Diastereoselective Three-Component 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition to Access Functionalized ß-Tetrahydrocarboline- and Tetrahydroisoquinoline-Fused Spirooxindoles.

A chemselective catalyst-free three-component 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition has been described. The unique polycyclic THPI and THIQs were creatively employed as dipolarophiles, which led to the formation of functionalized ß-tetrahydrocarboline- and tetrahydroisoquinoline-fused spirooxindoles in 60-94% of yields with excellent diastereoselectivities (10: 1->99: 1 dr). This reaction not only realizes a concise THPI- or THIQs-based 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, but also provides a practical strategy for the construction of two distinctive spirooxindole skeletons.

Impaired postprandial skeletal muscle vascular responses to a mixed meal challenge in normoglycaemic people with a parent with type 2 diabetes.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Microvascular blood flow (MBF) increases in skeletal muscle postprandially to aid in glucose delivery and uptake in muscle. This vascular action is impaired in individuals who are obese or have type 2 diabetes. Whether MBF is impaired in normoglycaemic people at risk of type 2 diabetes is unknown. We aimed to determine whether apparently healthy people at risk of type 2 diabetes display impaired skeletal muscle microvascular responses to a mixed-nutrient meal. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, participants with no family history of type 2 diabetes (FH-) for two generations (n = 18), participants with a positive family history of type 2 diabetes (FH+; i.e. a parent with type 2 diabetes; n = 16) and those with type 2 diabetes (n = 12) underwent a mixed meal challenge (MMC). Metabolic responses (blood glucose, plasma insulin and indirect calorimetry) were measured before and during the MMC. Skeletal muscle large artery haemodynamics (2D and Doppler ultrasound, and Mobil-O-graph) and microvascular responses (contrast-enhanced ultrasound) were measured at baseline and 1 h post MMC. RESULTS: Despite normal blood glucose concentrations, FH+ individuals displayed impaired metabolic flexibility (reduced ability to switch from fat to carbohydrate oxidation vs FH-; p < 0.05) during the MMC. The MMC increased forearm muscle microvascular blood volume in both the FH- (1.3-fold, p < 0.01) and FH+ (1.3-fold, p < 0.05) groups but not in participants with type 2 diabetes. However, the MMC increased MBF (1.9-fold, p < 0.01), brachial artery diameter (1.1-fold, p < 0.01) and brachial artery blood flow (1.7-fold, p < 0.001) and reduced vascular resistance (0.7-fold, p < 0.001) only in FH- participants, with these changes being absent in FH+ and type 2 diabetes. Participants with type 2 diabetes displayed significantly higher vascular stiffness (p < 0.001) compared with those in the FH- and FH+ groups; however, vascular stiffness did not change during the MMC in any participant group. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Normoglycaemic FH+ participants display impaired postprandial skeletal muscle macro- and microvascular responses, suggesting that poor vascular responses to a meal may contribute to their increased risk of type 2 diabetes. We conclude that vascular insulin resistance may be an early precursor to type 2 diabetes in humans, which can be revealed using an MMC.

Impaired postprandial adipose tissue microvascular blood flow responses to a mixed-nutrient meal in first-degree relatives of adults with type 2 diabetes.

