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Zhao X, Zeng Q, Yu S, Zhu X, Bin Hu, Deng L, Zhang Y, Liu Y. GLP-1R mediates idebenone-reduced blood glucose in mice. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 178:117202. [PMID: 39053424 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.117202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 07/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024] Open
Abstract
GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are an innovative class of drugs with significant therapeutic value for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The GLP-1RAs currently available on the market are biologic macromolecular peptide agents that are expensive to treat and not easy to take orally. Therefore, the development of small molecule GLP-1RAs is becoming one of the most sought-after research targets for hypoglycemic drugs. In this study, we sought to find a potential oral small molecule GLP-1RA and to evaluate its effect on insulin secretion in rat pancreatic β cells and on blood glucose in mice. We downloaded the mRNA expression profiles of GSE102194 and GSE37936 from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Subsequently, the small molecule compound idebenone was screened through the connectivity map database. The results of molecular docking, biolayer interferometry, and cellular thermal shift assay indicated that idebenone could bind potently with GLP-1R. Furthermore, ibebenone elevated intracellular cAMP levels. The radioimmunoassay data showed that idebenone enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion via agonism of GLP-1R. Moreover, the results of oral glucose tolerance tests in C57BL/6, Glp-1r-/-, and hGlp-1r mice demonstrated that the glucose-lowering effects of idebenone were mediated by GLP-1R and that there were no species differences in the agonistic effect of idebenone on GLP-1R. In summary, idebenone reduces blood glucose in mice by promoting insulin release through agonism of GLP-1R, suggesting that idebenone is probably a potential GLP-1RA, which is expected to provide a new therapeutic strategy for the prevention and treatment of metabolic diseases such as T2DM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhao
- Department of Endocrinology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China; Department of Pharmacology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Qingxuan Zeng
- Department of Pharmacology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Siting Yu
- Department of Pharmacology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Xiaochan Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Bin Hu
- Department of Pharmacology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Lijiao Deng
- Department of Pharmacology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China; Department of Pharmacy, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China; Medicinal Basic Research Innovation Center of Chronic Kidney Disease, Ministry of Education, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China.
| | - Yunfeng Liu
- Department of Endocrinology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030001, China.
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Su J, Xu J, Hu S, Ye H, Xie L, Ouyang S. Advances in small-molecule insulin secretagogues for diabetes treatment. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 178:117179. [PMID: 39059347 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.117179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Diabetes, a metabolic disease caused by abnormally high levels of blood glucose, has a high prevalence rate worldwide and causes a series of complications, including coronary heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular disease, end-stage renal disease, and retinopathy. Small-molecule compounds have been developed as drugs for the treatment of diabetes because of their oral advantages. Insulin secretagogues are a class of small-molecule drugs used to treat diabetes, and include sulfonylureas, non-sulfonylureas, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors, and other novel small-molecule insulin secretagogues. However, many small-molecule compounds cause different side effects, posing huge challenges to drug monotherapy and drug selection. Therefore, the use of different small-molecule drugs must be improved. This article reviews the mechanism, advantages, limitations, and potential risks of small-molecule insulin secretagogues to provide future research directions on small-molecule drugs for the treatment of diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingqian Su
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Pathogenesis and Interventions of Fujian Province University, Key Laboratory of Innate Immune Biology of Fujian Province, Biomedical Research Center of South China, Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China.
| | - Jingran Xu
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Pathogenesis and Interventions of Fujian Province University, Key Laboratory of Innate Immune Biology of Fujian Province, Biomedical Research Center of South China, Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
| | - Shan Hu
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Pathogenesis and Interventions of Fujian Province University, Key Laboratory of Innate Immune Biology of Fujian Province, Biomedical Research Center of South China, Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
| | - Hui Ye
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Pathogenesis and Interventions of Fujian Province University, Key Laboratory of Innate Immune Biology of Fujian Province, Biomedical Research Center of South China, Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
| | - Lian Xie
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Pathogenesis and Interventions of Fujian Province University, Key Laboratory of Innate Immune Biology of Fujian Province, Biomedical Research Center of South China, Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
| | - Songying Ouyang
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Pathogenesis and Interventions of Fujian Province University, Key Laboratory of Innate Immune Biology of Fujian Province, Biomedical Research Center of South China, Key Laboratory of OptoElectronic Science and Technology for Medicine of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China.
