O-GlcNAcylation: Crosstalk between Hemostasis, Inflammation, and Cancer

O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc, O-GlcNAcylation) is a post-translational modification of serine/threonine residues of proteins. Alterations in O-GlcNAcylation have been implicated in several types of cancer, regulation of tumor progression, inflammation, and thrombosis through its interaction with signaling pathways. We aim to explore the relationship between O-GlcNAcylation and hemostasis, inflammation, and cancer, which could serve as potential prognostic tools or clinical predictions for cancer patients' healthcare and as an approach to combat cancer. We found that cancer is characterized by high glucose demand and consumption, a chronic inflammatory state, a state of hypercoagulability, and platelet hyperaggregability that favors thrombosis; the latter is a major cause of death in these patients. Furthermore, we review transcription factors and pathways associated with O-GlcNAcylation, thrombosis, inflammation, and cancer, such as the PI3K/Akt/c-Myc pathway, the nuclear factor kappa B pathway, and the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. We also review infectious agents associated with cancer and chronic inflammation and potential inhibitors of cancer cell development. We conclude that it is necessary to approach both the diagnosis and treatment of cancer as a network in which multiple signaling pathways are integrated, and to search for a combination of potential drugs that regulate this signaling network.

Comprehensive review of milk fat globule membrane proteins across mammals and lactation periods in health and disease

Milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) is a three-layer membrane-like structure encasing natural milk fat globules (MFGs). MFGM holds promise as a nutritional supplement because of the numerous physiological functions of its constituent protein. This review summarizes and compares the differences in MFGM protein composition across various species, including bovines, goats, camels, mares, and donkeys, and different lactation periods, such as colostrum and mature milk, as assessed by techniques such as proteomics and mass spectrometry. We also discuss the health benefits of MFGM proteins throughout life. MFGM proteins promote intestinal development, neurodevelopment, and glucose and lipid metabolism by upregulating tight junction protein expression, brain function-related genes, and glucose and fatty acid biosynthesis processes. We focus on the mechanisms underlying these beneficial effects of MFGM proteins. MFGM proteins activate key substances in in signaling pathways, such as the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and myosin light chain kinase signaling pathways. Overall, the consumption of MFGM proteins plays an essential role in conferring health benefits, some of which are important throughout the mammalian life cycle.

Double-Tube Multiplex TaqMan Real-Time PCR for the Detection of Eight Animal-Derived Dairy Ingredients

Milk and dairy products represent important sources of nutrition in our daily lives. The identification of species within dairy products holds importance for monitoring food adulteration and ensuring traceability. This study presented a method that integrated double-tube and duplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with multiplex TaqMan probes to enable the high-throughput detection of animal-derived ingredients in milk and dairy products. The detection system utilized one pair of universal primers, two pairs of specific primers, and eight animal-derived specific probes for cow, buffalo, goat, sheep, camel, yak, horse, and donkey. These components were optimized within a double-tube and four-probe PCR multiplex system. The developed double-tube detection system could simultaneously identify the above eight targets with a detection limit of 10-0.1 pg/μL. Validation using simulated adulterated milk samples demonstrated a detection limit of 0.1%. The primary advantage of this method lies in the simplification of the multiplex quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) system through the use of universal primers. This method provides an efficient approach for detecting ingredients in dairy products, providing powerful technical support for market supervision.

Mechanisms by which sheep milk consumption ameliorates insulin resistance in high-fat diet-fed mice

Sheep milk is rich in fat, protein, vitamins and minerals and is also one of the most important sources of natural bioactives. Several biopeptides in sheep milk have been reported to possess antibacterial, antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, and they may prevent type 2 diabetes (T2D), disease and cancer. However, the precise mechanism(s) underlying the protective role of sheep milk against T2D development remains unclear. Therefore, in the current study, we investigated the effect of sheep milk on insulin resistance and glucose intolerance in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice, by conducting intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests, metabolic cage studies, genomic sequencing, polymerase chain reaction, and biochemical assays. Hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp-based experiments revealed that mice consuming sheep milk exhibited lower hepatic glucose production than mice in the control group. These findings further elucidate the mechanism by which dietary supplementation with sheep milk alleviates HFD-induced systemic glucose intolerance.

