A Systematic Review of Potential Therapeutic Use of Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides in Disease

Objective. To evaluate the effect of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides in the treatment and/or prevention of diseases of different etiologies and systems. Methods. We performed an Entrez PubMed literature search using keywords “lycium”, “barbarum”, “polysaccharides”, “anti-fibrotic”, “anti-apoptotic”, “anti-oxidizing”, “anti-aging”, “neuroprotection”, “metabolism”, “diabetes”, “hyperlipidemia”, “neuroprotection”, and “immunomodulation” on the 14th of August 2018, resulting in 207 papers, of which 20 were chosen after filtering for ‘English language’ and ‘published within 10 years’ as well as curation for relevance by the authors. Results. The 20 selected papers included 2 randomized control trials (1 double-blinded RCT and 1 double-blinded placebo-controlled RCT), 11 in vivo studies, 5 in vitro studies, 1 study with both in vivo and in vitro results, and 1 chemical study. There is good evidence from existing studies on the antifibrotic, antioxidizing, neuroprotective, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory effects of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides. However, there is a need for further studies in the form of large-scale clinical trials to support its use in humans. There is also significant potential for LBP as a safe and effective topical treatment in ocular surface diseases, owing to promising in vitro results and a lack of demonstrated toxic effects to corneal epithelial cells. Conclusion. Results from existing studies suggest that LBP is a promising therapeutic agent, particularly in the management of liver disease, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. One major limitation of current research is a lack of standardization and quality control for the LBP used. The availability of research-grade LBP will inevitably promote future research in this field worldwide

DataSheet_1_The association between altered intestinal microbiome, impaired systemic and ocular surface immunity, and impaired wound healing response after corneal alkaline-chemical injury in diabetic mice.docx

PurposeWe aim to investigate the effect of sustained hyperglycemia on corneal epithelial wound healing, ocular surface and systemic immune response, and microbiome indices in diabetic mice compared to controls after alkaline chemical injury of the eye.MethodsCorneal alkaline injury was induced in the right eye of Ins2Akita (Akita) mice and wild-type mice. The groups were observed at baseline and subsequently days 0, 3, and 7 after injury. Corneal re-epithelialization was observed under slit lamp with fluorescein staining using a cobalt blue light filter. Enucleated cornea specimens were compared at baseline and after injury for changes in cornea thickness under hematoxylin and eosin staining. Tear cytokine and growth factor levels were measured using protein microarray assay and compared between groups and time points. Flow cytometry was conducted on peripheral blood and ocular surface samples to determine CD3+CD4+ cell count. Fecal samples were collected, and gut microbiota composition and diversity pattern were measured using shotgun sequencing.ResultsAkita mice had significantly delayed corneal wound healing compared to controls. This was associated with a reduction in tear levels of vascular endothelial growth factor A, angiopoietin 2, and insulin growth factor 1 on days 0, 3, and 7 after injury. Furthermore, there was a distinct lack of upregulation of peripheral blood and ocular surface CD3+CD4+ cell counts in response to injury in Akita mice compared to controls. This was associated with a reduction in intestinal microbiome diversity indices in Akita mice compared to controls after injury. Specifically, there was a lower abundance of Firmicutes bacterium M10-2 in Akita mice compared to controls after injury.ConclusionIn diabetic mice, impaired cornea wound healing was associated with an inability to mount systemic and local immune response to ocular chemical injury. Baseline and post-injury differences in intestinal microbial diversity and abundance patterns between diabetic mice and controls may potentially play a role in this altered response.</p

Table_1_The association between altered intestinal microbiome, impaired systemic and ocular surface immunity, and impaired wound healing response after corneal alkaline-chemical injury in diabetic mice.docx

PurposeWe aim to investigate the effect of sustained hyperglycemia on corneal epithelial wound healing, ocular surface and systemic immune response, and microbiome indices in diabetic mice compared to controls after alkaline chemical injury of the eye.MethodsCorneal alkaline injury was induced in the right eye of Ins2Akita (Akita) mice and wild-type mice. The groups were observed at baseline and subsequently days 0, 3, and 7 after injury. Corneal re-epithelialization was observed under slit lamp with fluorescein staining using a cobalt blue light filter. Enucleated cornea specimens were compared at baseline and after injury for changes in cornea thickness under hematoxylin and eosin staining. Tear cytokine and growth factor levels were measured using protein microarray assay and compared between groups and time points. Flow cytometry was conducted on peripheral blood and ocular surface samples to determine CD3+CD4+ cell count. Fecal samples were collected, and gut microbiota composition and diversity pattern were measured using shotgun sequencing.ResultsAkita mice had significantly delayed corneal wound healing compared to controls. This was associated with a reduction in tear levels of vascular endothelial growth factor A, angiopoietin 2, and insulin growth factor 1 on days 0, 3, and 7 after injury. Furthermore, there was a distinct lack of upregulation of peripheral blood and ocular surface CD3+CD4+ cell counts in response to injury in Akita mice compared to controls. This was associated with a reduction in intestinal microbiome diversity indices in Akita mice compared to controls after injury. Specifically, there was a lower abundance of Firmicutes bacterium M10-2 in Akita mice compared to controls after injury.ConclusionIn diabetic mice, impaired cornea wound healing was associated with an inability to mount systemic and local immune response to ocular chemical injury. Baseline and post-injury differences in intestinal microbial diversity and abundance patterns between diabetic mice and controls may potentially play a role in this altered response.</p