Diabetes is an inflammatory disease: evidence from traditional Chinese medicines

Abstract

Diabetes is usually associated with inflammation. Inflammation contributes to the development of diabetes. Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) play an important role in lowering blood glucose and controlling inflammation. Many studies show that TCM with hypoglycaemic effects, for example Radix Astragali, Radix Rehmanniae, Radix Trichosanthis, Panax Ginseng, Fructus Schisandrae, Radix Ophiopogonis, Rhizoma Anemarrhenae, Radix Puerariae, Fructus Lycii, Poria, Rhizoma Coptidis, Rhizoma Dioscoreae, Rhizoma Polygonati, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Radix Glycyrrhizae, Semen Trigonellae, Momordica charantia, Allium sativum, Opuntia stricta, Aloe vera, Cortex Cinnamomi, Rhizoma Curcumae Longae, and so on, have nearly independent anti-inflammatory action. Antihyperglycaemic compounds, for example berberine, puerarin, quercetin, ferulic acid, astragaloside IV, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, resveratrol, tetrandrine, glycyrrhizin, emodin and baicalin, used in TCM also have anti-inflammatory effects. These studies suggest that TCM might exert hypoglycaemic effects that are partly mediated by the anti-inflammatory mechanisms. However, small amounts of TCM with potent anti-inflammatory action does not have any hypoglycaemic effect. This indirectly indicates that diabetes may be a low-grade inflammatory disease and potent regulation of inflammatory mediators may not be required. Studies of TCM add new evidences, which indicate that diabetes may be an inflammatory disease and slight or moderate inhibition of inflammation might be useful to prevent the development of diabetes. Through this review, we aim to develop more perspectives to indicate that diabetes may be an inflammatory disease and diverse TCM may share a common antidiabetic property: anti-inflammatory action. Further studies should focus on and validate inflammation-regulating targets of TCM that may be involved in inhibiting the development of diabetes.

Tangshen formula improves inflammation in renal tissue of diabetic nephropathy through SIRT1/NF-κB pathway

“…The accumulation of turbidity toxin is usually caused by blood stasis, phlegm and moisture (35). The mechanism of DN inflammatory pathogenesis proposed by modern western medicine provides theoretical circumstantial evidence for the pathological framework for the 'damage of kidney by poison' theory (35).…”

“…Western and traditional Chinese medicine researchers agree that the changes in hemodynamics and inflammatory factors are important pathological changes during the development of DN (35). TS formula is produced from six types of traditional Chinese medicine, namely Astragalus, Radix puerariae, Lucid ganoderma, Ligustrum lucidum, Rheum officinale and Salvia miltiorrhiza.…”

The Hidden Treasure in Europe?s Garden Plants: Case Examples; Berberis darwinni and Berginia cordifolia

“…Among the various possible mechanism of berberine's antidiabetic action are through inhibition of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors expression [42,43] carbohydrate digestion [44], various signalling pathways [45], modulation of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B activity [46], activation of glucose transport pathway of GLUT-1 [47], promoting the secretion of glucagon-like peptide secretion [48], increasing insulin receptor expression [49], control of lipid dysregulation [50] antioxidant mechanisms and aldose reductase inhibitory activity [51], and anti-inflammatory mechanisms [52].…”

Gold Nanoparticle and Berberine Entrapped into Hydrogel Matrix as Drug Delivery System

“…It is found in medicinal plants as Berberis Vulgaris [1]- [3] and the salts are derived of ammoniac form, solid, nonvolatile, crystallizable and inodorous when it is oxygenized. Due to its yellow color and characteristics the BS is applied with basic nature pigment [4].…”

“…Hence, in this background, synthetics hydrogels are awaken interest at tissue engineering, cell encapsulate and drug delivery [17]. Another type of nanomaterial that have attracted increasing attention due to their unique properties in multidisciplinary research fields are gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) [2] [3]. The gold core is inert and essentially non-toxic to cells [18].…”