1.Metabolomics Insights into Lidan Huatan Huoxue Decoction Improving Cognitive Impairment in Obese Rats
Yang ZHANG ; Jialu LYU ; Tiegang XIAO ; Haonan SHANG ; Yueshuang ZHAO ; Xiangyu DU ; Jun XU ; Bing WANG
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(10):2851-2863
Objective To explore the mechanism of Lidan Huatan Huoxue Decoction improving cognitive impairment caused by obesity based on metabolomics.Methods Twenty-four 6-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group fed with regular diet(Con,n=6)and a modeling group fed with high-fat and high-sugar diet(n=18).Rats with a body mass that is 20%higher than the standard body mass of their age-matched peers fed with ordinary diet were considered to have a successful obese model established.The presence of cognitive impairment was assessed by Morris water maze and Barnes maze tests.After the obese-induced cognitive impairment(OICI)model was established,the modeling rats were randomly divided into a model group(Model,n=6),a donepezil group(Donepezil,n=6),and a Lidan Huatan Huoxue Decoction group(LHH,n=6).Drugs were administered to the donepezil and LHH groups by gastric intubation.The donepezil group was administered with a dose of 0.45 mg·(kg·d)-1,while the LHH group was administered with a dose of 25 g·(kg·d)-1.The normal and model groups were given the same volume of normal saline by gastric intubation for 8 weeks.Before the rats were sacrificed,water maze and Barnes maze experiments were conducted to assess cognitive function.After sacrifice,specimens were collected for biochemical and histological examination of liver tissue and brain tissue.Non-targeted metabolomic analysis using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS)was performed on feces,serum,and brain tissue to analyze changes in differential metabolites in rats.Results Compared with the model group,the intervention of Donepezil and LHH effectively improved the learning and memory ability of OICI rats(P<0.05 or P<0.01),inhibited the overactivation of hippocampal microglia,and increased the number of hippocampal synaptic proteins.LHH improved metabolic-related indicators in OICI rats(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Metabolomic analysis showed significant differences in metabolites in feces,serum,and brain tissue between the model group and the normal group.The main affected pathways in fecal metabolites included steroid biosynthesis,caffeine metabolism,lysosome,vitamin B6 metabolism,phenylalanine,tyrosine,and tryptophan biosynthesis.The main affected pathways in serum metabolites included central carbon metabolism in cancer,pentose phosphate pathway,mineral absorption,protein digestion and absorption,and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis.The main affected pathways in brain tissue metabolites included glycerophospholipid metabolism,β-alanine metabolism,propionic acid metabolism,niacin and nicotinamide metabolism,and caffeine metabolism.After LHH intervention,fecal metabolites showed the most significant changes,mainly involving vitamin B6 metabolism,vitamin digestion and absorption,histidine metabolism,fructose and mannose metabolism,and steroid biosynthesis.Conclusion LHH can improve cognitive impairment in obese rats mainly by regulating fecal metabolites.The main pathways involved include vitamin B6 metabolism,vitamin digestion and absorption,histidine metabolism,fructose and mannose metabolism,and steroid biosynthesis.Among them,vitamin B6 metabolism and vitamin digestion and absorption may be the most important pathways.
2.Metabolomics Insights into Lidan Huatan Huoxue Decoction Improving Cognitive Impairment in Obese Rats
Yang ZHANG ; Jialu LYU ; Tiegang XIAO ; Haonan SHANG ; Yueshuang ZHAO ; Xiangyu DU ; Jun XU ; Bing WANG
World Science and Technology-Modernization of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2025;27(10):2851-2863
Objective To explore the mechanism of Lidan Huatan Huoxue Decoction improving cognitive impairment caused by obesity based on metabolomics.Methods Twenty-four 6-week-old male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group fed with regular diet(Con,n=6)and a modeling group fed with high-fat and high-sugar diet(n=18).Rats with a body mass that is 20%higher than the standard body mass of their age-matched peers fed with ordinary diet were considered to have a successful obese model established.The presence of cognitive impairment was assessed by Morris water maze and Barnes maze tests.After the obese-induced cognitive impairment(OICI)model was established,the modeling rats were randomly divided into a model group(Model,n=6),a donepezil group(Donepezil,n=6),and a Lidan Huatan Huoxue Decoction group(LHH,n=6).Drugs were administered to the donepezil and LHH groups by gastric intubation.The donepezil group was administered with a dose of 0.45 mg·(kg·d)-1,while the LHH group was administered with a dose of 25 g·(kg·d)-1.The normal and model groups were given the same volume of normal saline by gastric intubation for 8 weeks.Before the rats were sacrificed,water maze and Barnes maze experiments were conducted to assess cognitive function.After sacrifice,specimens were collected for biochemical and histological examination of liver tissue and brain tissue.Non-targeted metabolomic analysis using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(LC-MS)was performed on feces,serum,and brain tissue to