title: Ligusticum chuanxiong prevents ovariectomy-induced liver and vascular damage in rats.
abstract: Post-menopause, there is an increase in body weight, visceral adiposity, and risk of developing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which leads to various cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Some natural products have proven useful for counteracting the detrimental effects of menopause. The rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (LC) is a well-known medicinal herb widely used in Chinese communities for the treatment of CVDs. The hepatic and vascular protective effects of LC ethanolic extract under postmenopausal conditions were investigated on ovariectomized (OVX) rats supplemented with or without LC ethanolic extract (600 mg/kg body weight/day, p.o.) or 17β-estradiol (1 mg/kg body weight/day, p.o.) for 12 weeks. The current findings demonstrated that consumption of LC ethanolic extract could reduce the body weight gain, improve serum lipid profile (lowering low density lipoprotein cholesterol but raising high density lipoprotein cholesterol), combat NAFLD, and protect vascular endothelium in the OVX rats. The beneficial effects of LC may be associated with its antioxidant or vasorelaxant compounds, which enhance the levels of hepatic antioxidant enzymes and up-regulate endothelial nitric oxide synthase mRNA expression, respectively. Taken together, LC may be a promising natural supplement for postmenopausal women to prevent NAFLD and CVDs.
authors.affiliation: College of Light Industry and Food, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Chun-Mei
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jian-Hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Ri-Fu
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xiao-Li
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Zhen-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xue-Lian
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: De-Jian
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Man-Sau
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Tai-Qiu
authors.initials: TQ
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Shun-Wan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004967:Estrogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D005234:Fatty Liver; D005260:Female; D030004:Ligusticum; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D010052:Ovariectomy; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D027343:Rhizome; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D004967:Estrogens; D008055:Lipids; D010936:Plant Extracts; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D004958:Estradiol; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; C101574:chuangxiong extract