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Dapagliflozin monotherapy and combination therapy with telmisartan ameliorate pregabalin-induced heart failure in rats.
Eur J Pharmacol
Zeinab M Awwad, Shimaa A Mahmoud, Shaimaa M Kh Abdelaziz +1 more
Heart failure (HF) associated with pregabalin (PRG) administration hampers its use in epilepsy, neuropathy and anxiety. Overactivation of cardiac renin angiotensin system (RAS) contributes to PRG-induced HF. The goal of the current study was to investigate the possible cardioprotective effects of dapagliflozin (DAPA), a selective sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, compared with that of the combination therapy of DAPA and telmisartan (Tel) in attenuating PRG-associated HF by examining echocardiographic, morphometric and histopathological parameters. Moreover, to explore the possible beneficial impacts of DAPA and the combination therapy in guarding against PRG-induced myocardial alterations of angiotensin II (Ang II) and angiotensin 1-7 (Ang 1-7) levels, in addition to angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE), angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptor and Mas receptor (MAS1) levels. Results demonstrated that PRG use lead to echocardiographic, morphometric and histopathological detrimental changes and profoundly elevated ACE, Ang II and AT1 cardiac levels, while reduced cardiac ACE2, Ang 1-7 and MAS1 levels. Concurrent administration of either DAPA monotherapy or the combination therapy counteracted the deleterious echocardiographic, morphometric and histopathological alterations associated with PRG administration and showed notable protection against PRG-associated HF through activation of ACE2/Ang 1-7/MAS1 axis and suppression of ACE/Ang II/AT1 axis. However, the combination therapy group showed more cardioprotective effects than that of DAPA-treated group. The current findings provided the first evidence for the potential protective effects of DAPA monotherapy and combination therapy with Tel against PRG-induced altered balance between the two RAS axes.
Functional characterization and cAMP-mediated rescue of a novel truncating AVPR2 mutation causing nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.
Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab
Diogo Manoel, Idris Mohammed, Khalid Hussain +1 more
Vasopressin plays a central endocrine role in water homeostasis by activating the arginine vasopressin receptor 2 (AVPR2) receptor in renal collecting duct cells. Mutations in AVPR2 are a leading cause of X-linked nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI), a disorder marked by renal insensitivity to vasopressin, leading to polyuria, polydipsia, and hypernatremia. We identified a novel truncating AVPR2 mutation (c.570dup; D191*) in a pediatric patient with NDI and investigated its molecular and functional consequences using a renal epithelial cell model. The D191* mutant exhibited marked reduction in total and surface receptor expression due to intracellular retention and rapid proteasomal degradation. Functional assays revealed that 1-deamino-8-d-arginine vasopressin (dDAVP) stimulation failed to elicit cAMP production or activate downstream signaling targets, including CREB and ERK1/2, in cells expressing the mutant receptor. Aquaporin-2 (AQP2) membrane translocation, essential for water reabsorption, was also impaired. Notably, treatment with forskolin or 8-bromo-cAMP restored cAMP levels, reactivated downstream signaling, and rescued AQP2 localization to the apical membrane, independent of AVPR2 activation. These findings uncover the pathophysiological mechanism by which D191* impairs vasopressin signaling and suggest that bypassing the receptor via direct cAMP pathway activation offers a promising therapeutic strategy for NDI. This study highlights the endocrine relevance of precision molecular diagnostics and supports functional rescue approaches for receptor-based disorders.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study identifies and functionally characterizes a previously unreported truncating AVPR2 mutation (c.570dup; p.D191*) causing congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Using renal epithelial cell models, the authors show that D191* leads to receptor misfolding, proteasomal degradation, absent cAMP signaling, and failure of aquaporin-2 trafficking. Remarkably, forskolin and 8-bromo-cAMP bypass the defective receptor to restore downstream signaling and water channel localization, highlighting a potential therapeutic strategy of receptor-independent cAMP activation for AVPR2-null nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.
Hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state with severe hypernatremia coexisting with central diabetes insipidus: A case report and literature review.
