Renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis is the common ending of progressive renal disease. It is worth developing new ways to stop the progress of renal fibrosis. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) agonists have been studied to treat diabetic nephropathy, cisplatin-induced acute renal injury, ischemia reperfusion injury and adriamycin nephropathy. In this study, unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) was used to establish a different renal fibrosis model. PPAR? agonist pioglitazone was administrated by oral gavage and saline was used as control. At 7th and 14th day after the operation, mice were sacrificed for fibrosis test and T lymphocytes subsets test. Unexpectedly, through MASSON staining, immunohistochemistry for α-SMA, and Western blotting for a-SMA and PDGFR-β, we found that pioglitazone failed to attenuate renal fibrosis in UUO mice. However, flow cytometry showed that pioglitazone down-regulated Th1 cells, and up-regulated Th2 cells, Th17 cells and Treg cells. But the Th17/Treg ratio had no significant change by pioglitazone. Real-time PCR results showed that TGF-β and MCP-1 had no significant changes, at the same time, CD4(+) T cells associated cytokines were partially regulated by pioglitazone pretreatment. Taken together, pioglitazone failed to suppress renal fibrosis progression caused by UUO.
Animals ; Chemokine CCL2 ; metabolism ; Fibrosis ; Kidney ; pathology ; Kidney Diseases ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; PPAR gamma ; agonists ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets ; drug effects ; Thiazolidinediones ; administration & dosage ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Transforming Growth Factor beta ; metabolism ; Urethral Obstruction ; complications

Applications of network pharmacology are increasingly widespread and methods abound in the field of drug development and pharmacological research. In this study, we choose rosiglitazone compound as the object to predict the targets and to discuss the mechanism based on three kinds of prediction methods of network pharmacology. Comparison of the prediction result has identified that the three kinds of prediction methods had their own characteristics: targets and pathways predicted were not in accordance with each other. However, the calcium signaling pathway could be predicted in the three kinds of methods, which associated with diabetes and cognitive impairment caused by diabetes by bioinformatics analysis. The above conclusion indicates that the calcium signaling pathway is important in signal pathway regulation of rosiglitazone compound, which provides a clue to further explain the mechanism of the compound and also provides a reference for the selection and application of methods of network pharmacology in the actual research.
Calcium Signaling ; Cognitive Dysfunction ; Computational Biology ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Humans ; Pharmacology ; methods ; Thiazolidinediones ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo compare the effects of piglitazone and metformin on retinol-binding protein-4 (RBP-4) and adiponcetin (APN) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) complicated with Non alcohol fatty acid liver disease (NAFLD).

METHODSTotally 60 T2DM patients complicated with NAFLD were equally and randomly divided into pioglitazone group and metform group. The levels of biochemical indicators including body mass index (BMI), glucose hemoglobin A1C (GHbA1C), insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FIns), and serum triglycerides (TG) as well as serum RBP-4 and APN level were measured pre-treatment and 12 weeks after treatments.

RESULTSAfter 12 weeks of treaments, BMI, FBG, HOMA-IR, GHbA1C, FIns, and TG decreased (all P<0.05) in both piglitazone group and metform group. APN increased (all P<0.05) in both groups. RBP-4 decreased (P<0.05) in piglitazone group. Compare with the metform group, the levels of RBP-4, FIns ,and HOMA-IR decreased and BMI increased in piglitazone group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONPiglitazone is superior to metoform in decreasing RBP-4 level and HOMA-IR in patients with T2DM complicated with NAFLD.

Adiponectin ; blood ; Adult ; Aged ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; blood ; complications ; drug therapy ; Fatty Liver ; blood ; complications ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Metformin ; pharmacology ; Middle Aged ; Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma ; metabolism ; Thiazolidinediones ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Dangua Recipe (DGR) on glycolipid metabolism, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and its mRNA expression level of transgenic Apo E(-/-) mouse with spontaneous atherosclerosis, thus revealing its partial mechanism for curing diabetes mellitus (DM) with angiopathy.

METHODSDiabetic model was prepared by peritoneally injecting streptozotocin (STZ) to Apo E(-/-) mouse. Totally 32 modeled mice were stratified by body weight, and then divided into 4 groups referring to blood glucose levels from low to high by random digit table, i.e., the model group (MOD, fed with sterile water, at the daily dose of 15 mL/kg), the DGR group (fed with DGR at the daily dose of 15 mL/kg), the combination group (COM, fed with DGR at the daily dose of 15 mL/kg and pioglitazone at the daily dose of 4.3 mg/kg), and the pioglitazone group (PIO, at the daily dose of 4.3 mg/kg), 8 in each group. Another 8 normal glucose C57 mouse of the same age and strain were recruited as the control group. All interventions lasted for 12 weeks by gastrogavage. The fasting blood glucose (FBG), body weight, food intake, water intake, skin temperature, the length of tail, and the degree of fatty liver were monitored. The hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), total cholesterol (TC), and LDL-C were determined. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) was determined by radioimmunoassay. Nitrogen monoxidum (NO) was determined by nitrate reductase. The kidney tissue VCAM-1 level was analyzed with ELISA. The expression of VCAM-1 mRNA in the kidney tissue was detected with real time quantitative PCR.

