Chronic administration of Angelica sinensis polysaccharide effectively improves fatty liver and glucose homeostasis in high-fat diet-fed mice

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP), an active component derived from a water extract of Angelica sinensis, in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed BALB/c mice. The potential mechanisms underlying the activity of this compound were also considered. Specifically, serum and hepatic biochemical parameters were evaluated, and key proteins involved in the lipid/glucose metabolism were analyzed. Long-term feeding with a HFD induced severe fatty liver and hyperglycemia. Histological examination clearly showed that ASP reduced lipid accumulation in the liver and attenuated hepatic steatosis in HFD-fed mice. In addition, ASP markedly alleviated serum and liver lipid disorders and fatty liver via the upregulation of PPARγ expression and the activation of adiponectin-SIRT1-AMPK signaling. Furthermore, ASP also significantly relieved severe oxidative stress, demonstrating that ASP might attenuate nonalcoholic fatty liver disease via a "two-hit" mechanism. In addition, ASP reduced blood glucose levels and ameliorated insulin resistance via the regulation of related metabolic enzymes and by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway in HFD-fed mice. Our findings revealed that ASP might be used as an alternative dietary supplement or health care product to ameliorate metabolic syndrome in populations that consistently consume HFDs.Environmental factors, such as a high-fat diet (HFD) and a sedentary lifestyle, are the causes of the current epidemic of metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by a group of metabolic risks including hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and insulin resistance 1 . Excessive exposure to a HFD is believed to play a key role in the pathogenesis of metabolic damages and has led to an increased number of individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and diabetes 2,3 . NAFLD, which represents a spectrum of liver pathologies that range from simple steatosis to severe hepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma, has become the most common cause of chronic liver diseases 4 . HFD-induced hyperglycemia increases the risk of development of type 2 diabetes, which is also an epidemic disease in modern society. Changes in dietary habits merit particular consideration because a HFD leads to severe hyperglycemia, metabolic damages and fatty liver. However, the modification of dietary habits and lifestyles are not readily accepted in many developed countries. Therefore, dietary supplementation or consumption of health foods could be an alternative means for the prevention of metabolic syndrome.Traditional Chinese medicines are rich sources of bioactive substances that can be used to pretreat or cure various types of human diseases 5 . Polysaccharides are polymeric carbohydrate macromolecules composed of long chains of monosaccharide units that are connected by various glycosidic linkages. Currently, an increasing number of studies have focused on polysaccharides extracted from different Chinese medicines due to their potential 1

The Preventative Effects of Procyanidin on Binge Ethanol‐Induced Lipid Accumulation and ROS Overproduction via the Promotion of Hepatic Autophagy

“…Therefore, we tested for any pro‐autophagic effect of DPC. In this part of experiment, ASP, an efficient hepatoprotective agent, was employed to compare with DPC. Firstly, we determined LC3‐II protein expression in the liver ( Figure A), which is closely related to the number of autophagosomes.…”

“…To verify the pro‐autophagic effect of DPC, besides DPC administration, a group of mice were simultaneously intraperitoneally injected with CQ at the dosage of 50 mg kg −1 per day for the last 3 days before sacrifice. Moreover, an additional group of mice were orally administered with Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP, a potent hepatoprotective agent produced in our laboratory) at the dosage of 200 mg kg −1 per day to compare with the DPC group.…”

Chlorogenic Acid Targeting of the AKT PH Domain Activates AKT/GSK3β/FOXO1 Signaling and Improves Glucose Metabolism

“…In their results, CGA was demonstrated to act as both an insulin secretagogue and a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α/γ dual agonist [ 13 ]. It should be noted that the Ser and Thr kinase, protein kinase B (AKT), was recently reported to participate in the regulation of glucose metabolism by many groups [ 14 , 15 ]. However, whether AKT participates in the regulation of glucose metabolism by CGA remains unclear.…”

Identify Key Active Ingredients and Molecular Mechanisms of Jiangzhi Decoction on Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease by Network Pharmacology Analysis

“…Some researches showed that Alisma Orientale (AO) could prevent hepatic triglyceride accumulation through suppressing de novo lipogenesis and increasing lipid export, and control oxidative stress markers, lipoapoptosis, liver injury panels and in ammatory and brotic mediators, eventually in uencing steatohepatitis and liver brosis [21,22]. The components of Angelica Sinensis (AS) have been proved to regulate lipid and glucose metabolism [23][24][25]. Liu et al found that a diet formula of Crataegus Pinnati da (CP) and three other herbs could alleviate hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance in vivo and in vitro [26].…”