The suppression of TXNIP and miR-200c improve beta-cell function in patients with Type 2 diabetes: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

Whole patient knowledge modeling of COVID-19 symptomatology reveals common molecular mechanisms

Infection with SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus causes systemic, multi-faceted COVID-19 disease. However, knowledge connecting its intricate clinical manifestations with molecular mechanisms remains fragmented. Deciphering the molecular basis of COVID-19 at the whole-patient level is paramount to the development of effective therapeutic approaches. With this goal in mind, we followed an iterative, expert-driven process to compile data published prior to and during the early stages of the pandemic into a comprehensive COVID-19 knowledge model. Recent updates to this model have also validated multiple earlier predictions, suggesting the importance of such knowledge frameworks in hypothesis generation and testing. Overall, our findings suggest that SARS-CoV-2 perturbs several specific mechanisms, unleashing a pathogenesis spectrum, ranging from "a perfect storm" triggered by acute hyper-inflammation, to accelerated aging in protracted "long COVID-19" syndromes. In this work, we shortly report on these findings that we share with the community via 1) a synopsis of key evidence associating COVID-19 symptoms and plausible mechanisms, with details presented within 2) the accompanying "COVID-19 Explorer" webserver, developed specifically for this purpose (found at https://covid19.molecularhealth.com). We anticipate that our model will continue to facilitate clinico-molecular insights across organ systems together with hypothesis generation for the testing of potential repurposing drug candidates, new pharmacological targets and clinically relevant biomarkers. Our work suggests that whole patient knowledge models of human disease can potentially expedite the development of new therapeutic strategies and support evidence-driven clinical hypothesis generation and decision making.

Upregulation of miRNA-200c during Disease Progression in COVID-19 Patients

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused more than 6 million deaths worldwide since its first outbreak in December 2019 and continues to be a major health problem. Several studies have established that the infection by SARS-CoV-2 can be categorized in a viremic, acute and recovery or severe phase. Hyperinflammation during the acute pneumonia phase is a major cause of severe disease progression and death. Treatment of COVID-19 with directly acting antivirals is limited within a narrow window of time between first clinical symptoms and the hyperinflammatory response. Therefore, early initiation of treatment is crucial to assure optimal health care for patients. Molecular diagnostic biomarkers represent a potent tool to predict the course of disease and thus to assess the optimal treatment regimen and time point. Here, we investigated miRNA-200c as a potential marker for the prediction of the severity of COVID-19 to preventively initiate and personalize therapeutic interventions in the future. We found that miRNA-200c correlates with the severity of disease. With retrospective analysis, however, there is no correlation with prognosis at the time of hospitalization. Our study provides the basis for further evaluation of miRNA-200c as a predictive biomarker for the progress of COVID-19.

W2476 represses TXNIP transcription via dephosphorylation of FOXO1 at Ser319

Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) overexpression is implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Previous studies have shown that a small molecule compound (W2476) was able to improve β-cell dysfunction and exert therapeutic effects in diabetic mice via repression of TXNIP signaling pathway. The impact of W2476 on TXNIP transcription was thus investigated using the chromatin immunoprecipitation method. It was found that W2476 promotes competitive binding of forkhead box O1 transcription factor (FOXO1) to the carbohydrate response element (ChoRE) sequence associated with ChoRE-binding protein (ChREBP)/Mlx interacting protein-like(Mlx) complexes. This interaction hinders the attachment of histone acetyltransferase p300 and reduces histone H4 acetylation on the TXNIP promoter, leading to decreasing TXNIP transcription.

Effects of oral butyrate and inulin supplementation on inflammation-induced pyroptosis pathway in type 2 diabetes: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

PURPOSE

Pyroptosis, a form of inflammatory programmed cell death, is activated in diabetic patients. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of daily consumption of sodium butyrate (NaBut) and high-performance (HP) inulin supplementation, individually or in combination, on the expression of pyroptosis-related genes, microRNA (miR) 146a-5p, miR-9-5p and biomarkers of oxidative stress in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

METHODS

In this study, we conducted a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical involving sixty patients with type 2 diabetes. Participants received 600 mg/d of NaBut (group A), 10 g/d of HP inulin (group B), 600 mg/d of NaBut + 10 g/d of HP inulin (group C) or placebo (group D) for 45 consecutive days. We assessed the pyroptosis-related genes mRNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), as well as the plasmatic levels of miR-146a and miR-9 before and after the intervention. Moreover, blood samples of the patients at baseline and following the intervention were tested for total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase levels using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This study was registered on the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials website (identifier: IRCT201605262017N29; https://www.irct.ir/).

RESULTS

Following butyrate supplementation, the relative expression levels of TLR2/4, NF-κB1, Caspase-1, NLRP3, IL-1β & IL-18 were significantly downregulated (p < 0.05). Furthermore, butyrate and concomitant use of butyrate and inulin caused a significant increase in the fold change of miR-146a and miR-9 compared with the placebo group (p < 0.05). Interestingly, the changes in total antioxidant capacity (p = 0.047) and superoxide dismutase (p = 0.006) were significantly increased after butyrate and concomitant use of butyrate and inulin supplement, respectively.

CONCLUSION

In summary, the change in expression level of miR-146a-5p and miR-9-5p due to butyrate supplementation may have a pivotal role in alleviating of diabetes via inhibiting pyroptosis by targeting TLR2 and NF-κB1. These microRNAs might be considered as potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of type 2 diabetes but further researches is required to prove the link.