Open Life Sci
Congcong Yao, Lishuang Zhu, Songtao Shou +2 more
Diabetes insipidus is characterized by polyuria and polydipsia, often resulting from central or nephrogenic causes. In diabetic emergencies, hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS), severe hypernatremia, and ventricular fibrillation are life-threatening conditions that require prompt intervention. This report describes a 47-year-old male with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, who developed coma, excessive thirst, polyuria, hyperglycemia (47.29 mmol/L), hypernatremia (195.6 mmol/L), and plasma hyperosmolality (385 mOsm/kg). Despite fluid resuscitation and insulin therapy, refractory hypernatremia persisted, leading to a diagnosis of central diabetes insipidus (CDI). The patient also developed ventricular fibrillation, which was managed with defibrillation. Concurrently, desmopressin and blood purification were administered to address CDI and severe hypernatremia. This case emphasizes the importance of considering CDI when polyuria persists despite glucose control. The occurrence of ventricular fibrillation underscores the necessity of continuous cardiac monitoring in the context of hypovolemia and severe electrolyte imbalance. We propose that diabetes mellitus-related vascular injury impairs blood flow in the hypothalamus-pituitary tract, disrupting arginine vasopressin synthesis and secretion, contributing to CDI in poorly controlled diabetes mellitus.
[Progress on tirzepatide, a GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist, for the treatment of obesity-related obstructive sleep apnea].
Zhonghua Jie He He Hu Xi Za Zhi
L X Wang, Y Xiao
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep-disordered breathing. Obesity is one of the primary risk factors for OSA, while OSA itself may promote weight gain by impairing metabolism and increasing insulin resistance, thereby creating a vicious cycle. Together, these conditions pose a persistent public health challenge. In recent years, tirzepatide, a dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide/glucagon-like peptide 1 (GIP/GLP-1) receptor agonist, has demonstrated therapeutic potential beyond weight loss in the management of obesity, encompassing various mechanisms. The recent SURMOUNT-OSA study showed that tirzepatide significantly reduced the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) in OSA patients and improved oxygen desaturation, blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related risk factors. These effects are thought to be mediated not only by weight reduction, but also by modulation of fat distribution, inflammatory status, and autonomic nervous system function. This highlights the potential advantages of tirzepatide in obese patients with OSA. This review summarizes recent advances in tirzepatide research in this population, exploring its mechanisms of action, efficacy, and safety, with the aim of providing a theoretical basis for precision treatment strategies for OSA.
Carnosine protects against cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury through promoting microglial M2 polarization via SIRT1/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Eur J Pharmacol
Ruili Ran, Yutong Wang, Ying Liu +4 more
Ischemic stroke, a leading cause of disability and mortality worldwide, often results in secondary brain injury due to oxidative stress and neuroinflammation following thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA). Carnosine (CAR), a naturally occurring dipeptide, exhibits anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties. But its mechanisms in cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury (CIRI) remain unclear. In this study, we aim to investigate the role of microglial polarization regulated by SIRT1/NF-κB signaling pathway on CAR therapeutic effect in CIRI. Here, we demonstrate that CAR attenuates neurological deficits and infarct volume in MCAO/R rats while promoting microglial polarization toward the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, CAR activates SIRT1, suppresses NF-κB signaling and downregulates pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β). These effects were reversed by the SIRT1 inhibitor EX527, confirming the pivotal role of the SIRT1/NF-κB pathway. Therefore, our findings highlight CAR's potential as a therapeutic agent for ischemic stroke.
In Situ Monitoring of Phospholipid Flip-Flop via Fluorescence Self-quenching.
Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo)
Hiroyuki Nakao, Yu Maeshiro, Keisuke Ikeda +1 more
Many antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exert their activity by disrupting the integrity of the bacterial plasma membrane. One of the membrane-disrupting mechanisms of AMPs involves the formation of toroidal pores, composed of α-helices and lipid headgroups. These pores enable the diffusion of lipid molecules to the opposite leaflet without exposing their headgroups to the hydrocarbon core. Consequently, an increase in lipid transbilayer diffusion (flip-flop) in the presence of AMPs is an important characteristic for AMP structure and function. However, real-time monitoring of the rapid flip-flop in the presence of transmembrane pores has not been achieved because of the permeation of membrane-impermeable reagents and/or the low time resolution of the conventional assays. Herein, we have developed a fluorescence quenching-based flip-flop assay. The flip-flop rates obtained by our method were consistent with those measured by the conventional dithionite reduction assay, confirming the reliability of our approach. The real-time monitoring of the flip-flop process in the presence of the AMP, magainin 2, using the self-quenching assay suggested that the disordered toroidal pores composed of 2 magainin molecules facilitate flip-flop. The newly developed assay will provide a better understanding of the interactions between AMPs and lipid bilayers.