Adipose tissue microvascular blood flow (MBF) is stimulated postprandially to augment delivery of nutrients and hormones to adipocytes. Adipose tissue MBF is impaired in type 2 diabetes (T2D). Whether healthy individuals at-risk of T2D show similar impairments is unknown. We aimed to determine whether adipose tissue MBF is impaired in apparently healthy individuals with a family history of T2D. Overnight-fasted individuals with no family history of T2D for two generations (FH-, n = 13), with at least one parent with T2D (FH+, n = 14) and clinically diagnosed T2D (n = 11) underwent a mixed meal challenge (MMC). Metabolic responses [blood glucose, plasma insulin, plasma nonesterified fatty acids (NEFAs), and fat oxidation] were measured before and during the MMC. MBF in truncal subcutaneous adipose tissue was assessed by contrast ultrasound while fasting and 60 min post-MMC. FH+ had normal blood glucoses, increased adiposity, and impaired post-MMC adipose tissue MBF (Δ0.70 ± 0.22 vs. 2.45 ± 0.60 acoustic intensity/s, P = 0.007) and post-MMC adipose tissue insulin resistance (Adipo-IR index; Δ45.5 ± 13.9 vs. 7.8 ± 5.1 mmol/L × pmol/L, P = 0.007) compared with FH-. FH+ and T2D had an impaired ability to suppress fat oxidation post-MMC. Fat oxidation incremental area under the curve (iAUC) (35-55 min post-MMC, iAUC) was higher in FH+ and T2D than in FH- (P = 0.005 and 0.009, respectively). Postprandial MBF was negatively associated with postprandial fat oxidation iAUC (P = 0.01). We conclude that apparently healthy FH+ individuals display blunted postprandial adipose tissue MBF that occurs in parallel with adipose tissue insulin resistance and impaired suppression of fat oxidation, which may help explain their heightened risk for developing T2D.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Adipose tissue blood flow plays a key role in postprandial nutrient storage. People at-risk of type 2 diabetes have impaired postmeal adipose tissue blood flow. Impaired adipose tissue blood flow is associated with altered fat oxidation. Risk of type 2 diabetes may be elevated by poor adipose tissue blood flow.

Novel Myh11 Dual Reporter Mouse Model Provides Definitive Labeling and Identification of Smooth Muscle Cells-Brief Report.

OBJECTIVE: Myh11 encodes a myosin heavy chain protein that is specifically expressed in smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and is important for maintaining vascular wall stability. The goal of this study is to generate a Myh11 dual reporter mouse line for definitive visualization of MYH11+ SMCs in vivo. Approach and Results: We generated a Myh11 knock-in mouse model by inserting LoxP-nlacZ-4XpolyA-LoxP-H2B-GFP-polyA-FRT-Neo-FRT reporter cassette into the Myh11 gene locus. The nuclear (n) lacZ-4XpolyA cassette is flanked by 2 LoxP sites followed by H2B-GFP (histone 2B fused green fluorescent protein). Upon Cre-mediated recombination, nlacZ-stop cassette is removed thereby permitting nucleus localized H2B-GFP expression. Expression of the nuclear localized lacZ or H2B-GFP is under control of the endogenous Myh11 promoter. Nuclear lacZ was expressed specifically in SMCs at embryonic and adult stages. Following germline Cre-mediated deletion of nuclear lacZ, H2B-GFP was specifically expressed in the nuclei of SMCs. Comparison of nuclear lacZ expression with Wnt1Cre and Mef2cCre mediated-H2B-GFP expression revealed heterogenous origins of SMCs from neural crest and second heart field in the great arteries and coronary vessels adjacent to aortic root. CONCLUSIONS: The Myh11 knock-in dual reporter mouse model offers an exceptional genetic tool to visualize and trace the origins of SMCs in mice.

New 18ß-Glycyrrhetinic Acid-Emodin Esters Synthetized by a One-Step Innovative Route, Its Structural Characterization, and in Vivo Toxicity Assessed on Zebrafish Models.

To integrate the active advantages of 18ß-glycyrrhetinic acid (18ß-GA) and emodin, improve bioavailability, increase efficiency, and reduce toxicity, a one-step innovative synthetic route was set up for the first time: 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) was used as catalyst, 1-ethyl-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carboimide hydrochloride (EDCI) as condensation agent, dry dichloromethane (DCM) as solvent at 25 °C for 12 h, the three target products were obtained and purified by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the chemical structures of them were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) technique and high resolution electron ionization mass spectrometry (HREI-MS), namely, 18ß-glycyrrhetinic acid-3-emodin ester (1, yield 78.83 %, known), di-18ß-glycyrrhetinic acid-1-emodin ester (2, yield 6.49 %, new), and di-18ß-glycyrrhetinic acid-8-emodin ester (3, yield 1.81 %, new). To estimate their effects of the products on toxicity in zebrafish embryos and juvenile fishes, the two precursors and three target products were assayed involving in hatching rate, survival rate, morphology, heart rate, and apoptosis of cardiomyocytes. The results showed that the target products enhanced the hatching and survival rate of zebrafish embryos, decreased the malformation rate and the apoptosis of cardiomyocytes. It should be suggested that the one-step synthesis route with high yield makes the industrial application of the target products possible due to significantly reduced toxicity. The two new by-products provide potential candidates for the applications of pharmaceutical industry in the future.

