Bofutsushosan, a traditional Chinese formulation, prevents intimal thickening and vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation induced by balloon endothelial denudation in rats

Ameliorative effect of bofutsushosan (Fangfengtongshengsan) extract on the progression of aging-induced obesity

This study aimed to compare fat accumulation in young and aged mice raised on a high-fat diet and to characterize the obesity-reducing effects of a Kampo medicine, bofutsushosan (BTS; fangfengtongshengsan in Chinese). Aged mice fed a high-fat diet containing 2% BTS extract for 28 days exhibited a significant reduction in weight gain and accumulation of visceral and subcutaneous fat, which were greater degree of reduction than those of the young mice. When the treatment period was extended to two months, the serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels and the accumulation of fat droplets in the hepatocytes decreased. The mRNA expression of mitochondrial uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) in the brown adipose tissue was significantly reduced in the aged mice compared to the young mice but increased by 2% in the BTS-treated aged mice. Additionally, the effect of BTS extract on oleic acid-albumin-induced triglyceride accumulation in hepatoblastoma-derived HepG2 cells was significantly inhibited in a concentration-dependent manner. Evaluation of the single crude drug extracts revealed that Forsythia Fruit, Schizonepeta Spike, and Rhubarb were the active components in BTS extract. These results suggest that BTS extract is effective against visceral, subcutaneous, and ectopic fats in the liver, which tend to accumulate with aging. Thus, BTS extract is useful in preventing and ameliorating the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Oral administration of an herbal medicine to prevent progressive hearing loss in a mouse model of diabetes

OBJECTIVE

Tsumura Suzuki Obese Diabetes (TSOD) mice exhibit early age-associated hearing loss. Histopathological analysis of these mice shows narrowing of capillaries in the stria vascularis and chronic reduction of blood flow in the cochlea. In this study, we investigated the effect of oral administration of a herbal medicine or calorie restriction on hearing in TSOD mice.

METHODS

TSOD mice were divided into 4 groups: CR (calorie restriction), BF and DS (treated with the herbal medicines, Bofutsushosan and Daisaikoto, respectively), and the control group. Body weight, blood glucose levels, and auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) were measured. The cochleae were excised and evaluated histopathologically.

RESULTS

Blood glucose levels were suppressed in the CR, BF, and DS groups. In addition, the elevation of ABR thresholds was inhibited in the CR, BF, and DS groups. Cochlear blood vessels remained wide in the three treatment groups compared with the control group. These results suggested that the administration of these herbal medicines improved glucose tolerance and yielded results similar to those on calorie restriction.

CONCLUSION

Oral administration of 2 herbal medicines can prevent hearing function disorder in a model mouse of diabetes. The results may clarify the possibility of clinical application.

Effects of Bofu-Tsusho-San on diabetes and hyperlipidemia associated with AMP-activated protein kinase and glucose transporter 4 in high-fat-fed mice

This study was undertaken to examine the effect and mechanism of Bofu-tsusho-san formula (BO) on hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia and in mice fed with a high-fat (HF) diet. The C57BL/6J mice were received control/HF diet for 12 weeks, and oral administration of BO (at three doses) or rosiglitazone (Rosi) or vehicle for the last 4 weeks. Blood, skeletal muscle and tissues were examined by means of measuring glycaemia and dyslipidaemia-associated events. BO treatment effectively prevented HF diet-induced increases in the levels of triglyceride (TG), free fatty acid (FFA) and leptin (p<0.01, p<0.01, p<0.01, respectively). BO treatment exhibited reduced both visceral fat mass and hepatic triacylglycerol content; moreover, BO treatment displayed significantly decreased both the average area of the cut of adipocytes and ballooning of hepatocytes. BO treatment exerted increased the protein contents of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) in skeletal muscle, and caused lowered blood glucose levels. BO treatment displayed increased levels of phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in both skeletal muscle and liver tissue. Furthermore, BO reduced the hepatic expression of glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) and phosphenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and glucose production. Therefore, it is possible that the activation of AMPK by BO leads to diminished gluconeogenesis in liver tissue. BO increased hepatic expressions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα), whereas down-regulating decreasing expressions of fatty acid synthesis, including sterol regulatory element binding protein 1c (SREBP1c) and fatty acid synthase (FAS), resulting in a decrease in circulating triglycerides. This study originally provides the evidence that amelioration of dyslipidemic and diabetic state by BO in HF-fed mice occurred by regulation of GLUT4, SREBP1c, FAS, PPARα, adiponectin and AMPK phosphorylation.