The Proteomic Analysis of Intermittent Fasting Alone or with GLP-1RA in NAFLD Rats.
Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes
Yimin Shao, Shengya Xu, Yuanyuan Ma +4 more
Intermittent fasting (IF) and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) offer effective therapeutic options for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study aimed to examine the effects of alternate-day fasting (ADF) alone and with liraglutide, and to explore the mechanisms behind each treatment.
Growth hormone in disease and treatment (Review).
Med Int (Lond)
Saikat Fakir, Md Matiur Rahman Sarker, Madan Sigdel +1 more
Growth hormone (GH) is a peptide hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland, which regulates growth and development. Abnormal levels of GH have been associated with a diverse variety of disorders affecting life quality and longevity; including dwarfism, acromegaly, gigantism and cancer. Based on the fact that growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) and somatostatin exert opposing effects on the regulation of GH, GHRH antagonists (GHRHAnts) and synthetic somatostatin analogs (SSAs) have been developed to alleviate GH-related illness. The present study provides information on the multifaceted role of GH in human health and disease. Furthermore, it summarizes recent findings on the protective effects of GHRHAnts and FDA-approved SSAs, such as octreotide, lanreotide and pasireotide, in GH-related and endothelium-dependent dysfunctions. Based on the provided bibliography, an emerging body of evidence suggests that GH modulators may represent a promising therapeutic possibility towards blood brain barrier dysregulation, keratitis, direct and indirect lung injury, sepsis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
Tβ4-17 peptide enhances the chemo-sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to DDP by affecting NF-κB signaling pathway.
Med Oncol
Ling Guo, Haibing Wang, Nana Li +6 more
Ovarian cancer is a gynecologic malignancy with high mortality and poor prognosis. Chemoresistance is a key cause of ovarian cancer recurrence and metastasis. It has been found that some bioactive peptides can inhibit the growth and metastasis of cancer cells and promote cell apoptosis, thus exerting anti-cancer effects. Tβ4-17 is a small polypeptide that we selected using ITRAQ technology, and its precursor protein is thymosin β4. This study mainly investigated its effect in combination with cisplatin (DDP) on the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of ovarian cancer resistant cells and related molecular mechanisms. Our results showed that Tβ4-17 peptide combined with DDP significantly inhibited the proliferation and migration of drug resistance cells in ovarian cancer, promoted apoptosis, and increased the chemo-sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to DDP. In addition, qRT-PCR and Western blot showed that NF-κB was significantly highly expressed in DDP-resistant cells of ovarian cancer. After application of NF-κB inhibitors and activators, Western blot, CCK8, EDU fluorescence proliferation assay, and cell scratch assay showed that Tβ4-17 peptide down-regulated NF-κB p65 protein expression and inhibited cell proliferation and migration. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that Tβ4-17 peptide enhances the sensitivity of ovarian cancer cells to DDP by down-regulating NF-κB expression.
Mechanistic effects of percutaneous needle fasciotomy combined with stretching on early-stage skeletal muscle fibrosis in rats: focus on the TGF-β1/Smad signaling pathway.
J Orthop Surg Res
Han Zhang, Wanrong Li, Hanyu Zhang +5 more
To investigate the effects of combination combining Percutaneous Needle Fasciotomy (PNF) with stretching(Str) on early-stage skeletal muscle fibrosis in rats, focusing on the transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1)/Smad signaling pathway.
Dopaminergic and Opioid Systems Interact to Produce Peripheral Antinociception in Mice.
J Integr Neurosci
Bárbara F G Queiroz, Walace C P Barra, Flávia C S Fonseca +3 more
The overall pain experience results from the balance between the nociceptive pathway and the body's endogenous modulation of nociception. The interaction of these systems reduces nociception. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate how the opioid and dopaminergic systems collaborate to inhibit pain at the peripheral level.
Mechanisms of acupuncture in the treatment of dry eye disease: narrative review of experimental studies.