analyze changes in differential metabolites in rats.Results Compared with the model group,the intervention of Donepezil and LHH effectively improved the learning and memory ability of OICI rats(P<0.05 or P<0.01),inhibited the overactivation of hippocampal microglia,and increased the number of hippocampal synaptic proteins.LHH improved metabolic-related indicators in OICI rats(P<0.05 or P<0.01).Metabolomic analysis showed significant differences in metabolites in feces,serum,and brain tissue between the model group and the normal group.The main affected pathways in fecal metabolites included steroid biosynthesis,caffeine metabolism,lysosome,vitamin B6 metabolism,phenylalanine,tyrosine,and tryptophan biosynthesis.The main affected pathways in serum metabolites included central carbon metabolism in cancer,pentose phosphate pathway,mineral absorption,protein digestion and absorption,and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis.The main affected pathways in brain tissue metabolites included glycerophospholipid metabolism,β-alanine metabolism,propionic acid metabolism,niacin and nicotinamide metabolism,and caffeine metabolism.After LHH intervention,fecal metabolites showed the most significant changes,mainly involving vitamin B6 metabolism,vitamin digestion and absorption,histidine metabolism,fructose and mannose metabolism,and steroid biosynthesis.Conclusion LHH can improve cognitive impairment in obese rats mainly by regulating fecal metabolites.The main pathways involved include vitamin B6 metabolism,vitamin digestion and absorption,histidine metabolism,fructose and mannose metabolism,and steroid biosynthesis.Among them,vitamin B6 metabolism and vitamin digestion and absorption may be the most important pathways.
3.Regulatory Mechanism of Berberine in Inhibiting Apoptosis and Autophagy in Ovarian Granulosa Cells Based on SIRT1/FoxO1 Pathway
Jiao LIU ; Yang YANG ; Yueshuang HE ; Fengming YOU ; Danning SHI ; Piwen ZHAO
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2023;29(6):79-87
ObjectiveTo investigate the protective effect and regulatory mechanism of berberine (BBR) against the senescence of ovarian granulosa cells. MethodA cell senescence model in the human ovarian granulosa-like tumor (KGN) cell line was induced by H2O2. A control group, a model group, and high-dose (1 μmol·L-1) and low-dose (0.5 μmol·L-1) BBR groups were set up. The cells in the model group and the BBR groups were incubated with 10 μmol·L-1 H2O2 for 40 min. The effect of BBR on KGN cell proliferation was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) assay. The effect of BBR on the senescence of KGN cells was detected by β-galactosidase staining. The effects of BBR on the apoptosis and ROS content of KGN cells were detected by flow cytometry. The effects of BBR on the mRNA expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), cysteinyl aspartate-specific protease-3 (Caspase-3), forkhead transcription factor O1 (FoxO1), and catalase (CAT) was detected by Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR). Western blot was used to detect the effects of BBR on protein expression of silent information regulator1 (SIRT1), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), FoxO1, autophagy-associated protein microtubule-associated protein light chain 3Ⅱ (LC3BⅡ), mammalian ortholog of yeast Atg6 (Beclin-1), and ubiquitin-binding protein p62. ResultAfter H2O2 induction for 40 min, the cell proliferation rate of the model group decreased compared with that of the control group (P<0.01), and the cell proliferation rates of the BBR groups increased compared with that of the model group (P<0.05). The results of β-galactosidase staining showed that the cells of the model group showed significant senescence compared with those of the control group (P<0.01), and the cellular senescence in the BBR groups was reduced compared with that of the model group (P<0.01). As revealed by flow cytometry, compared with the control group, the model group showed increased apoptosis rate (P<0.01), and compared with the model group, BBR groups showed decreased apoptosis rates (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the ROS content in the model group increased compared with that in the control group (P<0.01), and compared with the model group, the BBR groups showed reduced cellular ROS content (P<0.01). The Real-time PCR results showed that compared with the control group, the model group showed decreased mRNA expression of CAT and Bcl-2/Bax in KGN cells and increased mRNA expression of Caspase-3 and FoxO1 (P<0.05), and compared with the model group, the BBR groups showed increased mRNA expression of CAT and Bcl-2/Bax (P<0.05) and reduced mRNA expression of Caspase-3 and FoxO1 in KGN cells (P<0.05). As revealed by Western blot results, SIRT1, SOD2, and p62 protein levels decreased in the model group compared with those in the control group (P<0.01), and JNK FoxO1, LC3BⅡ, and Beclin-1 protein levels increased (P<0.05). After BBR intervention, SIRT1, SOD2, and p62 protein levels increased (P<0.01), and JNK, FoxO1, LC3BⅡ, and Beclin-1 protein levels decreased compared with those in the model group (P<0.05). ConclusionBBR has an inhibitory effect on ovarian granulosa cell senescence, and the mechanism is related to the inhibition of apoptosis and autophagy mediated by the SIRT1/FoxO1 pathway.

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