Red yeast rice dietary intervention reduces oxidative stress-related inflammation and improves intestinal microbiota

Polysaccharide extracted from Atractylodes macrocephala improves the spleen deficiency constipation in mice by regulating the gut microbiota to affect the 5-HT synthesis

BACKGROUND

The traditional herbal medicine Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. (A. macrocephala) is commonly utilized for alleviating symptoms associated with spleen deficiency, abdominal distension, diarrhea, and constipation. These pharmacological effects are attributed to a variety of active constituents. However, the specific bioactive compounds responsible for promoting defecation and gastrointestinal transit in A. macrocephala remain unidentified.

METHODS

The primary polysaccharide characteristics of PAMK was elucidated by HPLC, FT-IR, and HGPGC. Efficacy of PAMK (0.07, 0.14, and 0.28 mg/g) on mice was evaluated in a spleen deficiency constipation mouse model by analyzing stool parameters, constipation-related physiological indexes, and SCFAs. The expression levels of 5-HT3R, 5-HT4R, and related receptor genes were examined by RT-qPCR, and neurotransmitters were examined using ELISA. Finally, the diversity of gut microbiota was analyzed with 16S rDNA sequencing.

KEY RESULTS

The results showed that PAMK significantly reduced the gastrointestinal transport time and increased the number of fecal pellets and fecal water content in spleen deficiency constipation model mice. PAMK kept the balance of 5-HT, SCFAs, TPH-1, SERT, CgA, and neurotransmitter levels (VIP, SP, MTL) in mice colon. In addition, PAMK could regulate the abundance of gut microbiota such as Alistopes, Bacteroides, and Odoribacter in spleen deficiency constipation model mice gut.

CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES

It can be concluded that PAMK effectively ameliorated the symptoms of spleen deficiency constipation in mice by modulating the expression of 5-HT and its associated receptors. The underlying mechanism was elucidated, providing a solid theoretical foundation for the therapeutic application of A. macrocephala in treating spleen deficiency constipation and offering potential for developing novel approaches to address this condition.

Protective effect and mechanism of Lycium ruthenicum Murray anthocyanins against retinal damage induced by blue light exposure

Lycium ruthenicum Murray (LR) is a medicine and edible plant in Northwest China, and L. ruthenicum Murray anthocyanins (LRA) are green antioxidants with various pharmacological activities, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. However, the protective effect and mechanism of LRA against retinal damage induced by blue light exposure are poorly understood. This study explored the protective effects and potential mechanisms of LRA on retinal damage induced by blue light exposure in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that LRA could ameliorate oxidative stress injury by activating the antioxidant stress nuclear factor-related factor 2 pathway, promoting the expression of phase II detoxification enzymes (HO-1, NQO1) and endogenous antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase), and reducing reactive oxygen species and malondialdehyde levels. Additionally, LRA could inhibit inflammatory response by decreasing the expression of blue light exposure-induced nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway-related proteins (NF-κB and p-IκBα), as well as interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1β pro-inflammatory factors and pro-inflammatory chemokine VEGF, and increasing the expression of anti-inflammatory factor IL-10. Furthermore, LRA could ameliorate oxidative stress-induced apoptosis by upregulating Bcl-2 and downregulating Bax and Caspase-3 protein expression. All these results indicate that LRA can be used as an antioxidant dietary supplement for the treatment or prevention of retinal diseases.

Real-World Risk and Outcome of Liver Cirrhosis in Patients with Hyperlipidemia Treated with Red Yeast Rice: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Objective

Sustained hyperlipidemia contributes to fatty liver and liver cirrhosis. Red yeast rice (RYR) effectively improved the lipid profile; however, the effects of RYR on the risk of incident liver cirrhosis remain to be elucidated. We aimed to evaluate the beneficial effects of RYR use on the risk and outcome of liver cirrhosis.

Patients and methods

We identified 156,587 adults who had newly diagnosed hyperlipidemia in 2010-2016 from health insurance data in this retrospective cohort study. Using propensity score matching, we selected 34,367 patients who used RYR and 34,367 patients who used lovastatin. Events of incident liver cirrhosis that occurred in the two cohorts during the follow-up period of 2010-2019 were identified. We calculated adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (Cis) for liver cirrhosis risk associated with RYR use in the multiple Cox proportional hazard model.

