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Protective Effect of Ganoderma (Lingzhi) on Cardiovascular System
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are disorders of the heart and blood vessels and include coronary heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, rheumatic heart diseases, and other conditions. CVDs are one of the most major causes of morbidity and mortality around the world, taking the lives of 17.9 million people every year. Several investigations have shown the influence of Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum, Lingzhi) on some metabolic markers, such as low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), total cholesterol (TC), blood pressure, and oxidative damage. G. lucidum potentially reduces the risk of suffering cardiovascular diseases. Some studies found that G. lucidum prevented from heart damage in a variety of disease models, such as streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic, high-fat-diet-induced diabetic, isoprenaline (ISO)-induced myocardial hypertrophy, acute ethanol-induced heart toxicity, and transverse aortic constriction (TAC) models. This chapter summarizes putative preventive and therapeutic effects of G. lucidum on cardiovascular diseases and the potential clinical use of G. lucidum involved in these effects.
... Bioactive components in GL exhibit a large variety of health-promoting activities such as antioxidant, hypoglycaemic, anti-tumour, cardioprotective, and immunomodulatory effects in combination [209][210][211]. Nowadays, it is commonly used to treat a variety of highly prevalent diseases with high mortality rates such as cancer and cardiovascular and metabolic syndromes [210,212]. As GL consists of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, its ability to ameliorate CKD has been widely investigated in recent years [212,213]. ...
... Nowadays, it is commonly used to treat a variety of highly prevalent diseases with high mortality rates such as cancer and cardiovascular and metabolic syndromes [210,212]. As GL consists of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, its ability to ameliorate CKD has been widely investigated in recent years [212,213]. ...
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) presents a substantial global public health challenge, with high morbidity and mortality. CKD patients often experience dyslipidaemia and poor glycaemic control, further exacerbating inflammation and oxidative stress in the kidney. If left untreated, these metabolic symptoms can progress to end-stage renal disease, necessitating long-term dialysis or kidney transplantation. Alleviating inflammation responses has become the standard approach in CKD management. Medications such as statins, metformin, and GLP-1 agonists, initially developed for treating metabolic dysregulation, demonstrate promising renal therapeutic benefits. The rising popularity of herbal remedies and supplements, perceived as natural antioxidants, has spurred investigations into their potential efficacy. Notably, lactoferrin, Boerhaavia diffusa, Amauroderma rugosum, and Ganoderma lucidum are known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and may support kidney function preservation. However, the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of Western medications and herbal remedies in alleviating inflammation and oxidative stress occurring in renal dysfunction are not completely known. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of CKD treatment strategies and renal function preservation and critically discusses the existing literature’s limitations whilst offering insight into the potential antioxidant effects of these interventions. This could provide a useful guide for future clinical trials and facilitate the development of effective treatment strategies for kidney functions.
... As a popular herbal remedy for several pathological disorders and diseases, Panax ginseng root has been shown to increase life energy [83,84]. Ganoderma lucidum is a tranquilizing drug that has cardiovascular protective effects and is often used to treat insomnia [85,86]. ...
Insomnia can have a negative impact on people's life or even cause mental or physical diseases. In China, the usage of medicine food homology herbal resources to treat insomnia has a long history. This review, which is based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), summarizes the research progress of medicine and food homology (MFH) resources in treating insomnia. Through literature search from the last 8 years, we compared the understanding of insomnia between TCM and modern pharmacology, found 21 kinds of MFH plants and 15 kinds of prescriptions containing MFH plants that have the effect of improving sleep and summarized the mechanism of their treatment of insomnia. Our study will provide theoretical support for the development and utilization of MFH plant resources with sleep-enhancing properties and provide positive insights and direction references for more effective treatment of insomnia disease.
... These components exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-aging, and immunomodulatory effects [12]. Consequently, G. lucidum is extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of various diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, nervous and immune system disorders [13][14][15]. ...
... ex Fr.) Karst., Panax ginseng C. A. Mey., Aconitum carmichaeli Debx., Margaritifera, Ursi fellis pulvis, Carthamus tinctorius L., Bufonis venenum, Moschus, Bovis calculus artifactus and Borneolum syntheticum, and they were mixed at a ratio of 33:30:15:4:4:3:3:2:2:2. Numerous components in HXP have been proven to exert antioxidative effects that may protect against heart injury, such as Ganoderma lucidum and ginsenosides from Panax giseng [10,11]. However, research on the mechanism by which HXP protects against cardiovascular diseases, particularly HF, is limited. ...
Heart failure (HF) is a major and growing public health concern. Although advances in medical and surgical therapies have been achieved over the last decades, there is still no firmly evidence-based treatment with many traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) for HF. Huoxin Pill (HXP), a TCM, has been widely used to treat patients with coronary heart disease and angina pectoris. However, the underlying molecular mechanism is poorly understood. In this study, using a verapamil-induced zebrafish HF model, we validated the efficacy and revealed the underlying mechanism of HXP in the treatment of HF. Zebrafish embryos were pretreated with different concentrations of HXP followed by verapamil administration, and we found that HXP significantly improved cardiac function in HF zebrafish, such as by effectively alleviating venous congestion and increasing heart rates. Mechanistically, HXP evidently inhibited verapamil-induced ROS and H2O2 production and upregulated CAT activity in HF zebrafish. Moreover, transgenic lines Tg(mpx:EGFP) and Tg(nfkb:EGFP) were administered for inflammation evaluation, and we found that neutrophil infiltration in HF zebrafish hearts and the activated NF-kB level could be reduced by HXP. Furthermore, HXP significantly downregulated the level of cell apoptosis in HF zebrafish hearts, as assessed by AO staining. Molecularly, RT‒qPCR results showed that pretreatment with HXP upregulated antioxidant-related genes such as gpx-1a and gss and downregulated the expression of the stress-related gene hsp70, proinflammatory genes such as tnf-α, il-6 and lck, and apoptosis-related indicators such as apaf1, puma and caspase9. In conclusion, HXP exerts a protective effect on verapamil-induced zebrafish HF through inhibition of oxidative stress-triggered inflammation and apoptosis.
... A study by Xie et al. (2016) on the effects of Ganoderma in the cardiovascular system showed a decrease in left ventricular hypertrophy. A recent study on the cardioprotective effects of G. lucidum, has shown the efficacy of this fungus in reducing cardiac hypertrophy (Meng and Yang, 2019). In contrary, our results showed no significant reduction in cardiac hypertrophy in any of the studied groups, which may be due to differences in the intervention methods. ...
... The natural medicinal fungus Ganoderma lucidum has been utilized in traditional Chinese medicine for over 2000 years (Meng and Yang, 2019), and demonstrates considerable pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anticancer activities, for the treatment and management of many illnesses such as diabetes (Ma et al., 2015), cancer (Fu et al., 2019b), and inflammation (Hu X. et al., 2020). A sizable molecular component known as Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide peptide (GL-PP) has been identified and purified from the aqueous extract of Ganoderma lucidum fruiting bodies (Lin et al., 2003). ...
Introduction: In the Doxorubicin (DOX)-induced nephropathy model, proteinuria is a manifestation of progressive kidney injury. The pathophysiology of renal illness is heavily influenced by the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). To reduce renal RAS activation and proteinuria caused by DOX, this study evaluated the effectiveness of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide peptide (GL-PP), a new glycopeptide produced from Ganoderma lucidum grown on grass.
Methods: Three groups of BALB/c male mice were created: control, DOX, and DOX + GL-PP. GL-PP (100 mg/kg) was administered to mice by intraperitoneal injection for 4 weeks following a single intravenous injection of DOX (10 mg/kg via the tail vein).
Results: After 4 weeks, full-length and soluble pro(renin) receptor (fPRR/sPRR) overexpression in DOX mouse kidneys, which is crucial for the RAS pathway, was dramatically inhibited by GL-PP therapy. Additionally, GL-PP successfully reduced elevation of urinary renin activity and angiotensin II levels, supporting the idea that GL-PP inhibits RAS activation. Moreover, GL-PP showed a considerable downregulation of nicotinamide adenine nucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 (NOX4) expression and a decrease in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) levels. GL-PP treatment effectively reduced glomerular and tubular injury induced by DOX, as evidenced by decreased proteinuria, podocyte damage, inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and fibrosis.
Discussion: GL-PP inhibits intrarenal PRR/sPRR-RAS activation and upregulation of NOX4 and H2O2, suggesting potential therapeutic approaches against DOX-induced nephropathy.
... They lower blood pressure on their own and as a result they may lower it too much when combined with these medications. For this reason, they should not be used by people suffering from hypotension either (Meng et al. 2019, Shaito et al. 2020, Zhang et al. 2020). Wu et al. identified three angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor peptides: Gln-Leu-Val-Pro (QLVP), Gln-Asp-Val-Leu (QDVL), and Gln-Leu-Asp-Leu (QLDL). ...
