Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Ping-tang Recipe (平糖方) improves insulin resistance and attenuates hepatic steatosis in high-fat diet-induced obese rats

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective

To investigate the therapeutic effects of Ping-tang Recipe (平糖方, PTR) on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Methods

Forty male SD rats were included in the study. Ten rats were fed on normal diet as normal control, and thirty rats were fed on HFD for 8 weeks to induce obesity, followed with low dose (0.42 g/kg) or high dose (0.84 g/kg) of PTR or vehicle for 8 weeks with 10 animals for each group. Glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity were evaluated by oral glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test. Hepatic steatosis was measured by immunohistochemistry. Liver lipid metabolic genes were analyzed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, while AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) expression was examined by Western blot.

Results

Rats fed on HFD developed abdominal obesity, insulin resistance and NAFLD. PTR treatment reduced visceral fat (peri-epididymal and peri-renal) accumulation, improved glucose metabolism, and attenuated hepatic steatosis. The expressions of the key lipolytic regulating genes, including peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor γ co-activator 1α (PGC-1α), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PRAR-γ) and α (PRAR-α), were up-regulated (P<0.05 or P<0.01), while the expressions of lipogenic genes such as sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthase (FAS) and liver fatty acid-binding protein (L-FABP) were down-regulated (P<0.05 or P<0.01). In addition, PTR activated AMPK and promoted acetyl-CoA carboxylase phosphorylation in the liver.

Conclusions

PTR improves insulin resistance and reverse hepatic steatosis in the rat model of HFD-induced obesity through promotion of lipolysis and reduction of lipogenesis, which involves the AMPK signaling pathway, thus representing a new therapeutic intervention for obesity related insulin resistance and NAFLD.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Chitturi S, Wong VW, Farrell G. Nonalcoholic fatty liver in Asia: firmly entrenched and rapidly gaining ground. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2011;26(Suppl):163–172.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Alper AT, Hasdemir H, Sahin S, Ontürk E, Akyol A, Nurkalem Z, et al. The relationship between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and the severity of coronary artery disease in patients with metabolic syndrome. Turk Kardiyol Dern Ars 2008;36:376–381.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Sanyal AJ. AGA technical review on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Gastroenterology 2002;123:1705–1725.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Ratziu V, Caldwell S, Neuschwander-Tetri BA. Therapeutic trials in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: insulin sensitizers and related methodological issues. Hepatology 2010;52:2206–2215.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Tsochatzis EA, Papatheodoridis GV. Is there any progress in the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease? World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther 2011;2;1–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Zhang HX, Yang SY, Cao HX. Effect of Pingtang Recipe containing drug-serum on INS-1 pancreatic beta cells lipoapoptosis. Chin J Integr Tradit West Med (Chin) 2010;30;978–981.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Li XJ, Yang SY. Clinical observation on treatment of diabetes mellitus type 2 by Pingtang concentrated capsule. Chin J Integr Tradit West Med (Chin) 2002;22:854–855.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Lee MS, Kim D, Jo K, Hwang JK. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid protects against high-fat diet-induced fatty liver by activating AMP-activated protein kinase in obese mice. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2010;401:92–97.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Ha SK, Chae C. Inducible nitric oxide distribution in the fatty liver of a mouse with high fat diet-induced obesity. Exp Anim 2010;59:595–604.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kucera O, Garnol T, Lotková H, Staňková P, Mazurová Y, Hroch M, et al. The effect of rat strain, diet composition and feeding period on the development of a nutritional model of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in rats. Physiol Res 2011;60;317–328.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Orlik B, Handzlik G, Olszanecka-Glinianowicz M. The role of adipokines and insulin resistance in the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Postepy Hig Med Dosw 2010;64;212–219.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Qin Y, Tian YP. Preventive effects of chronic exogenous growth hormone levels on diet-induced hepatic steatosis in rats. Lipids Health Dis 2010;9;78.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Matsumoto M, Ogawa W, Akimoto K, Inoue H, Miyake K, Furukawa K, et al. PKClambda in liver mediates insulininduced SREBP-1c expression and determines both hepatic lipid content and overall insulin sensitivity. J Clin Invest 2003;112;935–944.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Cao H, Maeda K, Gorgun CZ, Kim HJ, Park SY, Shulman GI, et al. Regulation of metabolic responses by adipocyte/macrophage fatty acid-binding proteins in leptin-deficient mice. Diabetes 2006;55;1915–1922.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Liang H, Ward WF. PGC-1alpha, a key regulator of energy metabolism. Adv Physiol Educ 2006;30;145–151.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Gruzman A, Babai G, Sasson S. Adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) as a new target for antidiabetic drugs: a review on metabolic, pharmacological and chemical considerations. Rev Diabet Study 2009;6:13–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Barroso E, Rodríguez-Calvo R, Serrano-Marco L, Astudillo AM, Balsinde J, Palomer X, et al. The PPARβ/δ activator GW501516 prevents the down-regulation of AMPK caused by a high-fat diet in liver and amplifies the PGC-1α-lipin 1-PPARα pathway leading to increased fatty acid oxidation. Endocrinology 2011;152:1848–1859.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Yuan HD, Yuan HY, Chung SH, Jin GZ, Piao GC. An active part of Artemisia sacrorum Ledeb. attenuates hepatic lipid accumulation through activating AMP-activated protein kinase in human HepG2 cells. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2010;74;322–328.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Canto C, Auwerx J. PGC-1alpha, SIRT1 and AMPK, an energy sensing network that controls energy expenditure. Curr Opin Lipidol 2009;20;98–105.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Zhang BB, Zhou G, Li C. AMPK: an emerging drug target for diabetes and the metabolic syndrome. Cell Metab 2009;9;407–416.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Post-Graduate School, Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Fuzhou, 350108, China

    Shu-yu Yang  (杨叔禹), Ke-ji Chen  (陈可冀) & Can-dong Li  (李灿东)

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361003, China

    Shu-yu Yang  (杨叔禹), Neng-jiang Zhao  (赵能江), Xue-jun Li  (李学军) & Hui-jie Zhang  (张惠杰)

  3. Xiamen Diabetes Institute, Xiamen, Fujian Province, 361003, China

    Shu-yu Yang  (杨叔禹), Neng-jiang Zhao  (赵能江), Xue-jun Li  (李学军) & Hui-jie Zhang  (张惠杰)

Authors
  1. Shu-yu Yang  (杨叔禹)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Neng-jiang Zhao  (赵能江)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xue-jun Li  (李学军)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Hui-jie Zhang  (张惠杰)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ke-ji Chen  (陈可冀)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Can-dong Li  (李灿东)
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Can-dong Li  (李灿东).

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30973912); and the Innovation Project of Fujian Provincial Health Bureau (No. 2007-CXB-10); and the Project of Technology Bureau of Xiamen City (No. 3502Z20077050)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yang, Sy., Zhao, Nj., Li, Xj. et al. Ping-tang Recipe (平糖方) improves insulin resistance and attenuates hepatic steatosis in high-fat diet-induced obese rats. Chin. J. Integr. Med. 18, 262–268 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-012-1023-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11655-012-1023-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation