Apocynin promotes neural function recovery and suppresses neuronal apoptosis by inhibiting Tlr4/NF-κB signaling pathway in a rat model of cerebral infarction

Apocynin alleviates weight gain and obesity-induced adipose tissue inflammation in high-fat diet-fed C57BL/6 mice

Obesity involves chronic low-grade inflammation within adipose tissue. Apocynin (APO) is a therapeutic agent for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate whether APO can reduce weight gain and obesity-induced adipose tissue inflammation. C57BL/6 mice were administered APO or orlistat (Orli) as a positive control with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated 3T3-L1 adipocytes were used for the in vitro study. Our results showed a significantly lower white adipose tissue (WAT) mass index in 10 mg/kg APO-treated mice than in 20 mg/kg Orli-treated mice. Moreover, the protein expression of adipose triglyceride lipase, fatty acid synthase, sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ was reversed in the WAT of 10 mg/kg APO-treated mice. Furthermore, APO reduced the expression of the macrophage marker F4/80, decreased the mRNA levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and increased the mRNA levels of interleukin-10 in WAT. APO decreased the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and p65 in vivo and in vitro. Notably, APO had a stronger effect on the amelioration of adipose tissue inflammation than Orli did. Our findings lay the foundation for research on the use of APO as an agent to ameliorate weight gain and obesity-induced inflammatory diseases.

Apocynin Attenuates Diabetes-Induced Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction by Mitigating ROS Generation and Boosting Antioxidant Defenses in Fast-Twitch and Slow-Twitch Muscles

In response to diabetes mellitus, skeletal muscle is negatively affected, as is evident by reduced contractile force production, increased muscle fatigability, and increased levels of oxidative stress biomarkers. Apocynin is a widely used NADPH oxidase inhibitor, with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. It has been effective for amelioration of a variety of disorders, including diabetic complications. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effects and action mechanisms of apocynin in slow- and fast-twitch diabetic rat muscles. Male Wistar rats were rendered diabetic by applying intraperitoneally a single dose of streptozotocin (45 mg/kg). Apocynin treatment (3 mg/kg/day) was administered over 8 weeks. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin tolerance and body weight gain were measured. Both slow (soleus) and fast (extensor digitorum longus, EDL) skeletal muscles were used for muscle function evaluation, oxidative stress markers, and evaluating gene expression using qRT-PCR. Treatment with apocynin significantly reduced FBG levels and enhanced insulin tolerance. Apocynin also prevented muscle contractile dysfunction in EDL muscle but had no significant effect on this parameter in soleus muscles. However, in both types of muscles, apocynin mitigated the oxidative stress by decreasing ROS levels and increasing total glutathione levels and redox state. Concomitantly, apocynin also statistically enhanced Nrf-2 and GLU4 mRNA expression and downregulated NOX2, NOX4, and NF-κB mRNA. Collectively, apocynin exhibits properties myoprotective in diabetic animals. These findings indicate that apocynin predominantly acts as an antioxidant in fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscles but has differential impact on contractile function.

The Effect of Apocynin on Fat Graft Survival

BACKGROUND

In this study, we investigated the effect of apocynin on fat graft survival in a rat model.

METHODS

Twenty-one Wistar albino male rats were included in the study. The grafts taken from the inguinal area were applied to the nape of each rat. The rats were randomly divided into three groups. Apocynin+DMSO, DMSO and saline were administered intraperitoneally once daily for 14 days. After 90 days, the animals were sacrificed and the grafts were excised. The weights and volumes were measured and sent for histopathological evaluation. The weight, volume, survival rates of the grafts, the number of viable cells with the MTT test and pathological parameters, inflammation, vascularization, fibrosis, lipogranuloma and cyst formation, were evaluated.

RESULTS

Statistically significant differences were found between the groups in survival rates (p<0.05). In paired comparisons between the groups, the parameters of viable cells and survival rates were statistically significantly higher in apocynin group compared to the other groups (p<0.05). The survival rates relating to the weight and viable cell count in the DMSO group were statistically significantly higher than in the control group (p<0.05). However, no statistically significant difference was found between the DMSO group and the control group in the survival rate in terms of volume (p<0.05). There was no significant difference between the groups in the comparison of pathological parameters (p>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Apocynin increases fat graft survival in the animal fat grafting model. Therefore, apocynin can be used as an effective medical agent to prevent the volume loss of fat grafts.

NO LEVEL ASSIGNED

This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .