Metformin Attenuates the Metabolic Disturbance and Depression-like Behaviors Induced by Corticosterone and Mediates the Glucose Metabolism Pathway

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Hao ◽  
Yingpeng Tong ◽  
Yanhong Guo ◽  
Xiaoe Lang ◽  
Xinxin Huang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Metabolism disturbances are common in patients with depression. The drug metformin has been reported to exhibit antidepressant activity. The purpose of this study was to investigate metabolism disturbances induced by corticosterone (CORT) and determine if metformin can reverse these effects and their accompanying depression-like behaviors. Methods Rats were exposed to corticosterone with or without metformin administration. Depression-like behaviors were tested. Gene expression was confirmed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot analysis. In addition, the metabolites were quantified by LC-MS/MS analysis. Results Metformin attenuated the depression-like behaviors induced by CORT. Furthermore, metformin reversed disturbances in body weight, serum glucose, and triglyceride levels, as well as hepatic TG levels induced by CORT. Metformin normalized the alterations in the expression of glucose metabolism-related genes (PGC-1α, G6pc, Pepck, Gck, PYGL, Gys2, PKLR, GLUT4) and insulin resistance-related genes (AdipoR1, AdipoR2) in the muscles and livers of rats induced by CORT. Metabolomic analysis showed that metformin reversed the effects of CORT on 11 metabolites involved in the pathways of the tricarboxylic acid cycle, glycolysis, and gluconeogenesis (3-phospho-D-glycerate, β-D-fructose 6-phosphate, D-glucose 6-phosphate, and pyruvate). Conclusion Our findings suggest that metformin can attenuate metabolism disturbances and depression-like behaviors induced by CORT mediating the glucose metabolism pathway.

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Zhang ◽  
Chunyang Dai ◽  
Huiyan Wang ◽  
Yong Gao ◽  
Tuantuan Li ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by SARS-CoV-2, is posing a serious threat to global public health. Reverse transcriptase real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is widely used as the gold standard for clinical detection of SARS-CoV-2. Due to technical limitations, the reported positive rates of qRT-PCR assay of throat swab samples vary from 30 to 60%. Therefore, the evaluation of alternative strategies to overcome the limitations of qRT-PCR is required. A previous study reported that one-step nested (OSN)-qRT-PCR revealed better suitability for detecting SARS-CoV-2. However, information on the analytical performance of OSN-qRT-PCR is insufficient. Method In this study, we aimed to analyze OSN-qRT-PCR by comparing it with droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and qRT-PCR by using a dilution series of SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviral RNA and a quality assessment panel. The clinical performance of OSN-qRT-PCR was also validated and compared with ddPCR and qRT-PCR using specimens from COVID-19 patients. Result The limit of detection (copies/ml) of qRT-PCR, ddPCR, and OSN-qRT-PCR were 520.1 (95% CI: 363.23–1145.69) for ORF1ab and 528.1 (95% CI: 347.7–1248.7) for N, 401.8 (95% CI: 284.8–938.3) for ORF1ab and 336.8 (95% CI: 244.6–792.5) for N, and 194.74 (95% CI: 139.7–430.9) for ORF1ab and 189.1 (95% CI: 130.9–433.9) for N, respectively. Of the 34 clinical samples from COVID-19 patients, the positive rates of OSN-qRT-PCR, ddPCR, and qRT-PCR were 82.35% (28/34), 67.65% (23/34), and 58.82% (20/34), respectively. Conclusion In conclusion, the highly sensitive and specific OSN-qRT-PCR assay is superior to ddPCR and qRT-PCR assays, showing great potential as a technique for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in patients with low viral loads.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoyu Wan ◽  
Xinbei Tian ◽  
Jun Du ◽  
Ying Lu ◽  
Yongtao Xiao

Abstract Background The poor understanding of pathogenesis in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) impaired development of effective therapeutic strategies. The aim of the current study is to investigate the roles of long non-coding RNA H19 (lncRNA H19) in the pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis of IPF. Methods Bleomycin was used to induce pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis in mice. The mRNAs and proteins expression in lung tissues was determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot. H19 knockout (H19−/−) mice were generated by CRISPR/Cas9. Results The expression of H19 mRNA was up-regulated in fibrotic lungs patients with IPF as well as in lungs tissues that obtained from bleomycin-treated mice. H19−/− mice suppressed bleomycin-mediated pulmonary inflammation and inhibited the Il6/Stat3 signaling. H19 deficiency ameliorated bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis and repressed the activation of TGF-β/Smad and S1pr2/Sphk2 in the lungs of bleomycin-treated mice. Conclusions Our data suggests that H19 is a profibrotic lncRNA and a potential therapeutic target for IPF.


2005 ◽  
Vol 88 (2) ◽  
pp. 558-573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Max Feinberg ◽  
Sophie Fernandez ◽  
Sylvanie Cassard ◽  
Chrystèle Charles-Delobel ◽  
Yves Bertheau ◽  
...  

