title: Anti-diabetic atherosclerosis effect of Prunella vulgaris in db/db mice with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: Diabetes mellitus is the leading cause of vascular complications such as atherosclerosis. This study was designed to investigate whether Prunella vulgaris (APV) would inhibit diabetic atherosclerosis in db/db mice with type 2 diabetes. The db/db mice were treated with high fat/high cholesterol (HFHC) diet and an aqueous extract of APV (100 and 200 mg/kg/day) for eight weeks to examine the long-term effect on metabolic abnormalities and diabetic atherosclerosis. APV treatment markedly lowered blood glucose and systolic blood pressure. The db/db mice experienced an increase in blood urea nitrogen as well as a decrease of creatinine clearance, the latter of which was restored by treatment with APV. Treatment with APV markedly decreased total plasma cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL-cholesterol and also increased the HDL-cholesterol. In addition, malondialdehyde and TGF-β1 were decreased by treatment of APV. On the other hand, total NO level was decreased in db/db mice. However, the NO level was increased by treatment with APV, suggesting an association with vascular dysfunction. Vascular relaxation of aortic rings by acetylcholine or SNP-inducement was ameliorated by APV in a dose-dependent manner. Damage of vascular intima and hypertrophic of media were observed in db/db mice; however its dysfunction was improved by the treatment of APV. APV treatment significantly reduced the aortic expressions of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, ET-1, and nitrotyrosine. Furthermore, expression of eNOS in aortic was remarkably increased by APV treatment. Taken together, APV suppressed hyperglycemia and diabetic vascular dysfunction in HFHC diet-db/db mice. The present data suggest that Prunella vulgaris may prevent development of diabetic atherosclerosis.
authors.affiliation: College of Oriental Medicine and Professional Graduate School of Oriental Medicine, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Mi
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Jin Sook
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yun Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jung Joo
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: So Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dae Gill
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Ho Sub
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000187:drug effects; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D001806:Blood Urea Nitrogen; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000009:adverse effects; D003404:Creatinine / Q000652:urine; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D059305:Diet, High-Fat; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D006984:Hypertrophy; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000097:blood; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D031347:Prunella; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000097:blood; D017539:Tunica Intima / Q000187:drug effects; D017540:Tunica Media / Q000187:drug effects; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000097:blood; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D019332:Endothelin-1; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D008055:Lipids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D019010:Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C002744:3-nitrotyrosine; D014443:Tyrosine; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D003404:Creatinine; D000109:Acetylcholine