Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP), an active component derived from a water extract of Angelica sinensis, in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed BALB/c mice. The potential mechanisms underlying the activity of this compound were also considered. Specifically, serum and hepatic biochemical parameters were evaluated, and key proteins involved in the lipid/glucose metabolism were analyzed. Long-term feeding with a HFD induced severe fatty liver and hyperglycemia. Histological examination clearly showed that ASP reduced lipid accumulation in the liver and attenuated hepatic steatosis in HFD-fed mice. In addition, ASP markedly alleviated serum and liver lipid disorders and fatty liver via the upregulation of PPARγ expression and the activation of adiponectin-SIRT1-AMPK signaling. Furthermore, ASP also significantly relieved severe oxidative stress, demonstrating that ASP might attenuate nonalcoholic fatty liver disease via a “two-hit” mechanism. In addition, ASP reduced blood glucose levels and ameliorated insulin resistance via the regulation of related metabolic enzymes and by activating the PI3K/Akt pathway in HFD-fed mice. Our findings revealed that ASP might be used as an alternative dietary supplement or health care product to ameliorate metabolic syndrome in populations that consistently consume HFDs.
Highlights
Angelica sinensis polysaccharide (ASP) is a galactose-rich polysaccharide, and we have demonstrated that it strongly targets the liver via the asialoglycoprotein receptors on the surface of hepatocytes
Considering that the liver is an important organ in the regulation of lipids and glucose metabolism and that ASP is a liver-targeting natural product, we speculated that ASP might have beneficial effects on metabolic diseases
Several studies have demonstrated that ASP and Angelica sinensis exerts appreciable hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects in diabetic rats[14,18]
Summary
Many types of polysaccharides have shown appreciable effects in the amelioration of NAFLD or diabetes, such as Lycium barbarum polysaccharide[6], Radix Hedysari polysaccharide[7], Aureobasidium pullulans-derived β-glucan[8], Rehmannia glutinosa polysaccharide[9] and Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide[10]. These polysaccharides have demonstrated hypolipidemic/hypoglycemic effects or antioxidative properties. Our group has demonstrated that ASP has hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects in a mouse model of type 2 diabetic mice and that this action was mediated by an elevation of glycogen levels and a reduction of inflammatory factors[15]. To prevent the NAFLD or diabetes, ASP can be used as a health care product or food supplement in populations that consistently consume HFDs
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