Int Ophthalmol
Yuanchao Fu, Chengzhi Liu, Guzhi Xu
Dry Eye Disease (DED) is a common ocular disorder characterized by tear film instability, ocular inflammation, and discomfort, which significantly affects the quality of life. Traditional treatments primarily address the symptoms but do not always target the underlying pathophysiology of DED. Acupuncture, a complementary therapy in traditional Chinese medicine, has shown the potential to improve DED symptoms through multiple mechanisms. This review aimed to explore the therapeutic effects of acupuncture on DED, focusing on its role in enhancing lacrimal gland function, modulating inflammatory pathways, and alleviating ocular pain.
Appetite, eating attitudes, and eating behaviours during treatment with retatrutide in adults with type 2 diabetes: Results of a phase 2 study.
Diabetes Obes Metab
Chisom Kanu, Kristina S Boye, Jiat Ling Poon +6 more
To determine whether adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) treated with retatrutide report greater changes in self-reported appetite, dietary restraint, and disinhibition compared to placebo or dulaglutide and to examine associations with weight change.
Shared mechanistic pathways of glucagon signalling: Unlocking its potential for treating obesity, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, and other cardio-kidney-metabolic conditions.
Diabetes Obes Metab
Guy W Neff
Glucagon is a pancreatic peptide hormone whose receptor (GCGR) is expressed in the liver, kidney, and, to a lesser extent, various other tissues. Glucagon is well known as the counterpart to insulin in glucose homeostasis. However, recent evidence has revealed other potential roles of glucagon, which include the regulation of amino acid metabolism via a liver-pancreatic alpha cell axis, stimulation of lipolysis and mitochondrial fat oxidation in the liver (and possibly in other tissues), reduction of caloric intake, and an increase in energy expenditure (at least in animal models). These advances in basic science-together with clinical trials that found GCGR antagonists increased body weight, hepatic fat, and serum lipids in people with type 2 diabetes-are driving the development of GCGR-based agonists for the treatment of obesity, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), and other cardio-kidney-metabolic diseases. Due to the hyperglycaemic effects of glucagon, these unimolecular compounds also incorporate moieties that activate the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor, which stimulates insulin secretion to lower blood glucose levels. In early clinical trials, several GCGR-based multi-agonists (mazdutide, survodutide [being developed by the sponsor of this review], retatrutide) demonstrated substantial efficacy for eliciting weight loss in people with obesity while improving liver health in those with MASLD. However, the physiological and molecular pathways modulated by chronic pharmacological activation of the GCGR in humans remain to be delineated, as do its potential risks. Thus, there is great interest in the ongoing phase 3 clinical trials of these compounds. As data for their safety and efficacy emerge, glucagon's role in energy regulation and lipid metabolism will become clearer, along with warranting a potential new therapeutic option for obesity and MASLD.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor analogues and beyond: emerging obesity pharmacotherapies.
Panminerva Med
Kaivalya Abburi, Eka Melson, Alexander D Miras +1 more
Obesity is a chronic disease associated with multiple health risks. Multimodal treatments including lifestyle interventions, pharmacotherapies and bariatric surgery should be the standard of care for obesity management. Bariatric surgery remains the most effective treatment yielding to sustainable weight loss (WL) of about 20-30%. Having understood better the role of the gut-brain axis on appetite, the field of obesity pharmacotherapy has been advancing rapidly. The recent approvals for glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist (RA) semaglutide 2.4 mg and the dual GLP-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) agonist tirzepatide as treatments for obesity have raised the bar for WL efficacy for the emerging obesity pharmacotherapies. Combining GLP-1 RA and other entero-pancreatic hormones including GIP, glucagon or amylin receptor agonists (RAs) as well as GIP receptor antagonists have shown promising data in early phases of clinical trials, with some progressing to phase III clinical trials. Notably, the combinations of GLP-1 RA, GIP and glucagon RA (retatrutide) have shown WL efficacy closing on to that observed in bariatric surgery. While entero-pancreatic hormone-based therapies have been the centre of attention for obesity pharmacotherapies, non- entero-pancreatic hormone treatments also hold promise. In this review, we present the future pharmacotherapies for weight management in people with obesity, focusing on entero-pancreatic hormone-based molecules.
Effect of ACTH4-10Pro8-Gly9-Pro10 on anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-4, IL-10, IL-13) expression in acute spinal cord injury models (male Sprague Dawley rats).