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Chen K, Wei L, Yu S, He N, Zhang F. Identification of autophagy-related signatures in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and correlation with non-parenchymal cells of the liver. Mol Omics 2024; 20:469-482. [PMID: 38982979 DOI: 10.1039/d4mo00060a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a chronic hepatic disease. The incidence and prevalence of NAFLD have increased greatly in recent years, and there is still a lack of effective drugs. Autophagy plays an important role in promoting liver metabolism and maintaining liver homeostasis, and defects in autophagy levels are considered to be related to the development of NAFLD. However, the molecular mechanisms of autophagy in NAFLD still remain unknown. In this study, we identified 6 autophagy-associated hub genes using gene expression profiles obtained from the GSE48452 and GSE89632 datasets. Biomarkers were screened according to gene significance (GS) and module membership (MM) using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and the immune infiltration landscape of the liver in NAFLD patients was explored using the CIBERSORT algorithm. Subsequently, we analyzed the relationship between liver non-parenchymal cells and autophagy-related hub genes using scRNA-seq data (GSE129516). Finally, we separated the NAFLD patients into two groups based on 6 hub genes by consensus clustering and screened 10 potential autophagy-related small molecules based on the cMAP database.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiwei Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, Shandong, China
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266003, China.
| | - Ling Wei
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, Shandong, China.
| | - Shengnan Yu
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266003, China.
| | - Ningning He
- School of Basic Medicine, Qingdao Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266003, China.
| | - Fengjuan Zhang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, Shandong, China
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266000, Shandong, China.
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Lee J, Li Y, Cheng JT, Liu IM, Cheng KC. Development of Syringaldehyde as an Agonist of the GLP-1 Receptor to Alleviate Diabetic Disorders in Animal Models. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2024; 17:538. [PMID: 38675498 PMCID: PMC11054907 DOI: 10.3390/ph17040538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The phenolic aldehyde syringaldehyde (SA) has been shown to have an antihyperglycemic effect in diabetic rats due to increased glucose utilization and insulin sensitivity. To understand the direct effect of SA on the GLP-1 receptor, STZ-induced diabetic rats were used. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, liver enzymes, and renal function were measured using specific ELISA kits. The mechanisms of SA effects were investigated using CHO-K1 cells, pancreatic Min-6 cells, and cardiomyocyte H9c2 cells. The results indicated that the antihyperglycemic effect of SA in diabetic rats was abolished by blocking the GLP-1 receptor with an antagonist. SA has a direct effect on the GLP-1 receptor when using CHO-K1 cells transfected with the exogenous GLP-1 receptor gene. In addition, SA stimulated insulin production in Min-6 cells by activating GLP-1 receptors. SA caused a dose-dependent rise in GLP-1 receptor mRNA levels in cardiac H9c2 cells. These in vitro results support the notion that SA has a direct effect on the GLP-1 receptor. Otherwise, SA inhibited the increase of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukins and tumor TNF-α, in type 1 diabetic rats in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, as with liraglutide, SA reduced plasma lipid profiles, including total cholesterol and triglyceride, in mixed diet-induced type 2 diabetic rats. Intriguingly, chronic treatment with SA (as with liraglutide) reversed the functions of both the liver and the kidney in these diabetic rats. SA displayed less efficiency in reducing body weight and food consumption compared to liraglutide. In conclusion, SA effectively activates GLP-1 receptors, resulting in a reduction in diabetic-related complications in rats. Therefore, it is beneficial to develop SA as a chemical agonist for clinical applications in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenpei Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, Da Chien General Hospital, Miaoli City 36052, Taiwan;
| | - Yingxiao Li
- Department of Nursing, Tzu Chi University of Science and Technology, Hualien City 970302, Taiwan;
| | - Juei-Tang Cheng
- Graduate Institute of Medical Science, Chang Jung Christian University, Tainan City 71101, Taiwan
| | - I-Min Liu
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Health Care, Tajen University, Pingtung 90741, Taiwan;
| | - Kai-Chun Cheng
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy and Health Care, Tajen University, Pingtung 90741, Taiwan;