Endothelial ether lipids link the vasculature to blood pressure, behavior, and neurodegeneration.

Vascular disease contributes to neurodegeneration, which is associated with decreased blood pressure in older humans. Plasmalogens, ether phospholipids produced by peroxisomes, are decreased in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders. However, the mechanistic links between ether phospholipids, blood pressure, and neurodegeneration are not fully understood. Here, we show that endothelium-derived ether phospholipids affect blood pressure, behavior, and neurodegeneration in mice. In young adult mice, inducible endothelial-specific disruption of PexRAP, a peroxisomal enzyme required for ether lipid synthesis, unexpectedly decreased circulating plasmalogens. PexRAP endothelial knockout (PEKO) mice responded normally to hindlimb ischemia but had lower blood pressure and increased plasma renin activity. In PEKO as compared with control mice, tyrosine hydroxylase was decreased in the locus coeruleus, which maintains blood pressure and arousal. PEKO mice moved less, slept more, and had impaired attention to and recall of environmental events as well as mild spatial memory deficits. In PEKO hippocampus, gliosis was increased, and a plasmalogen associated with memory was decreased. Despite lower blood pressure, PEKO mice had generally normal homotopic functional connectivity by optical neuroimaging of the cerebral cortex. Decreased glycogen synthase kinase-3 phosphorylation, a marker of neurodegeneration, was detected in PEKO cerebral cortex. In a co-culture system, PexRAP knockdown in brain endothelial cells decreased glycogen synthase kinase-3 phosphorylation in co-cultured astrocytes that was rescued by incubation with the ether lipid alkylglycerol. Taken together, our findings suggest that endothelium-derived ether lipids mediate several biological processes and may also confer neuroprotection in mice.

Generation of Pecam1 endothelial specific dual reporter mouse model.

Endothelial cells are specialized epithelium lining the interior surface of vessels and play fundamental roles in angiogenesis, vascular permeability, and immune response. To identify endothelial cells in vivo, we constructed a Pecam1nlacZ-H2B-GFP/+ knock-in mouse model in which the endothelial cells are labeled by nuclear LacZ (nlacZ) expression. When Pecam1nlacZ-H2B-GFP/+ mice are bred with germline Cre deleter mice, Pecam1H2B-GFP/+ line is created with native nuclear GFP (H2B-GFP) expression in the endothelium of various organs. This dual reporter mouse provides us with a powerful genetic tool for definitive identification of endothelial cells and monitoring this important cell population throughout development, homeostasis, and disease conditions in mammals.

Oral glucose challenge impairs skeletal muscle microvascular blood flow in healthy people.

