Type 2 diabetic conditions in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rats are ameliorated by 5-aminolevulinic acid

Effects of dietary 5-aminolevulinic acid on growth performance and nonspecific immunity of Litopenaeus vannamei, as determined by transcriptomic analysis

5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is an endogenous non-protein amino acid that is frequently used in modern agriculture. This study set out to determine how dietary 5-ALA affected the nonspecific immunity and growth performance of Litopenaeus vannamei. The shrimp were supplemented with dietary 5-ALA at 0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 mg/kg for three months. Transcriptome data of the control group and the group supplemented with 45 mg/kg dietary 5-ALA were obtained using transcriptome sequencing. 592 DEGs were identified, of which 426 were up-regulated and 166 were down-regulated. The pathways and genes associated with growth performance and nonspecific immunity were confirmed using qRT-PCR. The highest survival rate, body length growth rate, and weight gain values were observed in shrimp fed diets containing 45 mg/kg 5-ALA. L. vannamei in this group had a significantly higher total hemocyte count, phagocytosis rate and respiratory burst value than those in the control group. High doses of dietary 5-ALA (45 mg/kg, 60 mg/kg) significantly increased the activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase, oxidized glutathione, glutathione-peroxidase, phenoloxidase, lysozyme, acid phosphatase, and alkaline phosphatase. At the transcriptional level, dietary 5-ALA significantly up-regulated the expression levels of antioxidant immune-related genes. The optimal concentration of 5-ALA supplementation was 39.43 mg/kg, as indicated by a broken line regression. Our study suggested that dietary 5-ALA positively impacts the growth and nonspecific immunity of L. vannamei, providing a novel theoretical basis for further research into 5-ALA as a dietary supplement.

The Impact of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid Supplementation on Redox Balance and Aerobic Capacity

We examined the impact of 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) and sodium-ferrous-citrate supplementation on aerobic capacity and redox balance through a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. Fourteen healthy volunteers were randomly assigned to Pla + ALA (4-week placebo followed by 4-week 5-ALA supplementation) or ALA + Pla (4-week 5-ALA supplement followed by a 4-week placebo) group and administered 5-ALA (25 mg/day) or placebo once daily. The participants underwent submaximal incremental cycling tests at weeks 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8. In the cycling test at week 0, individual load-intensity stages required for blood lactate levels >2 mmol/L (lactate threshold, LT) and 4 mmol/L (onset of blood lactate accumulation, OBLA) were determined. The heart rate (HR), blood lactate (La), and oxidative stress markers (diacron reactive oxygen metabolite, d-ROMs; biological antioxidant potential, BAP) were measured at resting, LT, and OBLA states in each cycling test. Marker values were not significantly different between the groups. HR, La, and d-ROMs at resting, LT, and OBLA states were not significantly different among the conditions. BAP and BAP/d-ROMs ratios were significantly different in the OBLA state at week 4 of the 5-ALA group compared with that of the placebo group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, 5-ALA supplementation might improve redox balance during high-intensity aerobic exercise.

Modulating Glycolysis to Improve Cancer Therapy

Cancer cells undergo metabolic reprogramming and switch to a 'glycolysis-dominant' metabolic profile to promote their survival and meet their requirements for energy and macromolecules. This phenomenon, also known as the 'Warburg effect,' provides a survival advantage to the cancer cells and make the tumor environment more pro-cancerous. Additionally, the increased glycolytic dependence also promotes chemo/radio resistance. A similar switch to a glycolytic metabolic profile is also shown by the immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, inducing a competition between the cancer cells and the tumor-infiltrating cells over nutrients. Several recent studies have shown that targeting the enhanced glycolysis in cancer cells is a promising strategy to make them more susceptible to treatment with other conventional treatment modalities, including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy, immunotherapy, and photodynamic therapy. Although several targeting strategies have been developed and several of them are in different stages of pre-clinical and clinical evaluation, there is still a lack of effective strategies to specifically target cancer cell glycolysis to improve treatment efficacy. Herein, we have reviewed our current understanding of the role of metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells and how targeting this phenomenon could be a potential strategy to improve the efficacy of conventional cancer therapy.

