The Selected Traditional Chinese Medicinal Formulas for Treating Diabetic Nephropathy: Perspective of Modern Science

ABSTRACTWith the increasing patients and limited therapeutic options, diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a long-term complication of diabetic mellitus. The precise mechanism of DN is not yet fully understood and the effective blockade of the progression of nephropathy remains a therapeutic challenge. Application of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for diabetes and its related complications has received increasing attention due to its wide availability, low side effects, and proven therapeutic mechanisms and benefits. In the current review, we mainly focus on the recent laboratory studies of the TCM formulas including Wu-Ling-San (Poria Five Powder; 五苓散 Wǔ Líng Sǎn), Danggui-Buxue-Tang (Tangkuei and Astragalus Decoction; 當歸補血湯 Dāng Guī Bǔ Xuè Tang), and Danggui-Shaoyao-San (Tangkuei and Paeonia Formula; 當歸芍藥散 Dāng Guī Sháo Yào Sǎn), conducted by the Committee on Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy at the Department of Health of Taiwan Government, in the amelioration of DN. These selected TCM formulas have anti-diabetic properties, with antihyperglycemic activity accompanied by amelioration of advanced glycation end product–mediated renal damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. However, the renoprotective effects of the selected TCM formulas did not correlate with suppressing renal renin–angiotensin system hyperactivity in diabetic rats. These TCM formulas also have the capacity to ameliorate the defective antioxidative defense system, leading to modulation of the oxidative stress, thereby resulting in downregulation of nuclear factor-κB as well as transforming growth factor-β1 and, consequently, attenuation of extracellular matrix components such as fibronectin or type IV collagen expression in diabetic renal cortex tissue. More detailed mechanistic researches and long-term clinical evaluations, as well as evaluation of safety of the selected TCM formulas are needed for their future applications in DN therapy

Myricetin Ameliorates Defective Post-Receptor Insulin Signaling via β-Endorphin Signaling in the Skeletal Muscles of Fructose-Fed Rats

β-Endorphin plays a major role in the amelioration of insulin resistance. The present study documents that myricetin (3,5,7,3′, 4′, 5′-hexahydroxyflavone) ameliorates insulin resistance by enhancing β-endorphin production in insulin-resistant rats. The rats were induced for insulin resistance by feeding them a diet containing 60% fructose for 6 weeks. The degree of insulin resistance was measured by the homeostasis model assessment of basal insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). The plasma levels of insulin and β-endorphin were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The insulin receptor-related signaling mediators in the soleus muscles of rats were evaluated by immunoprecipitation or immunoblotting. Myricetin was injected daily (1 mg kg−1 per injection, thrice daily) for 14 days. Consequently, the high-glucose plasma levels in fructose-fed rats decreased significantly concomitant with an increase in plasma β-endorphin. The reduction of the elevated HOMA-IR index following treatment with myricetin was subsequently inhibited by the administration of β-funaltrexamine hydrochloride (β-FNA) at doses sufficient to block μ-opioid receptors (MOR). The myricetin treatment was also observed to affect the phosphorylation of the insulin receptor, insulin receptor substrate-1, Akt and Akt substrate of 160 kDa, with subsequent effects on glucose-transporter subtype 4 translocation, all of which were blocked by β-FNA pretreatment. These results indicated that enhancement of β-endorphin secretion, which in turn leads to peripheral MOR activation, is involved in the action of myricetin on the amelioration of impaired signaling intermediates downstream of insulin receptors

A Chinese Herbal Decoction, Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang, Prepared from Radix Astragali and Radix Angelicae sinensis, Ameliorates Insulin Resistance Induced by A High-Fructose Diet in Rats

Dang Gui Bu Xue Tang (DBT), a Chinese medicinal decoction contains Radix Angelicae sinensis (Danggui) and Radix Astragali (Huangqi) at a ratio of 1 : 5, is used commonly for treating women's ailments. This study was conducted to explore the effects of this preparation on insulin resistance in rats fed with 6-week diet containing 60% fructose. Similar to the action of rosiglitazone (4 mg kg−1 per day by an oral administration), repeated oral administration of DBT (2.5 g kg−1 per day) for 14 days was found to significantly alleviate the hyperglycemia but made no influence on plasma lipid profiles nor weight gain in fructose chow-fed rats. Also, the higher degree of insulin resistance as measured by homeostasis model assessment of basal insulin resistance in fructose chow-fed rats was significantly decreased by repeated DBT treatment. DBT displays the characteristic of rosiglitazone by increasing the whole-body insulin sensitivity in fructose chow-fed rats after 2-week treatment, as evidenced by the marked elevation of composite whole-body insulin sensitivity index during the oral glucose tolerance test. DBT improves insulin sensitivity through increased post-receptor insulin signaling mediated by enhancements in insulin receptor substrate-1-associated phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase step and glucose transporter subtype 4 translocation in soleus muscles of animals exhibiting insulin resistance. DBT is therefore proposed as potentially useful adjuvant therapy for patients with insulin resistance and/or the patients who wish to increase insulin sensitivity