Currently, lignicolous fungi, commonly referred to as polypores, belonging to the division of Basidiomycota (basidiomycetes), are of great interest. Ganoderma lucidum is one of the representatives. They grow and develop in the wood of trees and shrubs, both living and dead ones. These fungi belong to the world's most valued and sought-after medicinal plants, used as dietary supplements and applied in medicine. Fungal extracts can be used both for the purposes of prevention and treatment of the acute and chronic diseases. Clinical studies have confirmed the unique characteristics of parasitic medicinal fungi: wide possibilities of application, a high supportive and enhancing role taking into account the effects of treatment of various diseases, non-toxicity and a lack of the side effects of use. Triterpenes and immune-active polysaccha-rides, mainly b-D-glucans and polysaccharide peptides as well as proteins, are of the greatest health-promoting importance. Glucans that have been most widely used in medicine include: lentinan (from Lentinula edodes), krestin (Trametes versicolor), schizophyllan (SPG), isolated from Schizophyllum commune (splitgill). However, not all glucans have anti-cancer properties: The project is financed from the Research Fund of the Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce no SUPB.RN.21.158, which is intended to support the continuity and development of the university's scientific research. 162 since this property depends on their water solubility, size and molecular weight, degree of branching and form of occurrence. High-molecular-weight b-glucans, containing mainly b-(1-3) bonds, display the highest anti-cancer activity. These polysaccharides do not induce allergic reactions or side effects in the human body; however, they show cytotoxic effects against neo-plastic cells, as confirmed by in vitro and in vivo studies. A bibliometric analysis on Ganoderma lucidum in the period 1995-2021 was completed in the study. The literature review was conducted searching through the PubMed, SCOPUS and Google scholar databases. The criterion of thematic classification was implemented to carry out an analysis of bibliographic data.
... 334,335 The circulatory system, i.e., the organs and tissues in the body that carry blood, primarily the heart and blood vessels (arteries, veins, and capillaries), is involved in the series of illnesses. 336,337 Hypoxia is one of the most important pathogenic factors of cardiovascular diseases. [338][339][340][341] It heralds the onset of many cardiovascular diseases, i.e., arteriosclerosis, pulmonary hypertension, and heart failure. ...
Molecular oxygen (O2) is essential for most biological reactions in mammalian cells. When the intracellular oxygen content decreases, it is called hypoxia. The process of hypoxia is linked to several biological processes, including pathogenic microbe infection, metabolic adaptation, cancer, acute and chronic diseases, and other stress responses. The mechanism underlying cells respond to oxygen changes to mediate subsequent signal response is the central question during hypoxia. Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) sense hypoxia to regulate the expressions of a series of downstream genes expression, which participate in multiple processes including cell metabolism, cell growth/death, cell proliferation, glycolysis, immune response, microbe infection, tumorigenesis, and metastasis. Importantly, hypoxia signaling also interacts with other cellular pathways, such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)- mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway, extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) signaling, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. This paper systematically reviews the mechanisms of hypoxia signaling activation, the control of HIF signaling, and the function of HIF signaling in human health and diseases. In addition, the therapeutic targets involved in HIF signaling to balance health and diseases are summarized and highlighted, which would provide novel strategies for the design and development of therapeutic drugs.
... Ganoderma is a traditional Chinese medicine and has been discovered numerous bioactivities as hypoglycemic effect, cardiovascular protection, anti-tumor, antioxidant, and brain injury prevention (Lin and Deng, 2019;Lin and Sun, 2019;Liu and Tie, 2019;Meng and Yang, 2019;Quan et al., 2019). All along, Ganoderma triterpenoids have been considered as the main active components with antitumor effects. ...
(±)-Dimercochlearlactones A−J (1–10), ten pairs of novel meroterpenoid dimers and one known spirocochlealactone A (11), were isolated from Ganoderma mushrooms. The structural elucidation of new compounds, including their absolute configurations, depends on spectroscopic analysis and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Biological studies showed that (+)- and (–)-2, (–)-3, and (+)- and (–)-11 are cytotoxic toward human triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells (MDA-MB-231) with IC50 values of 28.18, 25.65, 11.16, 8.18, and 13.02 μM, respectively. Wound healing assay revealed that five pairs of meroterpenoids (±)-5−(±)-8 and (±)-10 could significantly inhibit cell mobility at 20 μM in MDA-MB-231 cells. The results provide a new insight into the biological role of Ganoderma meroterpenoids in TNBC.
... A variety of commercial products from G. lucidum, such as powders, dietary supplements, and tea (Wachtel-Galor et al. 2011), are available. They have been shown to possess a range of activities against CVD, including effects on lipids, blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and antioxidant and radical scavenging properties (Liu and Tie 2019;Meng and Yang 2019;Winska et al. 2019). However, scientific evidence supporting the beneficial medical properties of G. lucidum is still inconclusive (Hapuarachchi et al. 2016). ...
Context
Various herbal medicines are thought to be useful in the management of cardiometabolic disease and its risk factors. Ganoderma lucidum (Curtis) P. Karst. (Ganodermataceae), also known as Lingzhi, has received considerable attention for various indications, including some related to the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic disease by ameliorating major cardiovascular risk factors.
Objective
This review focuses on the major studies of the whole plant, plant extract, and specific active compounds isolated from G. lucidum in relation to the main risk factors for cardiometabolic disease.
Methods
References from major databases including PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were compiled. The search terms used were Ganoderma lucidum, Lingzhi, Reishi, cardiovascular, hypoglycaemic, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, antihypertensive, and anti-inflammatory.
Results
A number of in vitro studies and in vivo animal models have found that G. lucidum possesses antioxidative, antihypertensive, hypoglycaemic, lipid-lowering, and anti-inflammatory properties, but the health benefits in clinical trials are inconsistent. Among these potential health benefits, the most compelling evidence thus far is its hypoglycaemic effects in patients with type 2 diabetes or hyperglycaemia.
Conclusions
The inconsistent evidence about the potential health benefits of G. lucidum is possibly because of the use of different Ganoderma formulations and different study populations. Further large controlled clinical studies are therefore needed to clarify the potential benefits of G. lucidum preparations standardised by known active components in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic disease.
... Basidiomata of GL contains bioactive compounds, such as phenols, triterpenes, polysaccharides, proteins, enzymes and fatty acids with welldescribed pharmacological activities [2]. Several manuscripts documented the antitumor activity [3], the antiviral effect [4,5], and protective properties for numerous organs such as the brain [6], cardiovascular system [7,8] and liver [9] of these fungi. ...
Carpophores of Ganoderma lingzhi (GZ) from industrial crops in China were analysed and compared with carpophores of three Iberian strains of cultivated Ganoderma lucidum (GL) (Aveiro, Madrid, Palencia) previously genetically characterized. The genetic determination of all the fungi in the study coincided with the identification provided by the companies and entities that supplied the samples. Cultivation time ranged between 107 and 141 days. The analysis of total phenol content showed to be 56.8% higher for GL from Palencia than for GZ. Intraspecific variation was a maximum of 56% from GL. The content of antioxidants, both intraspecific and interspecific, was found to be strain-dependent with a maximum variation of 78.5%. The nutritional analysis shows that there are differences in dietary fiber, protein, ash and sodium content between GL and GZ. In fatty acids analysis, only trans fatty acids showed significant differences, being higher in GL. Protein profile and digestibility of GZ and GL-Madrid mushroom proteins were evaluated by digestion with simulated gastric fluid and were different. The two species were perfectly differentiated according to their protein profile. These results should be considered for nutritional and industrial applications.
... Some of these metabolites exhibited intriguing biological properties (Luo et al. 2019), such as antitumor (Weng et al. 2010;Qin et al. 2020), anti-inflammatory (Tung et al. 2013), hepatoprotective properties (Gao et al. 2018), neuroprotective (Zhou et al. 2015) and antioxidant (Sun et al. 2004). Furthermore, the metabolites of Ganoderma have also received considerable attention due to their potential clinical effects on CVD, which could prevent from heart damage in a variety of disease models (Meng and Yang 2019). ...
Two new lanostane-type triterpenoids, ganoderenicfys A (1) and B (2), together with six related known terpenoids (3–8), were isolated and identified from the fruiting body of Ganoderma applanatum. The structures of these compounds were established on the basis of detailed interpretation of their NMR and HRESIMS data. The absolute configurations of 1 and 2 were determined by quantum chemical electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. All of the isolated compounds were evaluated for their proangiogenic activities in a transgenic fluorescent zebrafish model. Compounds 1–6 displayed dose-dependently proangiogenic activity in a PTK787-induced vascular injury zebrafish model, while compounds 1, 2 and 4 significantly promoted the angiogenesis. This is the first report for proangiogenic activities of lanostane-type triterpenoids.
... Ganoderma was reported to have a protective effect on atherosclerosis in a mouse model [45]. Some species of Ganoderma could improve the area of atherosclerotic plaque and was possibly through the regulation of macrophages and release of nitric oxide to protect atherosclerosis [20,46,47]. ...
Background:
Patients who suffered coronary heart disease (CHD) complicated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were reported to have worse cardiac function and clinical outcomes than patients with CHD only. The mechanism was unclear. Previous study focused on the metabolism and showed it could be regulated by the microbiota. Few studies related to fungi. We aimed to investigate the characteristics of intestinal fungal microbiota in CHD patients complicated with NAFLD (CHD-NAFLD).
Methods:
72 People were recruited and equally divided into three groups, including CHD patients (without NAFLD), CHD-NAFLD patients, and healthy controls (HCs). Fecal samples were collected. The Illumina sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer 3-4 rRNA was applied.