Estimation of bioactive peptide content of milk from different species using an in silico method

This study assessed the bioactive peptides content of milk from different species, including humans, camel, bovine, buffalo, donkey, sheep, goat, and horse. The highest and lowest concentrations of total digestion-resistant peptides were estimated in sheep and human milk. Donkey milk casein contains a higher angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory, dipeptidyl peptidase III (DPP-III) inhibitory, DPP-IV inhibitory, and antioxidant peptides. On the other hand, camel whey protein contains the highest ACE-inhibitory peptides. To discover BPs with immunomodulatory and cholesterol-lowering functions, goat milk casein and sheep milk whey protein can be considered, respectively.

Comparative Attenuating Impact of Camel Milk and Insulin in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Albino Rats

In this study, albino Wistar rats that have developed diabetes as a result of the drug streptozotocin (STZ) were treated with camel milk and insulin. For this, 36 rats were divided into six different (n = 6) groups: control, control + camel milk, diabetic control, insulin, camel milk, and combined camel milk + insulin. A 50 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection of STZ was used to induce diabetes. Rats with blood glucose levels exceeding 250 mg/dL after the induction of diabetes were taken into consideration for the study. The diabetic rats were treated with camel milk (50 mL/rat/day), insulin (6 units kg-1 b·wt/day), or their combination daily for 30 days. Throughout the course of the study, the rats' glucose levels and body weight were checked. In the diabetic control rats, a reduction in body weight and hyperglycemic condition was seen. Improvements in glycemic levels and weight gain were seen in the camel milk, insulin, and combined treatment groups compared to the diabetic control group; however, the combined treated group did not show the same degree of improvement as the alone treated group. Hematological changes in the diabetic control group included reductions in lymphocytes, platelets, total leukocyte count (TLC), and red blood cell (RBC) indices (mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), packed cell volume (PCV), and mean cell hemoglobin concentration (MCHC)). Each group that got insulin and camel milk separately and combined showed improvement in these changes. The liver, kidney, and pancreas in the diabetic control group had worsened morphological alterations. These histopathological alternations were significantly improved in the treatment groups. Hence, this study demonstrates the antidiabetic effects of camel milk in comparison to insulin. These findings highlight the potential of camel milk as an alternative therapy for diabetes, although further research is warranted to fully understand its mechanisms of action and long-term effects.

Analysis of metabolites of bactrain camel milk in Alxa of China before and after fermentation with fermenting agent TR1 based on untargeted LC-MS/MS based metabolomics

Camel milk produces many beneficial functional compounds and affects body health through metabolism. The differential metabolites of bactrain camel milk in Alxa before and after fermentation were identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry based metabolomics (LC-MS/MS). The differential metabolite pathway types were also identified in this paper. We obtained the following results that 148 and 82 differential metabolites were detected in positive and negative ion mode respectively, 85 differential metabolites were shown a significant upward trend and 63 with downward trend after fermentation in positive ion mode. Meanwhile, 32 differential metabolites characterized upward trend and 50 characterized downward trend in negative ion mode. The differential metabolites were mainly organic acids, amino acids, esters, vitamins and other substances contained in camel milk. Among them, most up-regulated substances had the functions of lowering blood pressure, lowering blood sugar, treatment of inflammation, antibiosis and other effects. Many harmful substances were significantly down-regulated after camel milk fermentation. However, there were also some metabolites whose prebiotic functions have been weakened by camel milk fermentation, which may provide reference values for healthcare function, exploitation and application of camel milk.