Results

Compared with patients who used lovastatin, patients who used RYR had a decreased risk of liver cirrhosis (HR 0.60, 95% CI 0.57-0.63), and this association was significant in various subgroups. A biological gradient relationship between the frequency of RYR use and decreased liver cirrhosis was observed (p for trend < 0.0001). Reduced postcirrhosis jaundice (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.43-0.72), ascites (HR 0.37, 95% CI 0.28-0.50), hepatic coma (HR 0.36, 95% CI 0.26-0.50), and mortality (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.38-0.61) were also associated with RYR use.

Conclusion

We demonstrated the beneficial effects of RYR use on the risk and outcome of liver cirrhosis; however, the lack of compliance data should be considered. However, our study did not infer causality or claim the superiority of RYR over lovastatin.

Puerarin Delays Mammary Gland Aging by Regulating Gut Microbiota and Inhibiting the p38MAPK Signaling Pathway

Mammary gland aging is one of the most important problems faced by humans and animals. How to delay mammary gland aging is particularly important. Puerarin is a kind of isoflavone substance extracted from Pueraria lobata, which has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and other pharmacological effects. However, the role of puerarin in delaying lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mammary gland aging and its underlying mechanism remains unclear. On the one hand, we found that puerarin could significantly downregulate the expression of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and age-related indicators (SA-β-gal, p53, p21, p16) in mammary glands of mice. In addition, puerarin mainly inhibited the p38MAPK signaling pathway to repair mitochondrial damage and delay mammary gland aging. On the other hand, puerarin could also delay the cellular senescence of mice mammary epithelial cells (mMECs) by targeting gut microbiota and promoting the secretion of gut microbiota metabolites. In conclusion, puerarin could not only directly act on the mMECs but also regulate the gut microbiota, thus, playing a role in delaying the aging of the mammary gland. Based on the above findings, we have discovered a new pathway for puerarin to delay mammary gland aging.

Traditional Chinese Medicine formula Dai-Zong-Fang alleviating hepatic steatosis in db/db mice via gut microbiota modulation

Introduction: Hepatic steatosis is a hepatic pathological change closely associated with metabolic disorders, commonly observed in various metabolic diseases such as metabolic syndrome (MetS), with a high global prevalence. Dai-Zong-Fang (DZF), a traditional Chinese herbal formula, is widely used in clinical treatment for MetS, exhibiting multifaceted effects in reducing obesity and regulating blood glucose and lipids. This study aims to explore the mechanism by which DZF modulates the gut microbiota and reduces hepatic steatosis based on the gut-liver axis. Methods: This study utilized db/db mice as a disease model for drug intervention. Body weight and fasting blood glucose were monitored. Serum lipid and transaminase levels were measured. Insulin tolerance test was conducted to assess insulin sensitivity. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was employed to observe morphological changes in the liver and intestine. The degree of hepatic steatosis was evaluated through Oil Red O staining and hepatic lipid determination. Changes in gut microbiota were assessed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Serum lipopolysaccharide (LPS) levels were measured by ELISA. The expression levels of intestinal tight junction proteins, intestinal lipid absorption-related proteins, and key proteins in hepatic lipid metabolism were examined through Western blot and RT-qPCR. Results: After DZF intervention, there was a decrease in body weight, alleviation of glucose and lipid metabolism disorders, reduction in serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, and mitigation of insulin resistance in mice. DZF significantly modulated the diversity of the gut microbiota, with a notable increase in the abundance of the Bacteroidetes phylum. PICRUSt indicated that DZF influenced various functions in gut microbiota, including carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. Following DZF intervention, serum LPS levels decreased, intestinal pathological damage was reduced, and the expression of intestinal tight junction protein occludin was increased, while the expression of intestinal lipid absorption-related proteins cluster of differentiation 36 (CD36) and apolipoprotein B48 (ApoB48) were decreased. In the liver, DZF intervention resulted in a reduction in hepatic steatosis and lipid droplets, accompanied by a decrease fatty acid synthase (FASN) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) and fatty acid transport protein 2 (FATP2). Conversely, there was an increase in the expression of the fatty acid oxidation-related enzyme carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1𝛂 (CPT-1𝛂). Conclusion: DZF can regulate the structure and function of the intestinal microbiota in db/db mice. This ameliorates intestinal barrier damage and the detrimental effects of endotoxemia on hepatic metabolism. DZF not only inhibits intestinal lipid absorption but also improves hepatic lipid metabolism from various aspects, including de novo lipogenesis, fatty acid uptake, and fatty acid oxidation. This suggests that DZF may act on the liver and intestine as target organs, exerting its effects by improving the intestinal microbiota and related barrier and lipid absorption functions, ultimately ameliorating hepatic steatosis and enhancing overall glucose and lipid metabolism.

