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Gegen Qinlian Decoction (GQD) is a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine formula for treating type 2 diabetes mellitus and insulin resistance (IR). The effects of GQD treatment on intestinal flora and its metabolism, however, are yet to be understood. In this study, the effects of GQD treatment on the fecal metabonome of high fructose-induced IR rats were investigated with a 1H NMR-based approach. The IR model was established by feeding the rats with 10% fructose solution for 8 consecutive weeks. The animals in the GQD treatment group were gavaged with GQD daily (18.2 g/kg/day) from the 5th to 8th week. Compared with control group, The IR rats showed significantly increases in water/food intakes, body weight and IR index at the ends of the 4th and 8th week. The fasted plasma glucose (FPG) level of the IR rats increased by the end of the 8th week. The GQD treatment lowered the IR index and normalized fecal metabonome by increasing the levels of propionate, acetate, succinate, taurine and glycerol, while decreasing the levels of n-butyrate, alanine and glutamate. These results indicated that the GQD treatment induced positive changes in amino acid metabolism, fatty acid oxidation and gut microbiota metabolism in the IR rats.

Objective: To study the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in the urban and the rural areas in Chengdu, Southwest China., Methods: Residents aged 55 or over were selected by stratified random cluster sampling from 19 districts, cities, and counties of Chengdu area in Sichuan province. A two-stage survey was carried out. In the first stage, CMMSE, CES-D were used as screening instruments. In the second stage, Diagnostic questionnaires of dementia and CDR were used as diagnostic instruments. The diagnostic criteria of mild cognitive impairment adopted from Petersen's were: (1) memory complaint; (2) normal activities of daily living; (3) normal general cognitive function; (4) memory impairment incompatible with age; (5) not demented; (6) CDR = 0.5 and (7) exclusion of the reversible cognitive impairment caused by other factors (i.e. depression)., Results: Three thousand, nine hundred and ten subjects were examined. The prevalence rates of MCI was 2.4%. The MCI prevalence rates in the urban and the rural areas were 1.5%, 2.5% respectively, without significant difference. The MCI prevalence in males and females were 1.8%, 2.9% respectively. Prevalence rate in female was higher than in males with significant difference. Prevalence of illiteracy (4.0%) was the highest among different educational levels. The accumulated prevalence increased with age., Conclusion: The prevalence of MCI (2.4%) was slightly higher than the prevalence of AD (2.05%) in the same areas of Chengdu. MCI seemed to be a high risk factor for AD which should to be followed up. Early intervention in MCI might be helpful in the prevention of AD.