Exercise alleviates diabetic complications by inhibiting oxidative stress-mediated signaling cascade and mitochondrial metabolic stress in GK diabetic rat tissues

Treadmill exercise can regulate the redox balance in the livers of APP/PS1 mice and reduce LPS accumulation in their brains through the gut-liver-kupffer cell axis

A growing body of clinical data has shown that patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have symptoms such as liver dysfunction and microbial-gut-brain axis dysfunction in addition to brain pathology, presenting a systemic multisystemic pathogenesis. Considering the systemic benefits of exercise, here, we first observed the effects of long-term treadmill exercise on liver injuries in APP/PS1 transgenic AD mice and explored the potential mechanisms of the gut-liver-brain axis's role in mediating exercise's ability to reduce bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) pathology in the brain. The results showed that the livers of the AD mice were in states of oxidative stress, while the mice after long-term treadmill exercise showed alleviation of their oxidative stress, their intestinal barriers were protected, and the ability of their Kupffer cells to hydrolyze LPS was improved, in addition to the accumulation of LPS in their brains being reduced. Notably, the livers of the AD mice were in immunosuppressed states, with lower pro-oxidative and antioxidative levels than the livers of the wild-type mice, while exercise increased both their oxidative and antioxidative levels. These results suggest that long-term exercise modulates hepatic redox homeostasis in AD mice, attenuates oxidative damage, and reduces the accumulation of LPS in the brain through the combined action of the intestine-liver-Kupffer cells.

Integrating serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology to reveal the mechanism of chickpea in improving insulin resistance

Although chickpea have great potential in the treatment of obesity and diabetes, the bioactive components and therapeutic targets of chickpea to prevent insulin resistance (IR) are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the chemical and pharmacological characteristics of chickpea on IR through serum pharmacochemistry and network pharmacology. The results revealed that compared with other polar fractions, the ethyl acetate extract of chickpea (CE) had the definitive performance on enhancing the capacities of glucose consumption and glycogen synthesis. In addition, we analyzed the components of CE in vivo and in vitro based on UPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS technology. There were 28 kinds of in vitro chemical components, among which the isoflavones included biochanin A, formononetin, ononin, sissotrin, and astragalin, etc. Concerningly, the chief prototype components of CE absorbed into the blood were biochanin A, formononetin, loliolide, and lenticin, etc. Furthermore, a total of 209 common targets between IR and active components of CE were screened out by network pharmacology, among which the key targets involved PI3K p85, NF-κB p65 and estrogen receptor 1, etc. Specifically, KEGG pathway analysis indicated that PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, HIF-1 signaling pathway, and AGE-RAGE signaling pathway may play critical roles in the IR remission by CE. Finally, the in vitro validation experiments disclosed that CE significantly balanced the oxidative stress state of IR-HepG2 cells and inhibited expressions of inflammatory cytokines. In conclusion, the present study will be an important reference for clarifying the pharmacodynamic substance basis and underlying mechanism of chickpea to alleviate IR.

Azadirachtin Attenuates Carcinogen Benzo(a) Pyrene-Induced DNA Damage, Cell Cycle Arrest, Apoptosis, Inflammatory, Metabolic, and Oxidative Stress in HepG2 Cells

Azadirachtin (AZD), a limonoid from the versatile, tropical neem tree (Azadirachta indica), is well known for its many medicinal, and pharmacological effects. Its effects as an anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer agent are well known. However, not many studies have explored the effects of AZD on toxicities induced by benzo(a)pyrene (B(a)P), a toxic component of cigarette smoke known to cause DNA damage and cell cycle arrest, leading to different kinds of cancer. In the present study, using HepG2 cells, we investigated the protective effects of Azadirachtin (AZD) against B(a)P-induced oxidative/nitrosative and metabolic stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Treatment with 25 µM B(a)P for 24 h demonstrated an increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), followed by increased lipid peroxidation and DNA damage presumably, due to the increased metabolic activation of B(a)P by CYP 450 1A1/1A2 enzymes. We also observed intrinsic and extrinsic apoptosis, alterations in glutathione-dependent redox homeostasis, cell cycle arrest, and inflammation after B(a)P treatment. Cells treated with 25 µM AZD for 24 h showed decreased oxidative stress and apoptosis, partial protection from DNA damage, and an improvement in mitochondrial functions and bioenergetics. The improvement in antioxidant status, anti-inflammatory potential, and alterations in cell cycle regulatory markers qualify AZD as a potential therapeutic in combination with anti-cancer drugs.