Comparing the Therapeutic Potency of Camel Milk and Whey Protein Against Toxicity-Induced by Levofloxacin in Male Albino Rats

<b>Background and Objective:</b> Levofloxacin (LFX) is a wide-spectrum antibiotic that is used to treat many types of infections. Camel milk (CM) and camel whey protein (CWP) are natural antioxidants that work as dietary supplements that enhance immune defenses. The goal of this study was to estimate the therapeutic efficacy of camel whey protein and camel milk, in addition to the toxic effects of the antibiotic levofloxacin. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> As 42 male albino rats were divided as follows: G1: Control, G2: CM orally for 15 days, G3: CWP orally for 15 days, G4: LFX orally for 10 days, G5: LFX for 10 days and followed with CM daily for 15 days and G6: LFX for 10 days followed by CWP orally for 15 days. At the end of the study blood sera from all groups were collected for estimation of serum total protein, albumin, globulins and glucose. Sections of the liver and kidney were separated for estimation of GSH, CAT, GSH-PX. All data were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance. <b>Results:</b> The LFX treatment induced a decrease in serum levels of proteinogram, glucose, hepatic and renal values of oxidative stress and raising values of serum kidney and liver functions, hepatic and renal MDA. The treatment of LFX-treated rats with CWP led to a more increase in serum proteinogram, glucose, hepatic and renal (GSH, CAT, GSH-PX) a decline in serum values of (urea, ALAT, ASAT, ALP, BIL, T.P, D. BIL, Ind. BIL creatinine), hepatic and renal MDA than the treatment with CWP did. <b>Conclusion:</b> The use of CWP after LFX-treatment showed greater therapeutic potency than the use of CM.

Effects of Raw and Pasteurized Camel Milk on Metabolic Responses in Pigs Fed a High-Fat Diet

Simple Summary

Camel milk (CM) contains insulin-like peptides and is high in vitamin C, vitamin E, and antioxidants. Previous studies in diabetic mice and humans have demonstrated a positive impact of CM consumption on glycemic balance, potentially greater than that observed for the consumption of bovine milk. Thus, CM may be a viable therapeutic treatment for diabetic humans, although the mode of action of these effects are not yet understood. This experiment used a high-fat diet as a monogastric model to examine the effect of CM consumption (raw or pasteurized) on some key blood metabolic markers and examined responses to an in vitro glucose tolerance test. While the results are preliminary given the low number of animals, this experiment suggested that CM can improve glycemic control, potentially via a tighter control of insulin effectiveness and/or uptake.

Abstract

Evidence suggests that camel milk (CM) can have insulin-like actions, although the mode of action is not understood. Using the pig as a monogastric model, this pilot experiment examined the effects of CM consumption on metabolic responses to an in vitro glucose tolerance test (IVGTT). Twenty female Large White × Landrace pigs were individually housed for 6 wks and randomly allocated to one of the following four diets (fed ad libitum; n = 5): control (Con); high fat (HF; ~16% fat); raw CM (the HF diet plus 500 mL CM/ day); or pasteurized CM (PCM). Blood samples were collected on two occasions (weeks 2 and 5). At week 6, the pigs were fitted with an ear vein cannula and the following day an in vitro glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) was conducted (0.3 g/kg BW glucose). Plasma fatty acids and cholesterol concentrations were greater in the pigs fed the HF diet and greatest in those fed CM, while there was no effect of diet on insulin concentrations. The pigs fed CM tended to have a reduced peak insulin (p = 0.058) and an increased glucose nadir (p = 0.009) in response to the IVGTT. These preliminary results tend to support the hypothesis that feeding CM can improve glycemic control in pigs.

Camel Milk Used as an Adjuvant Therapy to Treat Type 2 Diabetic Patients: Effects on Blood Glucose, HbA1c, Cholesterol, and TG Levels