Results:
The BMI, uric acid and triglyceride in CHD-NAFLD patients increased compared with CHD patients. The abundance of Exophiala attenuata and Malassezia restricta in all CHD-NAFLD and CHD patients significantly reduced. The intestinal fungal microbiota in CHD-NAFLD patients showed an increase in the abundance of Preussia, Xylodon and Cladorrhinum, and a reduction in the abundance of Candida glabrata and Ganoderma. Among them, the abundance of Ganoderma was significantly lower than that in CHD patients. The ejection fraction was negatively correlated to the abundance of Xylodon. Uric acid was positively correlated with the abundance of Cladorrhinum and Preussia.
Conclusions:
These changes of intestinal fungal microbiota in CHD-NAFLD patients may be important factors affecting the degree of metabolic disorder. But there are few reports on these fungi. More studies are needed to confirm the effects of these fungi on human.
Psychological disparities impact physical activity and fitness in sedentary female college students by affecting cardiovascular efficiency. Ganoderma lucidum , vitality-enhancing herb alleviates health and rejuvenates the mind-body to improve endurance fitness. A double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled parallel design study was conducted to determine whether supplementation of G. lucidum in daily dosages of 500 mg (GL500mg group) and 1000 mg (GL1000mg group) improves psychophysiological health capabilities during the different phases of the experimental trial. Analysis for pre-experimental trial (day 0), experimental trial (day 15), and post-experimental trial (after day 30) on anthropometric, psychological, physiological, and physical fitness parameters were executed. Seventy-eight participants ( n = 78, age 20.64 ± 3.21 years) were assigned randomly and equally divided ( n = 26) to one of the three treatment groups for intragroup and intergroup comparisons. Significant differences in the post-experimental GL1000mg group for heart rate (HR), maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max), physical work capacity (PWC170), and right-hand grip strength ( P < 0.05) compared with the placebo group were observed. GL1000mg-supplemented group also significantly improved ( P < 0.05) HR, VO2max and PWC170 ( P < 0.001) after pre- to post-trials. Experimental trial between placebo and GL1000mg group and post-experimental trial between the GL500mg and GL1000mg group showed significant changes in VO2max( P < 0.001) and PWC170 ( P < 0.05). Anxiety, depression, vitality and positive well-being scores significantly improved, leading to improved psychological well-being after GL1000mg supplementation. GL1000mg supplementation for 30 days might act as a longevity-promoting tonic for endurance and strength performance by ameliorating stress to improve the overall psychophysiological health, vitality and quality of life for better cardiovascular efficacy.
Ganoderma, a genus of mushrooms known for its long history of medicinal use, has gained increasing attention in recent years due to its potential health benefits. This review delves into the bioactive compounds found in Ganoderma and elucidates the intricate mechanisms underlying its immunomodulatory and anti-tumour activities. The diverse health-promoting effects of Ganoderma can be attributed to its decadent array of bioactive compounds, notably polysaccharides, and triterpenoids, which play a pivotal role. The ability of the mushroom to modulate the immune system, enhancing the activity of immune cells, such as natural killer cells and macrophages, is a central focus. Furthermore, we explore how Ganoderma exerts anti-tumour effects through the induction of apoptosis, inhibition of angiogenesis, and interference with various signalling pathways critical for cancer cell growth and metastasis. As research in this area continues to evolve, a comprehensive understanding of the potential of Ganoderma as a natural health supplement and its role in promoting well-being is emerging, offering promising avenues for further investigation and application in healthcare.
Morinda officinalis How oligosaccharide (MOO) stands as one of the principal active constituents of M. officinalis How, widely employed in traditional Chinese medicine. The methods for MOO extraction predominantly encompass hot water extraction, ethanol extraction, ultrasonic-assisted extraction, and microwave-assisted extraction. Distinct extraction techniques yield varying MOO quantities. MOO encompasses a diversity of oligosaccharides, including bajijiasu, sucrose, 1-kestose, nystose, mannose, 1F-fructofuranosylnystose, 1,1,1,1-kestohexose, fructoheptasaccharide, inulin-type hexasaccharide, inulin-type heptasaccharide, inulotriose, inulotetraose, inulopentaose, and mannose. MOO exhibits a wide spectrum of biological activities, exerting specific effects on the nervous system, cardiovascular system, motor system, reproductive system, and immune system. It demonstrates antidepressant properties, offers potential in mitigating Alzheimer’s disease, stimulates angiogenesis, and possesses anti-osteoporotic and other pharmacological effects. Clinically, when combined with various antidepressants, MOO exhibits specific therapeutic efficacy across multiple forms of depression. As a naturally occurring plant oligosaccharide, MOO holds diverse pharmaceutical applications. This article conducts a review of the latest extraction and purification methodologies, structural characterization analysis, biological activity assessment, and clinical applications of MOO. Such a comprehensive analysis yields innovative insights for advancing the research and application of MOO in the future.
The Ganoderma lucidum mushroom, which has been used as a traditional medicine in China for more than 2000 years, is a source of many interesting natural product. In this study, the five undescribed minor meroterpenoids baoslingzhines F-J (1-5), containing a dihydropyran moiety, were isolated as racemic mixtures from the fruiting bodies of G. lucidum. These substances were structurally and stereochemically characterized by using spectroscopic and computational methods. Chiral HPLC was employed to separate the (+)- and (-)-antipodes. A survey of the activities against kidney fibrosis showed that both enantiomers of baoslingzhines F-J inhibit expression of renal fibrosis-related proteins, including fibronectin, collagen I and ɑ-SMA in TGF-β1-induced rat kidney proximal tubular cells.
The Ganoderma lucidum, a well-known Chinese traditional medicine, has been used to prevent and treat cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of this study was to determine whether Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharide peptide (GLPP) has therapeutic effect on cardiac fibrosis. Using both mouse myocardial infarction (MI) model and primarily cultured cardiac fibroblast model, we found that GLPP (150 mg/kg/day) ameliorated cardiac fibrosis and improved cardiac function following MI. We further revealed that GLPP down regulated the expression of fibronectin, collagen I, collagen III and α-smooth muscle actin in the cardiac tissue, mainly through hindering the over activation of TGF-β/SMAD signaling. On the other hand, GLPP significantly decreased the expression of NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4), and reduced the MDA and SOD and 8-OHdG in myocardial tissue, suggesting GLPP alleviated cardiac fibrosis partially via relieving oxidative stress. The inhibitory effect of GLPP on TGF-β/SMAD and NOX4-derived ROS signaling pathways was further confirmed in TGF-β or H2O2 stimulated neonatal rat cardiac fibroblast model. Our experimental results indicate that GLPP is a promising agent for the prevention and treatment of cardiac fibrosis.
In the last decades, the strong increase in the proportion of older people worldwide, and the increased prevalence of age associated degenerative diseases, have put a stronger focus on aging biology. In spite of important progresses in our understanding of the aging process, an integrative view is still lacking and there is still need for efficient anti-aging interventions that could improve healthspan, reduce incidence of age-related disease and, eventually, increase the lifespan. Interestingly, some compounds from traditional medicine have been found to possess anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, suggesting that they could play a role as anti-aging compounds, although in depth in vivo investigations are still scarce. In this study we used one the major aging model organisms, Drosophila melanogaster, to investigate the ability of four herb extracts (HEs: Dendrobium candidum, Ophiopogon japonicum, Ganoderma sinense and Panax notoginseng) widely used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to slow down aging and improve healthspan of aged animals. Combining multiple approaches (stress resistance assays, lifespan and metabolic measurements, functional heart characterizations and behavioral assays), we show that these four HEs provide in vivo protection from various insults, albeit with significant compound-specific differences. Importantly, extracts of P. notoginseng and G. sinense increase the healthspan of aging animals, as shown by increased activity during aging and improved heart function. In addition, these two compounds also provide protection in a Drosophila model of Huntington's disease (HD), suggesting that, besides their anti-aging properties in normal individuals, they could be also efficient in the protection against age-related diseases.
Chinese medicinal and edible plants such as Panax notoginseng and ginseng are widely used for the treatment of atherosclerosis (AS). AS is the main pathological basis of cardiac-cerebral vascular disease, which seriously threatens human health and quality of life. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the main pathogenic factor of AS. The LDL receptor (LDLR) is an important protein that functions to mediate the uptake and degradation of plasma LDL. Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) can mediate the internalization and degradation of LDLR. So, increasing the LDLR level by inhibiting PCSK9 is an important means of prevention and treatment of AS. In this study, by combining interaction technology (surface plasmon resonance, SPR) of small molecule compounds with membrane receptor proteins, cell experiments, and in vivo experiments, it is proved for the first time that 20(S)-protopanaxadiol (PPD), as a hydrolytic product of Panax notoginseng saponins in the intestinal tract, can bind to the extracellular domain of LDLR and inhibit the role of Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin/Kexin Type 9 (PCSK9) in mediating LDLR degradation. The results showed that PPD significantly reduced aortic plaques and hepatic steatosis in HFD-fed ApoE KO mice. LDLR protein levels were elevated in the liver tissues isolated from PPD-treated HFD-fed ApoE KO mice and PPD-treated HepG2 cells. Our findings demonstrated that PPD significantly increased LDLR levels and reduced AS in the HFD-fed ApoE KO mice on account of LDLR degradation being inhibited by PPD inhibiting the interaction between PCSK9 and LDLR.
