DKD) progression is unknown.

Aim Of The Study: To clarify the effects of FTZ on DKD mice model and to explore the underlying mechanisms.

Pathological and therapeutic roles of bioactive peptide trefoil factor 3 in diverse diseases: recent progress and perspective.

Trefoil factor 3 (TFF3) is the last small-molecule peptide found in the trefoil factor family, which is mainly secreted by intestinal goblet cells and exerts mucosal repair effect in the gastrointestinal tract. Emerging evidence indicated that the TFF3 expression profile and biological effects changed significantly in pathological states such as cancer, colitis, gastric ulcer, diabetes mellitus, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and nervous system disease. More importantly, mucosal protection would no longer be the only effect of TFF3, it gradually exhibits carcinogenic activity and potential regulatory effect of nervous and endocrine systems, but the inner mechanisms remain unclear.

FTZ Ameliorates Diabetic Cardiomyopathy by Inhibiting Inflammation and Cardiac Fibrosis in the Streptozotocin-Induced Model.

Background: The pathogenesis and clinical features of diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) have been well studied in the past decade; however, effective approaches to prevent and treat this disease are limited. Fufang Zhenzhu Tiaozhi (FTZ) formula, a traditional Chinese prescription, is habitually used to treat dyslipidemia and diabetes. Recently, several studies have reported the therapeutic effects of FTZ on cardiovascular diseases.

NLRP3 inflammasome and IL-1β pathway in type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis: Friend or foe?

Type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis have gradually garnered great attention as inflammatory diseases. Previously, the fact that Interleukin-1β (IL-1β) accelerates the development of type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis has been proved in animal experiments and clinical trials. However, the continued studies found that the effect of IL-1β on type 2 diabetes and atherosclerosis is much more complicated than the negative impact.

FTZ attenuates liver steatosis and fibrosis in the minipigs with type 2 diabetes by regulating the AMPK signaling pathway.

Fufang Zhenzhu Tiaozhi formula (FTZ), a preparation of Chinese herbal medicine, has various pharmacological properties, such as hypoglycemic, hypolipidemic, anticoagulant, and anti-inflammatory activities. Hepatocyte apoptosis is a marker of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and contributes to liver injury, fibrosis, and inflammation. Given the multiple effects of FTZ, we investigated whether FTZ can be a therapeutic agent for NASH and its mechanism.

Molecular mechanism of Fufang Zhenzhu Tiaozhi capsule in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease based on network pharmacology and validation in minipigs.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Fufang Zhenzhu Tiaozhi formula (FTZ) of which a patented preparation of Chinese herbal medicine has been well documented with significant clinical curative effect for hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. Because of the complexity of the chemical constituents of Chinese herbal formulas, the holistic pharmacological mechanism of FTZ acting on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) remains unclear.

Aim Of The Study: To investigate the pharmacological efficacy and mechanism of FTZ in the treatment of T2DM accompanied by NAFLD.

The traditional Chinese medicine formula Fufang-Zhenzhu-Tiaozhi protects myocardia from injury in diabetic minipigs with coronary heart disease.

Background And Purpose: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). Previous research has reported that the Fufang-Zhenzhu-Tiaozhi (FTZ) formula has obvious effects on the treatment of dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia. In the present study, we intended to establish a convenient DM-CHD model in minipigs and investigated the protective effect of FTZ against myocardial injury and its mechanism.

Bilobalide reversibly modulates blood-brain barrier permeability through promoting adenosine A1 receptor-mediated phosphorylation of actin-binding proteins.

Bilobalide, one of the key bioactive components of Ginkgo biloba leaves, exerts prominent neuroprotective properties in central nervous system (CNS) disease. However, the effect of bilobalide on blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability remains unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of bilobalide on BBB permeability and its potential mechanism involved.

Hesperidin ameliorates insulin resistance by regulating the IRS1-GLUT2 pathway via TLR4 in HepG2 cells.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect and mechanism of hesperidin (HES) on insulin resistance (IR) in the human hepatocellular carcinoma cell line (HepG2 cells). HepG2 cells were induced with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as a model of IR and treated with HES at three dosages. Next, the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), the glucose content, and glucose uptake were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, glucose oxidase-peroxidase method (GOD-POD), or (2-(N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1, 3-diazol-4-yl)amino)-2-deoxyglucose) (2-NBDG).

Chinese Medicine Recipe Protects against High-Glucose-Induced Beta Cell Injury through Alleviating Oxidative Stress.

Objective: To investigate the effect of FTZ on high-glucose-induced oxidative stress and underlying mechanisms.

Methods: We used a cell dysfunction and diabetes model that was induced in rats fed a high-fat high-sugar diet (HFHSD) for 6 weeks and injected once with 35 mg/kg streptozocin (STZ). Then, 3 and 6 g/kg of FTZ were administered by gavage for 8 weeks.

Oleanolic Acid Attenuates Insulin Resistance via NF-κB to Regulate the IRS1-GLUT4 Pathway in HepG2 Cells.

The aim of our study is to elucidate the mechanisms of oleanolic acid (OA) on insulin resistance (IR) in HepG2 cells. HepG2 cells were induced with FFA as the insulin resistance model and were treated with OA. Then the glucose content and the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were analyzed.

Neuroprotection, learning and memory improvement of a standardized extract from Renshen Shouwu against neuronal injury and vascular dementia in rats with brain ischemia.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The Renshen Shouwu capsule (RSSW) is a patented Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), that has been proven to improve memory and is widely used in China to apoplexy syndrome and memory deficits. To investigate the neuroprotective and therapeutic effect of the Renshen Shouwu standardized extract (RSSW) on ischemic brain neuronal injury and impairment of learning and memory related to Vascular Dementia (VD) induced by a focal and global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Material And Methods: Using in vivo rat models of both focal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injuries induced by a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO), and VD with transient global brain I/R neuronal injuries induced by a four-vessel occlusion (4-VO) in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, RSSW (50,100, and 200 mg kg(-1) body weights) and Egb761® (80 mg kg(-1)) were administered orally for 20 days (preventively 6 days+therapeutically 14 days) in 4-VO rats, and for 7 days (3 days preventively+4 days therapeutically) in MCAO rats.

Potential synergistic effects of Chinese herbal prescription FTZ components detected in blood towards hepatic lipid-modulating targets.

Objective: Our goal in this study aims to explain the polypharmacological mechanism at the molecular level responsible for the effectiveness of a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescription FTZ to treat hyperlipidemia and related disease.

Design: By MDL(®) ISIS_Base 2.5, we constructed a compound database based on the FTZ constituents, which were detected in the rat serum after oral administration of the TCM through ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadruple-time-of-flight mass-spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF-MS/MS) method.