Intervention effects of Er Miao san on metabolic syndrome in Bama miniature pigs

Rong Chen; Jianchi Lun; Tianze Wang; Yimu Ma; Jieyi Huang; Shiqi He; Yingwen Zhang; Qian Qu; Mengjie Liu; Haiyang Sun; Jinbo Sun; Wei Mao; Juanjuan Wang; Weijie Lv; Shining Guo

doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2024.156355

Intervention effects of Er Miao san on metabolic syndrome in Bama miniature pigs

Phytomedicine. 2024 Dec 28:137:156355. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.156355. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Rong Chen¹, Jianchi Lun¹, Tianze Wang¹, Yimu Ma¹, Jieyi Huang¹, Shiqi He¹, Yingwen Zhang¹, Qian Qu¹, Mengjie Liu¹, Haiyang Sun², Jinbo Sun², Wei Mao², Juanjuan Wang², Weijie Lv³, Shining Guo⁴

Affiliations

¹ College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Dampness, Syndrome of Chinese Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
³ College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Research Center for Veterinary Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Medicine Engineering Technology, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: lvwj@scau.edu.cn.
⁴ College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong Research Center for Veterinary Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural Medicine Engineering Technology, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: shining@scau.edu.cn.

PMID: 39787693
DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.156355

Abstract

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MS) refers to a cluster of metabolic disorders characterized by systemic chronic inflammation. Er Miao San (EMS) is a classic traditional Chinese medicine compound containing Phellodendron amurense and Atractylodis rhizome at a ratio of 1:1, proven to be effective against inflammatory diseases in clinical practice. Nevertheless, the precise functions of EMS in treating MS and its underlying mechanism have yet to be elucidated.

Purpose: This study focuses on the intervention effects of EMS on high humidity exposure and high sugar-fat diet (HHSF)-induced MS in pigs.

Study design: Blood biochemical indices and metabolome analysis were employed to confirm the successful establishment of the MS model, and the preliminary evaluation of the intervention effect of EMS was conducted. Subsequently, a parallel microbiota analysis of the tongue and cecum was combined with metabolomic analysis, histopathologic examination, and other molecular biological detection to further assess the administration mechanism of EMS.

Results: The results demonstrated that EMS significantly reduced the excessive weight gain rate, fat accumulation, hyperlipidemia, hyperglycemia, and systemic inflammation while improving serum metabolic disorder in MS pigs. Moreover, microbiota analysis indicates that EMS restored the diversity and composition of oral-gut microbiota by increasing the proportions of Lactobacillus (gut), Roseburia (gut), Faecalibacterium (gut), CF231 (gut), Streptococcus (gut), Prevotella (gut), while decreasing those of Chryseobacterium (oral), Corynebacterium (oral), Clostridium (oral), Oscillospira (gut), and Turicibacter (oral, gut). Subsequently, EMS up-regulated the concentrations of acetic acid, butyric acid, propionic acid, while down-regulated isobutyric acid and isovaleric acid. This resulted in a suppression of HDAC3 expression and an increase of SCL16A1 expression in the colon. Notably, the changes in acetic acid and butyric acid showed a strong correlation with gut microbiota. Additionally, EMS reduced the serum level of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and enhanced epithelial barrier integrity by inhibiting the LPS-TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathways.

Conclusions: EMS was found to ameliorate MS by alleviating the dysbiosis of the oral-gut microbiota and serum metabolome, thereby improving gut barrier and reducing systemic inflammation. These findings suggest that EMS holds promise as a therapeutic agent for MS.

Keywords: Bama miniature pigs; Er Miao San; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolome; Microbiota; Systemic inflammation.