Seven new meroterpenoids, lucidumones B-H (1 and 3–8), along with one known meroterpenoid (2), were isolated from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum. The structures of the new compounds were assigned by spectroscopic and computational methods. All the isolated compounds were tested for their inhibition on human cancer cell migration. It was found that compounds (–)-1, (+)-2, (–)-4, (+)-6, and (+)-8 could significantly inhibit cell migration in KYSE30 cell line. Further examination disclosed that cell migration inhibition of (+)-6 and (+)-8 might be related with downregulation of N-cadherin.
Endothelial dysfunction is one of the most important pathological status in hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) related cardiovascular diseases. Whereas, the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated yet, concomitant with the absence of effective treatment. The purpose of this study was to explore the main mechanisms involved in HHcy-induced endothelial injury and identify the protective effect of Ganoderma triterpenes (GT). Bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs) were applied as in vitro experimental model. The small molecular inhibitors were used to explore the signalings involved in HHcy-induced endothelial injury. The experimental results provided initial evidence that HHcy led to endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT). Meanwhile, TGF-β/Smad, PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways were activated in this process, which was demonstrated by pretreatment with TGF-β RI kinase inhibitor VI SB431542, PI3K inhibitor LY294002, p38 inhibitor SB203580, and ERK inhibitor PD98059. Furthermore, it was found that GT restrained the process of HHcy-induced EndMT via reducing oxidative stress and suppressing fore mentioned pathways with further inhibiting the activity of Snail. These results implicate that there is an untapped potential for GT as a novel therapeutic candidate for HHcy-induced EndMT through alleviating oxidative stress and canonical TGF-β/Smad and non-Smad dependent signaling pathways.
Resistant hypertension (failure to achieve target blood pressures with three or more antihypertensive drugs including a diuretic) is an important and preventable cause of stroke. Hypertension is highly prevalent in China (>60% of persons above age 65), and only ~6% of hypertensives in China are controlled to target levels. Most strokes occur among persons with resistant hypertension; approximately half of strokes could be prevented by blood pressure control. Reasons for uncontrolled hypertension include (1) non-compliance; (2) consumption of substances that aggravated hypertension, such as excess salt, alcohol, licorice, decongestants and oral contraceptives; (3) therapeutic inertia (failure to intensify therapy when target blood pressures are not achieved); and (4) diagnostic inertia (failure to investigate the cause of resistant hypertension). In China, an additional factor is lack of availability of appropriate antihypertensive therapy in many healthcare settings. Sodium restriction in combination with a diet similar to the Cretan Mediterranean or the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet can lower blood pressure in proportion to the severity of hypertension. Physiologically individualised therapy for hypertension based on phenotyping by plasma renin activity and aldosterone can markedly improve blood pressure control. Renal hypertension (high renin/high aldosterone) is best treated with angiotensin receptor antagonists; primary aldosteronism (low renin/high aldosterone) is best treated with aldosterone antagonists (spironolactone or eplerenone); and hypertension due to overactivity of the renal epithelial sodium channel (low renin/low aldosterone; Liddle phenotype) is best treated with amiloride. The latter is far more common than most physicians suppose.
Background/aims:
Cardiac fibrosis, characterized by an unbalanced production and degradation of extracellular matrix components, is a common pathophysiology of multiple cardiovascular diseases. Recent studies suggested that endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT) could be a source of activated fibroblasts and contribute to cardiac fibrosis. Here, the role of pioglitazone (PIO) in cardiac fibrosis and EndMT was elaborated.
Methods:
Male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to aortic banding (AB), which was used to construct a model of pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy. PIO and GW9662 was given for 4 weeks to detect the effects of PIO on EndMT.
Results:
Our results showed PIO treatment attenuated cardiac hypertrophy, dysfunction and fibrosis response to pressure overload. Mechanistically, PIO suppressed the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway activated by 4-week AB surgery. Moreover, PIO dramatically inhibited EndMT in vivo and in vitro stimulated by pressure overload or TGF-β. A selective antagonist of PPAR-γ, GW9662, neutralized the anti-fibrotic effect and abolished the inhibitory effect of EndMT during the treatment of PIO.
Conclusion:
Our data implied that PIO exerts an alleviative effect on cardiac fibrosis via inhibition of the TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway and EndMT by activating PPAR-γ.
To examine the role of oral Ganoderma spore oil in cardiovascular disease, we used transverse aortic constriction (TAC) in mice to model pressure overload-induced cardiomyopathy. Our preliminary results demonstrated a potential cardioprotective role for spore oil extracted from Ganoderma. We found that Ganoderma treatment normalized ejection fraction and corrected the fractional shortening generated by TAC. We also found evidence of reduced left ventricular hypertrophy as assessed by left ventricular end diastolic diameter. Analysis of total RNA expression using cardiac tissue samples from these mice corroborated our findings. We found reduced expression of genes associated with heart failure, including a novel circular RNA circ-Foxo3. Thus our data provides evidence for Ganoderma lucidum as a potential cardioprotective agent, warranting further preclinical exploration.
Background: Reishi (Ganoderma lucidum) is a well-known and popular edible mushroom eaten all over the world. It has been used as an alternative medicine for many years in China, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, and in eastern Russia. This mushroom is reported to exhibit a number of medicinal properties including antitumor, antioxidant, immunomodulating, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and hypoglycemic activities, due to the presence of bioactive polysaccharide. Glucocorticoids, which are usually prescribed for the treatment of arthritis to protect inflammation and reduce pain, can induce hyperglycemia or aggravate the hyperglycemic condition. For example, causing very high glucose levels in diabetic patients. However, no report has been published for its effect on glucocorticoid-induced diabetes.
Objective: To investigate the effect of Ganoderma lucidum on alloxan- and glucocorticoid- induced diabetes in Long-Evans rats.
Methods: Alloxan monohydrate (150 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered to Long-Evans rats as a single dose. The same volume of normal saline was injected to control rats. Three days after alloxan injection, rats with plasma glucose levels higher than 12 mmoL /L were identified as diabetic and included in the study. Reishi mushroom was collected from the Mushroom Development Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh, where it was
Functional Foods in Health and Disease 2015; 5(12): 450-466 Page 451 of 466
identified by a Taxonomist. Petroleum ether extract (PEE), known as petroleum spirit in the USA, and Methanol extract (ME) were prepared by maceration and distillation techniques. The extracts were orally administered once a day at doses of 200, 400, 600 and 800 mg/kg, respectively for 7 days. Metformin (150 mg/kg) was orally administered as a standard antidiabetic drug. Glucose levels were measured at 0 and 7th days of treatment. The rats were allowed to rest for 1 week without treatment. The animals were again injected with dexamethasone (2 mg/kg) through intra-muscular route for 3 days and glucose levels were monitored regularly. Rats were then further treated with PEE and ME and metformin for another 7 days and glucose levels were determined at 0 and 7th days of treatment.
Results: The PEE and ME of Reishi mushroom dose-dependently reduced the plasma glucose levels in alloxan-and steroid-induced fasting diabetic rats. The maximum reduction of fasting plasma glucose levels observed by PEE (800 mg/kg) and ME (800 mg/kg) were 55.57% and 36.01% in alloxan-induced and 51.41% and 32.02% in steroid-induced diabetic rats, respectively. On the other hand, metformin (150 mg/kg) resulted in the diminution of fasting blood glucose levels by 60.02 and 51.12% in the alloxan- induced and steroid-induced diabetic rats respectively. Both the PEE (800 mg/kg) and ME (800 mg/kg) significantly augmented plasma insulin levels (***P < 0.001 and **P < 0.01) and reduced HbA1c (**P < 0.01 and *P < 0.05) in alloxan-and steroid-induced diabetic rats. Additionally, treatment of diabetic rats with PEE (800 mg/kg) and ME (800 mg/kg) controlled the 2-h post prandial elevated glucose levels in blood plasma. The same dose of the extracts also significantly reduced the levels of total cholesterol (TC) (***P < 0.001 and ***P < 0.01), triglyceride (TG) (***P < 0.001 and **P < 0.01) and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c) (***P < 0.001 and ***P < 0.001), as well as increased the level of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) (**P < 0.01 and **P < 0.01, respectively).
Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that edible mushrooms-Reishi has antihyperglycemic, insulin-sensitivity, and hyperlipidemic effects against both alloxan and corticosteroid-induced diabetes rats. The bioactive chemicals responsible for those activities are most probably the polysaccharides available in the mushroom. Therefore, usage of Reishi mushrooms as vegetables or as extract will be beneficial for the management of diabetes.
Atherosclerosis occurs in the subendothelial space (intima) of medium-sized arteries at regions of disturbed blood flow and is triggered by an interplay between endothelial dysfunction and subendothelial lipoprotein retention. Over time, this process stimulates a nonresolving inflammatory response that can cause intimal destruction, arterial thrombosis, and end-organ ischemia. Recent advances highlight important cell biological atherogenic processes, including mechanotransduction and inflammatory processes in endothelial cells, origins and contributions of lesional macrophages, and origins and phenotypic switching of lesional smooth muscle cells. These advances illustrate how in-depth mechanistic knowledge of the cellular pathobiology of atherosclerosis can lead to new ideas for therapy.
