Anti-Obesity Effect and the Associated Amelioration of Glucose Intolerance and Hepatic Steatosis of an Herbal Formula (SSEM) on High-Fat Diet Fed Mice — Oak Academic Publishing
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Anti-Obesity Effect and the Associated Amelioration of Glucose Intolerance and Hepatic Steatosis of an Herbal Formula (SSEM) on High-Fat Diet Fed Mice
Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
1 Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
2 Division of Life Science, Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, Hong Kong SAR, China
Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of application in treating diseases characterized by metabolic dysregulation. The present investigation sought to determine if the herbal formulation SSEM could ameliorate the pathological manifestations of metabolic syndrome in a murine model of high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity. Our results demonstrated that concurrent administration of SSEM significantly attenuated body weight gain and reduced adiposity, which was accompanied by improved glucose tolerance. The HFD-induced increases in hepatic lipids were also reduced. The proposed mechanism of action suggests that SSEM exerts its beneficial effects by reducing insulin resistance, likely through decreased adiposity, thereby potentiating insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle. Therefore, SSEM offers a potential means for ameliorating glucose intolerance and hepatosteatosis, particularly those arising from excessive fat accumulation.
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