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Wang Y, Yu H, Cen Z, Zhu Y, Wu W. Drug targets regulate systemic metabolism and provide new horizons to treat nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Metabol Open 2024; 21:100267. [PMID: 38187470 PMCID: PMC10770762 DOI: 10.1016/j.metop.2023.100267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is the advanced stage of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) with rapidly rising global prevalence. It is featured with severe hepatocyte apoptosis, inflammation and hepatic lipogenesis. The drugs directly targeting the processes of steatosis, inflammation and fibrosis are currently under clinical investigation. Nevertheless, the long-term ineffectiveness and remarkable adverse effects are well documented, and new concepts are required to tackle with the root causes of NASH progression. We critically assess the recently validated drug targets that regulate the systemic metabolism to ameliorate NASH. Thermogenesis promoted by mitochondrial uncouplers restores systemic energy expenditure. Furthermore, regulation of mitochondrial proteases and proteins that are pivotal for intracellular metabolic homeostasis normalize mitochondrial function. Secreted proteins also improve systemic metabolism, and NASH is ameliorated by agonizing receptors of secreted proteins with small molecules. We analyze the drug design, the advantages and shortcomings of these novel drug candidates. Meanwhile, the structural modification of current NASH therapeutics significantly increased their selectivity, efficacy and safety. Furthermore, the arising CRISPR-Cas9 screen strategy on liver organoids has enabled the identification of new genes that mediate lipid metabolism, which may serve as promising drug targets. In summary, this article discusses the in-depth novel mechanisms and the multidisciplinary approaches, and they provide new horizons to treat NASH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibing Wang
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Research Base of Exercise and Metabolic Health, China
| | - Hanhan Yu
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Zhipeng Cen
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Malignant Tumor Epigenetics and Gene Regulation, Guangdong-Hong Kong Joint Laboratory for RNA Medicine, Medical Research Center, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
- Nanhai Translational Innovation Center of Precision Immunology, Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital, Foshan, 528200, China
| | - Yutong Zhu
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China
| | - Wenyi Wu
- School of Kinesiology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, 200438, China
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Parveen S, Maurya N, Meena A, Luqman S. Cinchonine: A Versatile Pharmacological Agent Derived from Natural Cinchona Alkaloids. Curr Top Med Chem 2024; 24:343-363. [PMID: 38031797 DOI: 10.2174/0115680266270796231109171808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cinchonine is one of the Cinchona alkaloids that is commercially extracted from the Peruvian bark of Cinchona officinalis L. (Family: Rubiaceae). It is also obtained in much lower quantities from other species of Cinchona, such as Cinchona calisaya, Cinchona succirubra, and Cinchona pubescens, and in some other plants, such as Remijia peruviana. Cinchonine has been historically used as an anti-malarial agent. It also has a wide range of other biological properties, including anti-cancer, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, antimicrobial, anti-platelet aggregation, and anti-osteoclast differentiation. AIM AND OBJECTIVE This review discusses the pharmacological activity of cinchonine under different experimental conditions, including in silico, in vitro, and in vivo. It also covers the compound's physicochemical properties, toxicological aspects, and pharmacokinetics. METHODOLOGY A comprehensive literature search was conducted on multiple online databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. The aim was to retrieve a wide range of review/research papers and bibliographic sources. The process involved applying exclusion and inclusion criteria to ensure the selection of relevant and high-quality papers. RESULTS Cinchonine has numerous pharmacological properties, making it a promising compound for various therapeutic applications. It induces anti-cancer activity by activating caspase-3 and PARP-1, and triggers the endoplasmic reticulum stress response. It up-regulates GRP78 and promotes the phosphorylation of PERK and ETIF-2α. Cinchonine also inhibits osteoclastogenesis, inhibiting TAK1 activation and suppressing NFATc1 expression by regulating AP-1 and NF-κB. Its potential anti-inflammatory effects reduce the impact of high-fat diets, making it suitable for targeting obesity-related diseases. However, research on cinchonine is limited, and further studies are needed to fully understand its therapeutic potential. Further investigation is needed to ensure its safety and efficacy in clinical applications. CONCLUSION Overall, this review article explains the pharmacological activity of cinchonine, its synthesis, and physicochemical properties, toxicological aspects, and pharmacokinetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahnaz Parveen
- Bioprospection and Product Development Division, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, 226015, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Nidhi Maurya
- Bioprospection and Product Development Division, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, 226015, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Abha Meena
- Bioprospection and Product Development Division, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, 226015, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Suaib Luqman
- Bioprospection and Product Development Division, CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow, 226015, Uttar Pradesh, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, Uttar Pradesh, India
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