beta-escin and Obesity

Eight prospective, controlled, randomised studies on the incidence of postoperative thrombosis in gynaecological patients receiving various drugs for prevention of thromboembolism are analysed. In all patients diagnosis had been established by objective means. The rate of thrombosis in patients without drug prophylaxis has been found to vary between 14 and 29%. Infusions of dextran as well as administration of low-dose subcutaneous heparin significantly reduce the incidence of deep vein thrombosis, even as compared to postoperative oral anticoagulation with cumarins. No difference has been found between dextran and oral anticoagulants, when cumarin adminstration was started before operation, nor between dextran and heparin. Aescin did not show any prophylactic effect. High age, severe leg-vein varicosis as well as surgery for malignant disease increase the risk of thrombosis. No significant influence of overweight, previous deep venous thrombosis, epidural anaesthesia or vaginal operation as compared to abdominal approach could be demonstrated. There are no properly controlled, prospective, randomised studies on the incidence of postoperative fatal pulmonary embolism as influenced by drugs in gynaecological surgery.

Topics: Age Factors; Anesthesia; Dextrans; Escin; Female; Genital Diseases, Female; Heparin; Humans; Obesity; Postoperative Complications; Thromboembolism; Thrombophlebitis; Varicose Veins

Obesity is characterized by excess fat accumulation and closely associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. We aimed at exploring the potential effect and mechanism of escin for the treatment of obesity using network pharmacology, and to verify the effect of escin on obese mice.. Escin targets were predicted by DrugBank and SwissTarget database. Potential targets for the treatment of obesity were identified based on the DisGeNET database. Comparative analysis was used to investigate the overlapping genes between escin targets and obesity treatment-related targets. Using STRING database and Cytoscape to analyze interactions among overlapping genes, hub genes were identified. Gene Ontology (GO) function and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis were conducted in DAVID. High-fat diet (HFD) -induced obese mice were used to observe the anti-obesity effects of escin. The body weight, relevant biochemical markers and HE staining of fat and liver tissues were determined after escin was administered for 18 weeks.. We screened 53 overlapping genes for escin and obesity. The mechanism of intervention of escin in treating obesity may involve 10 hub targets (STAT3, MTOR, NR3C1, IKBKB, PTGS2, MMP9, PRKCA, PRKCD, AR, CYP3A4). The screening and enrichment analysis revealed that the treatment of obesity using escin primarily involved 10 GO enriched terms and 13 related pathways. In vivo, escin can reduce the body weight of obese mice induced by HFD and improve lipid metabolism through lowering triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and density lipoprotein (LDL) levels and increasing high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels and decreasing leptin level and increasing adiponectin (ADPN) level. Escin can regulate glucose metabolism caused by obesity through decreasing fasting glucose, postprandial blood glucose and regulating the level of insulin. These obese mice induced by HFD displayed the increased insulin resistance that was associated with the increased inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1). Escin may antagonize the increase of MCP-1 and partially antagonize the low-grade inflammation caused by obesity. From the morphological changes of fat and liver tissues stained by HE stain, escin could decrease the size of adipocytes and improve liver necrosis and fatty degeneration in obese mice fed by HFD.. The network pharmacology of escin in treating obesity may involve 10 hub targets (STAT3, MTOR, NR3C1, IKBKB, PTGS2, MMP9, PRKCA, PRKCD, AR, CYP3A4), 10 GO enriched terms and 13 related pathways. In vivo, escin can be potentially used to prevent or treat obesity through reducing the weight, improving glucose and lipid metabolism, partially antagonizing the low-grade inflammation, and improved insulin resistance.

Topics: Animals; Cyclooxygenase 2; Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Diet, High-Fat; Escin; Glucose; I-kappa B Kinase; Inflammation; Insulin Resistance; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9; Mice; Mice, Obese; Obesity; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

Escins, a triterpene glycoside mixture obtained from the ethanol extract of Aesculus hippocastanum L. (Hippocastanaceae) seed, was evaluated for its in vivo effects on the plasma levels of some hormones (leptin, insulin, FT(3), FT(4)) and biochemical parameters (glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C concentrations) in mice fed with a high fat diet for 5 weeks. A high fat diet induced a remarkable increment in the plasma leptin (p <0.01), total cholesterol (p <0.01) and LDL-C (p <0.001) concentrations compared to control group animals. Combined administration of a high-fat diet with escins decreased leptin (31.6%) (p<0.05) and FT(4) (36.0%) (p<0.05) levels, increased HDL-C concentration (17.0%), while remained ineffective on LDL-C concentration in mice. Results have shown that escins may have beneficial effects in the understanding of obesity.

Topics: Aesculus; Animals; Anti-Obesity Agents; Blood Glucose; Body Weight; Cholesterol; Dietary Fats; Escin; Insulin; Leptin; Lipids; Lipoproteins; Male; Medicine, Traditional; Mice; Obesity; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Seeds; Thyroid Hormones; Time Factors; Turkey

Lymphoedema of the upper limb is the most serious and most crippling complication of mastectomy. An account is given of the factors possibly responsible, and a classification of the different forms is proposed. When fibrosis has set in, treatment is followed by very disappointing results, being at best able to bring about a partial, but transitory reduction in limb volume and consistency. Reference is also made to results obtained in 70 cases with two substances, 1-thyroxine and escine (somatoline), applied by massotherapy in postural drainage, ionophoresis, and pressotherapy, according to the requirements of each case. The results were distinctly satisfactory, though the outstanding fact was the maintenance of the response throughout many follow-up controls. It is felt, therefore, that somatoline can be usefully given in cyclic form, both in cases treated in an early stage, and also in all patients were lymphoedema is a likely risk after mastectomy.

Topics: Arm; Drainage; Escin; Female; Humans; Iontophoresis; Lymphangitis; Lymphedema; Massage; Mastectomy; Obesity; Posture; Saponins; Thyroxine