The efficacy of camel milk to treat diabetes has been shown recently, especially in experimental animals and in patients with diabetes type 1 (T1DM), whereas studies on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are limited. In this clinical trial, 60 patients with T2DM who used oral antidiabetic drugs were assigned into two groups; group 1 received—in addition to the antidiabetic prescribed medicines—500 mL of raw camel milk divided equally two times/day (fasting in the morning and the night) for three months. Group 2 was treated during the same period only by the oral antidiabetic medicaments without consumption of camel milk. A significant decrease was shown in fasting blood glucose (FBG) (from 9.89 ± 0.98 to 6.13 ± 0.55 mmol/L) and postprandial glucose (PPG) (from 15.89 ± 4.34 to 7.44 ± 1.02 mmol/L) in the group 1. A significant decline ( $P<0.05$ ) in HbA1c levels was observed in the group treated with camel milk (from 9.44 ± 0.16 to 6.61 ± 0.14%, with a percentage decrease of 30%). Total cholesterol and TG significantly decreased in group 1. Urea and creatinine showed no statistical differences between the two groups during the trial. Based on this study’s results, camel milk could be useful for glycemic control in T2DM patients using oral hypoglycemic agents.

Comparison of milk fat globule membrane and whey proteome between Dromedary and Bactrian camel

Camel milk is rich in nutrients and its impact on human medicine and nutrition cannot be ignored. We conducted an in-depth analysis of milk proteins obtained from two camel breed (Camelus bactrianus, CB and Camelus dromedarius, CD). Label-free proteomic technology was performed to analysis the MFGM and whey proteomes of CB and CD milk. In total, 1133 MFGM proteins and 627 whey proteins were identified from camel milk. Results revealed that 216 MFGM proteins and 109 whey proteins were significantly different between them. In addition, the cellular process, cell and binding were the predominately GO annotations of milk proteins. KEGG analysis shown that most proteins were involved in metabolic pathways. Furthermore, many proteins were found to be involved in PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, which could be the possible reason for hypoglycemic effect of camel milk. These results could provide a further understanding for unique biological characteristics of camel milk proteins.

Camel milk as an alternative treatment regimen for diabetes therapy

Camel milk is a valuable source of nutrition with a wide range of therapeutic effects. Its unique composition helps to regulate the blood glucose level. The current study is aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic and hepatoprotective effects, as well as lipid profile restoration of camel milk in the diabetic mouse model. This innovative study evaluates the therapeutic effects of camel milk in diabetic mice by simultaneous measurement of blood glucose, HbA1c, ALT, AST, TG, cholesterol, and histopathological studies. The results showed that camel milk has significantly reduced blood glucose, HbA1c (p < .001), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT) (p < .01), triglyceride (TG), and cholesterol (p < .01), compared to that in the diabetic control group. Also, the therapeutic effects of camel milk were completely comparable with the antidiabetic drug glibenclamide. The results of this study suggest that camel milk could be used as a proper alternative treatment regimen for diabetes therapy.

Effect of camel milk protein hydrolysates against hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and associated oxidative stress in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats

This study investigated the effect of camel milk protein hydrolysates (CMPH) at 100, 500 and 1,000 mg/kg of body weight (BW) for 8 wk on hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and associated oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Body weights and fasting blood glucose levels were observed after every week until 8 wk, and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) levels and biochemical parameters were evaluated after 8 wk in blood and serum samples. Antioxidant enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation in the liver were estimated, and histological examination of the liver and pancreatic tissues was also conducted. Results showed that CMPH at 500 mg/kg of BW [camel milk protein hydrolysate, mid-level dosage (CMPH-M)] exhibited potent hypoglycemic activity, as shown in the reduction in fasting blood glucose and OGTT levels. The hypolipidemic effect of CMPH was indicated by normalization of serum lipid levels. Significant improvement in activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase, and reduced glutathione levels were observed, along with the attenuation of malondialdehyde content in groups fed CMPH, especially CMPH-M, was observed. Decreased levels of liver function enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase) in the CMPH-M group was also noted. Histology of liver and pancreatic tissue displayed absence of lipid accumulation in hepatocytes and preservation of β-cells in the CMPH-M group compared with the diabetic control group. This is the first study to report anti-hyperglycemic and anti-hyperlipidemic effect of CMPH in an animal model system. This study indicates that CMPH can be suggested for its therapeutic benefits for hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, thus validating its use for better management of diabetes and associated comorbidities.