Evolutionary Trend Analysis of Research on 5-ALA Delivery and Theranostic Applications Based on a Scientometrics Study

5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) has been extensively studied for its sustainability and broad-spectrum applications in medical research and theranostics, as well as other areas. It’s a precursor of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), a sustainable endogenous and naturally-existing photosensitizer. However, to the best of our knowledge, a scientometrics study based on the scientific knowledge assay of the overall situation on 5-ALA research has not been reported so far, which would be of major importance to the relevant researchers. In this study, we collected all the research articles published in the last two decades from the Web of Science Core Collection database and employed bibliometric methods to comprehensively analyze the dataset from different perspectives using CiteSpace. A total of 1595 articles were identified. The analysis results showed that China published the largest number of articles, and SBI Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. was the most productive institution that sponsored several of the most productive authors. The cluster analysis and burst detections indicated that the improvement of photodynamic efficacy theranostics is the up-to-date key direction in 5-ALA research. Furthermore, we emphatically studied nanotechnology involvement in 5-ALA delivery and theranostics research. We envision that our results will be beneficial for researchers to have a panorama of and deep insights into this area, thus inspiring further exploitations, especially of the nanomaterial-based systems for 5-ALA delivery and theranostic applications.

5-Aminolevulinic Acid Attenuates Atherosclerotic Plaque Progression in Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Deficient Mice by Heme Oxygenase-1 Induction

Background: Recently, 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) has been reported to modulate inflammatory development via an antioxidant effect. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the anti-atherosclerotic effect of ALA.

Methods and Results: Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor knockout mice were fed the following diets for 24 weeks: normal diet (n=6); 1.25% cholesterol diet (high-cholesterol diet, HCD; n=7); HCD+ALA (46 mg/kg/day; n=10); and HCD+ezetimibe (5 mg/kg/day; n=10). At 40 weeks, HCD+ALA had reduced LDL cholesterol (320±68 vs. 379±49 mg/dL), triglyceride (141±44 vs. 195±49 mg/dL) and oxidized LDL (380±40 vs. 422±64 pg/mL) compared with HCD only. En face lesion area for the entire aortic surface was significantly smaller in mice that received HCD+ALA than in mice that received only HCD (32±5% vs. 39±4%, P<0.05). ALA intake exogenously increased tissue heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) level in plaque composite tissue of the carotid arterial wall compared with HCD only (18±8 vs. 12±3 pg/μL, P<0.05), and HO-1-positive plaque showed modest NADPH oxidase 4 expression.

Conclusions: ALA intake induces exogenous production of HO-1 at plaque sites, and improves lipid profiles and attenuation of atherosclerotic plaque progression in vivo.

Safety and Mode of Action of Diabetes Medications in comparison with 5-Aminolevulinic Acid (5-ALA)

5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is a delta amino acid naturally present in every living cell of the human body. 5-ALA is produced in the mitochondria as the first product of the porphyrin synthesis pathway and composes heme; exogenously supplemented 5-ALA helps in upregulating mitochondrial functions. Mitochondrial dysfunction has been associated with the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus. Thus, in this review, we evaluate the mechanisms of action and adverse effects of common medications used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus as well as 5-ALA including its mechanism and possible use in diabetes management.

