Mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine in modulating gut microbiota metabolites-mediated lipid metabolism

Abstract Background: The novel Traditional Chinese Medicine Ramulus Mori (Sangzhi) alkaloid tablets (SZ-A) are approved by The China National Medical Products Administration for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the extensive pharmacological characteristics and the underlying mechanism are unknown. This study investigated the mechanisms by which SZ-A ameliorates glucose metabolism in KKAy mice, an animal model of T2DM.Methods: Diabetic KKAy mice were treated intragastrically with SZ-A once daily for 8 weeks, after which glucose levels, lipid metabolism, gut microbiome, systemic inflammatory factors, luminal concentrations of short-chain fatty acids (fecal samples), and ileal proteomic changes were evaluated. The ileum tissues were collected, and the effects of SZ-A on pathological inflammatory damage were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry. The mRNA and protein expression levels of various inflammatory markers, including monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and phosphorylated nuclear factor kappa B p65, were detected in the ileum tissues. Results: SZ-A improved glucose metabolism with enhanced insulin response and elevated glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) during the glucose tolerance test in diabetic KKAy mice. Gut microbiota analysis demonstrated that SZ-A administration elevated the abundance of Bacteroidaceae and Verrucomicrobia, reduced the levels of Rikenellaceae and Desulfovibrionaceae; and increased the concentrations of fecal acetic and propionic acids compared to the diabetic model group. Additionally, SZ-A markedly improved ileal inflammatory injury and pro-inflammatory macrophage infiltration and improved intestinal mucosal barrier function in diabetic KKAy mice. SZ-A also attenuated the levels of circulating endotoxin, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and chemokines in the mice sera.Conclusions: SZ-A ameliorated the overall metabolic profile including glucose and lipid metabolism in KKAy mice, which may be associated with an improvement in GLP-1 and insulin secretion, at least in part by modulating the gut microbiome and relieving the degree of ileal and systemic inflammation.

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Gut microbiota: a potential target for traditional Chinese medicine intervention in coronary heart disease

Chinese Medicine ◽

10.1186/s13020-021-00516-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Tian-Yi Cheng ◽

Jia-Xin Li ◽

Jing-Yi Chen ◽

Pei-Ying Chen ◽

Lin-Rui Ma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coronary Heart Disease ◽

Heart Disease ◽

Chinese Medicine ◽

Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Short Chain Fatty Acids ◽

Lipid Lowering ◽

China National Knowledge Infrastructure ◽

Antiplatelet Aggregation ◽

Single Target

AbstractCoronary heart disease (CHD) is a common ischaemic heart disease whose pathological mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Single target drugs, such as antiplatelet aggregation, coronary artery dilation and lipid-lowering medicines, can relieve some symptoms clinically but cannot effectively prevent and treat CHD. Accumulating evidence has revealed that alterations in GM composition, diversity, and richness are associated with the risk of CHD. The metabolites of the gut microbiota (GM), including trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and bile acids (BAs), affect human physiology by activating numerous signalling pathways. Due to the advantage of multiple components and multiple targets, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can intervene in CHD by regulating the composition of the GM, reducing TMAO, increasing SCFAs and other CHD interventions. We have searched PubMed, Web of science, Google Scholar Science Direct, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), with the use of the keywords “gut microbiota, gut flora, traditional Chinese medicine, herbal medicine, coronary heart disease”. This review investigated the relationship between GM and CHD, as well as the intervention of TCM in CHD and GM, and aims to provide valuable insights for the treatments of CHD by TCM.

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Impact of traditional Chinese medicine treatment on chronic unpredictable mild stress-induced depression-like behaviors: intestinal microbiota and gut microbiome function

Food & Function ◽

10.1039/c9fo00399a ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. 5886-5897 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Wan Qu ◽

Shuo Liu ◽

Weijie Zhang ◽

Huawei Zhu ◽

Qian Tao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chinese Medicine ◽

Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Noncommunicable Diseases ◽

Mild Stress ◽

Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress ◽

Brain Health ◽

Health Disorders ◽

Chinese Medicine Treatment ◽

Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis

Gut microbiota dysbiosis is a recognized contributing factor to many noncommunicable diseases, but more evidence is still needed to illustrate its causative impact on mental and brain health disorders and mechanism(s) for targeted mitigation.

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The effect of traditional Chinese medicine on gut microbiota in adults with type 2 diabetes

Medicine ◽

10.1097/md.0000000000022233 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 99 (38) ◽

pp. e22233

Author(s):

Yujiao Zheng ◽

Qiyou Ding ◽

Lili Zhang ◽

Xiaowen Gou ◽

Yu Wei ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Type 2 Diabetes ◽

Chinese Medicine ◽

Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽

Gut Microbiota

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Arsenic Bioaccessibility of Realgar Influenced by the Other Traditional Chinese Medicines in Niuhuang Jiedu Tablet and the Roles of Gut Microbiota

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2019/8496817 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Wenfeng Xu ◽

Shuo Xu ◽

Shanshan Zhang ◽

Xuejun Wu ◽

Pengfei Jin

Keyword(s):

Chinese Medicine ◽

Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽

Gut Microbiota ◽

Incubation Medium ◽

Toxic Elements ◽

The Other ◽

Traditional Chinese Medicines ◽

Chinese Medicines ◽

Scutellariae Radix

Niuhuang Jiedu tablet (NJT), a realgar (As2S2) containing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is a well-known formula. The safety of NJT is of growing concern since arsenic (As) is considered as one of the most toxic elements. NJT was demonstrated to be safer than realgar by our previous experiments and some other studies. The toxicity of realgar has been shown to be related to the amount of soluble or bioaccessible arsenic. In this study, the influences of the other TCMs in NJT on the bioaccessibility of arsenic from realgar, and the roles of gut microbiota during this process were investigated in vitro. Results showed that Dahuang (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma), Huangqin (Scutellariae Radix), Jiegeng (Platycodonis Radix), and Gancao (Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma) could significantly reduce the bioaccessibility of arsenic from realgar in artificial gastrointestinal fluids. Gut microbiota played an important role in decreasing the bioaccessibility of realgar because it was demonstrated to be able to absorb the soluble arsenic from realgar in the incubation medium. Dahuang, Huangqin, and Jiegeng could modulate the gut microbiota to enhance its arsenic absorption activity.

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