Regulating role of ethyl acetate fraction of Tephrosia tinctoria pers. in carbohydrate metabolism and oxidative stress in diabetic rats

Semiconducting Polymer Nanoparticles-Manganese Based Chemiluminescent Platform for Determining Total Antioxidant Capacity in Diabetic Mice

The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) is a key indicator of the body's resistance to oxidative stress injury in diabetic patients. The measurement of TAC is important for effectively evaluating the redox state to prevent and control the occurrence of diabetes complications. However, there is a lack of a simple, convenient, and reliable method to detect the total antioxidant capacity in diabetes. Herein, we design a novel chemiluminescent platform based on semiconducting polymer nanoparticles-manganese (SPNs-Mn^VII) to detect the total antioxidant capacity of urine in diabetic mice. We synthesize semiconducting polymer nanoparticles with four different structures and discover the ability of Mn^VII to produce singlet oxygen (¹O₂) that is employed to excite thiophene-based SPNs (PFODBT) to emit near-infrared chemiluminescence. Notably, the chemiluminescent intensity has a good linear relationship with the concentration of Mn^VII (detection limit: 2.8 μM). Because antioxidants (e.g., glutathione or ascorbic acid) can react with Mn^VII, such a chemiluminescent tool of SPNs (PFODBT)-Mn^VII can detect the glutathione or ascorbic acid with a larger responsive range. Furthermore, the total antioxidant capacity of urine from mice is evaluated via SPNs (PFODBT)-Mn^VII, and there are statistically significant differences between diabetic and healthy mice. Thus, this new chemiluminescent platform of SPNs (PFODBT)-Mn^VII is convenient, efficient, and sensitive, which is promising for monitoring antioxidant therapy of diabetes.

Longitudinal two-dimensional gas chromatography mass spectrometry as a non-destructive at-line monitoring tool during cell manufacturing identifies volatile features correlative to cell product quality

BACKGROUND AIMS

Cell therapies have emerged as a potentially transformative therapeutic modality in many chronic and incurable diseases. However, inherent donor and patient variabilities, complex manufacturing processes, lack of well-defined critical quality attributes and unavailability of in-line or at-line process or product analytical technologies result in significant variance in cell product quality and clinical trial outcomes. New approaches for overcoming these challenges are needed to realize the potential of cell therapies.

METHODS

Here the authors developed an untargeted two-dimensional gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC×GC-MS)-based method for non-destructive longitudinal at-line monitoring of cells during manufacturing to discover correlative volatile biomarkers of cell proliferation and end product potency.

RESULTS

Specifically, using mesenchymal stromal cell cultures as a model, the authors demonstrated that GC×GC-MS of the culture medium headspace can effectively discriminate between media types and tissue sources. Headspace GC×GC-MS identified specific volatile compounds that showed a strong correlation with cell expansion and product functionality quantified by indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase and T-cell proliferation/suppression assays. Additionally, the authors discovered increases in specific volatile metabolites when cells were treated with inflammatory stimulation.

CONCLUSIONS

This work establishes GC×GC-MS as an at-line process analytical technology for cell manufacturing that could improve culture robustness and may be used to non-destructively monitor culture state and correlate with end product function.

Approaches to Decrease Hyperglycemia by Targeting Impaired Hepatic Glucose Homeostasis Using Medicinal Plants

Liver plays a pivotal role in maintaining blood glucose levels through complex processes which involve the disposal, storage, and endogenous production of this carbohydrate. Insulin is the hormone responsible for regulating hepatic glucose production and glucose storage as glycogen, thus abnormalities in its function lead to hyperglycemia in obese or diabetic patients because of higher production rates and lower capacity to store glucose. In this context, two different but complementary therapeutic approaches can be highlighted to avoid the hyperglycemia generated by the hepatic insulin resistance: 1) enhancing insulin function by inhibiting the protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B, one of the main enzymes that disrupt the insulin signal, and 2) direct regulation of key enzymes involved in hepatic glucose production and glycogen synthesis/breakdown. It is recognized that medicinal plants are a valuable source of molecules with special properties and a wide range of scaffolds that can improve hepatic glucose metabolism. Some molecules, especially phenolic compounds and terpenoids, exhibit a powerful inhibitory capacity on protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B and decrease the expression or activity of the key enzymes involved in the gluconeogenic pathway, such as phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase or glucose 6-phosphatase. This review shed light on the progress made in the past 7 years in medicinal plants capable of improving hepatic glucose homeostasis through the two proposed approaches. We suggest that Coreopsis tinctoria, Lithocarpus polystachyus, and Panax ginseng can be good candidates for developing herbal medicines or phytomedicines that target inhibition of hepatic glucose output as they can modulate the activity of PTP-1B, the expression of gluconeogenic enzymes, and the glycogen content.