5-Aminolevulinic acid with ferrous iron improves early renal damage and hepatic steatosis in high fat diet-induced obese mice

5-Aminolevulinic acid, a natural amino acid, activates mitochondrial respiration and induces heme oxygenase-1 expression. Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus are associated with age-related mitochondrial respiration defect, oxidative stress and inflammation. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of 5-aminolevulinic acid with sodium ferrous citrate on early renal damage and hepatic steatosis. 7-Month-old C57BL/6 mice were fed with a standard diet or high fat diet for 9 weeks, which were orally administered 300 mg/kg 5-aminolevulinic acid combined with 47 mg/kg sodium ferrous citrate (5-aminolevulinic acid/sodium ferrous citrate) or vehicle for the last 5 weeks. We observed that 5-aminolevulinic acid/sodium ferrous citrate significantly decreased body weight, fat weight, hepatic lipid deposits and improved levels of blood glucose and oral glucose tolerance test. In addition, 5-aminolevulinic acid/sodium ferrous citrate suppressed increased glomerular tuft area in high fat diet-fed mice, which was associated with increased heme oxygenase-1 protein expression. Our findings demonstrate additional evidence that 5-aminolevulinic acid/sodium ferrous citrate could improve glucose and lipid metabolism in diabetic mice. 5-Aminolevulinic acid/sodium ferrous citrate has potential application in obesity or type 2 diabetes mellitus-associated disease such as diabetic nephropathy and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

The Relationship of 5-Aminolevulinic Acid on Mood and Coping Ability in Prediabetic Middle Aged and Older Adults

In 2010, approximately 79 million Americans had prediabetes and about 50 percent of those individuals were 65 years and older. The most effective diabetes prevention method in prediabetic adults is lifestyle modification. However, despite the benefits of lifestyle change, diabetes prevalence continues to increase. Maintaining a regular exercise routine and a healthy eating plan may be difficult because of the negative emotional barriers (i.e., stress, mood) that a prediabetic individual faces. This is particularly evident in older individuals when you combine that with decreases in mobility and geriatric syndromes. A potential treatment for these emotional barriers is a natural supplement called 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA). In the current study, the group included 154 participants, both men and women, ranging between the ages of 41 to 71 years old. The study design was a double-blind, randomized parallel-group study. The Psychosocial Depressive Symptoms Questionnaire (PDS) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were used to examine the effect of two doses of 5-ALA (15 mg and 50 mg) on various components of mood (i.e., hopefulness, loneliness, and motivation) and coping ability. Using SAS software, an ordered logistic regression model was used to analyze the association between the dose groups (control, 15 mg, and 50 mg) and the responses to the two questionnaires, the PDS and PSS, used in this study. An integrative literature review, using the PubMed database, searched for studies on the relationship between 5-ALA administration and mood and coping ability. Our literature review resulted in zero published articles. Next, we found that the intake of 5-ALA was significantly associated with improved coping ability (p = 0.004) and improved self-perception of effort spent (p = 0.002). Finally, we found a significant dose-dependent relationship for the association of 5-ALA intake on measures of effort (p = 0.003), loneliness (p = 0.006), and coping ability (p = 0.003). The 50 mg dose was more effective than the 15 mg dose in improving these measures. In conclusion, after 12 weeks of taking 5-ALA, we found significant improvements in self-perception of effort spent, loneliness, and coping ability in prediabetic middle age and older adults. Improved mood and coping ability may allow prediabetic individuals to overcome the emotional obstacles preventing them from maintaining a healthy lifestyle and ultimately, help them to avoid the development of diabetes.

Unknown biological effects of L-glucose, ALA, and PUFA

Key substrates including glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids play core roles in nutrient metabolism. In this review, we describe phenomena observed when key substrates are applied to cells. We focused on three promising substrates: L-glucose derivatives, 5-aminolevulinic acid, and polyunsaturated fatty acid. Since they are assumed to give a specific reaction when they are transported into cells or metabolized in cells, they are expected to be applied in a clinical setting. We provide the latest knowledge regarding their behaviors and effects on cells.