© 2015 Tabas et al.
Atherosclerosis is a prevalent cardiovascular disease marked by inflammation and the formation of plaque within arterial walls. As the disease progresses, there is an increased risk of major cardiovascular events. Owing to the nature of atherosclerosis, it is imperative to develop methods to further understand the physiological implications and progression of the disease. The combination of positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) has proven to be promising for the evaluation of atherosclerotic plaques and inflammation within the vessel walls. The utilization of the radiopharmaceutical tracer, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG), with PET/CT is invaluable in understanding the pathophysiological state involved in atherosclerosis. In this review, we will discuss the use of (18)F-FDG-PET/CT imaging for the evaluation of atherosclerosis and inflammation both in preclinical and clinical studies. The potential of more specific novel tracers will be discussed. Finally, we will touch on the potential benefits of using the newly introduced combined PET/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for non-invasive imaging of atherosclerosis.
This study was undertaken to investigate the potential hypoglycemic effect of aqueous extract of Ganoderma lucidum in normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced hyperglycemic rats. The study comprises three groups of normal rats administered 0, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight and another three groups of diabetic rats administered 0, 100, and 200 mg/kg body weight of extract. The extract was given by gavage once daily for four weeks. Body weight and feed intake were monitored weekly while serum glucose, insulin, hemoglobin glycosylation level, and lipid profile were measured at baseline (week 0), two weeks and four weeks after treatment. G. lucidum dose dependently decreased food intake, body weight, serum glucose in both normal and STZ-diabetic rats. On the other hand, the extract increased serum insulin level in both normal and STZ-diabetic rats in a dose-dependent fashion. In addition, it also improved serum lipid profile in both normal and diabetic animals. These results suggest that aqueous extract of G. lucidum protect against STZ-induced diabetic in rats.
BACKGROUND: Sustained elevated blood pressure, unresponsive to lifestyle measures, leads to a critically important clinical question: What class of drug to use first-line? This review answers that question. OBJECTIVES: Primary objective: To quantify the benefits and harms of the major first-line anti-hypertensive drug classes: thiazides, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, alpha-blockers, and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB). SEARCH STRATEGY: Electronic search of MEDLINE (Jan. 1966-June 2008), EMBASE, CINAHL, the Cochrane clinical trial register, using standard search strategy of the hypertension review group with additional terms. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomized trials of at least one year duration comparing one of 6 major drug classes with a placebo or no treatment. More than 70% of people must have blood pressure > 140/90 mmHg at baseline. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The outcomes assessed were mortality, stroke, coronary heart disease (CHD), cardiovascular events (CVS), decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and withdrawals due to adverse drug effects. Risk ratio (RR) and a fixed effects model were used to combine outcomes across trials. MAIN RESULTS: Of 57 trials identified, 24 trials with 28 arms, including 58,040 patients met the inclusion criteria. Thiazides (19 RCTs) reduced mortality (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.83, 0.96), stroke (RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.57, 0.71), CHD (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.75, 0.95) and CVS (RR 0.70, 95% CI 0.66, 0.76). Low-dose thiazides (8 RCTs) reduced CHD (RR 0.72, 95% CI 0.61, 0.84), but high-dose thiazides (11 RCTs) did not (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.85, 1.20). Beta-blockers (5 RCTs) reduced stroke (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.72, 0.97) and CVS (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.81, 0.98) but not CHD (RR 0.90, 95% CI 0.78, 1.03) or mortality (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.86, 1.07). ACE inhibitors (3 RCTs) reduced mortality (RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.72-0.95), stroke (RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.52-0.82), CHD (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.70-0.94) and CVS (RR 0.76, 95% CI 0.67-0.85). Calcium-channel blocker (1 RCT) reduced stroke (RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.41, 0.84) and CVS (RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.57, 0.87) but not CHD (RR 0.77 95% CI 0.55, 1.09) or mortality (RR 0.86 95% CI 0.68, 1.09). No RCTs were found for ARBs or alpha-blockers. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: First-line low-dose thiazides reduce all morbidity and mortality outcomes. First-line ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers may be similarly effective but the evidence is less robust. First-line high-dose thiazides and first-line beta-blockers are inferior to first-line low-dose thiazides.
The expression of inflammatory cytokines on vascular walls is a critical event in vascular diseases and inflammation. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of an extract of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) polysaccharides (EORPs), which is effective against immunological disorders, on interleukin- (IL-) 1 β expression by human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) and the underlying mechanism. The lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced IL-1 β expression was significantly reduced when HASMCs were pretreated with EORP by Western blot and immunofluorescent staining. Pretreatment with 10 μ g/mL EORP decreased LPS-induced ERK, p38, JNK, and Akt phosphorylation. But the increase in IL-1 β expression with LPS treatment was only inhibited by pretreatment with the ERK1/2 inhibitor, while the JNK and p38 inhibitors had no effect. In addition, EORP reduced the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of nuclear factor- (NF-) κ B p65 in LPS-treated HASMCs. Furthermore, in vivo, IL-1 β expression was strongly expressed in thoracic aortas in LPS-treated mice. Oral administration of EORP decreased IL-1 β expression. The level of IL-1 β expression in LPS-treated or in LPS/EORP-treated group was very low and was similar to that of the saline-treated group in toll-like receptor 4-deficient (TLR4(-/-)) mice. These findings suggest that EORP has the anti-inflammatory property and could prove useful in the prevention of vascular diseases and inflammatory responses.
Previously, we screened a proteoglycan for anti-hyperglycemic, named FYGL, from Ganoderma Lucidum. For further research of the antidiabetic mechanisms of FYGL in vivo, the glucose homeostasis, activities of insulin-sensitive enzymes, glucose transporter expression and pancreatic function were analyzed using db/db mice as diabetic models in the present work. FYGL not only lead to a reduction in glycated hemoglobin level, but also an increase in insulin and C-peptide level, whereas a decrease in glucagons level and showed a potential for the remediation of pancreatic islets. FYGL also increased the glucokinase activities, and simultaneously lowered the phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase activities, accompanied by a reduction in the expression of hepatic glucose transporter protein 2, while the expression of adipose and skeletal glucose transporter protein 4 was increased. Moreover, the antioxidant enzyme activities were also increased by FYGL treatment. Thus, FYGL was an effective antidiabetic agent by enhancing insulin secretion and decreasing hepatic glucose output along with increase of adipose and skeletal muscle glucose disposal in the late stage of diabetes. Furthermore, FYGL is beneficial against oxidative stress, thereby being helpful in preventing the diabetic complications.
Two triterpene fractions and a single ganoderma alcohol obtained from an antlered form of the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma lucidum were examined for their antitumor effects on the growth of inoculated mouse Lewis lung carcinoma in mice by intraperitoneal administration. The ganoderma alcohol fraction significantly suppressed the tumor growth at doses of 50 and 100mg/kg in the treatment period, and even after the administration, showing antitumor activity with a T/C value of 70.6% at a dose of 100mg/kg. On the other hand, no obvious activity was shown at each dose in the ganoderma-acid-fraction-treated groups. Furthermore, ganoderiol F, which exhibited the strongest cytotoxicity against four tumor cell lines among five ganoderma alcohols examined, remarkably inhibited the tumor growth, accounting for 63.7% and 78.7% of control group at a dose of 5mg/kg, 54.1% and 63.0% at a dose of 10mg/kg, and 47.7% and 53.9% at a dose of 20mg/kg in and after the administration period, respectively, in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that the antitumor effects of bitter principles in G. lucidum are mainly due to ganoderma alcohols.
In this study, the hypolipidemic and antioxidant properties of Ganoderma lucidum CG 144, a medicinal mushroom cultivated on wet wheat grains by solid-state fermentation, were investigated followed dietary supplementation.
Basal chow was supplemented with 85, 50, or 10% of G. lucidum CG 144 dried spawn, resulting in G85, G50, and G10 diets, respectively, and fed to normocholesterolemic and induced-hypercholesterolemic
mice. The G85 diet triggered significant loss of body weight compared with the G50 and G10 diets (P<0.01). In the normocholesterolemic mice, regular consumption of high concentrations (G85 and G50 diets) of dried spawn
led to significant changes in the plasma lipid concentrations (P<0.05). Although there were no significant changes in the plasma cholesterol concentrations, the G85 and G50 diets decreased
the low-density-lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels by 71 and 98%, respectively, and increased the high-density-lipoprotein
(HDL) cholesterol levels by 80 and 86%, respectively. Further, the plasma triacylglycerol levels decreased by 32.5 and 42%
with the G85 and G50 diets, respectively. The G10 diet did not alter the plasma lipid profile in the normocholesterolemic
mice (P>0.05) but significantly decreased the cholesterol concentrations (P<0.001) in the induced-hypercholesterolemic mice. Peritoneal macrophages from the induced-hypercholesterolemic mice fed
the G10 diet produced lower nitric oxide than the controls (P<0.05).
