The Chinese Herbal Formula Shenzhu Tiaopi Granule Results in Metabolic Improvement in Type 2 Diabetic Rats by Modulating the Gut Microbiota

Abstract

Objective. The aim of this study is to investigate the implication of the Chinese herbal formula (CHF) Shenzhu tiaopi Granule (STG) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and discuss the mechanisms by which STG regulates the gut microbiota. Method. Goto-Kakizaki (GK) rats and age-matched Wistar (W) rats were acclimatized for 1 week. The GK rats were randomly divided into 3 groups and orally gavaged with saline (model group, M), acarbose (acarbose group, A), and STG (granule of CHF group, G; the component of this formula includes Codonopsis pilosula, Rhizoma Atractylodis, Pinellia, Poria cocos, Pericarpium Citri Reticulatae, Coptis chinensis Franch, and Pueraria). The W rats were orally gavaged with saline (control group, C). The observation time was 8 weeks. The weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG) level, and blood lipid levels were tested. The 16S rRNA genes in the V3-V4 region were sequenced, and the structure of the gut microbiota was analysed. Results. Compared to C, M displayed significant differences in blood glucose, gut microbiota, etc. (P<0.05; P<0.01). Compared to M, A and G showed a similar reduction in the FBG gain and a shift in the structure of the gut microbiota (P<0.05; P<0.01). Compared with A, G exhibited a significant decrease in weight, FBG level, and total cholesterol (P<0.05). The gut microbiota, Bacteroidetes, the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, Allobaculum, and Desulfovibrionaceae were significantly decreased in response to the STG treatment, while Lactobacillus was significantly enriched (P<0.05; P<0.01). The community composition also differed at the phylum and genus levels based on the linear discriminant analysis effect size and heat map. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that the composition of the gut microbiota was significantly changed in the diabetic GK rats compared with that in the normal W rats. STG treatment can improve glucose and lipid levels and modulate the gut microbiota in T2DM rats.

Effects of Non-insulin Anti-hyperglycemic Agents on Gut Microbiota: A Systematic Review on Human and Animal Studies

“…Of 47 rodent studies, 30 (63.8%) studies were conducted in mice ( 35 – 41 , 44 – 46 , 48 , 52 , 53 , 55 , 56 , 59 – 65 , 68 , 70 , 74 – 79 ) and the others were in rats ( 5 , 6 , 42 , 43 , 47 , 49 – 51 , 54 , 57 , 58 , 66 , 67 , 69 , 71 – 73 ). Their characteristics, housing, acclimatization, and diet treatments were presented in Table 3 and Supplementary Table 2 .…”

“…Responses of the phylum Bacteroidetes to different antihyperglycemic agents were investigated in 15 rodent studies. No difference was noted in studies treated with acarbose (5,58). Five out of the seven studies on the genus Bacteroides after using metformin (37,42,48,54,56) revealed increased abundance of this genus in mice and rats.…”

“…Similar results with metformin and acarbose were reported in mouse studies. The effects of metformin on α-diversity were conflicting across different models, while the α-diversity decreased consistently in three studies treated with acarbose (5,58,59). Moreover, the results were inconsistent among those studies treated with liraglutide, sitagliptin, vildagliptin, and saxagliptin.…”

“…Among 15 rodent studies (5,6,36,37,41,47,48,54,56,58,66,69,70,73,75) on the phylum Firmicutes, the results were inconclusive among those treated with metformin (5,36,37,41,47,48,54,56), acarbose (5,58), liraglutide (66,69,70), and sitagliptin (5,73). The genus Lactobacillus was the focus of 13 studies (5, 35, 41-43, 47, 53, 54, 58, 62, 66, 70, 73).…”

Clinical Features and Rules of Chinese Herbal Medicine in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Patients

“…In the future, the sample size will be increased for in-depth verification of the findings to improve clinical evidence and to better guide clinical practice. The mechanism of action of these CHM prescriptions can also be further explored [ 50 ].…”