Development of Learning Media Website Based Using Blended Learning for 2D and 3D Animation Subjects for Vocational High Schools

Vocational High Schools adapts to the working field which is increasingly leading to the use of various digital devices, one of the professions is an animator. Therefore, Vocational High Schools provide competencies Multimedia expertise which includes 2D and 3D animation subjects. From the result of observation and interview about this subject found that: (1) The use of learning demonstration method by teachers are not in sync with the needs of students and less effective; and (2) There is no interactive media that relevant with the needs, attractive and sophisticated makes learning motivation decrease. So, it is necessary to develop a website-based media that uses Blended Learning. The purpose of this development research is to describe, create, measure the feasibility and influence of this media on students' learning motivation. There are four main features, that is pretest, material recommendations, interactive discussions, and posttests. Website creation is using ADDIE application development model and the product validation using expert judgment, there are a material expert validator and a media expert validator. For the trial of media feasibility will consist of individual scale trial, small group scales trial, and large group scales trial, respondents from the trial were students of Vocational High Schools class XI Multimedia. Based on the research results obtained: (1) Validation by material experts resulted in 89.30 percent classified as very valid criteria; (2) Validation test by media expert validator resulted in 95.37 percent classified as very valid criteria; (3) Individual scale trial for feasibility resulted in 98.33 percent classified as very valid criteria; (4) Small group trial for feasibility resulted in 85.64 percent classified as very valid criteria; (5) Large group trial for feasibility resulted in 88.82 percent classified as very valid criteria; and (6) Test of learning motivation level resulted in 81.15 percent classified as high motivation criteri

Beneficial Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicinal Formula Danggui-Shaoyao-San on Advanced Glycation End-Product-Mediated Renal Injury in Streptozotocin-Diabetic Rats

The present study was undertaken to characterize the effects of Danggui-Shaoyao-San (DSS), a famous traditional Chinese medicine formula consisting of six herbal medicines, on diabetic nephropathy. Streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were orally administrated DSS (2.8 g kg−1 per day) for 12 consecutive weeks. DSS partially decreased the high plasma glucose level in diabetic rats. Diabetic-dependent alterations in urinary albumin, 24-hour urinary albumin excretion rate, and creatinine clearance as well as the kidney hypertrophy (kidney weight/body weight ratio) and glomerular mesangial matrix expansion were ameliorated after 12 weeks of DSS treatment. The increased expression of nuclear factor-κB as well as transforming growth factor-β1 and the progressive accumulation of type IV collagen in kidney of diabetic rats were also attenuated by DSS. Not only the elevated levels of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and Nε-(carboxymethyl)lysine but also the higher levels of lipid peroxidation products in kidney of diabetic rats were ameliorated by DSS. Decreased activity of superoxide diamutase and glutathione peroxidase in kidney of diabetic rats was enhanced by DSS. These data demonstrated that the renoprotective effects of DSS in STZ-diabetic rats not only were attributable to regulate plasma glucose to attenuate AGEs expression in diabetic glomeruli but also likely reflected its antioxidant activity

A wide-band-gap p-type thermoelectric material based on quaternary chalcogenides of Cu2ZnSnQ4 (Q=S,Se)

Chalcopyritelike quaternary chalcogenides, Cu(2)ZnSnQ(4) (Q=S,Se), were investigated as an alternative class of wide-band-gap p-type thermoelectric materials. Their distorted diamondlike structure and quaternary compositions are beneficial to lowering lattice thermal conductivities. Meanwhile, partial substitution of Cu for Zn creates more charge carriers and conducting pathways via the CuQ(4) network, enhancing electrical conductivity. The power factor and the figure of merit (ZT) increase with the temperature, making these materials suitable for high temperature applications. For Cu(2.1)Zn(0.9)SnQ(4), ZT reaches about 0.4 at 700 K, rising to 0.9 at 860 K

A promising p-type transparent conducting material: Layered oxysulfide

Sr3Cu2Sc2O5S2, a layered oxysulfide, composed of anti-PbO-like [Cu2S2] slabs alternating with perovskitelike [Sr3Sc2O5] slabs, was systematically studied as a p-type transparent conducting material. The material has a wide energy gap of 3.1 eV and a p-type electrical conductivity of 2.8 S cm−1 at room temperature. The hole mobility of +150 cm2 V−1 S−1 at room temperature, which is much higher than the typical value of ~10−1–10 cm2 V−1 S−1 found in other copper compounds. The performances of bulk undoped Sr3Cu2Sc2O5S2 show the promise of copper oxysulfides as a class of p-type transparent conductive materials that is essential for optoelectronic applications