Global transcriptional and metabolic profiling across multiple time points in liver revealed potential targets for nutritional interventions to reverse DIO. In future, new approaches targeting HFD responsive genes and hepatic metabolism could help ameliorate the deleterious effects of an HFD and DIO-related complication.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of S&S PWH, a proprietary herb and fiber combination (Bionutrigen Inc., Daejon, Republic of Korea), on body weight and lipid metabolism in rats fed with a high-fat diet. Three groups of male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed different diets for a 6-week period: normal control diet containing 5% (wt/wt) corn oil (NC group), high-fat diet containing 10% (wt/wt) lard plus 5% (wt/wt) corn oil (HF group), and high-fat diet supplemented with powdered 5% (wt/wt) S&S PWH (S&S PWH group). The body weights and relative weights of the epididymal and perirenal white adipose tissue were significantly lower in the S&S PWH group than in the HF group. S&S PWH supplementation significantly lowered plasma total cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, whereas it elevated the ratio of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol/total-cholesterol and improved the atherogenic index. The accumulation of hepatic lipid droplets and the epididymal white adipocyte size were less in the S&S PWH group than in the HF group. Hepatic hydroxyl-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase and acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase activities were significantly lower, while adipocyte lipoprotein lipase activity was significantly higher, in the S&S PWH group than in the HF group. These beneficial effects may be due to the combined properties of the phenolic compounds present in high concentrations (1.89 g/100 g) in the S&S PWH. In conclusion, these results suggest that S&S PWH can be considered as an anti-obesity functional formula that is effective for suppressing body weight gain and enhancing lipid profile.

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Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder caused by abnormal adhesion of endometrial tissue to the outside of the uterus. The combination of surgery, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and hormone treatment is well established therapy for endometriosis, however, case reports have showed that high rates of relapse and unpleasant side effect. For these reasons, recently, the studies have been focused on the Warburg-like metabolic shift of endometriosis. Prunella vulgaris is one of traditionally used herbal medicine for inflammatory disease and the anti-estrogenic effects of P. vulgaris is well-established. Therefore, in this work, we evaluated water-extracted P. vulgaris (PV) as a potential treatment for endometriosis. To this, we artificially induced endometriosis in ovarectomized mice by intra-peritoneal inoculation of uterus extracts. PV was orally administered, and PV significantly alleviated endometriosis, particularly the growth of ectopic endometrial lesions in artificially endometriosis-induced mice. For the mechanism study of anti-endometriosis by PV, we designed an in vitro study using human normal endometrial stromal cells (T-HESCs) and human endometrial cell (12Z) obtained from patients with endometriosis. PV strongly induced the apoptosis of 12Z cells rather than T-HESCs by control the activity or expression of aerobic glycolysis enzymes, such as lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA), pyruvate dehydrogenase A, and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 1/3. In addition, lactate production was enhanced, and oxygen consumption rate was suppressed in 12Z cells upon PV treatment. These changes in aerobic glycolysis eventually caused mitochondrial damage following decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and excessive mitochondrial ROS production. Especially, ulsolic acid (UA), one of the compounds in PV considerably led 12Z cell apoptosis with inhibition of LDHA activity. Therefore, UA could be a major active substance of PV in terms of endometriosis inhibitors. In conclusion, this study provides the evidence that the beneficial efficacy of PV for the prevention/treatment of endometriosis.

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