Skeletal muscle microvascular (capillary) blood flow increases in the postprandial state or during insulin infusion due to dilation of precapillary arterioles to augment glucose disposal. This effect occurs independently of changes in large artery function. However, acute hyperglycemia impairs vascular function, causes insulin to vasoconstrict precapillary arterioles, and causes muscle insulin resistance in vivo. We hypothesized that acute hyperglycemia impairs postprandial muscle microvascular perfusion, without disrupting normal large artery hemodynamics, in healthy humans. Fifteen healthy people (5 F/10 M) underwent an oral glucose challenge (OGC, 50 g glucose) and a mixed-meal challenge (MMC) on two separate occasions (randomized, crossover design). At 1 h, both challenges produced a comparable increase (6-fold) in plasma insulin levels. However, the OGC produced a 1.5-fold higher increase in blood glucose compared with the MMC 1 h postingestion. Forearm muscle microvascular blood volume and flow (contrast-enhanced ultrasound) were increased during the MMC (1.3- and 1.9-fold from baseline, respectively, P < 0.05 for both) but decreased during the OGC (0.7- and 0.6-fold from baseline, respectively, P < 0.05 for both) despite a similar hyperinsulinemia. Both challenges stimulated brachial artery flow (ultrasound) and heart rate to a similar extent, as well as yielding comparable decreases in diastolic blood pressure and total vascular resistance. Systolic blood pressure and aortic stiffness remained unaltered by either challenge. Independently of large artery hemodynamics, hyperglycemia impairs muscle microvascular blood flow, potentially limiting glucose disposal into skeletal muscle. The OGC reduced microvascular blood flow in muscle peripherally and therefore may underestimate the importance of skeletal muscle in postprandial glucose disposal.

Are the metabolic benefits of resistance training in type 2 diabetes linked to improvements in adipose tissue microvascular blood flow?

The microcirculation in adipose tissue is markedly impaired in type 2 diabetes (T2D). Resistance training (RT) often increases muscle mass and promotes a favorable metabolic profile in people with T2D, even in the absence of fat loss. Whether the metabolic benefits of RT in T2D are linked to improvements in adipose tissue microvascular blood flow is unknown. Eighteen sedentary people with T2D (7 women/11 men, 52 ± 7 yr) completed 6 wk of RT. Before and after RT, overnight-fasted participants had blood sampled for clinical chemistries (glucose, insulin, lipids, HbA1c, and proinflammatory markers) and underwent an oral glucose challenge (OGC; 50 g glucose × 2 h) and a DEXA scan to assess body composition. Adipose tissue microvascular blood volume and flow were assessed at rest and 1 h post-OGC using contrast-enhanced ultrasound. RT significantly reduced fasting blood glucose ( P = 0.006), HbA1c ( P = 0.007), 2-h glucose area under the time curve post-OGC ( P = 0.014), and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance ( P = 0.005). This was accompanied by a small reduction in total body fat ( P = 0.002), trunk fat ( P = 0.023), and fasting triglyceride levels ( P = 0.029). Lean mass ( P = 0.003), circulating TNF-α ( P = 0.006), and soluble VCAM-1 ( P < 0.001) increased post-RT. There were no significant changes in adipose tissue microvascular blood volume or flow following RT; however those who did have a higher baseline microvascular blood flow post-RT also had lower fasting triglyceride levels ( r = -0.476, P = 0.045). The anthropometric, glycemic, and insulin-sensitizing benefits of 6 wk of RT in people with T2D are not associated with an improvement in adipose tissue microvascular responses; however, there may be an adipose tissue microvascular-linked benefit to fasting triglyceride levels.

Regulation of microvascular flow and metabolism: An overview.

Skeletal muscle is an important site for insulin to regulate blood glucose levels. It is estimated that skeletal muscle is responsible for ~80% of insulin-mediated glucose disposal in the post-prandial period. The classical action of insulin to increase muscle glucose uptake involves insulin binding to insulin receptors on myocytes to stimulate glucose transporter 4 (GLUT 4) translocation to the cell surface membrane, enhancing glucose uptake. However, an additional role of insulin that is often under-appreciated is its action to increase muscle perfusion thereby improving insulin and glucose delivery to myocytes. Either of these responses (myocyte and/or vascular) may be impaired in insulin resistance, and both impairments are apparent in type 2 diabetes, resulting in diminished glucose disposal by muscle. The aim of this review is to report on the growing body of literature suggesting that insulin-mediated control of skeletal muscle perfusion is an important regulator of muscle glucose uptake and that impairment of microvascular insulin action has important physiological consequences early in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. This work was discussed at the 2015 Australian Physiological Society Symposium "Physiological mechanisms controlling microvascular flow and muscle metabolism".