Mitochondria and Oxidative Stress as a Link between Alzheimer's Disease and Diabetes Mellitus

This review is devoted to the problems of the common features linking metabolic disorders and type 2 diabetes with the development of Alzheimer's disease. The pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease closely intersects with the mechanisms of type 2 diabetes development, and an important risk factor for both pathologies is aging. Common pathological mechanisms include both factors in the development of oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, insulin resistance, and amyloidosis, as well as impaired mitochondrial dysfunctions and increasing cell death. The currently available drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease have limited therapeutic efficacy. It is important to note that drugs used to treat Alzheimer's disease, in particular acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, show a positive therapeutic potential in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, while drugs used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes can also prevent a number of pathologies characteristic for Alzheimer's disease. A promising direction in the search for a strategy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease may be the creation of complex multi-target drugs that have neuroprotective potential and affect specific common targets for type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer's disease.

Protective Properties of Spheroidal Taxifolin Form in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

One of the key factors in the pathogenesis of diabetes and its complications is oxidative stress. To inhibit this process, antioxidants may be helpful. Herein, we focused on the protective properties of taxifolin spheroidal form (TS) in the streptozotocin rat model of diabetes mellitus. After 4 weeks of treatment with TS, the fasting blood glucose level of the diabetic animals decreased by 12% compared with the level right after the injection of streptozotocin. While the feed intake in the untreated diabetic rats increased by 5.3% compared with the healthy group, the TS-treated group showed a pronounced 15.3% decrease. Therapeutic administration of TS has a protective effect on the pancreas and the liver against the cytotoxic action of streptozotocin. The plasma antioxidant capacity of all diabetic groups appeared to be approximately 15% lower than in healthy rats with no significant difference between the TS-treated and untreated diabetic animals. Apparently, this can be attributed to taxifolin and plasma proteins binding. These data demonstrate the potential of TS in antidiabetic therapy.

The effects of subtoxic dose of acetaminophen combined with exercise on the liver of rats

Regular physical exercise is beneficial to the body. Acute exercise causes oxidant stress in many tissues including the liver by creating an unbalanced status between oxidant and antioxidant levels. Analgesic drugs are commonly consumed to reduce the pain after exercise. Acetaminophen (APAP), commonly used as an over-the-counter analgesic, can cause hepatotoxicity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and underlying mechanisms of APAP at subtoxic dose, which is given after the acute and exhaustive exercise on the rat livers. Male Wistar rats weighing 200-250 g were divided into 6 groups each consisting of 7 rats/group; Control, APAP (250 mg/kg, ip), Acute Exercise (AEx), Acute Exhaustive Exercise (AEEx), Acute Exercise and APAP (AEx+APAP) and Acute Exhaustive Exercise and APAP (AEEx+APAP) groups. Rats were exercised at moderate intensity or exhaustive on the treadmill and then received APAP. Tissue MDA levels were significantly increased in AEEx, AEx+APAP and AEEx+APAP groups compared with the control. There was no significant difference in GSH levels between groups. Tissue Sirtuin1 (Sirt1) levels of APAP, AEx and AEEx groups were significantly less than control. There was no significant difference between groups in VEGF levels. Liver damage score was significantly higher in all groups compared with control group. As a result, this study shows that subtoxic dose of APAP treatment alone or in combination with acute or exhaustive treadmill exercise can cause oxidative liver damage by affecting Sirt1 levels and without affecting VEGF levels.