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Abstract Ethnopharmacology relevance Rhizome of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (Abbreviated as LC) is a frequently prescribed component in plenty of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulas which are used to treat diabetic nephropathy (DN). The aims of the present study are to investigate the protective effect of the ethanol extract of LC rhizome (EEL) against DN in vivo , evaluate its potential mechanism, and find the evidence supporting its enthopharmacological use as an anti-DN agent. Materials and methods Hepa 1c1c7 murine hepatoma cells, human breast carcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells, human renal glomerular endothelial cells (HRGEC), and RAW 264.7 murine macrophages were adopted to test the effects of EEL and its active constituents on inhibitions of oxidative stress and inflammation in vitro. A streptozotocin (STZ) -induced DN C57BL/6 mice model was established and used to investigate the preventive effect of EEL against DN in vivo. Results EEL demonstrated potential inhibitory effects against oxidative stress and inflammation in vitro. Using a STZ-induced DN mice model, it has been found that EEL treatment significantly prevented STZ-induced increases of urine production, urinary albumin excretion (UAE) and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR), and markedly attenuated STZ-induced renal damages (e.g. glomerulosclerosis and fibrosis). The predominant bioactive constituents, Z -ligustilide (LGT), ferulic acid (FA), and tetramethylpyrazine (TMP), were inhibitors of oxidative stress and inflammation through acting with Nrf2 and NF-κB pathways. Conclusions EEL attenuates structural and functional damages of kidney in STZ-induced DN model in vivo , which might be related to the functions of EEL on inhibitions of oxidative stress and inflammation. These finding definitely supports the ethnopharmacological use of LC as an anti-DN agent. Graphical abstract fx1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guchang Zhixie Wan (GC) is a traditional Chinese patent medicine used in the treatment of colitis in clinical trials. Though the notable effect of GC on colitis, the concrete mechanism of GC remain elusive. Emerging evidence showed that the imbalances of inflammatory cytokines and gut microbiota were both closely related to the initiation and progression of colitis. To elucidate the relationship between the protective effects of GC on colitis and gut microbiota. Male Kunming (KM) mice were enrolled in our work to establish colitis model induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS). The colitis mice were randomly divided into different groups and treated orally with 125 mg/kg of sulfasalazine (positive control) and 25, 50, 100 mg/kg of GC for 7 days, respectively. Inflammation cytokines of IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-11, IL-12 and TNF-α were detected by ELISA analysis and the histological changes were detected by H&E staining. Gut microbiota diversity was analyzed by 16S rDNA sequencing. Metagenomes analysis were also conducted to reflect the protective effects of GC on colitis. The results of CAS (Clinical Activity Score) confirmed the protective effects of GC on colitis. After administration of GC, the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-11, IL-12 and TNF-α were all decreased while the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 was slightly increased, indicating that GC could down regulate pro-inflammatory cytokines. H&E staining revealed that GC could improve the histopathological structure of the colon tissue. The results of 16S rDNA sequences analysis showed that GC could decrease the relative abundance of Turicibacter and increase the relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005. GC greatly improve the health condition of colitis mice induced by DSS through improving the imbalances of inflammatory cytokines and gut microbiota. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]