Serum resistin and the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma in diabetic patients

Co-Micronized Palmitoylethanolamide and Rutin Associated With Hydroxytyrosol Recover Diabesity-Induced Hepatic Dysfunction in Mice: In Vitro Insights Into the Synergistic Effect

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and diabesity (diabetes related to obesity) are interrelated since glucose and lipid alterations play a vital role in the development of both disorders. Due to their multi-variant metabolic features, more than one drug or natural product may be required to achieve proper therapeutic effects. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a formulation containing co-micronized palmitoylethanolamide and rutin (PEA-Rut) associated with hydroxytyrosol (HT), namely NORM3, against hepatic damage and metabolic alterations in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced diabesity in mice. NORM3 decreased the body weight and fat mass of obese mice. The formulation improved HFD-altered insulin sensitivity and hepatic glucose production and metabolism, as shown by glucose, insulin, pyruvate tolerance tests, Western blot, and real-time PCR. In the liver, NORM3 limited macro- and micro-vacuolar steatosis, as revealed by morphological analysis, and reduced the associated hepatic inflammation. NORM3 counteracted lipid dysfunctions of HFD animals, activating AMPK, a key cellular energy sensor, and normalizing the expression of carnitine palmitoyl-transferase (CPT)1, a rate-limiting enzyme of fatty acid β-oxidation, and other genes involved in lipid homeostasis. Relevantly, the hepatic antioxidant activity of NORM3 was proved (reduced ROS and increased detoxifying factors and enzymes). Finally, in vitro synergistic protective effects of the components (PEA-Rut and HT) on H2O2-induced oxidative challenge in HepG2 were determined (ROS production, inflammation, and antioxidant defense). Our results show the beneficial effect of NORM3 and its potential as an innovative phytotherapeutic combination in limiting hepatic damage progression and counteracting glucose and lipid dysmetabolism associated with diabesity.

Masoprocol: a promising candidate for targeting insulin resistance by inhibiting resistin with optimal druglikeness Potentials: an in silico approach

Resistin is a cysteine-rich secretory hormone that induces resistance to insulin, and its elevated expression is correlated with the onset of diabetes and several related metabolic disorders. Resistin performs its inhibitory role by connecting three identical subunits through Cys22-based disulfide linkages. The necessity to inhibit the formation of resistin trimer is one of the essential means to prevent the aggravation of diabetes mellitus type 2, obesity, and atherosclerosis. This study was conducted to screen the clinically approved drugs to find the most potent one to inhibit resistin with the best pharmacokinetics and drug-likeness properties. A total of 4654 clinically approved drugs were docked against the Cys22 residue of resistin. The top ten drugs with the highest high-precision (XP) docking scores were selected. Ioversol and masoprocol showed the highest XP docking and Molecular Mechanics-Generalized Born Surface Area (MMGBSA) scores, respectively, with double hydrogen bonding with the targeted Cys22. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations showed that the masoprocol-resistin complex exhibited lower root mean square deviation (RMSD), radius of gyration, and root mean square fluctuation (RMSF) values than those observed in the ioversol-resistin complex. Both drugs induced drastic conformational changes in resistin monomer interactions. However, ioversol did not prove satisfying drug-likeness properties, while masoprocol showed the most favourable pharmacokinetic and drug-likeness properties. This study has demonstrated that masoprocol offers a novel inhibitory effect on resistin with the highest ligand affinity, making it a promising drug for combating insulin resistance.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.