5-ALA ameliorates hepatic steatosis through AMPK signaling pathway

5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA), the first compound in the porphyrin synthesis pathway, has been reported to ameliorate the diabetic state in Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima Fatty rats by reducing fat pad weight in the retroperitoneal region. Dietary supplementation with 5-ALA has additionally demonstrated the capacity to lower blood glucose and HbA1c levels among subjects with diabetes. The etiology of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is complex and its typical characteristics include obesity and insulin resistance. As 5-ALA supplementation has previously normalized glucose and insulin resistance, we sought to investigate whether 5-ALA had potential therapeutic effects on NAFLD and elucidate the signal pathway mediating these effects. To explore these questions, we fed C57BL/6J mice a high-fat diet (HFD) to induce a fatty liver disease and supplemented the diet-induced obese (DIO) mice with 5-ALA. The mice in the presence of 5-ALA demonstrated a decrease in body weight and hepatic lipid content and moderate improvement in glucose homeostasis compared to untreated controls. Further, we found that 5-ALA activated AMPK signaling pathway, which was correlated with enhanced lipolysis and fatty acid β-oxidation. Human hepatocarcinoma cells (HepG2 cells) treated with 5-ALA were additionally used to investigate the mechanics of 5-ALA. Treated cells had a higher expression of lipolysis-related genes, including PGC-1α. Our data indicated that 5-ALA might represent a novel compound that could be useful for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), likely through the restoration of phosphorylation levels of AMPK (Thr172) and acetyl-CoA (ACC) (Ser79), further enhanced PGC1α and CPT1α expression.

Treatment of sarcopenia and glucose intolerance through mitochondrial activation by 5-aminolevulinic acid

Recently, sarcopenia has attracted attention as therapeutic target because it constitutes a risk factor for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. We focused 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) which act as electron carriers in the mitochondrial electron transport system. The mice that received ALA for 8 weeks gained muscle strength and endurance, and exhibited increased muscle mass and mitochondrial amount. Administration of ALA to sarcopenia mice aged 100 weeks and chronic kidney disease (CKD) model mice also increased muscle mass and improved physical performance. Metabolome analysis revealed increased branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) levels in the skeletal muscle of ALA-treated mice. Quantitative PCR analysis revealed decreased expression levels in branched-chain amino acid transaminases (BCATs) that degrade BCAAs and other muscle-degrading factors, and increased levels of mitochondria-activating factors. We also studied in cultured myocytes and obtained compatible results. ALA-treated mice tended to increase body weight, but reduced blood glucose level. These suggested that ALA treatment not only activated muscle mitochondria but also enhanced muscle mass through an increase in BCAAs contents, as to improve muscle strength, endurance and glucose tolerance in mice. In these ways, muscle mitochondrial activation with ALA is suggested to be useful for the treatment of sarcopenia and glucose intolerance.

Cucurbitacin E reduces obesity and related metabolic dysfunction in mice by targeting JAK-STAT5 signaling pathway

Several members of cucurbitaceae family have been reported to regulate growth of cancer by interfering with STAT3 signaling. In the present study, we investigated the unique role and molecular mechanism of cucurbitacins (Cucs) in reducing symptoms of metabolic syndrome in mice. Cucurbitacin E (CuE) was found to reduce adipogenesis in murine adipocytes. CuE treatment diminished hypertrophy of adipocytes, visceral obesity and lipogenesis gene expression in diet induced mice model of metabolic syndrome (MetS). CuE also ameliorated adipose tissue dysfunction by reducing hyperleptinemia and TNF-alpha levels and enhancing hypoadiponectinemia. Results show that CuE mediated these effects by attenuating Jenus kinase- Signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (JAK- STAT5) signaling in visceral fat tissue. As a result, CuE treatment also reduced PPAR gamma expression. Glucose uptake enhanced in adipocytes after stimulation with CuE and insulin resistance diminished in mice treated with CuE, as reflected by reduced glucose intolerance and glucose stimulated insulin secretion. CuE restored insulin sensitivity indirectly by inhibiting JAK phosphorylation and improving AMPK activity. Consequently, insulin signaling was up-regulated in mice muscle. As CuE positively regulated adipose tissue function and suppressed visceral obesity, dyslipedemia, hyperglycemia and insulin resistance in mice model of MetS, we suggest that CuE can be used as novel approach to treat metabolic diseases.

