Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa-shi, Ishikawa, 920-1192, Japan,
J Nat Med. 2012 Oct;66(4):622-30. doi: 10.1007/s11418-012-0629-z. Epub 2012 Feb 16.
Puerariae flos extract (PFE) has been reported to have many effects, including preventing the development of hangovers, liver protective effects, and an estrogenic effect. In addition, some papers reported that PFE is effective against metabolic diseases, with hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic effects. However, the mechanism underlying such effects remains unclear. For the purpose of clarifying the effect of PFE on metabolic diseases related to the accumulation of visceral fat and to determine the mechanism of such action, TSOD mice, a multifactorial genetic disease animal model that spontaneously develops various metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, were given a Western diet (WTD) as an environmental factor to prepare a disease model (TSOD-WTD). When TSOD mice were loaded with WTD, it was confirmed that metabolic diseases such as obesity and abnormal glucose/lipid metabolism are aggravated. In contrast, PFE treatment to TSOD-WTD mice was shown to suppress body weight gain and visceral fat accumulation, alleviated the abnormal glucose tolerance and hyperinsulinemia, as well as causing an increase in blood adiponectin. Furthermore, the suppression of liver enlargement was observed in PFE-treated mice, with suppression of fatty degeneration and anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, to clarify the mechanism of the hyperlipidemia-alleviating effects in the liver, we investigated the effect of PFE on the expression of genes involved in cholesterol homeostasis. PFE was associated with a significant increase in gene expression for cholesterol synthesis rate-limiting enzyme HMG-CoA reductase, cholesterol catabolization enzyme Cyp7A1, bile salt export pump adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter B11, and low-density lipoprotein receptor involved in cholesterol uptake. The above results suggest that PFE acts to alleviate the effects of various metabolic diseases based on the accumulation of visceral adipose tissue, including obesity, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia, with the promotion of catabolization/excretion of cholesterol in the liver being a key mechanism of action.
葛根花提取物（PFE）已被报道具有多种作用，包括预防宿醉、肝脏保护作用和雌激素作用。此外，一些文献报道 PFE 对代谢性疾病有效，具有降血脂和降血糖作用。然而，其作用机制尚不清楚。为了阐明 PFE 对与内脏脂肪堆积有关的代谢性疾病的作用，并确定其作用机制，我们使用多因素遗传疾病动物模型 TSOD 小鼠，即自发性发展出肥胖和 2 型糖尿病等各种代谢性疾病的动物模型，给予西方饮食（WTD）作为环境因素来制备疾病模型（TSOD-WTD）。当 TSOD 小鼠接受 WTD 喂养时，证实肥胖等代谢性疾病以及异常的葡萄糖/脂质代谢会加重。相比之下，PFE 治疗 TSOD-WTD 小鼠可抑制体重增加和内脏脂肪堆积，改善异常葡萄糖耐量和高胰岛素血症，并导致血液脂联素增加。此外，在 PFE 治疗的小鼠中观察到肝脏肿大的抑制，伴有脂肪变性的抑制和抗炎作用。此外，为了阐明 PFE 在肝脏中缓解高血脂的作用机制，我们研究了 PFE 对胆固醇稳态相关基因表达的影响。PFE 与胆固醇合成限速酶 HMG-CoA 还原酶、胆固醇分解酶 Cyp7A1、胆汁盐输出泵三磷酸腺苷结合盒转运体 B11 和参与胆固醇摄取的低密度脂蛋白受体的基因表达显著增加有关。上述结果表明，PFE 通过促进肝脏中胆固醇的分解/排泄，对包括肥胖、糖尿病和高血脂在内的各种代谢性疾病的作用，这可能是其主要作用机制。
