Refined-JinQi-JiangTang tablet ameliorates hypertension through activation of FGF21/FGFR1 axis in fructose-fed rats

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the therapeutic effect of JQ-R on metabolic hypertension and its correlation with Fibroblast growth factor 21/Fibroblast growth factor receptors 1(FGF21/FGFR1) pathway. In this study, fructose-induced metabolic hypertension rats were used as hypertension models to detect the regulation effect of JQ-R on hypertension. The effects of JQ-R on blood glucose, blood lipids, serum insulin levels and other metabolic indicators of rats were also measured. The effects of JQ-R on FGF21/FGFR1 signaling pathway in model animals were detected by Real-time quantitative PCR and Western blotting. The results showed that JQ-R significantly reduce the blood pressure of model rats in a dose-dependent manner. Meanwhile, fasting insulin, fasting blood glucose, insulin resistance index, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were significantly decreased, and glucose and lipid metabolism abnormalities were also significantly improved. JQ-R induces these changes along with FGFR1 phosphorylation, which was also detected in JQ-R treated FGF21 knockout mice. These results suggest that JQ-R can reduce blood pressure and improve glucose and lipid metabolism in fructose-induced hypertension rats. Activation of FGF21/FGFR1 signaling pathway to regulate downstream blood pressure and glucolipid metabolism-related pathways may be one of the important mechanisms of JQ-R in regulating blood pressure.

Keywords: ACE2; Akt; FGF21/FGFR1 axis; Metabolic hypertension; Refined-JinQi-JiangTang tablets (JQ-R).