1.Influence of histone deacetylase 1 on insulin resistance in a cell model of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Heng ZHU ; Weizong KONG ; Guiqun HUANG ; Yu BAI ; Yingchun WANG
Journal of Clinical Hepatology 2022;38(9):2010-2015
Objective To investigate the promoting effect of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) expression on insulin resistance (IR) in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) cells by establishing an HepG2 cell model of high fat-induced NAFLD. Methods HepG2 cells were divided into control group, model group (OA), and inhibitor group (OA+pyroxamide [an HDAC1 inhibitor]). CCK-8 assay was used to plot the standard growth curve of HepG2 cells and screen out the optimal drug concentration and action time of OA and pyroxamide; oil red O staining was used to compare the accumulation of lipid droplets in cells; an automatic biochemical analyzer was used to analyze the content of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TC) in cells; quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot were used to measure the mRNA and protein expression levels of HDAC1 and insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) in cells. A one-way analysis of variance was used for comparison of continuous data between multiple groups, and the least significant difference t -test was used for further comparison between two groups. Results OA treatment at a concentration of 0.25 mmol/L for 24 hours was the optimal concentration and duration of cell modeling, and treatment at a concentration of 20 μmol/L for 24 hours was the optimal administration concentration and duration of pyroxamide. Compared with the control group, the model group had significant increases in the content of ALT, AST, TG, and TC, and compared with the model group, the inhibitor group had significant reductions in the content of ALT, AST, TG, and TC (all P < 0.05). The model group had significantly higher mRNA and protein expression levels of HDAC1 than the control group, while the inhibitor group had significantly lower expression levels than the model group (all P < 0.05); the model group had significantly lower mRNA and protein expression levels of IRS-1 than the control group, while the inhibitor group had significantly higher expression levels than the model group (all P < 0.05). Conclusion HDAC1 participates in the development and progression of NAFLD by inhibiting the expression of IRS-1 molecule and promoting IR, and the HDAC1 inhibitor pyroxamide can exert a protective effect on the liver by alleviating IR.
2.Mechanism of Action of Coptidis Rhizoma and Ophiopogonis Radix in Delaying Diabetic Nephropathy Based on EGFR/PI3K/Akt Signaling Pathway
Shaoyu LI ; Man GONG ; Qiufang LI ; Liping DAI ; Guiqun WANG ; Qiuchen YANG ; Qiongqiong ZHANG ; Erping XU ; Yalin LIU
Chinese Journal of Experimental Traditional Medical Formulae 2024;30(20):22-29
ObjectiveTo observe the effect of Coptidis Rhizoma and Ophiopogonis Radix on renal tissue injury and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathway in rats with diabetic nephropathy (DN) and explore its possible mechanism of delaying DN. MethodThirty-six male Wistar rats were randomly divided into a normal group (6 rats) and a model group (30 rats). The model group was fed with a high-fat and high-sugar diet combined with streptozotocin (STZ) to establish a rat model of type 2 diabetes. After the successful preparation of the model, the rats were randomly divided into the model group, low, medium, and high dose groups of Coptidis Rhizoma and Ophiopogonis Radix (100, 200, 400 mg·kg-1), and metformin group (200 mg·kg-1). After administration, the levels of fasting blood glucose (FBG), 24 h urine protein (24 h-UTP), creatinine (SCr), urea nitrogen (BUN), and uric acid (UA) were detected. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Masson staining were used to observe the pathological changes of renal tissue in rats. Western blot and Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Real-time PCR) were used to detect the related protein expression of EGFR, PI3K, and Akt and their mRNA expression levels in the renal tissue of rats in each group. ResultsCompared with the normal group, the levels of FBG, SCr, BUN, UA, 24 h-UTP, and kidney index in the model group were significantly increased (P<0.01), most renal tubular epithelial cells were necrotic, and the content of collagen in glomeruli was significantly increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group, the above indexes of rats in each administration group were improved to varying degrees. The FBG, SCr, BUN, UA, 24 h-UTP, and kidney index of rats in each dose group and metformin group were significantly decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05). The necrosis degree of renal tubular epithelial cells was reduced, and the fibrosis area was decreased (P<0.01). There related protein and mRNA expressions of EGFR, PI3K, and Akt were significantly increased (P<0.05, P<0.01). ConclusionCoptidis Rhizoma and Ophiopogonis Radix can alleviate renal tissue injury in rats with DN, and their mechanism may be related to the regulation of the EGFR/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.