RESULTSCompared with the control group, the body weight and food intake decreased, water intake increased in all the other model groups (P < 0.05). Besides, the curve of blood glucose was higher in all the other model groups than in the control group (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the body weight increased; levels of HbAlc, TC, LDL-C, ET-1, and VCAM-1 were significantly lower; and skin temperature was higher in the DGR group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). Compared with the PIO group, body weight, the increment of body weight, FBG, TC, and LDL-C were lower (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); food intake and water intake increased more and the tail length was longer in the DRG group (P < 0.01). There was no statistical difference in the level of NO among groups. The degree of fatty liver in the model group was significantly severer than that in the control group (P < 0.05). It was obviously alleviated in the DGR group (P < 0.05) when compared with the model group and the PIO group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). But it was severer in the PIO group than in the model group (P < 0.01). The degree of fatty liver in the combination group ranged between that of the DGR group and the PIO group (P < 0.05). The level of VCAM-1 mRNA expression was significantly lower in the DGR group than in the model group, the PIO group, and the combination group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSDGR had effect in lowering blood glucose and blood lipids, and fighting against fatty liver of transgenic Apo E(-/-) mouse with spontaneous atherosclerosis. DGR played an effective role in preventing and treating DM with angiopathy by comprehensively regulating glycolipid metabolism and promoting the vascular function.

Animals ; Apolipoproteins E ; genetics ; Blood Glucose ; metabolism ; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental ; blood ; drug therapy ; Diabetic Angiopathies ; drug therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Knockout ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Random Allocation ; Thiazolidinediones ; pharmacology ; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of troglitazone, a proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) agonist, on the expressions of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and matrix metalloproteainse-9 (MMP-9) and cell proliferation in HeLa cells.

METHODSMTT assay was used to measure the cell viability at different time points (0, 24, 48 and 72 h) after exposure to troglitazone. RT-PCR and Western blotting were employed to detect the mRNA and protein expressions of ICAM-1, MMP-9 and PPARγ in the cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was performed to assess the changes in DNA binding activity of PPARγ.

RESULTSThe viability of HeLa cells were time-dependently inhibited by troglitazone, which also significantly reduced the mRNA and protein expressions of ICAM-1 and MMP-9 and increased PPARγ expression. The effects of troglitazone in inhibiting the cell viability and reducing ICAM-1 and MMP-9 expressions were antagonized by the application of the PPARγ antagonist GW9662. The result of EMSA also showed significantly increased DNA binding activity of PPARγ in the cells exposed to troglitazone.

CONCLUSIONThe PPARγ agonist troglitazone can inhibit the expression of ICAM-1 and MMP-9 in HeLa cells by up-regulating PPARγ.

Anilides ; Cell Proliferation ; Cell Survival ; Chromans ; pharmacology ; Gene Expression Regulation ; HeLa Cells ; Humans ; Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 ; metabolism ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 ; metabolism ; PPAR gamma ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; Thiazolidinediones ; pharmacology ; Up-Regulation

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effects of pioglitazone on the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma co-activator lα (PGC-lα) in rat myocardium following myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.

METHODSTwenty-four SD rats were randomly divided into 4 equal groups, namely I/R group, pioglitazone (5 mg/kg daily) group, pioglitazone (10 mg/kg daily) group, and pioglitazone (10 mg/kg) +peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ)-specific antagonist GW9662 group. Myocardial I/R injury was induced by ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 30 min and reperfusion for 120 min. Myocardial apoptosis following I/R injury was examined with TUNEL assay; RT-PCR and Western blotting were employed to detect the expression of PGC-lα mRNA and protein, respectively.

RESULTSPioglitazone treatment significantly suppressed myocardial apoptosis (21.4%∓8.8%,17.3%∓8.7%, 40.1%∓12.3%, P<0.05) following I/R injury and up-regulated myocardial PGC-lα expression at both the mRNA and protein levels (P<0.05), but these effects were antagonized by GW9662 (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONPioglitazone can inhibit myocardial apoptosis induced by I/R injury and up-regulate myocardial PGC-lα expression, and these effects are mediated by PPARγ.