5-aminolevulinic acid combined with ferrous ion reduces adiposity and improves glucose tolerance in diet-induced obese mice via enhancing mitochondrial function

Background

Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with obesity and various obesity-associated pathological conditions including glucose intolerance. 5-Aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a precursor of heme metabolites, is a natural amino acid synthesized in the mitochondria, and various types of cytochromes containing heme contribute to aerobic energy metabolism. Thus, ALA might have beneficial effects on the reduction of adiposity and improvement of glucose tolerance through its promotion of heme synthesis. In the present study, we investigated the effects of ALA combined with sodium ferrous citrate (SFC) on obesity and glucose intolerance in diet-induced obese mice.

Methods

We used 20-weeks-old male C57BL/6J diet-induced obesity (DIO) mice that had been fed high-fat diet from 4th week or wild-type C57BL/6J mice. The DIO mice were orally administered ALA combined with SFC (ALA/SFC) for 6 weeks. At the 4th and 5th week during ALA/SFC administration, mice were fasted for 5 h and overnight, respectively and used for oral glucose tolerance test. After the ALA/SFC administration, the plasma glucose levels, weight of white adipose tissue, and expression levels of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes were examined. Furthermore, the effects of ALA/SFC on lipid content and glucose uptake were examined in vitro.

Results

Oral administration of ALA/SFC for 6 weeks reduced the body weight by about 10% and the weight of white adipose tissues in these animals. In vitro, ALA/SFC reduced lipid content in mouse 3T3-L1 adipocytes in a dose dependent manner, and enhanced glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes by 70–90% and rat L6 myoblasts by 30% at 6 h. Additionally, oral administration of ALA/SFC reduced plasma glucose levels and improved glucose tolerance in DIO mice. Furthermore, ALA/SFC enhanced the expression of OXPHOS complexes III, IV, and V by 40–70% in white adipose tissues of DIO mice, improving mitochondrial function.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that ALA/SFC is effective in the reduction of adiposity and improvement of glucose tolerance, and that the induction of mitochondrial OXPHOS complex III, IV, and V by ALA/SFC might be an essential component of the molecular mechanisms underlying these effects. ALA/SFC might be a useful supplement for obesity and obesity-related metabolic disease such as type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40360-016-0108-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Combination of 5-aminolevulinic acid and ferrous ion reduces plasma glucose and hemoglobin A1c levels in Zucker diabetic fatty rats

Mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). 5‐Aminolevulinic acid (ALA), a natural amino acid produced only in the mitochondria, is a precursor of heme. Cytochromes that contain heme play an important role in aerobic energy metabolism. Thus, ALA may help reduce T2DM‐associated hyperglycemia. In this study, we investigated the effect of ALA combined with sodium ferrous citrate (SFC) on hyperglycemia in Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats. We found that the gavage administration of ALA combined with SFC (ALA/SFC) for 6 weeks reduced plasma glucose and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in rats without affecting plasma insulin levels. The glucose‐lowering effect depended on the amount of ALA/SFC administered per day. Furthermore, the glucose tolerance was also significantly improved by ALA/SFC administration. Although food intake was slightly reduced in the rats administered ALA/SFC, there was no effect on their body weight. Importantly, ALA/SFC administration induced heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) expression in white adipose tissue and liver, and the induced expression levels of HO‐1 correlated with the glucose‐lowering effects of ALA/SFC. Taken together, these results suggest that ALA combined with ferrous ion is effective in reducing hyperglycemia of T2DM without affecting plasma insulin levels. HO‐1 induction may be involved in the mechanisms underlying the glucose‐lowering effect of ALA/SFC.