Alteration of glucose metabolism and expression of glucose transporters in ovarian cancer.

Aerobic glycolysis also known as the Warburg effect, remains a hallmark of various cancers, including ovarian cancer. Cancer cells undergo metabolic changes to sustain their tumorigenic properties and adapt to environmental conditions, such as hypoxia and nutrient starvation. Altered metabolic pathways not only facilitate ovarian cancer cells' survival and proliferation but also endow them to metastasize, develop resistance to chemotherapy, maintain cancer stem cell phenotype, and escape anti-tumor immune responses. Glucose transporters (GLUTs), which play a pivotal role as the rate-limiting step in glycolysis, are frequently overexpressed in a variety of tumors, including ovarian cancer. Multiple oncoproteins can regulate GLUT proteins, promoting tumor proliferation, migration, and metastasis, either dependent or independent of glycolysis. This review examines the alteration of GLUT proteins, particularly GLUT1, in ovarian cancer and its impact on cancer initiation, progression, and resistance to treatment. Additionally, it highlights the role of these proteins as biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis in ovarian cancer, and delves into novel therapeutic strategies currently under development that target GLUT isoforms.

Hawthorn evokes a potent anti-hyperglycemic capacity in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

The hypoglycaemic effect of an aqueous extract of hawthorn leaves (Crataegus oxyacantha) was investigated in normal and streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic rats. After a single dose or 9 daily doses, oral administration of the aqueous extract produced a significant and dose-dependent decrease on blood glucose levels in STZ diabetic rats (P < 0.001), but had no effect on blood glucose levels in normal rats. No changes were observed in basal plasma insulin concentrations after treatment in normal or STZ diabetic rats. In addition, the acute toxicity study of the extract was investigated in mice. The results obtained showed that the aqueous extract had a high LD50 value (13.5 g/kg) in mice. We conclude that an aqueous extract of hawthorn leaves exhibits a potent anti-hyperglycemic activity in STZ rats, but not in normal rats, without affecting basal plasma insulin concentrations.

Hypoglycemic effect of aqueous extract of Ammi visnaga in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

The effect of the aqueous extract of Ammi visnaga (Apiaceae) on blood glucose levels was investigated in fasting normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats after single and repeated oral administration. The aqueous extract of Ammi visnaga (AV) at a dose of 20 mg/kg significantly reduced blood glucose in normal rats six hours after a single oral administration (P < 0.005) and nine days after repeated oral administration (P < 0.05). This hypoglycemic effect is more pronounced in streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic rats (P < 0.001). Acute toxicity (LD50) and general behavioural effects of an aqueous extract of AV fruits was studied in mice. The LD50 of intraperitoneal (i.p.) and oral administration was 3.6 and 10.1 g/kg, respectively. These findings suggest that the aqueous extract of AV possess significant hypoglycemic effect in both normal and STZ diabetic rats and support, therefore, its claimed clinical use by the Moroccan population.