Bangpungtongseong-san, a traditional herbal medicine, attenuates chronic asthmatic effects induced by repeated ovalbumin challenge

Airway remodeling is characterized by airway wall thickening, subepithelial fibrosis, increased smooth muscle mass, angiogenesis and increased mucus secretion, which can lead to chronic and obstinate asthma and can obstruct pulmonary function. In this study, the effects of Bangpungtongseong-san water extract (BPTS) on airway remodeling were examined using a murine model of bronchial asthma induced by ovalbumin (OVA) challenge. We focused on the effects of BPTS on the regulation of chronic asthma. BALB/c mice were randomly assigned to 5 groups, some of which were sensitized and challenged with OVA for 4 weeks. After the final ovalbumin challenge, typical asthma-like morphological changes were observed in the lung tissue with hematoxylin and eosin staining, periodic acid-Schiff, as well as with Masson's trichrome staining. The levels of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and Smad3 were assessed by immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. The expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and adhesion molecules, such as intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 were also detected by western blot analysis. Our results revealed that BPTS reduced the OVA-induced increase in the infiltration of leukocytes, mucus hyperplasia and collagen deposition. Compared with the OVA-challenged group, the BPTS group had lower expression levels of adhesion molecules, TGF-β1, Smad3 and VEGF proteins in the lung tissues. The results of the current study suggest that BPTS prevents asthma airway remodeling in chronic asthma by inhibiting the activation of the TGF-β1-Smad3-signaling pathway, as well as the expression of VEGF and adhesion molecules. BPTS may thus be a potential drug for the treatment of patients with changes that occur in the airways due to severe asthma.

Subchronic oral toxicity studies of the traditional herbal formula Bangpungtongseong-san in Crl: CD (SD) rats

AIM OF THE STUDY

The clinical usefulness of medications generally depends on their efficacy and safety. Bangpungtongsung-san (BPTS), a traditional herbal medicine, is widely used to treat patients in Korea, Japan (Bofu-tsusho-san), and China (Fang feng tong sheng-san) as an antiobesity prescription. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the subchronic toxicity of a BPTS water extract in Crl:CD SD rats.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

BPTS was administered to rats orally once daily at doses of 0, 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg/day for 13 weeks. Toxicological parameters included clinical signs, body weight, water and food consumption, ophthalmological signs, relative organ weight, hematological and serum biochemical parameters, and histopathological assessment.

RESULTS

No treatment-related adverse effects were observed regarding the physiological parameters examined during the study or in the evaluation of blood, urea, and tissue samples taken from the animals at the end of the study.

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the no-observed-adverse-effect-level for BPTS was determined to be a dietary dose of over 2000 mg/kg for both sexes under the present experimental conditions.

Efficacy and Safety of a Chinese Herbal Medicine Formula (RCM-104) in the Management of Simple Obesity: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Objective. This study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a Chinese herbal medicine formula (RCM-104) for the management of simple obesity. Method. Obese subjects aged between 18 and 60 years were selected for 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Subjects were randomly assigned to take 4 capsules of either the RCM-104 formula (n = 59) or placebo (n = 58), 3 times daily for 12 weeks. Measures of BW, BMI and WC, HC, WHR and BF composition were assessed at baseline and once every four weeks during the 12 week treatment period. Results. Of the 117 subjects randomised, 92 were included in the ITT analysis. The weight, BMI and BF in RCM-104 group were reduced by 1.5 kg, 0.6 kg/m² and 0.9% and those in the placebo group were increased by 0.5 kg, 0.2 kg/m² and 0.1% respectively. There were significant differences in BW and BMI (P < 0.05) between the two groups. Eleven items of the WLQOQ were significantly improved in the RCM-104 group while only 2 items were significantly improved in the placebo group. Adverse events were minor in both groups. Conclusion. RCM-104 treatment appears to be well tolerated and beneficial in reducing BW and BMI in obese subjects.