[Pharmacology research on PXR as a potential target in screening bioactive components of Chinese material medica].

Pregnane X receptor (PXR) is key transcription factors which mainly regulate the expression of CYP3A genes. At the molecular level, PXR has been revealed the protection mechanism of the body against xenochemicals and a major mode of the drug-drug interactions. Besides playing an important role in drug metabolism and interactions, PXR and its target genes also play an important role in maintaining normal physiological function and homeostasis. Therefore, it is necessary to study the regulation of PXR and its related pharmacological effects of TCM and natural products, and to provide new clues for the new pharmacological pathway.

Adipose tissue peroxisomal lipid synthesis orchestrates obesity and insulin resistance through LXR-dependent lipogenesis.

OBJECTIVE: Adipose tissue mass is maintained by a balance between lipolysis and lipid storage. The contribution of adipose tissue lipogenesis to fat mass, especially in the setting of high-fat feeding, is considered minor. Here we investigated the effect of adipose-specific inactivation of the peroxisomal lipid synthetic protein PexRAP on fatty acid synthase (FASN)-mediated lipogenesis and its impact on adiposity and metabolic homeostasis. METHODS: To explore the role of PexRAP in adipose tissue, we metabolically phenotyped mice with adipose-specific knockout of PexRAP. Bulk RNA sequencing was used to determine transcriptomic responses to PexRAP deletion and 14C-malonyl CoA allowed us to measure de novo lipogenic activity in adipose tissue of these mice. In vitro cell culture models were used to elucidate the mechanism of cellular responses to PexRAP deletion. RESULTS: Adipose-specific PexRAP deletion promoted diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance through activation of de novo lipogenesis. Mechanistically, PexRAP inactivation inhibited the flux of carbons to ethanolamine plasmalogens. This increased the nuclear PC/PE ratio and promoted cholesterol mislocalization, resulting in activation of liver X receptor (LXR), a nuclear receptor known to be activated by increased intracellular cholesterol. LXR activation led to increased expression of the phospholipid remodeling enzyme LPCAT3 and induced FASN-mediated lipogenesis, which promoted diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. CONCLUSIONS: These studies reveal an unexpected role for peroxisome-derived lipids in regulating LXR-dependent lipogenesis and suggest that activation of lipogenesis, combined with dietary lipid overload, exacerbates obesity and metabolic dysregulation.

Liver ACOX1 regulates levels of circulating lipids that promote metabolic health through adipose remodeling.

The liver gene expression of the peroxisomal ß-oxidation enzyme acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1 (ACOX1), which catabolizes very long chain fatty acids (VLCFA), increases in the context of obesity, but how this pathway impacts systemic energy metabolism remains unknown. Here, we show that hepatic ACOX1-mediated ß-oxidation regulates inter-organ communication involved in metabolic homeostasis. Liver-specific knockout of Acox1 (Acox1-LKO) protects mice from diet-induced obesity, adipose tissue inflammation, and systemic insulin resistance. Serum from Acox1-LKO mice promotes browning in cultured white adipocytes. Global serum lipidomics show increased circulating levels of several species of ω-3 VLCFAs (C24-C28) with previously uncharacterized physiological role that promote browning, mitochondrial biogenesis and Glut4 translocation through activation of the lipid sensor GPR120 in adipocytes. This work identifies hepatic peroxisomal ß-oxidation as an important regulator of metabolic homeostasis and suggests that manipulation of ACOX1 or its substrates may treat obesity-associated metabolic disorders.

ALKBH5-mediated m6A modification of IL-11 drives macrophage-to-myofibroblast transition and pathological cardiac fibrosis in mice.

