Weight loss herbal intervention therapy (W-LHIT) a non-appetite suppressing natural product controls weight and lowers cholesterol and glucose levels in a murine model

Abstract

BackgroundThe prevalence of obesity is increasing in industrialized countries. Obesity increases the risk of coronary artery disease, stroke, cancer, hypertension, and type-2 diabetes. Unfortunately, conventional obesity drug treatment is often associated with adverse effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate a novel natural formula, Weight loss herbal intervention therapy (W-LHIT), developed from traditional Chinese medicine, for weight control in a high-fat-diet (HFD) induced obesity murine model.MethodsTwo sets of experiments were performed. In experiment 1, 14-week-old C57BL/6 J male mice were fed with HFD for 21days and then separated into 3 weight-matched groups. One group continued on the HFD as obese-controls. Two groups were switched from HFD to normal fat level diet (NFD) and sham or W-LHIT treated. In experiment 2, 25-week-old obese mice, following 2weeks acclimatization, received either W-LHIT or sham treatment while maintained on HFD. In both sets of experiments, NFD fed, age matched normal weight mice served as normal controls. Body weight and food intake were recorded. Epididymal fat pad weight, serum glucose and cholesterol levels, as well as PPARγ and FABP4 gene expression in epididymal fat tissue were analyzed at the end of the experiment.ResultsIn experiment 1, W-LHIT treated obese mice lost body weight 12.2 ± 3.8% whereas sham treated mice lost 5.5 ± 2.8% by day 10 after switching from the HFD to the NFD, without reduction of chow consumption. In experiment 2, W-LHIT treated obese mice maintained on the HFD had significantly lower body weight (8 fold less) than the sham treated mice. W-LHIT treatment also reduced epididymal fat pad weight, blood cholesterol and glucose levels versus sham treated mice without reduced chow consumption. In addition, significantly increased PPARγ (peroxisome proliferator activated receptor γ) and FABP4 (fatty acid binding protein 4) gene expression were found in epdidymal fat tissues. Liver and kidney function and hematology testing results of W-LHIT treated mice were within the normal range.ConclusionsW-LHIT significantly and safely reduced body weight, normalized glucose and cholesterol levels in obese mice, without suppression of appetite, and increased adipocyte PPARγ and FABP4 gene expression.

Anti-obesity effects of Spirulina platensis protein hydrolysate by modulating brain-liver axis in high-fat diet fed mice

“…Moon et al [39] showed that anti-obesity effects of quercetin-rich onion peel extract were followed by up-regulation of fatty acid binding protein 4 (Fabp4) in high fat-fed rats. Yang et al [40] demonstrated that weight loss herbal intervention therapy (W-LHIT) reduced body weight, without suppression of appetite, in obese mice, by significantly increasing the gene expression of Pparg (peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma) and Fabp4 (fatty acid binding protein 4) epdidymal fat tissues. In contrast, Lee et al [41] Monascus pilosus-fermented black soybean inhibits lipid accumulation in adipocytes and in high-fat diet-induced obese mice, but significantly lower gene expression of adipogenesis-related genes like peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (Pparg) and fatty acid-binding protein 4 (Fabp4).…”

Anti‐IgE effect of small‐molecule‐compound arctigenin on food allergy in association with a distinct transcriptome profile

“…8‐week‐old female Kunming mice purchased from the Shandong Laboratory Animal Center (Pengyue, Jinan, China). Safety testing experiments were performed according to the methods reported in previous study 30 . And the studies were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee (Approval No.…”

“…Safety testing experiments were performed according to the methods reported in previous study. 30 And the studies were approved by the Animal Care and Use Committee (Approval No. DWLL201804305) of Henan University of Chinese Medicine and were performed in strict accordance with the NIH guidelines for the care and use of laboratory animals.…”

Clinical efficacy of weight loss herbal intervention therapy and lifestyle modifications on obesity and its association with distinct gut microbiome: A randomized double-blind phase 2 study

“…Weight loss herbal intervention therapy (W-LHIT) is a Chinese medicine (CM) prescription, consisting of 5 Chinese herbal medicines: Ganoderma lucidum , Coptis chinensis , Astragalus membranaceus , Nelumbo nucifera gaertn and Fructus aurantii. In our previous studies, we have showed that W-LHIT significantly and safely reduced the body weight of mice with high-fat diet, and normalized their glucose and cholesterol levels, without suppressing appetite ( 9 ). In addition, in our phase I clinical study with 14 patients with simple obesity, the W-LHIT capsules demonstrated clinically significant weight loss (Cao et al.…”