Xianglu Rong

• Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine

Mangiferin is one of the prominent active components responsible for the anti-diabetic property of many traditional herbs, but its underlying mechanisms of action remain unclear. CD36 in skeletal muscle is known to contribute to etiology of insulin resistance by facilitating fatty acid uptake. This study investigated the effect of mangiferin on ins...

Rhodiola species are traditionally used as tonics and stimulants to treat asthenia, suggesting their possible regulatory effect on energy metabolism. Clinical trials have demonstrated their glucose-lowering effect in type 2 diabetes. To examine the effects of Rhodiola on glucose and lipid metabolism in the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Zu...

Salacia oblonga root (SOR) is an Ayurvedic medicine for obesity and diabetes, those are associated with glucose and lipid metabolism. SOR has been demonstrated previously to improve glucose and lipid metabolism in animal models of obesity and diabetes and to be a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha activator. However, the anti-obesogen...

PPARs play a pivotal role in regulating lipid and glucose homeostasis and are involved in diverse biological activities in skin. Pomegranate flower (PGF, an antidiabetic therapy in Unani and Ayurvedic medicines) has been previously demonstrated to activate both PPARalpha/gamma. Here, we found that treatment of mice with the diet containing PGF powd...

Hypertension often coexists with insulin resistance. However, most metabolic effects of the antihypertensive agents have been investigated in nomotensive animals, in which different conclusions may arise. We investigated the metabolic effects of the new angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker azilsartan using the obese Koletsky rats superimposed on...

Hypertriglyceridaemia is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Irbesartan, a well-established angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT(1)) blocker, improves hypertriglyceridaemia in rodents and humans but the underlying mechanism of action is unclear. Male obese Koletsky (fa(k)/fa(k)) rats, which exhibit spontaneous hypertension an...

Atrial and brain natriuretic peptides (ANP and BNP, respectively) exert antihypertrophic effects in the heart via their common receptor, guanylyl cyclase (GC)-A, which catalyzes the synthesis of cGMP, leading to activation of protein kinase (PK)G. Still, much of the network of molecular mediators via which ANP/BNP-GC-A signaling inhibit cardiac hyp...

Aims/hypothesis Evidence suggests that telmisartan, an angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1) blocker and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ partial agonist, has beneficial actions that limit development of the metabolic syndrome and diabetes. However, the role played by AT1 inhibition in metabolic effects elicited by telmisartan remains un...

Recent clinical guidelines advocate the use of the isosorbide dinitrate/hydralazine combination in treatment for heart failure. However, clinical and laboratory evidence suggest that some vasodilators may induce cardiac hypertrophy under uncertain conditions. This study investigated the effects and underlying mechanism of action of the vasodilator...

In human diabetic nephropathy, the extent of tubulointerstitial fibrosis is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease; fibrosis is closely correlated with renal dysfunction. Although a wide array of medicinal plants play a role in the prevention and treatment of diabetes, there are few reports of the application of herbal medicines in ameliorati...

Adipose tissue plays an important role in energy balance and metabolism and is the major target for insulin-sensitizing peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma agonists. The angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker telmisartan, a partial agonist of PPAR-gamma, has been demonstrated to improve insulin sensitivity. However, there is unc...

Angiotensin II plays a key role in the development of cardiac hypertrophy. The contribution of the angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1) in angiotensin II-induced cardiac hypertrophy is well established, but the role of AT2 signaling remains controversial. Previously, we have shown that natriuretic peptide receptor/guanylyl cyclase-A (GCA) signaling...

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Zingiberacae) is one of the most commonly used spices around the world and a traditional medicinal plant that has been widely used in Chinese, Ayurvedic and Unani-Tibb medicines for several thousand years. However, there was still lack of systemic safety evaluation. We conducted a 35-day toxicity study on ginger...

Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat is a genetic model of type 2 diabetes and obesity. The mechanism underlying nephropathy in ZDF rats, however, remains unclear. ZDF rats were compared to age-matched Zucker lean (ZL) rats. Physiological and blood biochemical parameters, renal glomerular cross-sectional area (hematoxylin-eosin staining), fibrosis (van...

Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-alpha by natural and synthetic chemicals induces hepatic hypertrophy. An aqueous extract of Salacia oblonga root (SOW) is an Ayurvedic medicine with anti-diabetic and anti-obesity properties. In the present study, it was found that SOW (100, 300 and 900mg/kg, once daily by oral gavage...

Anti-cancer agent adriamycin (ADR) has demonstrated high anti-tumor efficacy. However, its use in chemotherapy has been limited largely due to its diverse toxicities, including renal toxicity, such as nephrotic syndrome with proteinuria. Podocyte injury leads to glomeruli proteinuria. Wulingsan (WLS) is a blended traditional Chinese herbal medicine...

To study the effect of exceed critical extracts from Radix Aucklandiae (MXY for short) on many kinds of experimental gastric ulcer model. The effect of MXY to the mice's gastric ulcer induced by hydrochloric acid-ethanol, reserpine, and chronic gastric ulcer induced by acetic acid were observed. Compared with model group, MXY had remarkable inhibit...

To study pharmacological action variety of ZhongSheng Pill dosage form changing from pill to capsule. Using anti-pathogenic microbe, antipyretic and antipyrotic effect as the pharmacological index,we compared the pharmacological action between Zhongsheng Pill formation and Capsule formation. Zhongsheng Capsule had various degrees extraneous antagon...