Cardiac macrophage contributes to the development of cardiac fibrosis, but factors that regulate cardiac macrophages transition and activation during this process remains elusive. Here we show, by single-cell transcriptomics, lineage tracing and parabiosis, that cardiac macrophages from circulating monocytes preferentially commit to macrophage-to-myofibroblast transition (MMT) under angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertension, with accompanying increased expression of the RNA N6-methyladenosine demethylases, ALKBH5. Meanwhile, macrophage-specific knockout of ALKBH5 inhibits Ang II-induced MMT, and subsequently ameliorates cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction. Mechanistically, RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing identifies interlukin-11 (IL-11) mRNA as a target for ALKBH5-mediated m6A demethylation, leading to increased IL-11 mRNA stability and protein levels. By contrast, overexpression of IL11 in circulating macrophages reverses the phenotype in ALKBH5-deficient mice and macrophage. Lastly, targeted delivery of ALKBH5 or IL-11 receptor α (IL11RA1) siRNA to monocytes/macrophages attenuates MMT and cardiac fibrosis under hypertensive stress. Our results thus suggest that the ALKBH5/IL-11/IL11RA1/MMT axis alters cardiac macrophage and contributes to hypertensive cardiac fibrosis and dysfunction in mice, and thereby identify potential targets for cardiac fibrosis therapy in patients.

Thermogenic Phenotyping in Mice.

Thermogenesis mediated by brown adipose tissue (BAT) and brown-like fat plays an important role in regulating metabolic homeostasis in mammals. Accurate measurement of metabolic responses to brown fat activation, including heat generation and increased energy expenditure is essential for characterizing thermogenic phenotypes in preclinical studies. Here, we describe two methods for assessing thermogenic phenotypes in mice under non-basal states. First, we describe a protocol for measuring body temperature in cold-treated mice using implantable temperature transponders, which allow for continuous monitoring of body temperature. Second, we describe a method for using indirect calorimetry to measure ß3-adrenergic agonist-stimulated changes in oxygen consumption, a proxy for thermogenic fat activation.

TMEM135 links peroxisomes to the regulation of brown fat mitochondrial fission and energy homeostasis.

Mitochondrial morphology, which is controlled by mitochondrial fission and fusion, is an important regulator of the thermogenic capacity of brown adipocytes. Adipose-specific peroxisome deficiency impairs thermogenesis by inhibiting cold-induced mitochondrial fission due to decreased mitochondrial membrane content of the peroxisome-derived lipids called plasmalogens. Here, we identify TMEM135 as a critical mediator of the peroxisomal regulation of mitochondrial fission and thermogenesis. Adipose-specific TMEM135 knockout in mice blocks mitochondrial fission, impairs thermogenesis, and increases diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. Conversely, TMEM135 overexpression promotes mitochondrial division, counteracts obesity and insulin resistance, and rescues thermogenesis in peroxisome-deficient mice. Mechanistically, thermogenic stimuli promote association between peroxisomes and mitochondria and plasmalogen-dependent localization of TMEM135 in mitochondria, where it mediates PKA-dependent phosphorylation and mitochondrial retention of the fission factor Drp1. Together, these results reveal a previously unrecognized inter-organelle communication regulating mitochondrial fission and energy homeostasis and identify TMEM135 as a potential target for therapeutic activation of BAT.

Molecular simulation study of the binding mechanism of [α-PTi2W10O40]7- for its promising broad-spectrum inhibitory activity to FluV-A neuraminidase.

