Miglitol protects against age-dependent weight gain in mice: A potential role of increased UCP1 content in brown adipose tissue

Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors in Aging and Aging-Related Diseases: Clinical Applications and Relevant Mechanisms

Aging is a complex and universal process marked by gradual functional declines at the cellular and tissue levels, often leading to a range of aging-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. Delaying the aging process can help prevent, slow down, and alleviate the severity of these various conditions, enhancing overall health and well-being. Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (AGIs) are a class of widely used antidiabetic drugs that inhibit alpha-glucosidase in the small intestinal mucosa, delaying carbohydrate absorption and reducing postprandial hyperglycemia. Beyond their roles in diabetes treatment, AGIs have shown potential in extending lifespan and effectively treating aging-related diseases by modulating oxidative stress, gut microbiota, inflammatory responses, and nutrient-sensing pathways. This review summarizes recent advancements in the application of AGIs for preventing and treating aging and aging-related diseases, with a focus on their mechanisms and roles in these processes.

Intestinal Morphology and Glucose Transporter Gene Expression under a Chronic Intake of High Sucrose

Sucrose is a disaccharide that is degraded into fructose and glucose in the small intestine. High-sucrose and high-fructose diets have been reported, using two-dimensional imaging, to alter the intestinal morphology and the expression of genes associated with sugar transport, such as sodium glucose co-transporter 1 (SGLT1), glucose transporter 2 (GLUT2), and glucose transporter 5 (GLUT5). However, it remains unclear how high-fructose and high-sucrose diets affect the expression of sugar transporters and the intestinal morphology in the whole intestine. We investigate the influence of a chronic high-sucrose diet on the expression of the genes associated with sugar transport as well as its effects on the intestinal morphology using 3D imaging. High sucrose was found to increase GLUT2 and GLUT5 mRNA levels without significant changes in the intestinal morphology using 3D imaging. On the other hand, the delay in sucrose absorption by an α-glucosidase inhibitor significantly improved the intestinal morphology and the expression levels of SGLT1, GLUT2, and GLUT5 mRNA in the distal small intestine to levels similar to those in the proximal small intestine, thereby improving glycemic control after both glucose and sucrose loading. These results reveal the effects of chronic high-sugar exposure on glucose absorption and changes in the intestinal morphology.

Study on the experimental verification and regulatory mechanism of Rougui-Ganjiang herb-pair for the actions of thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue based on network pharmacology

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Cinnamomum cassia Presl (Rougui) has character of xin、gan、wen, belongs to Jing of heart、lung、bladder, and has the effect of dispersing cold and relieving pain. It is widely used to resolve the exterior and dissipate cold in Treatise on Febrile Diseases (Shang Han Lun), such as Chaihu Guizhi Ganjiang Tang and Guizhi Renshen Tang. Both these two prescriptions contain Cinnamomum cassia Presl and Zingiber officinale Rosc (Ganjiang). Rougui-Ganjiang herb-pair (RGHP) can warm viscera and remove cold, which is widely used in Shang Han Lun. And in modern times, recent studies have showed that cinnamon and ginger also have the effect of thermogenesis and regulating the body temperature, respectively.

AIM OF THE STUDY

To maintain the body thermal homeostasis and prevent cold invasion of main organs, in this study, we assessed the underlying physiological changes induced by RGHP in mice exposed to -20 °C and explored the mechanisms for the thermogenic actions of RGHP in brown adipose tissue (BAT) by network pharmacology and molecular docking.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Male Kunming (KM) mice were fed normal diet with orally administration of distilled water or ethanol RGHP extract (three doses: 375,750 and 1500 mg/kg) for 21 days, once per day and then exposed to -20 °C for 2 h. The core temperature, activity ability and the degree of frostbite in mice, morphological and ATP content of adipocytes were measured. In addition, the network pharmacology was employed to predict the targets of RGHP' s thermogenesis effect on BAT. Pathway analysis and biological process with key genes was carried out through KEGG and GO analysis, respectively. Furthermore, the core ingredients and targets obtained by network pharmacology were verified by molecular docking and Western blot assays.

RESULTS

RGHP can significantly increase the core body temperature, reduce the degree of frostbite and enhance the activity ability of mice after cold exposure. Meanwhile, it can also improve the lipid morphology and decrease ATP production in BAT. A network pharmacology-based analysis identified 246 ingredients from RGHP (two herbs), which related to 222 target genes. There were 8 common genes between 222 compounds target genes and 62 thermogenesis associated target genes, which linked to 49 potential compounds. There are 24 ingredients which degree are greater than the average. Among them, we found that oleic acid, EIC, 6-gingerol, eugenol, isohomogenol and sitogluside could be detected in mice plasma. The cAMP-PPAR signaling pathway was enriched for thermogenesis after KEGG analysis with 8 genes. Molecular docking analysis and Western blot assay further confirmed that oleic acid, 6-gingerol, eugenol and isohomogenol were potential active ingredients for RGHP's heat production effect. And UCP1, PGC-1α, PPARα and PPARγ are key thermogenesis proteins.

CONCLUSIONS

RGHP treatment can significantly maintain the rectal temperature of mice by enhancing the BAT heat production. RGHP exhibited the heat production effect, which might be mainly attributed to increasing thermogenesis through the cAMP-PPAR signaling pathway in cold exposure mice. Oleic acid, 6-gingerol, eugenol and isohomogenol might be considered the potential therapeutic ingredients which affect the key targets of thermogenesis effect.