Effects of Gyeongshingangjeehwan 18 on Pancreatic Fibroinflammation in High-Fat Diet-Fed Obese C57BL/6J Mice

The polyherbal drug Gyeongshingangjeehwan 18 (GGEx18) from Rheum palmatum L. (Polygonaceae), Laminaria japonica Aresch (Laminariaceae), and Ephedra sinica Stapf (Ephedraceae) has traditionally been used as an antiobesity drug in Korean local clinics. This study investigates the effects of GGEx18 on pancreatic fibroinflammation in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed obese C57BL/6J mice and the molecular mechanism involved in this process. After HFD-fed obese C57BL/6J mice were treated with GGEx18 (125, 250, and 500 mg/kg) for 12 weeks, variables and determinants of obesity, pancreatic inflammation, and fibrosis were measured using histology, immunohistochemistry, and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Administration of GGEx18 at 500 mg/kg/day to obese mice decreased body weight gain, mesenteric adipose tissue mass, and adipocyte size. GGEx18 treatment not only reduced mast cells and CD68-immunoreactive cells, but also decreased collagen levels and ${\alpha}$-smooth muscle actin-positive cells in the pancreas of HFD-fed mice. Concomitantly, GGEx18 decreased the expression of genes for inflammation (i.e., CD68 and tumor necrosis factor ${\alpha}$) and fibrosis (i.e., collagen ${\alpha}1$ and transforming growth factor ${\beta}$) in the pancreas of obese mice. These results suggest that GGEx18 may inhibit visceral obesity and related pancreatic fibroinflammation in HFD-fed obese mice.