Anilides ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Apoptosis ; Male ; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury ; metabolism ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma Coactivator 1-alpha ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Thiazolidinediones ; pharmacology ; Transcription Factors ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism

Long-term treatment with an agonist of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ is associated with bone fractures in the clinical practice. However, the mechanisms underlying the fractures are not fully understood. This study was aimed to examine the effect of rosiglitazone (an agonist of PPAR-γ) of different doses on the proliferation, differentiation, and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1)-induced expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) in primary rat osteoblasts in vitro. Osteoblasts were isolated from newly born SD rats and treated with different doses of rosiglitazone (0-20 μmol/L). The proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts were measured by MTT assay and NPP assay, respectively. The expression of CTGF was determined by RT-PCR and Western blotting. The results showed that most isolated osteoblasts displayed strong alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and treatment with different doses of rosiglitazone did not affect their proliferation, but significantly inhibited the differentiation of osteoblasts in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, treatment with different doses of rosiglitazone significantly reduced the TGF-β1-induced CTGF mRNA transcription and protein expression in a dose-dependent manner in rat osteoblasts. It was concluded that the activation of PPAR-γ may inhibit the differentiation of osteoblasts by reducing the TGF-β1-induced CTGF expression in vitro.
Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Blotting, Western ; Cell Differentiation ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Connective Tissue Growth Factor ; genetics ; metabolism ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Gene Expression ; drug effects ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; pharmacology ; Osteoblasts ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; PPAR gamma ; agonists ; metabolism ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Thiazolidinediones ; pharmacology ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1 ; pharmacology

OBJECTIVETo observe the effect of rosiglitazone (RGZ) on the mRNA expression of HIF1α and IGF1 genes in the myeloma cells and explore possible mechanism of angiogenesis inhibition.

METHODSHuman myeloma cell line RPMI8226 and primary myeloma cells from five patients enriched by using CD138 immunomagnetic beads were treated with different concentrations (10, 20, 40 μmol/L) of RGZ. The mRNA expression of HIF1α and IGF1 was analyzed in cells treated with RGZ after 48h by RT-PCR, The levels of phosphorylated AKT and ERK proteins were detected by Western blotting. Bone marrow mononuclear cells from five patients with iron deficiency anemia were regarded as control.

RESULTSHigher mRNA expression of HIF1α and IGF1 genes in RPMI8226 and in primary myeloma cells was showed as compared to those in control. Treated with RGZ of 20 μmol/L after 48 h, the mRNA expression of HIF1α (1.21 ± 0.08 vs 0.75 ± 0.06) and IGF1 (0.62 ± 0.06 vs 0.32 ± 0.04) in RPMI8226 cells was declined as compared to those without RGC treatment. The same declination was also seen in primary myeloma cells (HIF1α: 2.02 ± 0.16 vs 0.53 ± 0.04; IGF1: 1.92 ± 0.13 vs 0.58±0.03). RGZ could inhibit the expression of pAKT and pERK, nor the total AKT and ERK proteins, in RPMI8226 cells in a dose-dependent manner at the concentration of 10 μmol/L, 20 μmol/L, and 40 μmol/L.

CONCLUSIONRGZ could inhibit the mRNA expression of HIF1α and IGF1. Inhibition of angiogenesis by RGZ may be associated with down-regulation of pAKT and pERK expression.

Cell Line, Tumor ; Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases ; metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; genetics ; metabolism ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I ; genetics ; metabolism ; Multiple Myeloma ; blood supply ; metabolism ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Thiazolidinediones ; pharmacology

This study is to investigate the protective effect of rosiglitazone (RSG) against learning and memory impairment of APP/PS1/tau transgenic mice. AD mice model was replicated by using 6-month APP/PS1/tau transgenic mice. The learning and memory ability of mice was evaluated by Morris water maze and Western blotting assays was applied to measure the phosphorylation and O-glycosylation of Tau and neurofilaments (NFs) protein. The results demonstrated that RSG could reverse the learning and memory deficits of 3 x Tg mice significantly. It was also found that RSG could suppress the hyperphosphorylation of Tau and NFs protein levels and increase the glycosylation expression of Tau and NFs proteins in 3 x Tg mice brain. Together, RSG ameliorates cognitive impairments of 3 x Tg mice via the alleviation of the hyperphosphorylated Tau and NFs proteins burden in the brain.
Alzheimer Disease ; Amyloid beta-Peptides ; Animals ; Brain ; drug effects ; Disease Models, Animal ; Glycosylation ; Learning ; drug effects ; Memory ; drug effects ; Memory Disorders ; drug therapy ; Mice ; Mice, Transgenic ; Neurofilament Proteins ; metabolism ; Phosphorylation ; Thiazolidinediones ; pharmacology ; tau Proteins ; metabolism

A series of novel tetrahydrocarboline derivatives was designed and synthesized in order to discover more potent peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) alpha/gamma dual regulators. The structures of these compounds were confirmed by 1H NMR and HR-MS; their PPAR-regulating activities were evaluated in vitro. Compounds 6h, 6n, 6p and 6q exhibited more potent PPARalpha agonistic activities than the control drug WY14643, while compounds 60, 6g, 6i and 6q exhibited more potent PPARgamma agonistic activities than the control drug rosiglitazone. Compound 6q was discovered as a potent PPARalpha/gamma dual agonist and deserves further investigation.
Animals ; Carbolines ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Cells, Cultured ; Drug Design ; Hypoglycemic Agents ; chemical synthesis ; chemistry ; pharmacology ; Molecular Structure ; PPAR alpha ; agonists ; PPAR gamma ; agonists ; Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors ; agonists ; Pyrimidines ; metabolism ; Structure-Activity Relationship ; Thiazolidinediones ; metabolism ; Transfection