Keywords
Ganoderma lucidum
–Medicinal mushroom–Cholesterol–Nitric oxide–Antioxidant
Transverse aortic constriction (TAC) in the mouse is a commonly used experimental model for pressure overload-induced cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. TAC initially leads to compensated hypertrophy of the heart, which often is associated with a temporary enhancement of cardiac contractility. Over time, however, the response to the chronic hemodynamic overload becomes maladaptive, resulting in cardiac dilatation and heart failure. The murine TAC model was first validated by Rockman et al., and has since been extensively used as a valuable tool to mimic human cardiovascular diseases and elucidate fundamental signaling processes involved in the cardiac hypertrophic response and heart failure development. When compared to other experimental models of heart failure, such as complete occlusion of the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery, TAC provides a more reproducible model of cardiac hypertrophy and a more gradual time course in the development of heart failure. Here, we describe a step-by-step procedure to perform surgical TAC in mice. To determine the level of pressure overload produced by the aortic ligation, a high frequency Doppler probe is used to measure the ratio between blood flow velocities in the right and left carotid arteries. With surgical survival rates of 80-90%, transverse aortic banding is an effective technique of inducing left ventricular hypertrophy and heart failure in mice.
Introduction
There has been renewed interest in mushroom medicinal properties. We studied cholesterol lowering properties of Ganoderma lucidum (Gl), a renowned medicinal species.
Results
Organic fractions containing oxygenated lanosterol derivatives inhibited cholesterol synthesis in T9A4 hepatocytes. In hamsters, 5% Gl did not effect LDL; but decreased total cholesterol (TC) 9.8%, and HDL 11.2%. Gl (2.5 and 5%) had effects on several fecal neutral sterols and bile acids. Both Gl doses reduced hepatic microsomal ex-vivo HMG-CoA reductase activity. In minipigs, 2.5 Gl decreased TC, LDL- and HDL cholesterol 20, 27, and 18%, respectively (P < 0.05); increased fecal cholestanol and coprostanol; and decreased cholate.
Conclusions
Overall, Gl has potential to reduce LDL cholesterol in vivo through various mechanisms. Next steps are to: fully characterize bioactive components in lipid soluble/insoluble fractions; evaluate bioactivity of isolated fractions; and examine human cholesterol lowering properties. Innovative new cholesterol-lowering foods and medicines containing Gl are envisioned.
Aging is associated with increased oxidative damage at multiple cellular levels, decline in cellular energy production and enhanced free radical status. The effect of the medicinal mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum on the activities of tricarboxylic acid (Krebs) cycle enzymes and mitochondrial complexes I-IV of the electron transport chain in aged rats were investigated. The activity of Krebs cycle enzymes, isocitrate dehydrogenase, alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, succinate dehydrogenase, and malate dehydrogenase as well as mitochondrial complexes I, II, III, and IV were determined in heart of aged male Wistar rats orally administrated with 70% ethanolic extract (50 and 250 mg/kg) of G. lucidum. DL-alpha-lipoic acid (100 mg/kg) was taken as the positive control. Administration of the G. lucidum, once daily for 15 days, was significantly (P < 0.05) effective to enhance the Krebs cycle dehydrogenases, and mitochondrial electron transport chain complex IV activities in aged rats. The profound activity of the extract can be correlated to the significant antioxidant property of G. lucidum. The results of the study revealed that G. lucidum is effective to ameliorate the age associated decline of cellular energy status.
Vascular disease and heart failure impart an enormous burden in terms of global morbidity and mortality. Although there are many different causes of cardiac and vascular disease, most causes share an important pathological mechanism: oxidative stress. In the failing heart, oxidative stress occurs in the myocardium and correlates with left ventricular dysfunction. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) negatively affect myocardial calcium handling, cause arrhythmia, and contribute to cardiac remodeling by inducing hypertrophic signaling, apoptosis, and necrosis. Similarly, oxidative balance in the vasculature is tightly regulated by a wealth of pro- and antioxidant systems that orchestrate region-specific ROS production and removal. Reactive oxygen species also regulate multiple vascular cell functions, including endothelial and smooth muscle cell growth, proliferation, and migration; angiogenesis; apoptosis; vascular tone; host defenses; and genomic stability. However, excessive levels of ROS promote vascular disease through direct and irreversible oxidative damage to macromolecules, as well as disruption of redox-dependent vascular wall signaling processes.
Major reactive oxygen species (ROS)-producing systems in vascular wall include NADPH (reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate) oxidase, xanthine oxidase, the mitochondrial electron transport chain, and uncoupled endothelial nitric oxide (NO) synthase. ROS at moderate concentrations have important signaling roles under physiological conditions. Excessive or sustained ROS production, however, when exceeding the available antioxidant defense systems, leads to oxidative stress. Animal studies have provided compelling evidence demonstrating the roles of vascular oxidative stress and NO in atherosclerosis. All established cardiovascular risk factors such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and smoking enhance ROS generation and decrease endothelial NO production. Key molecular events in atherogenesis such as oxidative modification of lipoproteins and phospholipids, endothelial cell activation, and macrophage infiltration/activation are facilitated by vascular oxidative stress and inhibited by endothelial NO. Atherosclerosis develops preferentially in vascular regions with disturbed blood flow (arches, branches, and bifurcations). The fact that these sites are associated with enhanced oxidative stress and reduced endothelial NO production is a further indication for the roles of ROS and NO in atherosclerosis. Therefore, prevention of vascular oxidative stress and improvement of endothelial NO production represent reasonable therapeutic strategies in addition to the treatment of established risk factors (hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus).
Dysfunction of the endothelial lining of lesion-prone areas of the arterial vasculature is an important contributor to the pathobiology of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Endothelial cell dysfunction, in its broadest sense, encompasses a constellation of various nonadaptive alterations in functional phenotype, which have important implications for the regulation of hemostasis and thrombosis, local vascular tone and redox balance, and the orchestration of acute and chronic inflammatory reactions within the arterial wall. In this review, we trace the evolution of the concept of endothelial cell dysfunction, focusing on recent insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie its pivotal roles in atherosclerotic lesion initiation and progression; explore its relationship to classic, as well as more recently defined, clinical risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease; consider current approaches to the clinical assessment of endothelial cell dysfunction; and outline some promising new directions for its early detection and treatment.
Objective: To study the effects of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GLPs) and metformin (Met) on the expression of advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in thoracic aorta of diabetic rats. Methods: SD rats were fed with high fat diet for 4 weeks, and injected with streptozotocin (STZ, 30 mg/kg) to establish type 2 diabetic model. The diabetic rats were randomly divided into diabetes group, GLPs group (600 mg/kg), Met group (600 mg/kg), combination group (GLPs 300 mg/kg + Met 300 mg/kg), and normal control group. After 12 weeks' treatment, the levels of fasting serum glucose, insulin in plasma, AGEs in serum, the activity of catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were detected. The pathological changes of thoracic aorta were examined by electron microscope. Immunohistochemical and Western blotting methods were used to detect AGEs and CTGF protein expression in thoracic aorta. Results: Combination group could lower the fasting blood glucose significantly, raise the insulin level in plasma, improve the activity of CAT and GSH-Px in myocardium, decrease the concentration of AGEs in serum, reduce the expression of AGEs and CTGF in thoracic aorta, and relieve the pathological change process of thoracic aorta. Conclusion: GLPs combined with Met shows the protective effect on the thoracic aorta in diabetic rats. The possible mechanism may be related to inhibit the oxidative stress of thoracic aorta, lower AGEs level in serum, and do some down regulation of AGEs and CTGF in thoracic aorta. ©, 2014, Editorial Office of Chinese Traditional and Herbal Drugs. All right reserved.
Ganoderma mushrooms (Lingzhi in Chinese) have well-documented health benefits. Ganoderma tsugae (G. tsugae), one of the ganoderma species, has been commercially cultivated as a dietary supplement. Because G. tsugae has high antioxidant activity and because oxidative stress is often associated with cardiac injury, we hypothesized that G. tsugae protects against cardiac injury by alleviating oxidative stress. We tested the hypothesis using a work-overload-induced myocardial injury model created by challenging mice with isoproterenol (ISO). Remarkably, oral G. tsugae protected the mice from ISO-induced myocardial injury. Moreover, the triterpenoid fraction of G. tsugae, composed of a mixture of nine structurally related ganoderic acids (GAs), provided cardioprotection by inhibiting the ISO-induced expression of Fas/Fas ligand, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. The antioxidant activity of GAs was tested in cultured cardio-myoblast H9c2 cells against the insult of H2 O2 . GAs dissipated the cellular reactive oxygen species imposed by H2 O2 and prevented cell death. Our findings uncovered the cardioprotective activity of G. tsugae and identified GAs as the bioactive components against cardiac insults.
In the present study, polysaccharides were isolated from Ganoderma lucidum and their effects on myocardial collagen cross-linking were discussed in high-fat-diet/streptozotocin diabetic rats to investigate whether collagen-linked advanced glycation end products (AGE) and antioxidant enzymes were involved in the progress. Rats were grouped into the normal control, diabetic control and polysaccharides-treated groups. Blood glucose, insulin, blood fat, antioxidant enzymes activities, myocardial collagen and AGE were measured. After polysaccharides treatment, blood glucose and fat decreased, while insulin increased. It was also found that G. lucidum polysaccharides attenuated myocardial collagen cross-linking in diabetic rats, which was related to the decreased level of AGE and augmented activities of antioxidant enzymes. The results provided a possible use of G. lucidum polysaccharides in the treatment of myocardial fibrosis of diabetes.
