• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1214-1222
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of Pueraria lobate-root based combination supplementation containing Rehmannia glutinosa and exercise on histone modification in ovariectomized rat hindlimb skeletal muscle. Sixty rats were fed with high fat diet and randomly assigned into the following groups for 8 weeks: 1)HSV; High fat+Sedentary+Vehicle, 2)HSP; High fat+Sedentary+PR, 3)HSH; High fat+Sedentary+Estradiol, 4)HEV; High fat+Ex+Vehicle, 5)HEP; High fat+Ex+PR, 6)HEH; High fat+Ex+Estradiol. Exercise consisted of low intensity treadmill exercise(1-4th wk:15 m/min for 30 min, 5-8th wk: 18 m/min for 40 min, 5 times/week). The result of this study showed that exercise and Pueraria and Rehmannia glutinosa intake suppressed weight gain. Furthermore, exercise and Pueraria and Rehmannia glutinosa intake increased muscle mass. This study observed H3K9 acetylation and demethylation in plantaris muscle in exercised group, but no difference in soleus muscle. To test whether the decrease in HDAC4, HDAC5 and G9a mRNA levels after exercise and Pueraria/Rehmannia glutinosa intake, HDAC4, HDAC5 and G9a mRNA levels were determined by real-time PCR. Only exercise induced HDAC5 and G9a mRNA reduction in plantaris muscle, but not in soleus muscle. In conclusion, these data demonstrates that exercise and Pueraria/Rehmannia glutinosa intake effect on body compositions. These changes are regulated by epigenetic modifications, such as histone acetylation and methylation. Future studies should focus on gene-specific epigenetics and other epigenetic mechanism for Pueraria/Rehmannia glutinosa intake.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.48 no.2
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• pp.133-139
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• 2015

Purpose: There is a fair amount of evidence indicating that increased risk of obesity and insulin resistance is associated with postmenopausal state, but can be modulated by diet and exercise. In this study, we explored whether a Pueraria lobata root-based supplement containing Rehmannia glutinosa (PR) and/or aerobic treadmill exercise can modify the metabolic changes associated with estrogen deficiency. Methods: Seventy rats were randomly assigned to the following groups for 8 weeks (n=10 per group): SHAM, sham-operated; PR0, ovariectomized (OVX) control; PR200, OVX with PR200 mg/kg B.W; PR400, OVX with PR400 mg/kg B.W; EPR0, OVX with exercise; EPR200, OVX with exercise and PR200 mg/kg B.W; EPR400, OVX with exercise and PR400 mg/kg B.W. Results: OVX induced significant increases in body weight, food intake, fat mass, LDL-cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose, confirming induction of menopausal symptoms. PR supplementation or exercise significantly suppressed the above mentioned changes through different regulatory elements in adipose tissue: PR supplement upregulated adiponectin gene expression and aerobic exercise upregulated adiponectin and insulin receptor gene expression and a combination of PR supplement and aerobic exercise showed an additive effect on adiponectin gene expression. Conclusion: Taken together, the results of this study suggest that PR supplement has a potential to provide health benefits in OVX rats through leptin and adiponectin secretion. In addition, the data suggest that combination of exercise and PR would have additive effects on metabolic dysfunction associated with estrogen deficiency.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.225-230
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• 2008

Diabetes mellitus is the fifth leading cause of death among Koreans. Control of hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia is strongly correlated with decrease in risks for cardiovascular diseases, the most common and fatal diabetic complication. The effects of chronic feeding of a mixture of Chinese herbs on blood lipid profile were measured in an animal model of type 2 diabetes mellitus, db/db mice (C57BL/Ks). The Chinese herb mixture was composed of Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer,Astragalus membranaceus, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Lycium chinense, Morus, Pueraria thunbergiana, Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina, Acanthopanax sessiliflorus, Schizandra chinensis, Scutellaria baicalensis, Dioscorea batatas, Polygonatum doratumvar. pluriflorum, Paeonia lactiflora, and Rehmannia glutinosa in a ratio of 1 : 0.7 : 0.4 : 0.7 :0.4 : 0.7 : 1.1 : 0.9 : 0.4 : 0.4 : 0.7 :0.7 : 0.9 : 0.9. Methanol extract of the Chinese herb mixture was tested for the inhibitory activity against yeast ${\alpha}$-glucosidase in vitro. The Chinese herb mixture extract inhibited ${\alpha}$-glucosidase by 25.2% at the concentration of 0.5mg/mL. Four weekold male db/db mice (n = 14) were fed AIN-93G semipurified diet or diet containing 10% powder of the Chinese herb mixture for 6 weeks after 1 week of adaptation period. Body weight (39.5 ${\pm}$ 1.6 g) and food intake (4.3 ${\pm}$ 0.6 g/day) of the Chinese herb group were not significantly different from those of the control group (40.4 ${\pm}$ 2.6 g and 4.5 ${\pm}$ 0.6 g/day). Consumption of Chinese herb mixture significantly decreased plasma glucose level (442.5 ${\pm}$ 36.0mg/dL) compared with the control group (489.8 ${\pm}$ 34.6 mg/dL, p < 0.05). Plasma cholesterol level (159.2 ${\pm}$ 18.4 mg/dL) of the Chinese herb group was significantly lower than that of the control group (185.4 ${\pm}$ 13.7 mg/dL, p < 0.05). Blood glycated hemoglobin (6.3 ${\pm}$ 0.8%) and plasma triglyceride levels (99.4 ${\pm}$ 15.0mg/dL) of the Chinese herb group were not significantly different from those of the control group (6.7 ${\pm}$ 0.7% and 108.8 ${\pm}$ 11.0mg/dL). Thus, the Chinese herb mixture could be useful in the treatment of diabetes and cardiovascular complications of diabetes.