Polyoxometalate (POM) has promising antiviral activities. It shows broad-spectrum inhibiting ability, high efficiency, and low toxicity. Experimental assays show that titanium containing polyoxotungstates have anti-influenza-virus activity. In this paper, the binding mechanisms of five isomers of di-Ti-substituted polyoxotungstate, [α-1,2-PTi2W10O40]7- (α-1,2), [α-1,6-PTi2W10O40]7- (α-1,6), [α-1,5-PTi2W10O40]7- (α-1,5), [α-1,4-PTi2W10O40]7- (α-1,4) and [α-1,11-PTi2W10O40]7- (α-1,11), to five subtypes of influenza virus A neuraminidase (FluV-A NA) were investigated in the context of aqueous solution by using molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies. The results show that the isomer α-1,2 is superior to other isomers as a potential inhibitor to neuraminidase. The positively charged arginine residues around the active site of NA could be induced by negatively charged POM to adapt themselves and could form salt bridge interactions and hydrogen bond interactions with POM. The binding free energies of POM/NA complexes range from -5.36 to -8.31 kcal mol-1. The electrostatic interactions are found to be the driving force during the binding process of POM to NA. The conformational analysis shows that POM tends to bind primarily with N1 and N8 at the edge of the active pocket, which causes the conformational change of the pincers structure comprising residue 347 and loop 150. Whereas, the active pockets of N2, N9 and N4 are found to be more spacious, which allows POM to enter into the active pockets directly and anchor there firmly. This study shows that negatively charged ligand as POM could induce the reorganization of the active site of NA and highlights POM as a promising inhibitor to NA despite the ever increasing mutants of NA. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: Supplementary material is available for this article at 10.1007/s11434-010-3271-8 and is accessible for authorized users.

Metformin improves vascular and metabolic insulin action in insulin-resistant muscle.

Insulin stimulates glucose disposal in skeletal muscle in part by increasing microvascular blood flow, and this effect is blunted during insulin resistance. We aimed to determine whether metformin treatment improves insulin-mediated glucose disposal and vascular insulin responsiveness in skeletal muscle of insulin-resistant rats. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a normal (ND) or high-fat (HFD) diet for 4 weeks. A separate HFD group was given metformin in drinking water (HFD + MF, 150 mg/kg/day) during the final 2 weeks. After the intervention, overnight-fasted (food and metformin removed) anaesthetised rats underwent a 2-h euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic clamp (10 mU/min/kg) or saline infusion. Femoral artery blood flow, hindleg muscle microvascular blood flow, muscle glucose disposal and muscle signalling (Ser473-AKT and Thr172-AMPK phosphorylation) were measured. HFD rats had elevated body weight, epididymal fat pad weight, fasting plasma insulin and free fatty acid levels when compared to ND. HFD-fed animals displayed whole-body and skeletal muscle insulin resistance and blunting of insulin-stimulated femoral artery blood flow, muscle microvascular blood flow and skeletal muscle insulin-stimulated Ser473-AKT phosphorylation. Metformin treatment of HFD rats reduced fasting insulin and free fatty acid concentrations and lowered body weight and adiposity. During euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic clamp, metformin-treated animals showed improved vascular responsiveness to insulin, improved insulin-stimulated muscle Ser473-AKT phosphorylation but only partially restored (60%) muscle glucose uptake. This occurred without any detectable levels of metformin in plasma or change in muscle Thr172-AMPK phosphorylation. We conclude that 2-week metformin treatment is effective at improving vascular and metabolic insulin responsiveness in muscle of HFD-induced insulin-resistant rats.

Green synthesis of amphiphilic carbon dots from organic solvents: application in fluorescent polymer composites and bio-imaging.

Carbon dots (CDs) have sparked tremendous attention due to their unique properties and vast potential in diverse fields. Herein, we report a green and cost-effective hydrothermal route for the synthesis of a series of CDs from readily available organics solvents. Since the organics were completely recyclable after the separation of CDs, this method holds immense potential for the large-scale synthesis of CDs. We found the DMF-CDs and DMAc-CDs possessed amphiphilicity and the diameter of amphiphilic DMF-CDs was ca. 3.5 nm with a narrow distribution. Moreover, these amphiphilic CDs emitted blue light under UV irradiation (365 nm) and the quantum yield could reach more than 30%. Due to their good solubility in organic solvent, DMF-CDs were successfully imbedded into polymers (i.e., PS and PMMA), which revealed their potential in painting, coating, and optical devices. In addition, benefiting from high quantum yield and low cytotoxicity, the DMF-CDs in aqueous media were used as fluorescent probes in living cells, which demonstrated their great potential in bio-imaging.