F1000Res
Asadullah Asadullah, Abdul Hafid Bajamal, Muhammad Arifin Parenrengi +4 more
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a damage to the spinal cord caused mainly by trauma resulting in major motor, sensory and autonomic dysfunctions. Its final neurological outcome is determined by both primary and secondary injury processes. A key component of secondary injury mechanisms after initial trauma is neuroinflammation. A neuroprotective compound, ACTH 4-10Pro 8-Gly 9-Pro 10 (ACTH 4-10) also known as semax, has shown neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. ACTH 4-10 has also been actively used in the treatment of brain ischemia without serious complication reported. Here, we analyzed the effects of ACTH 4-10 at regulating the inflammatory cascade in SCI by looking at anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-4, IL-10 and IL-13) levels after acute SCI.
Publisher Correction: Investigation of the relationship between COVID-19 disease and semen parameters in idiopathic male infertility patients.
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci
M B Can Balcı, N Can Çilesiz
Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2023; 27 (1): 378-383-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_202301_30891-PMID: 36647886, published online on January 13, 2023. This erratum addresses errors in the reference list of the published PDF version. Due to an internal error during layout finalization, incorrect references from another article were inadvertently inserted into the final PDF. The error was not detected by the authors prior to publication, and the PDF file was approved for publication. The corrected list of references is provided below: 1.         Chen J, Jiang Q, Xia X, Liu K, Yu Z, Tao W, Gong W, Han JJ. Individual variation of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2 gene expression and regulation. Aging Cell 2020; 19: e13168. 2.         Atlas SA. The renin-angiotensin aldosterone system: pathophysiological role and pharmacologic inhibition. J Manag Care Pharm 2007; 13: 9-20. 3.         Stanley KE, Thomas E, Leaver M, Wells D. Coronavirus disease-19 and fertility: viral host entry protein expression in male and female reproductive tissues. Fertil Steril 2020; 114: 33-43. 4.         Younis JS, Abassi Z, Skorecki K. Is there an impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on male fertility? The ACE2 connection. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2020; 318: E878-E880. 5.         Reis AB, Araújo FC, Pereira VM, Dos Reis AM, Santos RA, Reis FM. Angiotensin (1-7) and its receptor Mas are expressed in the human testis: implications for male infertility. J Mol Histol 2010; 41: 75-80. 6.         Tiwari S, Kc N, Thapa S, Ghimire A, Bijukchhe S, Sah GS, Isnuwardana R. Semen parameters in men recovered from COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Middle East Fertil Soc J 2021; 26: 44-53. 7.         Boitrelle F, Shah R, Saleh R, Henkel R, Kandil H, Chung E, Vogiatzi P, Zini A, Arafa M, Agarwal A. The Sixth Edition of the WHO Manual for Human Semen Analysis: A Critical Review and SWOT Analysis. Life (Basel) 2021; 11: 1368. 8.         Cocuzza M, Agarwal A. Nonsurgical treatment of male infertility: spesific and empiric therapy. Biologics 2007; 1: 259-269. 9.         Twigg JP, Irvine DS, Aitken RJ. Oxidative damage to DNA in human spermatozoa does not preclude pronucleus formation at intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Hum Reprod 1998; 13: 1864-1871. 10.          Tremellen K. Oxidative stress and male infertility-a clinical perspective. Hum Reprod Update 2008; 14: 243-258. 11.          Wang Z, Xu X. scRNA-seq profiling of human testes reveals the presence of the ACE2 receptor, a target for SARS-CoV-2 infection in Spermatogonia, Leydig and sertoli Cells. Cells 2020; 9: 920. 12.          Dejucq N, Jégou B. Viruses in the mammalian male genital tract and their effects on the reproductive system. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2001; 65: 208-231. 13.          Heller CG, Clermont Y. Spermatogenesis in man: an estimate of its duration. Science 1963; 140: 184-186. 14.          Pan F, Xiao X, Guo J, Song Y, Li H, Patel DP, Spivak AM, Alukal JP, Zhang X, Xiong C, Li PS, Hotaling JM. No evidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 in semen of males recovering from coronavirus disease 2019. Fertil Steril 2020; 113: 1135-1139. 15.          Bian XW. COVID-19 Pathology Team. Autopsy of COVID-19 patients in China. Natl Sci Rev 2020; 7: 1414-1418. 