The Kampo medicines Orengedokuto, Bofutsushosan and Boiogito have different activities to regulate gene expressions in differentiated rat white adipocytes: comprehensive analysis of genetic profiles

Three Kampo medicines, Boiogito (BOT), Bofutsushosan (BTS) and Orengedokuto (OGT), used for obese patients were investigated for their effects on adipogenesis in cultured rat white adipocytes. Administration of the three extracts suppressed adipogenesis in concentration-dependent manners (1-100 microg/ml) without any cytotoxicity. Changes in mRNA expression levels were analyzed using a Rat 230 2.0 Affymetrix GeneChip microarray system. DNA microarray analysis (total probe set: 31099) using cDNAs prepared from adipocytes revealed that BOT, BTS and OGT increased the expression of 133-150 genes and decreased the expression of 42-110 genes by > or =2-fold. We identified 329 downregulated genes and 189 upregulated genes among a total set of 514 probes (overlap: 4). Overall, genes related to cellular movement, cell death, cell growth/differentiation and immune responses were the most downregulated, while those related to lipid metabolism and cell signaling were the most upregulated. Semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays were conducted to confirm the microarray results. Analysis of the clustering profiles of the microarray results revealed that BOT and BTS changed the expression levels of similar genes mainly involved in small molecule biochemistry and cell differentiation, while OGT altered 10 genes related to lipid metabolism, in contrast to the effects of BOT and BTS. We also measured mRNA expression levels of seven selected genes highly contributing to the lipid metabolism by using semiquantitative RT-PCR assay, that were acetyl-Coenzyme A carboxylase alpha (ACACA), AE binding protein 1 (AEBP1), patatin-like phospholipase domain containing 8 (PNPLA8), secretoglobin (SCGB1A1), adrenergic (ADRB3), adiponectin (ADIPOQ), monoglyceride lipase (MGLL). Beta-actin (ACTB) gene was used as an endogenous internal standard. The present findings indicate that these three herbal extracts have the potential to prevent adipogenesis in rat white adipocytes through different mechanisms via modulation of gene expression levels.

Preventive effects of Bofutsushosan on obesity and various metabolic disorders

Visceral fat accumulation has been reported as the most important risk factor for the development of various metabolic disorders. In this study, the preventive effects of Bofutsushosan, a Japanese Kampo preparation, on obesity and various metabolic disorders were investigated focusing on visceral fat accumulation using Tsumura, Suzuki, Obese, Diabetes (TSOD) mice, which showed significant accumulation of visceral fat, and developed metabolic disorders including glucose intolerance, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and hyperinsulinemia. At 2 months after initiation of the study, the control TSOD mice developed various metabolic disorders such as marked obesity and visceral fat accumulation, increases in the levels of blood glucose, insulin, total-cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG), and abnormal glucose tolerance, hypertension and peripheral neuropathy as distinct from the control Tsumura, Suzuki, Non-Obesity (TSNO) mice, which do not develop obesity and various metabolic disorders. In the TSOD mice treated with Bofutsushosan, body weight gain and visceral/subcutaneous fat accumulation were significantly suppressed. Biochemical parameters in plasma (glucose, TC, insulin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) level) were significantly suppressed, and abnormal glucose tolerance, elevation of blood pressure and peripheral neuropathy accompanying progression of metabolic disorders were also significantly suppressed. On the other hand, in TSNO mice, Bofutsushosan showed no noteworthy impacts on most parameters except for an improvement of the lipid plasma level. The above results suggested that Bofutsushosan could be effective in preventing obesity and various metabolic disorders.