The rs1043994 and rs3815188 genetic variations of the NOTCH3 gene and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus

Up-regulation of miR-139-5p protects diabetic mice from liver tissue damage and oxidative stress through inhibiting Notch signaling pathway

The occurrence and development of diabetes seriously threaten the health of patients. Therefore, the mechanism exploration of diabetes is of great significance for more effective control of this disease. In this study, we aimed to investigate the regulatory mechanism of miR-139-5p and Notch signaling pathway on liver damage and oxidative stress in diabetic mice. The mouse model of diabetes was established, and the mice were divided into normal group, model group, negative control (NC) group, miR-139-5p mimic group, miR-139-5p inhibitor group, DAPT group, and miR-139-5p inhibitor + DAPT group. The mRNA expressions of miR-139-5p, Notch1, Jagged1, and NICD1, and the protein expressions of Notch1, Jagged1, and NICD1 were detected. In addition, HepG2 cells were cultured for high glucose induction, and cell cycle distribution and apoptosis were detected by flow cytometry. The results showed that the body weights of mice in the model, NC, miR-139-5p mimic, miR-139-5p inhibitor, DAPT, and miR-139-5p inhibitor + DAPT groups were all lower than that in the normal group. Co-localization of miR-139-5p and Notch1 was observed in the fluorescence in situ hybridization assay, and miR-139-5p was found to negatively regulate Notch1. Furthermore, reduced blood glucose level and inhibited liver oxidative stress were observed in mice with miR-139-5p overexpression or DAPT treatment. DAPT treatment reversed the increase of blood glucose level and oxidative stress injury caused by miR-139-5p silencing. In conclusion, up-regulation of miR-139-5p expression can protect liver tissue from oxidative stress injury in diabetic mice, and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of Notch signaling pathway.

Genome wide analysis of gene expression changes in skin from patients with type 2 diabetes

Non-healing chronic ulcers are a serious complication of diabetes and are a major healthcare problem. While a host of treatments have been explored to heal or prevent these ulcers from forming, these treatments have not been found to be consistently effective in clinical trials. An understanding of the changes in gene expression in the skin of diabetic patients may provide insight into the processes and mechanisms that precede the formation of non-healing ulcers. In this study, we investigated genome wide changes in gene expression in skin between patients with type 2 diabetes and non-diabetic patients using next generation sequencing. We compared the gene expression in skin samples taken from 27 patients (13 with type 2 diabetes and 14 non-diabetic). This information may be useful in identifying the causal factors and potential therapeutic targets for the prevention and treatment of diabetic related diseases.