Abstract The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and the European Network of GMO Working Laboratories have proposed development of a modular strategy for stepwise validation of complex analytical techniques. When applied to the quantitation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food products, the instrumental quantitation step of the technique is separately validated from the DNA extraction step to better control the sources of uncertainty and facilitate the validation of GMO-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. This paper presents the results of an interlaboratory study on the quantitation step of the method standardized by CEN for the detection of a regulatory element commonly inserted in GMO maize-based foods. This is focused on the quantitation of P35S promoter through using the quantitative real-time PCR (QRT-PCR). Fifteen French laboratories participated in the interlaboratory study of the P35S quantitation operating procedure on DNA extract samples using either the thermal cycler ABI Prism® 7700 (Applied Biosystems, Foster City, CA) or Light Cycler® (Roche Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN). Attention was focused on DNA extract samples used to calibrate the method and unknown extract samples. Data were processed according to the recommendations of ISO 5725 standard. Performance criteria, obtained using the robust algorithm, were compared to the classic data processing after rejection of outliers by the Cochran and Grubbs tests. Two laboratories were detected as outliers by the Grubbs test. The robust precision criteria gave values between the classical values estimated before and after rejection of the outliers. Using the robust method, the relative expanded uncertainty by the quantitation method is about 20% for a 1% Bt176 content, whereas it can reach 40% for a 0.1% Bt176. The performances of the quantitation assay are relevant to the application of the European regulation, which has an accepted tolerance interval of about ±50%. These data were fitted to a power model (r2 = 0.96). Thanks to this model, it is possible to propose an estimation of uncertainty of the QRT-PCR quantitation step and an uncertainty budget depending on the analytical conditions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhidong Zhang ◽  
Kai Liang ◽  
Gangqiang Zou ◽  
Xiaosan Chen ◽  
Shuaitao Shi ◽  
...  

The aim of the present study was to identify abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA)-associated miR-155 contributing to AAA pathology by regulating macrophage-mediated inflammation. Angiotensin II (AngII)–infused apolipoprotein E-deficient (ApoE-/-) mice and THP-1 cells model of miR-155 overexpression and deficiency were used in the experiments. The expression of miR-155 was detected by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cytokines were evaluated using enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA). Western blotting was used to measure the levels of MMP-2, MMP-9, iNOS, and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP)-1 proteins. Immunostaining and transwell were used to determine CD68, elastic collagen, proliferation, and migration of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). The results showed that miR-155 and cytokines were up-regulated in AAA patients or ApoE-/- mice. Overexpression of miR-155 enhanced MMP-2, MMP-9, iNOS, and MCP-1 levels, and stimulated the proliferation and migration of VSMCs. Meanwhile, inhibition of miR-155 had the opposite effect. In addition, histology demonstrated accumulation of CD68 and elastic collagen-positive areas significantly decreased in miR-155 antagomir injection group. In conclusion, the results of the present study suggest that inhibiting miR-155 is crucial to prevent the development of AAA by regulating macrophage inflammation.


1993 ◽  
Vol 264 (6) ◽  
pp. C1594-C1599 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. Albina ◽  
B. Mastrofrancesco

Nitric oxide (NO) is a product of L-arginine metabolism that suppresses cellular oxidative metabolism through the inhibition of tricarboxylic acid cycle and electron transport chain enzymes. The impact of NO synthase (NOS) activity on specific pathways of glucose metabolism in freshly harvested and overnight-cultured rat resident peritoneal macrophages, at rest and after stimulation with zymosan, was investigated using radiolabeled glucose. NOS activity was modulated through the L-arginine concentration in culture media and the use of its specific inhibitor, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, and quantitated using radiolabeled L-arginine. Results demonstrated that NOS activity was associated with increased glucose disappearance, glycolysis, and hexose monophosphate shunt activity and, in line with the known inhibition of oxidative metabolism associated with the production of NO, with a decrease in the flux of glucose and butyrate carbon through the tricarboxylic acid cycle. In addition, the relative increase in glucose utilization that follows zymosan stimulation was enhanced by treatments that suppressed NOS activity. These results demonstrate that the characteristics of glucose metabolism by macrophages are, to a significant extent, determined by products of NOS.


1983 ◽  
Vol 210 (3) ◽  
pp. 677-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
J P Robertson ◽  
A Faulkner ◽  
R G Vernon

1. The following were measured in pieces of perirenal adipose tissue obtained from foetal lambs at about 120 days of gestation or within 3 days of term, and 9-month-old sheep: the rates of synthesis from glucose of fatty acids, acylglycerol glycerol, pyruvate and lactate; the rate of glucose oxidation to CO2 and the proportions contributed by the pentose phosphate cycle, pyruvate dehydrogenase and the tricarboxylic acid cycle; the activities of hexokinase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase and pyruvate dehydrogenase. 2. The total rate of glucose utilization was lower in pieces of adipose tissue from near-term lambs than 120-day foetal lambs and the pattern of glucose metabolism differed, with, for example, a much smaller proportion of glucose carbon being used for fatty acid synthesis, whereas a greater proportion of glucose oxidation occurred via the tricarboxylic acid cycle in the near-term lambs. In general, these differences in glucose metabolism were not associated with differences in the activities of the various enzymes listed above. 3. The rates of glucose utilization per fat-cell by 120-day foetal lambs and 9-month-old sheep were very similar but, again, the proportions metabolized to the various products differed. In particular, there was a smaller proportion of glucose oxidized via the pentose phosphate cycle and a greater proportion oxidized via pyruvate dehydrogenase and the tricarboxylic acid cycle in adipose tissue from foetal lambs. These differences were matched by a lower activity of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and a higher pyruvate dehydrogenase activity in fat-cells from the foetal lambs.


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