Fuzi-Lizhong pill compensates hypothyroid-hypothermia via ghrelin release.
BACKGROUND
Fuzi-Lizhong pill (FLZ) is a traditional Chinese medicine for treating patients with Spleen Yang deficient syndrome. Ghrelin, a peptide with 28 amino acid residues, plays multiple roles in thermogenesis. This study aims to explore FLZ regulating ghrelin to compensate hypothermia in rats with hypothyroid and indigestion.


METHODS
In litter-matched rats, hypothermia was developed with both thyroidectomy at d1 and interscapular brown adipose (IBA) removal at d42, indigestion was induced with both high fat diet and fasting-feeding cycle from d56; the littermates with hypothermia and indigestion were administrated with FLZ from d70. Adaptive thermogenesis, thyroid hormones, metabolites, ghrelin dynamics were measured at d98.


RESULTS
The results showed that plasma ghrelin levels were inversely correlated with the gastric ghrelin levels and adaptive thermogenesis in rats undergone both thyroidectomy and IBA removal. Fatty diet and FLZ enhanced the increase of plasma ghrelin of hypothyroid rats. These were supported by the changes of plasma thyroid related hormones, plasma metabolites, gastric ghrelin mRNA and protein, and the effects of fatty diet or FLZ.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that more ghrelin release compensate chronic hypothermia in rats with both hypothyroidism and indigestion. It could explain the mechanisms of FLZ in relieving chronic hypothermia.
Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China.
Xin
X
Zhao
Shijun
S
Yang
Wentong
W
Zhang
Chengzhe
C
Zu
Binghua
B
Tang
Baochun
B
Zhang
Guozhang
G
Li
Lin
L
Su
Dayong
D
Cai
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D022722:Thermogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D054439:Ghrelin; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; C587868:fuzi-lizhong
Fuzi-lizhong pill; Ghrelin; Hypothermia; Hypothyroidism; Indigestion