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YHK(YojoHenshiKo), a novel Chinese herbal, prevents nonalcoholic steatohepatitis in ob-ob mice fed a high fat or methionine-choline-deficient diet
Medical Journal
"Digestive Diseases and Sciences", 2007 Mar 30
Lima V.M., Oliveira C.P., Sawada L.Y., Barbeiro H.V., Mello E.S., Soriano F.G., Alves V.A.F., Caldwell S.H., Carrilho F.J.
2007/3///
Introduction. Aging process is associated with a drop of protein-bound thiols and its related antioxidant capacity with oxidative modification of DNA, proteins, lipids and small cellular molecules by ROS. In particular, thiols compounds (cysteine 80%, glutathione 17% and homocysteine 2-3%) hold a relevant role as key factors in regulating the intracellular and extracellular redox buffer capacity. The aim of this study was to test the novel phytocompound DTS (panax pseudoginseng, eucommia ulmoides, ginseng radix, kindly donated by the Institute of Health Care Oriental Medicine, Tokyo, Japan) which in preliminary in-house experiments had shown to be endowed by significant antioxidative/anti-inflammatory effects in a model of T-maze test-selected prematurely senescent mice (PSM).
Methods. Animals were allocated into two groups: A) given DTS (150mg/kg) orally 30 days and B) untreated PSM with age-matched fast T-maze-performers as control. After sacrifice, the liver and kidney were analysed for catalase activity (CAT), glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondyaldehyde (MDA) and plasma thiols.
Results. Untreated PSM showed decreased plasma thiols and tissue level of CAT, SOD, GPx with higher MDA (decrease of 30-33%, p<0.01 vs fast performers) while DTS significantly improved glutathione and cysteine (p<0.05) and tissue concentration of the above redox parameters either in liver and in the kidney (p<0.05). The subcellular analysis revealed that while cytosol SOD was unaltered in PSM, the mitochondrial compartment was significantly (p<0.01) depleted in both tested tissues. Both parameters were partially improved by DTS.
Conclusion. While senescence-accelerated mice represents a valuable source of investigations in aging research, the present model in normal strain animals may provide useful insights into “physiological” aging process. While more detailed studies on the mechanisms of action of DTS are in progress, given also its inner components variety, DTS seems a promising nutraceutical in old age with a likely action on the cytoplasm and mitochondrial matrix.
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