Pectin supplementation accelerates post-antibiotic gut microbiome reconstitution orchestrated with reduced gut redox potential

Antibiotic-induced gut dysbiosis (AID) presents a big challenge to host health, and the recovery from this dysbiosis is often slow and incomplete. AID is typically characterized by elevation in redox potential, Enterobacteriaceae load, and aerobic metabolism. In our previous study, a pectin-enriched diet was demonstrated to decrease fecal redox potential and modulate the gut microbiome. Therefore, we propose that pectin supplementation may modulate gut redox potential and favor post-antibiotic gut microbiome reconstitution from dysbiosis. In the present study, rats with AIDwere used to investigate the effects of pectin supplementation on post-antibiotic gut microbiome reconstitution from dysbiosis. The results showed that pectin supplementation accelerated post-antibiotic reconstitution of gut microbiome composition and function and led to enhancement of anabolic reductive metabolism and weakening of catabolic oxidative pathways. These results were corroborated by the measurement of redox potential, findings suggesting that pectin favors post-antibiotic recovery from dysbiosis. Pectin-modulated fecal microbiota transplantation accelerated the decrease in antibiotics-elevated redox potential and Enterobacteriaceae load similarly to pectin supplementation. Moreover, both pectin supplementation and Pectin-modulated fecal microbiota transplantation enriched anaerobic members, primarily from Lachnospiraceae orchestration with enhancement of microbial reductive metabolism in post-antibiotic rats. These findings suggested that pectin supplementation accelerated post-antibiotic gut microbiome reconstitution orchestrated with reduced gut redox potential and that the effect of pectin on redox potential was mediated by remodeling of the intestinal microbiota.

Beneficial effect of GABA-rich fermented milk whey on nervous system and intestinal microenvironment of aging mice induced by D-galactose

This study aims to investigate the protective effect of a freeze-dried powder prepared from a fermentation milk whey containing a high-yield GABA strain (FDH-GABA) against D-galactose-induced brain injury and gut microbiota imbalances in mice by probing changes to the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. A prematurely aged mouse model was established by performing the subcutaneous injection of D-galactose. Subsequently, the effects of FDH-GABA on the nervous system and intestinal microenvironment of the mice were explored by measuring their antioxidant activities, anti-inflammatory state, autophagy, pathway-related target protein expression levels, and intestinal microorganisms. Compared to the D-gal group, FDH-GABA improved the levels of SOD, T-AOC, IL-10, and neurotransmitters, while it reduced the contents of MDA and TNF-α. FDH-GABA also promoted autophagy and inhibited the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway in the brains of the aged mice. Moreover, FDH-GABA restored the diversity of their intestinal flora. Pathological observations indicated that FDH-GABA was protective against damage to the brain and intestine of D-galactose-induced aging mice. These results reveal that FDH-GABA not only improved antioxidant stress, attenuated inflammation, restored the neurotransmitter content, and protected the tissue structure of the intestine and brain, but also effectively improved their intestinal microenvironment. The ameliorative effect of FDH-GABA on premature aging showed a clear dose-response relationship, and at the same time, the changes of intestinal microorganisms showed a certain correlation with the relevant indexes of nervous system. These findings provide insight into the effect of the FDH-GABA intervention on aging, providing a novel means for alleviating detrimental neurodegenerative changes in the aging population.