In this study we observed the inhibitory effect of Chinese herbal medicine Ganoderma lucidum (GL) on platelet aggregation
in 15 healthy volunteers and 33 patients with atherosclerotic diseases. The results showed that the first and the second phase
of aggregation of platelets of the healthy volunteers were obviously inhibited (P<0.0l) when watery soluble extract of GL of different concentrations was added to the platelets in vitro, i. e., the reaction
speed of platelet aggregation was slowed down. The inhibitory effect was related to dosage. Platelet aggregation induced by
ADP in final concentration of 2 μmol/L and 3 μmol/L was obviously inhibited, after the patients had taken GL 1 g 3 times a
day for 2 weeks, the maximum platelet aggregation inhibition rates were then 31.49 % (P<0.0l) and 17.7 % (P<0.0l) respectively. Length and weights (wet and dry) of the extracorporeal thrombi were reduced from 30.05±4.38 mm, 103.9±9.33mg
and 44.89±4.79 mg to 20.4±2.33 mm (P<0.05), 85.27±8.77 mg (P<0.0l) and 35.1=±4.5 mg (P<0.0l) respectively after oral administration of GL. The results of our experiments suggested that the Chinese herbal medicine
GL may be an effective inhibitory agent of platelet aggregation. However, its mechanism and active principles remain to be
further investigated.
Effect of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides treatment on blood glucose, serum insulin level, lipid peroxidation, nonenzymic and enzymic antioxidants in the plasma and liver of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats was studied. Adult male rats of Wistar strain, weighing 195 to 250 g, were randomized into control and experimental groups. Experiment group rats were induced diabetes by administration of STZ (45 mg/kg b.wt.) intraperitoneally. The diabetic rats were treated with G. lucidum polysaccharides (60, 120, 180 mg/kg b.wt.) dissolved in 15% dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) for 30 days. The normal control rats were treated with 15% DMSO for 30 days. Streptozotocin treatment elevated the levels of lipid peroxidation markers (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, lipid hydroperoxides and conjugated dienes), and reduced nonenzymic antioxidants (vitamin C and reduced glutathione, vitamin E) levels, and enzymic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase) activities in the plasma and liver of untreated diabetic control rats. Decreased level of serum insulin and increased level of blood glucose (BG) were observed in the plasma of untreated diabetic control rats. G. lucidum polysaccharides treatment significantly and dose-dependently increased nonenzymic and enzymic antioxidants, serum insulin level and reduced lipid peroxidation, blood glucose levels in STZ-diabetic rats. From the present study, it can be concluded that G. lucidum polysaccharides can be considered as a potent antioxidant.
Ganoderma lucidum is used in traditional Chinese medicine to prevent or treat a variety of diseases, including cardiovascular disorders. We previously demonstrated that a glucan-containing extract of Reishi polysaccharides (EORP) has the potent anti-inflammatory action of reducing ICAM-1 expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMCs) and LPS-treated mice. In the present study, we examined whether EORP inhibited platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF)-stimulated HASMC proliferation and the mechanism involved. EORP dose-dependently reduced cell numbers and DNA synthesis of PDGF-treated HASMCs in vitro. EORP also arrested cell cycle progression in the G0/G1 phase, and this was associated with decreased expression of cyclin D1, cyclin E, CDK2, CDK4, and p21(Cip1) and upregulation of the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27(Kip1). The anti-proliferative effect of EORP was partly mediated by downregulation of PDGF-induced JNK phosphorylation. In in vivo studies, the femoral artery of C57BL/6 mice was endothelial-denuded and the mice were fed a diet containing 100 mg/kg/day of EORP. On day 14, both cell proliferation (proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive cells) in the neointima and the neointima/media area ratio (0.67 ± 0.03 vs. 1.46 ± 0.30) were significantly reduced. Our data show that EORP interferes with the mitogenic activation of JNK, preventing entry of HASMCs into the cell cycle in vitro and reducing cell proliferation in the neointima and decreasing the neointimal area in vivo. Thus, EORP may represent a safe and effective novel approach to the prevention and treatment of vascular proliferative diseases.
Background:
Decreased mitochondrial function has been suggested to be one of the important pathological events in isoproterenol (ISO)-induced cardiotoxicity. In this communication, we have evaluated the protective effect of Ganoderma lucidum against ISO induced cardiac toxicity and mitochondrial dysfunction.
Methods:
Cardiac toxicity was assessed by determining the activities of creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenases (LDH) after subcutaneous injection of ISO (85 mg/kg) at an interval of 24h for 2 days. The animals were sacrificed 24h after last ISO administration. G. lucidum (100 and 250 mg/kg, p.o.) was given to the rats once daily for 15 days prior to the ISO challenge. Similarly, α-Tocopherol (100mg/kg, p.o) was kept as the standard. To assess the extent of cardiac mitochondrial damage, the activities of Krebs cycle dehydrogenases and mitochondrial complexes I, II, III, and IV as well as the level of ROS and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨmt) were evaluated.
Results:
Administration of G. lucidum and α-tocopherol significantly protected the elevated activities of CK and LDH. Further, the activities of mitochondrial enzymes and the level of ΔΨmt were significantly enhanced and the level of ROS was significantly declined in the G. lucidum and α-tocopherol treatments.
Conclusion:
The present study concluded that the cardiac mitochondrial enzymes are markedly declined by the ISO challenge and the administration G. lucidum and α-Tocopherol significantly protected mitochondria by preventing the decline of antioxidant status and ΔΨmt or by directly scavenging the free radicals.
The incidence and prevalence of diabetes mellitus are each increasing rapidly in our society. The majority of patients with diabetes succumb ultimately to heart disease, much of which stems from atherosclerotic disease and hypertension. However, cardiomyopathy can develop independent of elevated blood pressure or coronary artery disease, a process termed diabetic cardiomyopathy. This disorder is a complex diabetes-associated process characterized by significant changes in the physiology, structure, and mechanical function of the heart. Here, we review recently derived insights into mechanisms and molecular events involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy.
We investigated the antioxidant preventive effect of betaine on isoprenaline-induced myocardial infarction in male albino rats. Isoprenaline induced myocardial infarction was manifested by a moderate elevation in the levels of diagnostic marker enzymes (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase and creatine phosphokinase) and homocysteine in plasma of experimental rats. Significant rise in the level of lipid peroxidation with a concomitant decline in the levels of myocardial non-enzymic (reduced glutathione) and enzymic antioxidants (glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase, catalase and superoxide dismutase) was also observed. Oral pretreatment with betaine significantly prevented isoprenaline-induced alterations in the levels of diagnostic marker enzymes and homocysteine in plasma of experimental groups of rats. It counteracted the isoprenaline-induced lipid peroxidation and maintained the myocardial antioxidant defense system at near normal. Histopathological observations also confirmed the protective effect of betaine against isoprenaline-induced myocardial infarction. The results of the present investigation indicate that the protective effect of betaine is probably related to its ability to strengthen the myocardial membrane by its membrane stabilizing action or to a counteraction of free radicals by its antioxidant property.
Diabetic cardiomyopathy is the presence of myocardial dysfunction in the absence of coronary artery disease and hypertension. Hyperglycemia seems to be central to the pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy and to trigger a series of maladaptive stimuli that result in myocardial fibrosis and collagen deposition. These processes are thought to be responsible for altered myocardial relaxation characteristics and manifest as diastolic dysfunction on imaging. Sophisticated imaging technologies also have permitted the detection of subtle systolic dysfunction in the diabetic myocardium. In the early stages, these changes appear reversible with tight metabolic control, but as the pathologic processes become organized, the changes are irreversible and contribute to an excess risk of heart failure among diabetic patients independently of common comorbidities, such as coronary artery disease and hypertension. Therapeutic agents specifically targeting processes that lead to these pathophysiologic changes are in the early stages of development. Although glycemic control and early administration of neurohormonal antagonists remain the cornerstones of therapeutic approaches, newer treatment targets are currently being explored.
In this study we observed the inhibitory effect of Chinese herbal medicine Ganoderma lucidum (GL) on platelet aggregation in 15 healthy volunteers and 33 patients with atherosclerotic diseases. The results showed that the first and the second phase of aggregation of platelets of the healthy volunteers were obviously inhibited (P less than 0.01) when watery soluble extract of GL of different concentrations was added to the platelets in vitro, i. e., the reaction speed of platelet aggregation was slowed down. The inhibitory effect was related to dosage. Platelet aggregation induced by ADP in final concentration of 2 mumol/L and 3 mumol/L was obviously inhibited, after the patients had taken GL 1 g 3 times a day for 2 weeks, the maximum platelet aggregation inhibition rates were then 31.49% (P less than 0.01) and 17.7% (P less than 0.01) respectively. Length and weights (wet and dry) of the extracorporeal thrombi were reduced from 30.05 +/- 4.38 mm, 103.9 +/- 9.33 mg and 44.89 +/- 4.79 mg to 20.4 +/- 2.33 mm (P less than 0.05), 85.27 +/- 8.77 mg (P less than 0.01) and 35.1 +/- 4.5 mg (P less than 0.01) respectively after oral administration of GL. The results of our experiments suggested that the Chinese herbal medicine GL may be an effective inhibitory agent of platelet aggregation. However, its mechanism and active principles remain to be further investigated.
