College of Oriental Medicine and Professional Graduate School of Oriental Medicine, Republic of Korea.
Am J Chin Med. 2012;40(5):937-51. doi: 10.1142/S0192415X12500693.
Diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of vascular complications such as atherosclerosis. This study was designed to investigate whether Prunella vulgaris (APV) would inhibit diabetic atherosclerosis in db/db mice with type 2 diabetes. The db/db mice were treated with high fat/high cholesterol (HFHC) diet and an aqueous extract of APV (100 and 200 mg/kg/day) for eight weeks to examine the long-term effect on metabolic abnormalities and diabetic atherosclerosis. APV treatment markedly lowered blood glucose and systolic blood pressure. The db/db mice experienced an increase in blood urea nitrogen as well as a decrease of creatinine clearance, the latter of which was restored by treatment with APV. Treatment with APV markedly decreased total plasma cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL-cholesterol and also increased the HDL-cholesterol. In addition, malondialdehyde and TGF-β1 were decreased by treatment of APV. On the other hand, total NO level was decreased in db/db mice. However, the NO level was increased by treatment with APV, suggesting an association with vascular dysfunction. Vascular relaxation of aortic rings by acetylcholine or SNP-inducement was ameliorated by APV in a dose-dependent manner. Damage of vascular intima and hypertrophic of media were observed in db/db mice; however its dysfunction was improved by the treatment of APV. APV treatment significantly reduced the aortic expressions of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, ET-1, and nitrotyrosine. Furthermore, expression of eNOS in aortic was remarkably increased by APV treatment. Taken together, APV suppressed hyperglycemia and diabetic vascular dysfunction in HFHC diet-db/db mice. The present data suggest that Prunella vulgaris may prevent development of diabetic atherosclerosis.
糖尿病是血管并发症（如动脉粥样硬化）的主要原因。本研究旨在探讨夏枯草（APV）是否会抑制 2 型糖尿病 db/db 小鼠的糖尿病动脉粥样硬化。db/db 小鼠给予高脂肪/高胆固醇（HFHC）饮食和 APV 水提取物（100 和 200mg/kg/天）治疗 8 周，以研究其对代谢异常和糖尿病动脉粥样硬化的长期影响。APV 治疗显著降低了血糖和收缩压。db/db 小鼠的血尿素氮升高，肌酐清除率降低，APV 治疗可恢复后者。APV 治疗显著降低了总血浆胆固醇、甘油三酯和 LDL-胆固醇，并增加了 HDL-胆固醇。此外，APV 降低了丙二醛和 TGF-β1。另一方面，db/db 小鼠的总 NO 水平降低。然而，APV 治疗增加了 NO 水平，提示与血管功能障碍有关。APV 以剂量依赖的方式改善了乙酰胆碱或 SNP 诱导的主动脉环的血管舒张。db/db 小鼠观察到血管内膜损伤和中膜肥厚；然而，APV 治疗改善了其功能障碍。APV 治疗显著降低了主动脉中 ICAM-1、VCAM-1、ET-1 和硝基酪氨酸的表达。此外，APV 治疗显著增加了主动脉 eNOS 的表达。总之，APV 抑制了 HFHC 饮食-db/db 小鼠的高血糖和糖尿病血管功能障碍。本研究数据表明，夏枯草可能预防糖尿病动脉粥样硬化的发生。
