Hyperlipidemia, characterized by the abnormal blood lipid profiles, is one of the dominant factors of many chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). For the low cost, effectiveness, and fewer side effects, the popularity of using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to handle hyperlipidemia is increasing and its role in health care has been recognized by the public at large. Despite the importance of TCM herbs and formulations, there is no comprehensive review summarizing their scientific findings on handling hyperlipidemia. This review summarizes the recent experimental and clinical results of nine representative single Chinese herbs and seven classic TCM formulae that could improve lipid profiles so as to help understand and compare their underlying mechanisms. Most of single herbs and formulae demonstrated the improvement of hyperlipidemic conditions with multiple and diverse mechanisms of actions similar to conventional Western drugs in spite of their mild side effects. Due to increasing popularity of TCM, more extensive, well-designed preclinical and clinical trials on the potential synergistic and adverse side effects of herb-drug interactions as well as their mechanisms are warranted. Hyperlipidemic patients should be warned about the potential risks of herb-drug interactions, particularly those taking anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs.
Chronic hepatitis B viral (HBV) infection remains a high underlying cause for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide, while the genetic mechanisms behind this remain unclear. This study elucidated the mechanisms contributing to tumor development induced by the HBV X (HBx) gene of predominantly Asian genotype B HBV and its common HBx variants. To compare the potential tumorigenic effects of K130M/V131I (Mut) and wild-type (WT) HBx on HCC, the Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon system was used to deliver HBx Mut and WT into the livers of fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (Fah)-deficient mice and in the context of transformation related protein 53 (Trp53) deficiency. From our results, HBx Mut had a stronger tumorigenic effect than its WT variant. Also, inflammation, necrosis and fibrosis were evident in HBx experimental animals. Reduction of forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) with increased phosphorylation of upstream serine/threonine kinase (AKT) was detected under HBx Mut over-expression. Thus, it is proposed that HBx Mut enhances disease progression by reducing FOXO1 via phosphorylation of AKT. At the metabolomic level, HBx altered the expression of genes that participated in arachidonic acid (AA) metabolism, as a result of inflammation via accumulation of pro-inflammatory factors such as prostaglandins and leukotriene in liver. Taken together, the increased rate of HCC observed in chronic hepatitis B patients with K130M/V131I mutated X protein, may be due to changes in AA metabolism and AKT/FOXO1 signaling.
Evaluating the quality of herbal medicines by morphological features is a convenient, quick, and practical method compared with other methods that mostly depend on modern instruments. Here, laser microdissection and ultra-performance liquid chromatography are combined with mass spectrometry to map the distribution of secondary metabolites in cells or tissues of a herb itself for correlating its bioactive components and morphological features. The root and rhizome of Rheum palmatum L. were taken as research target, which is the Chinese medicine, Radix et Rhizoma Rhei. According to fluorescent microscopic characteristics, 12 herbal cells or tissues of Radix et Rhizoma Rhei were separated by laser microdissection. Thirty-eight compounds were identified or tentatively characterized in the microdissected tissues. (+)-Catechin, 1-O-galloyl-2-O-cinnamoyl-β-D-glucose, and emodin were found to be the major components in most of the tissues. The brown ergastic substances found in rays of normal and anomalous vascular bundles as well as the parenchymatous cells of rhizome pith and the parenchymatous cells of root xylem contained higher than average amounts of these three components and more kinds of secondary metabolites. Overall, results suggest that Radix et Rhizoma Rhei of larger size and with conspicuous "brocaded patterns" and star spots are of higher quality as they tend to have greater contents of bioactive components. The study provides quantitative and specific criteria by which the quality of Radix et Rhizoma Rhei can be judged. This research also established a new, reliable, and practical method for direct profiling and imaging of secondary metabolites in any herbal tissue.
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