A novel glycated hemoglobin A1c-lowering traditional Chinese medicinal formula, identified by translational medicine study

• Published in: PloS one 2014-08, Vol.9 (8), p.e104650
• Main Authors: Lo, Hsin-Yi, Hsiang, Chien-Yun, Li, Tsai-Chung, Li, Chia-Cheng, Huang, Hui-Chi, Chen, Jaw-Chyun, Ho, Tin-Yun
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Animal tissues; Animals; Biology and Life Sciences; Blood; Blood Glucose; Chromatography; Complications; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - drug therapy; Diabetes therapy; Diet; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - therapeutic use; Female; Gene expression; Gene Expression - drug effects; Genes; Glucose; Glucose transporter; Glucose Transporter Type 4 - metabolism; Glycated Hemoglobin A - metabolism; Glycosylated hemoglobin; Health care; Hemoglobin; Hep G2 Cells; Humans; Hyperglycemia; Hypoglycemic Agents - pharmacology; Hypoglycemic Agents - therapeutic use; Insulin; Insulin resistance; Kidney - drug effects; Kidney - physiopathology; Laboratory animals; Male; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolic disorders; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Middle Aged; Ophiopogon japonicus; Oral administration; Panax ginseng; Patients; Pharmaceutical industry; Protein Processing, Post-Translational - drug effects; Protein Transport; Receptor, Insulin - metabolism; Renal function; Research and Analysis Methods; Rodents; Signal transduction; Signaling; Surveying; Translation; Translational Medical Research; Translocation
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0104650

Diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder that has a significant impact on the health care system. The reduction of glycated hemoglobin A1c is highly associated with the improvements of glycemic control and diabetic complications. In this study, we identified a traditional Chinese medicinal formula with a HbA1c-lowering potential from clinical evidences. By surveying 9,973 diabetic patients enrolled in Taiwan Diabetic Care Management Program, we found that Chu-Yeh-Shih-Kao-Tang (CYSKT) significantly reduced HbA1c values in diabetic patients. CYSKT reduced the levels of HbA1c and fasting blood glucose, and stimulated the blood glucose clearance in type 2 diabetic mice. CYSKT affected the expressions of genes associated with insulin signaling pathway, increased the amount of phosphorylated insulin receptor in cells and tissues, and stimulated the translocation of glucose transporter 4. Moreover, CYSKT affected the expressions of genes related to diabetic complications, improved the levels of renal function indexes, and increased the survival rate of diabetic mice. In conclusion, this was a translational medicine study that applied a "bedside-to-bench" approach to identify a novel HbA1c-lowering formula. Our findings suggested that oral administration of CYSKT affected insulin signaling pathway, decreased HbA1c and blood glucose levels, and consequently reduced mortality rate in type 2 diabetic mice.