Shenghua Piao

Introduction: The high-fat and high-fructose diet (HFFD) can lead to various metabolic disorders. Pangxiejiao (PXJ), a natural plant widely used in folk practices, has been found to contain bioactive compounds that exhibit hypoglycemic effects in vitro. However, the potential of PXJ aqueous extract to ameliorate metabolic disorders in vivo and its underlying mechanisms remain unexplored. This study aims to investigate the effects of PXJ on metabolic disorders induced by HFFD in rats.Methods: An HFFD was employed to mimic unhealthy dietary habits, while PXJ was administered via oral gavage for 10 weeks. Perform biochemical assays, observe histopathological structures, and evaluate metabolic status in rats to investigate intrinsic alterations through detection of gut microbiota and plasma metabolites.Results: The results demonstrated that PXJ intervention reduced body weight, improved glucose and lipid metabolism, and decreased serum uric acid levels. PXJ alleviated oxidative stress and inflammation, as evidenced by reduced serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, along with ameliorated pathological inflammatory manifestations in metabolism-related organs, such as liver, pancreas, and colon. Furthermore, PXJ was found to decrease the Firmicutes/Bacteroidota ratio, modulated gut microbiota composition, and maintain microbial homeostasis. Nontargeted metabolomics analysis identified 39 upregulated metabolites, including hippuric acid, and 9 downregulated metabolites, such as LysoPG(18:2(9Z,12Z)/0:0). Correlation analysis further revealed that PXJ maintains metabolic homeostasis through complex network crosstalk. Specifically, four gut microbial taxa including Alloprevotella and six metabolites, including hippuric acid, demonstrated significant negative correlations with IL-6, TNF-α, and MDA. In contrast, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group showed positive correlations with these metabolites and SOD.Discussion: In conclusion, early and sustained PXJ intervention alleviates HFFD-induced metabolic disorders, which is associated with restored gut microbiota balance, improved metabolism, and reduced inflammation and oxidative stress, demonstrating its potential as a novel functional tea for metabolic disorder prevention.

Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults (LADA) is a type of diabetes mellitus often overlooked in clinical practice for its dual resemblance to Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) in pathogenesis and to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in clinical presentation. To better understand LADA’s distinctiveness from T1DM and T2DM, we conducted a comprehensive review encompassing etiology, pathology, clinical features, treatment modalities, and prognostic outcomes. With this comparative lens, we propose that LADA defies simple classification as either T1DM or T2DM. The specific treatments for the disease are limited and should be based on the therapies of T1DM or T2DM that address specific clinical issues at different stages of the disease. It is crucial to identify LADA cases potentially misdiagnosed as T2DM, warranting prompt screening for poor blood sugar control, short-term blood sugar deterioration, and other conditions. If the prognosis for LADA is similar to T2DM, it can be managed as T2DM. However, if the prognosis fundamentally differs, early LADA screening is crucial to optimize patient outcomes and enhance research on tailored treatments. The pathogenesis of LADA is clear, so the prognosis may be the key to determining whether it can be classified as T2DM, which is also the direction of future research. On the one hand, this paper aims to provide suggestions for the clinical screening and treatment of LADA based on the latest progress and provide worthy directions for future research on LADA.

Dyslipidemia, as a common metabolic disease, could cause atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, stroke and other cardio-cerebrovascular diseases. It is mainly caused by the interaction of genetic and environmental factors and its incidence has increased for several years. A large number of studies have shown that gut microbiota disorder is related to the development of dyslipidemia closely. Especially its metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids, bile acids and trimethylamine N-oxide affect dyslipidemia by regulating cholesterol balance. In this paper, we systematically reviewed the literature and used knowledge graphs to analyze the research trends and characteristics of dyslipidemia mediated by gut microbiota, revealing that the interaction between diet and gut microbiota leads to dyslipidemia as one of the main factors. In addition, starting from the destruction of the dynamic balance between gut microbiota and host caused by dyslipidemia, we systematically summarize the molecular mechanism of gut microbiota regulating dyslipidemia and provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of dyslipidemia by targeting the gut microbiota.