Ganoderma atrum polysaccharide improves aortic relaxation in diabetic rats via PI3K/Akt pathway

Carbohydr Polym. 2014 Mar 15:103:520-7. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2013.12.080. Epub 2014 Jan 6.

Abstract

A newly identified polysaccharide (PSG-1) has been purified from Ganoderma atrum. The study was to investigate the protective effect of PSG-1 on diabetes-induced endothelial dysfunction in rat aorta. Rats were fed a high fat diet for 8 weeks and then injected with a low dose of streptozotocin to induce type 2 diabetes. The diabetic rats were orally treated with PSG-1 for 4 weeks. It was found that administration of PSG-1 significantly reduced levels of fasting blood glucose, improved endothelium-dependent aortic relaxation, increased levels of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), phospho-Akt (p-Akt), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and nitric oxide in the aorta from diabetic rats, compared to un-treated diabetics. These results suggested that the protective effects of PSG-1 against endothelial dysfunction may be related to activation of the PI3K/Akt/eNOS pathway.

Keywords: Aorta; Ganoderma atrum polysaccharide; Vascular endothelium; Vasorelaxation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Aorta / drug effects*
  • Aorta / metabolism
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / drug therapy*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / metabolism
  • Ganoderma / chemistry*
  • Male
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / metabolism
  • Oncogene Protein v-akt / metabolism*
  • Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / metabolism*
  • Polysaccharides / administration & dosage
  • Polysaccharides / isolation & purification
  • Polysaccharides / pharmacology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Wistar

Substances

  • Polysaccharides
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III
  • Oncogene Protein v-akt