AIM:To preliminary explore the molecular mechanism of portulaca oleracea(PO) and its different parts for improving the lipid
metabolic disorder in type 2 diabetic rats. METHODS:Eleven weeks after the type 2 diabetic rats were treated with gastric perfusion of PO and its
different parts(MH and MS of PO),changes of serum tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF α) and interleulin 6(IL 6)
concentrations were determined with the radioimmunoassay,meanwhile, activity of serum lipoprotein lipase(LPL) was measured with chromometry,and LPL mRNA level in liver was detected by using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT PCR).RESULTS:Compared with the diabetic model group,serum TNF αconcentration<(78.0±26.73)ng/L,P< 0.05> was obviously decreased, serum LPL activity<(2.51±1.37)nkat,P< 0.01> was increased, and LPL mRNA level in liver was increased,while serum IL 6 concentration<(155.1±35.21)ng/L,P >0.05> was not obviously changed in the PO group.In the MH group,the serum concentrations of TNF α<(67.4±55.61) and IL 6(96.9±36.91)ng/L> were significantly decreased(P< 0.05),serum LPL activity <(31.50±23.3)nkaat> was significantly increased (P< 0.05),and the LPL mRNA level in liver was obviously increased.In the MS group,serum concentrations of TNF α<(44.8±36.95)ng/L> was obviously decreased(P< 0.01),serum LPL activity <(28.84±20.2)nkat> was increased near to the statistical significance (P≈0.05),while the serum IL 6 concentration <(162.7±36.07)ng/L> and the LPL mRNA level in liver were not obviously changed (P >0.05). CONCLUSION:The Chinese herb PO and its different parts can improve the lipid metabolic disorder in type 2 diabetic rats by different approaches, and the regulations to the serum TNF αand IL 6 concentrations and the level of LPL mRNA in liver tissue may be one of the molecular mechanisms that PO declines lipid and glucose,prevents and cures diabetes, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.