Gut Microbiome

Improving glucose tolerance in obese rats: the role of Jinlida granules ( ) in gut microbiota modulation.

TL;DR

Jinlida granules effectively improve glucose tolerance and ameliorate obesity-related intestinal dysfunctions in HFD-induced obese rats, likely mediated through modulation of the gut microbiota, suppression of intestinal inflammation, enhancement of barrier function, and attenuation of proinflammatory pathways.

Key Findings

JLD treatment significantly reduced body weight in HFD-induced obese rats.

  • Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control, HFD, low-dose JLD (L-JLD), high-dose JLD (H-JLD), and sitagliptin groups
  • Rats were fed a high-fat diet to establish an obesity model while simultaneously receiving treatments for 25 weeks
  • Body weight reduction was observed in both L-JLD and H-JLD treatment groups compared to HFD controls
  • Sitagliptin was used as a comparator treatment group

JLD treatment enhanced glucose tolerance in HFD-induced obese rats.

  • Glucose tolerance was assessed using oral glucose tolerance tests
  • Both low-dose and high-dose JLD groups showed improved glucose tolerance compared to HFD controls
  • Treatment was administered concurrently with HFD feeding for 25 weeks
  • Sitagliptin served as a positive control comparator for glucose tolerance improvement

JLD treatment alleviated colonic tissue damage and reduced collagen deposition in obese rats.

  • Histological changes in colon tissue were evaluated using haematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Masson staining
  • JLD decreased collagen deposition in colon tissue as assessed by Masson staining
  • Immunohistochemical staining was used to evaluate macrophage infiltration
  • JLD inhibited macrophage infiltration in colonic tissue

JLD treatment increased the expression of tight junction proteins ZO-1 and Claudin-1 in colon tissue, indicating enhanced intestinal barrier function.

  • Expression levels of Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and Claudin-1 were measured using immunofluorescence (IF) staining
  • Both ZO-1 and Claudin-1 expression were increased in JLD-treated groups compared to HFD controls
  • These tight junction proteins are key markers of intestinal barrier integrity
  • Enhancement of barrier function was identified as a likely mechanism of JLD's therapeutic effects

Metagenomic analysis revealed JLD-induced shifts in gut microbiota composition, increasing the abundance of specific beneficial bacterial taxa.

  • Faecal samples were analysed using metagenomic sequencing
  • JLD increased the abundance of Turicibacter, Faecalibaculum, Coriobacteriaceae, and Lactobacillus reuteri
  • JLD enriched beneficial metabolic pathways including biosynthesis of various secondary metabolites, ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation, C5-branched dibasic acid metabolism, and beta-alanine metabolism
  • These microbiota changes were identified as a potential treatment mechanism for JLD's effects

Transcriptomic analysis of colon tissue revealed downregulation of multiple inflammatory and immune pathways following JLD treatment.

  • Colon tissue was subjected to transcriptomic evaluation
  • JLD inhibited the tumour necrosis factor signalling pathway, advanced glycation end products-receptor for advanced glycation end products (AGE-RAGE) signalling pathway, toll-like receptor signalling pathway, and interleukin-17 signalling pathway
  • Downregulation of these pathways suggests a comprehensive modulatory effect of JLD on intestinal health and metabolic function
  • Suppression of intestinal inflammation was identified as a key mechanism underlying JLD's therapeutic benefits

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Citation

Dongqi L, Tongxing W, Zixuan W, Yihui Y, Jie L, Jiaojiao G, et al.. (2026). Improving glucose tolerance in obese rats: the role of Jinlida granules ( ) in gut microbiota modulation.. Journal of traditional Chinese medicine = Chung i tsa chih ying wen pan. https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2026.01.006