16.          Yang M, Chen S, Huang B, Zhong JM, Su H, Chen YJ, Cao Q, Ma L, He J, Li XF, Li X, Zhou JJ, Fan J, Luo DJ, Chang XN, Arkun K, Zhou M, Nie X. Pathological Findings in the Testes of COVID-19 Patients: Clinical Implications. Eur Urol Focus 2020; 6: 1124-1129. 17.          Paoli D, Pallotti F, Turriziani O, Mazzuti L, Antonelli G, Lenzi A, Lombardo F. SARS-CoV-2 presence in seminal fluid: Myth or reality. Andrology 2021; 9: 23-26. 18.          Guo TH, Sang MY, Bai S, Ma H, Wan YY, Jiang XH, Zhang YW, Xu B, Chen H, Zheng XY, Luo SH, Xie XF, Gong CJ, Weng JP, Shi QH. Semen parameters in men recovered from COVID-19. Asian J Androl 2021; 23: 479-483. 19.          Hu B, Liu K, Ruan Y, Wei X, Wu Y, Feng H, Deng Z, Liu J, Wang T. Evaluation of mid- and long-term impact of COVID-19 on male fertility through evaluating semen parameters. Transl Androl Urol 2022; 11: 159-167. 20.          Ruan Y, Hu B, Liu Z, Liu K, Jiang H, Li H, Li R, Luan Y, Liu X, Yu G, Xu S, Yuan X, Wang S, Yang W, Ye Z, Liu J, Wang T. No detection of SARS-CoV-2 from urine, expressed prostatic secretions, and semen in 74 recovered COVID-19 male patients: A perspective and urogenital evaluation. Andrology 2021; 9: 99-106. There are amendments to this paper. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/30891.
Microplastics affect food intake and the expression of appetite regulators and nutrient transporters in pond loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus).
Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol
Thanushanthahi Loganathan, Julianna Dyke, Helene Volkoff
Microplastics (MPs) are emerging pollutants in freshwater ecosystems, posing risks to aquatic organisms. This study examines the effects of dietary MP exposure on food intake, appetite regulation, and nutrient transporter expression in pond loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus), a sediment-feeding facultative air breathing freshwater fish. Fish were exposed to small (250-300 μm), medium (425-500 μm), and large (710-850 μm) polyethylene microspheres for two weeks. Food intake was significantly reduced in fish fed small and medium MPs, but not large MPs, suggesting size-dependent ingestion effects. In the brain, MP (425-500 μm) exposure suppressed orexin expression, a key appetite-stimulating neuropeptide, while other central appetite regulators remained unchanged. In the anterior intestine, anorexigenic peptides such as cholecystokinin (cck) and peptide YY (pyy) were upregulated, alongside glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (gip), indicating enhanced satiety signaling. Sodium-dependent glucose transporter 1 (slc5a1) expression was downregulated, suggesting impaired glucose absorption. MPs induced upregulation of gip and urea transporter 2 (slc14a2) in the mid intestine, and pyy, gip, glucose transporter 1 (slc2a1), urea transporter 2 and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (hif1a) in the posterior intestine. These results show that MP exposure disrupts feeding, alters endocrine signaling, and affects nutrient absorption in pond loach, highlighting the physiological sensitivity of sediment-feeding fish to MP contamination and the ecological risks posed by plastic pollution to aquatic species and ecosystems.
Noninsulin Therapies in Management of Type 1 Diabetes.
Endocr Pract
Zeb I Saeed, Jayachidambaram Ambalavanan, Melanie Natasha Rayan +2 more
With the increasing prevalence of double diabetes (features of type 2 diabetes in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D)), there is a growing interest in using noninsulin therapies to improve glycemic outcomes, promote weight loss, and reduce cardiovascular risk in T1D. In this narrative review, we summarize current literature and provide practical guidance for clinicians when considering these therapies.
3, 7-dihydroxy-2, 4-dimethoxyphenanthrene protects against UVB-induced skin hyperpigmentation via antioxidant and anti-melanogenic mechanisms.
J Photochem Photobiol B
Mengyan Li, Die Li, Yu Zhang +6 more
Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by UVB radiation can disrupt the normal redox balance, leading to oxidative cellular damage as well as triggering melanin synthesis by melanocytes. Currently, natural active substances are emphasized in UV protection research. This study explored the protective effect of 3, 7-dihydroxy-2, 4-dimethoxyphenanthrene (DDP), a bioactive compound from Dendrobium lindleyi Stendel, against UVB-induced skin hyperpigmentation and examined its specific mechanism.