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Abstract. In this study, we investigated hypolipidemic mechanisms of the ethanolic extract of Ananas comosus L. leaves (AC) in mice and then determined its activities in related enzymes. The results showed that AC (0.40 g / kg) significantly inhibited the increase in serum triglycerides by 40% in fructose-fed mice. In mice induced by alloxan and high-fat diets, serum total cholesterol remained at a high level (180 -220 mg / dl) within 7 days of removing high-fat diets but reached normal level (120 -140 mg / dl) after AC (0.40 g / kg per day) treatment. Also, AC (0.40 and 0.80 g / kg) significantly inhibited serum lipids from the increase in Triton WR-1339-induced hyperlipidemic mice. AC (0.01 -100 µg / ml) selectively activated lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity by 200% -400% and significantly inhibited 3-hydroxyl-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A (HMGCoA) reductase activity by 20% -49% in vitro. Furthermore, 2 months of fenofibrate (0.20 g / kg) administration particularly increased mice liver weights (0.0760 ± 0.0110 g / g) while AC (0.40 g / kg) had no effect (0.0403 ± 0.0047). Taken together, these results suggest that AC will be a new potential natural product for the treatment of hyperlipidemia that exerts its actions through mechanisms of inhibiting HMGCoA reductase and activating LPL activities. Its action mechanisms differentiate from those with fibrates but may be partly similar to those with statins. It is hopeful that AC may serve as the adjuvant for fibrates.

Two new compounds, coniferyl 9-O-[beta-D-apiofuranosyl(1-->6)]-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (1) and sinapyl 9-O-[beta-d-apiofuranosyl(1-->6)]-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (2), were isolated from the seeds of Punica granatum (pomegranate), together with five known compounds, 3,3'-di-O-methylellagic acid (3), 3,3',4'-tri-O-methylellagic acid (4), phenethyl rutinoside, icariside D1, and daucosterol. The structures of 1 and 2 were elucidated by spectroscopic data analysis. Compounds 1-4 exhibited antioxidant activity, which was evaluated by measurement of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) susceptibility to oxidation and by determination in vitro of malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the rat brain.

The aim of this study is to demonstrate the effects of Ananas comosus L. leaves on diabetic-dyslipidemic rats. Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic activities of the ethanolic extract of Ananas comosus L. leaves (EEACL) were evaluated in normal and alloxan-induced diabetic rats by oral glucose tolerance test and an olive oil load test. Anti-diabetic, anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-oxidative activities of EEACL were also investigated in diabetic-dyslipidemic rats induced by alloxan and a high-fat/high-cholesterol diet. EEACL at the dose of 0.40 g/kg significantly inhibited the increase in blood glucose in diabetic rats in oral glucose tolerance test, but did not cause any hypoglycerimic activity in normal rats. It also significantly inhibited the increase in postprandial triglycerides (TG) levels in both normal and diabetic rats in olive oil load test. After 15 days of treatment of diabetic dyslipidemic rats, EEACL significantly decreased blood glucose (-51.0%, P < 0.01), TG (-50.1%, P < 0.01), TC (-23.3%, P < 0.01), LDL-c (-47.9%, P < 0.01) and glycated albumin (-25.4%, P < 0.01) levels, significantly increased serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (66.2%, P < 0.01) and prevented lower body weight of diabetes (11.8%, P < 0.05), significantly lowered lipid peroxidation productions of blood (-27.8%, P < 0.01), brain (-31.6%, P < 0.05), liver (-44.5%, P < 0.01) and kidneys (-72.2%, P < 0.05) compared with those in untreated diabetic dyslipidemic rats. These data suggest that EEACL has anti-diabetic, anti-dyslipidemic and anti-oxidative activities, which may be developed into a new plant medicine for treatment of diabetes and its complications.

Anisotropic microarchitectures arising from an aligned organization of threadlike extracellular matrix (ECM) components or cells are ubiquitous in the human body, such as skeletal muscle, corneal stroma, and meniscus, for executing tissue-specific physiological functions. It is widely recognized that tissue engineering, whereby growing the implanted or endogenous cells in anisotropic scaffolds with geometrical resemblance to the ECM of targeted tissues, represents a promising solution for the structural and functional restoration of these anisotropic tissues. However, remarkable challenges remain in recapitulating the anisotropic complexities of native tissues beyond simply uniaxial alignment. Through unremitting endeavors over the past decade, some innovative bioengineering approaches are developed to tackle these challenges. This review focuses on the recent progress in modular assembly and 3D printing techniques exploited to construct complex anisotropic scaffolds with a key highlight on their accessibility and features for different types of anisotropies, based on understanding the whole picture of anisotropies beyond simply uniaxial alignment in native tissues, which are geometrically divided into three categories. Finally, the applications of these complex scaffolds in anisotropic tissue engineering, either in vitro modeling or in vivo regeneration, are explored.

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Berberine (BBR) is an established natural DNA intercalator with numerous pharmacological functions. However, currently there are neither detailed reports concerning the distribution of this alkaloid in living cells nor reports concerning the relationship between BBR's association with DNA and the function of DNA. Here we report that the distribution of BBR within the nucleus can be observed 30 minutes after drug administration, and that the content of berberine in the nucleus peaks at around 4 µmol, which is twelve hours after drug administration. The spatial conformation of DNA and chromatin was altered immediately after their association with BBR. Moreover, this association can effectively suppress the transcription of DNA in living cell systems and cell-free systems. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) demonstrated further that BBR can inhibit the association between the TATA binding protein (TBP) and the TATA box in the promoter, and this finding was also attained in living cells by chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Based on results from this study, we hypothesize that berberine can suppress the transcription of DNA in living cell systems, especially suppressing the association between TBP and the TATA box by binding with DNA and, thus, inhibiting TATA box-dependent gene expression in a non-specific way. This novel study has significantly expanded the sphere of knowledge concerning berberine's pharmacological effects, beginning at its paramount initial interaction with the TATA box.