In an effort to understand the mechanism of cardiovascular actions of Ganoderma lucidum which was cultivated in Korea, the mycelium was isolated for a large-scale culture. Water extract of the mycelia was evaluated for its cardiovascular activity in anesthetized rabbits and rats. The left femoral artery and vein were cannulated for the measurement of arterial pressure and subsequent delivery of drugs. The left kidney was exposed retroperitoneally and a branch of the renal nerve was used to integrate renal efferent or afferent nerve activities. The extract decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which was accompanied by an inhibition of renal efferent sympathetic nerve activity. The extract did not decrease heart rate in these animals, although there was clear hypotension in the extract dose dependent manner. This suggests that the hypotension induced by the treatment of the extract was secondary to the primary effect of the extract in the central nerve system, which suppressed the sympathetic outflow. Therefore we concluded that the mechanism of hypotensive action of Ganoderma lucidum was due to its central inhibition of sympathetic nerve activity.
In view of the critical role of intracellular Ca2 overload in the genesis of myocyte dysfunction and the ability of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to induce the intracellular Ca2+-overload, this article is concerned with analysis of the existing literature with respect to the role of oxidative stress in different types of cardiovascular diseases.
Oxidative stress in cardiac and vascular myocytes describes the injury caused to cells resulting from increased formation of ROS and/or decreased antioxidant reserve. The increase in the generation of ROS seems to be due to impaired mitochondrial reduction of molecular oxygen, secretion of ROS by white blood cells, endothelial dysfunction, auto-oxidation of catecholamines, as well as exposure to radiation or air pollution. On the other hand, depression in the antioxidant reserve, which serves as a defense mechanism in cardiac and vascular myocytes, appears to be due to the exhaustion and/or changes in gene expression. The deleterious effects of ROS are mainly due to abilities of ROS to produce changes in subcellular organelles, and induce intracellular Ca2+-overload. Although the cause-effect relationship of oxidative stress with any of the cardiovascular diseases still remains to be established, increased formation of ROS indicating the presence of oxidative stress has been observed in a wide variety of experimental and clinical conditions. Furthermore, antioxidant therapy has been shown to exert beneficial effects in hypertension, atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathies and congestive heart failure.
The existing evidence support the view that oxidative stress may play a crucial role in cardiac and vascular abnormalities in different types of cardiovascular diseases and that the antioxidant therapy may prove beneficial in combating these problems.
This review focuses on the role of oxidative processes in atherosclerosis and its resultant cardiovascular events. There is now a consensus that atherosclerosis represents a state of heightened oxidative stress characterized by lipid and protein oxidation in the vascular wall. The oxidative modification hypothesis of atherosclerosis predicts that low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation is an early event in atherosclerosis and that oxidized LDL contributes to atherogenesis. In support of this hypothesis, oxidized LDL can support foam cell formation in vitro, the lipid in human lesions is substantially oxidized, there is evidence for the presence of oxidized LDL in vivo, oxidized LDL has a number of potentially proatherogenic activities, and several structurally unrelated antioxidants inhibit atherosclerosis in animals. An emerging consensus also underscores the importance in vascular disease of oxidative events in addition to LDL oxidation. These include the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species by vascular cells, as well as oxidative modifications contributing to important clinical manifestations of coronary artery disease such as endothelial dysfunction and plaque disruption. Despite these abundant data however, fundamental problems remain with implicating oxidative modification as a (requisite) pathophysiologically important cause for atherosclerosis. These include the poor performance of antioxidant strategies in limiting either atherosclerosis or cardiovascular events from atherosclerosis, and observations in animals that suggest dissociation between atherosclerosis and lipoprotein oxidation. Indeed, it remains to be established that oxidative events are a cause rather than an injurious response to atherogenesis. In this context, inflammation needs to be considered as a primary process of atherosclerosis, and oxidative stress as a secondary event. To address this issue, we have proposed an "oxidative response to inflammation" model as a means of reconciling the response-to-injury and oxidative modification hypotheses of atherosclerosis.
The hot water extract of the mushroom Ganoderma lucidum was shown to have antioxidative effect against heart toxicity. Investigations into the mechanisms of action, level of lipid peroxidation level in vivo, and superoxide scavenging activity were also conducted. The mice were divided into six groups with ten animals in each group. Ganoderma lucidum, at doses of 10, 25 and 50 mg/kg (p.o.) was administered. Superoxide anions were assayed by UV spectrophotometer using the cytochrome C reduction method. The results of this study showed that Ganoderma lucidum exhibited a dose-dependent antioxidative effect on lipid peroxidation and superoxide scavenging activity in mouse heart homogenate. Additionally, this result indicated that heart damage induced by ethanol shows a higher malonic dialdehyde level compared with heart homogenate treated with Ganoderma lucidum. It is concluded that the antioxidative activity may therefore contribute to the cardioprotective effect of Ganoderma lucidum, and may therefore protect the heart from superoxide induced damage.
Unlabelled:
Ganoderma lucidum is a Chinese herbal medicine popular with cancer patients. Previous in vitro studies suggested that Ganoderma lucidum might impair hemostasis. In this prospective, randomized double-blind study, healthy volunteers received orally Ganoderma lucidum capsules 1.5 g (n = 20) or placebo (n = 20) daily for 4 wk. We monitored subjects before drug administration and at 4 and 8 wk thereafter by routine coagulation screen, fibrinogen concentration, von Willebrand ristocetin cofactor activity, platelet function analyzer PFA-100, and thrombelastography. There were no significant between-group differences and all measurements remained within the normal range. Ganoderma lucidum ingestion over 4 wk was not associated with impairment of hemostasis.
Implications:
Ingestion of Ganoderma lucidum does not cause impairment of hemostatic function in healthy volunteers, despite earlier in vitro reports that it may cause platelet inhibition and may have other antithrombotic and fibrinolytic activity. The use of Ganoderma lucidum preoperatively is unlikely to increase the risk of surgical bleeding in otherwise healthy patients.
This study was designed to evaluate the cardioprotective potential of naringin on lipid peroxides, enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants and histopathological findings in isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial infarction (MI) in rats. Subcutaneous injection of ISO (85 mg/kg) to male Wistar rats showed a significant increase in the levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and lipid hydroperoxides in plasma and the heart and a significant decrease in the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione-S-transferase in the heart and the levels of reduced glutathione, vitamin C and vitamin E in plasma and heart and ceruloplasmin in plasma. Oral administration of naringin (10, 20 and 40 mg/kg, respectively) to ISO-induced rats daily for a period of 56 days showed a significant decrease in the levels of lipid peroxidative products and improved the antioxidant status by increasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes and nonenzymatic antioxidants. Histopathological findings of the myocardial tissue showed the protective role of naringin in ISO-induced rats. The effect at a dose of 40 mg/kg of naringin was more pronounced than that of the other two doses, 10 and 20mg/kg. The results of our study show that naringin possess anti-lipoperoxidative and antioxidant activity in experimentally induced cardiac toxicity.
We used a model of total 45-min ischemia and 30-min reperfusion of isolated rat heart by the Langendorf technique. The course administration (15 days) of Gonoderma lucidum extract attenuated reperfusion contracture and decreased creatine kinase levels in the venous effluent from rat isolated heart during reperfusion. However, the extract did not prevent a reperfusion decrease in pressure developed by the left ventricle, reduction in the heart rate, contraction and relaxation rates. The extract had no effect on the incidence of ventricular arrhythmia. We believe that Ganoderma lucidum extract is a drug which attenuates diastolic dysfunction and prevents irreversible cardiomyocyte damage during ischemia and heart reperfusion.
Antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic effect of ethyl acetate flower extract of Cassia auriculata on alloxan induced diabetes in male albino rats
- Ksz Ahmed
- A Sivaraj
- P V Kumar
- S Sundaresana
- A Natarajan
- K Devi
- A A Rahuman
- B S Kumar
Experimental and clinical study of Tiaozhiling in the treatment of hyperlipidemia
- J L Xing
- R T Hui
- Y T Bian
- L S Zhang
- S Y Zhao
- JL Xing
Hypolipidemic and antioxidant properties of Ganoderma lucidum (Leyss:Fr) Karst used as a dietary supplement
- R Rubel
- Dalla Santa
- H S Fernandes
- L C Sjr
- B Bello
- S Figueiredo
- B C Jhc
- L F Cam
- S Soccol
- Rosália Rubel
Effects of Ganoderma lucidum (Ling Zhi) combined with hypotensor on blood sugar, plasma NO, microcirculation and Hemorheology in treatment of refractory hypertension
- G P Zhang
- H M Jing
- J J Long
- R Z Qian
- X Cao
- M Zhang
- B X Luo
- Z Wang
- C F Sen
Antioxidant activity of
- K L Wong
- H H Chao
- P Chan
- L P Chang
- C F Liu
The triterpenoids of
- Q Y Kuok
- C Y Yeh
- B C Su
- P L Hsu
- H Ni
- M Y Liu
- F E Mo