Effect of Anthocyanin-Rich Tart Cherry Extract on Inflammatory Mediators and Adipokines Involved in Type 2 Diabetes in a High Fat Diet Induced Obesity Mouse Model.

Male C57BL/6J mice were used to determine the possible therapeutic effects of our previously described tart cherry extract in a chronic obesity mouse model on metabolic parameters, glucose tolerance, inflammatory mediators, and antioxidant capacity. The control group received standard mouse chow, and the high fat control group was switched to a high fat diet and tap water supplemented with 5% sucrose. The high fat + anthocyanin group received the high fat and sucrose diet, but received the anthocyanin-rich tart cherry extract dissolved in their drinking water. After six weeks, an oral glucose tolerance test was performed, and the water-soluble antioxidant capacity (ACW), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and the plasma levels of insulin, C-peptide, leptin, IL-6, MCP-1, adiponectin and resistin were measured. The high fat diet increased body weight, reduced glucose tolerance, and caused an elevation in leptin, IL-6, MCP-1, and resistin levels. Furthermore, antioxidant capacity was decreased with a significant elevation of SOD activity. Anthocyanin treatment failed to reverse the effects of the high fat diet on body weight and glucose tolerance, but significantly reduced the leptin and IL-6 levels. The tart cherry extract also made a significant enhancement in antioxidant capacity and SOD activity. Our results show that chronic anthocyanin intake has a potential to enhance redox status and alleviate inflammation associated with obesity.

Diet-Induced Obesity Enhances TRPV1-Mediated Neurovascular Reactions in the Dura Mater.

OBJECTIVE: Exploring the pathophysiological changes in transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) receptor of the trigeminovascular system in high-fat, high-sucrose (HFHS) diet-induced obesity of experimental animals. BACKGROUND: Clinical and experimental observations suggest a link between obesity and migraine. Accumulating evidence indicates that metabolic and immunological alterations associated with obesity may potentially modulate trigeminovascular functions. A possible target for obesity-induced pathophysiological changes is the TRPV1/capsaicin receptor which is implicated in the pathomechanism of headaches in a complex way. METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a regular (n = 25) or HFHS diet (n = 26) for 20 weeks. At the end of the dietary period, body weight of the animals was normally distributed in both groups and it was significantly higher in animals on HFHS diet. Therefore, experimental groups were regarded as control and HFHS diet-induced obese groups. Capsaicin-induced changes in meningeal blood flow and release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) from dural trigeminal afferents were measured in control and obese rats. The distribution of TRPV1- and CGRP-immunoreactive meningeal sensory nerves was also compared in whole mount preparations of the dura mater. Metabolic parameters of the animals were assessed by examining glucose and insulin homeostasis as well as plasma cytokine concentrations. RESULTS: HFHS diet was accompanied by reduced food consumption and greater fluid and energy intakes in addition to increased body weight of the animals. HFHS diet increased fasting blood glucose and insulin concentrations as well as levels of circulating proinflammatory cytokines interleukin-1ß and interleukin-6. In obese animals, dural application of the archetypal TRPV1 agonist capsaicin resulted in significantly augmented vasodilatory and vasoconstrictor responses as compared to controls. Diet-induced obesity was also associated with enhanced basal and capsaicin-induced CGRP release from meningeal afferents ex vivo. Except for minor morphological changes, the distribution of dural TRPV1- and CGRP-immunoreactive afferents was similar in control and obese animals. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that obesity induced by long-term HFHS diet results in sensitization of the trigeminovascular system. Changes in TRPV1-mediated vascular reactions and CGRP release are pathophysiological alterations that may be of relevance to the enhanced headache susceptibility of obese individuals.

Meal-induced insulin sensitization is preserved after acute olanzapine administration in female Sprague-Dawley rats.

Olanzapine, an atypical antipsychotic, can acutely induce fasting insulin resistance, but we do not know whether it is able to modulate the meal-induced insulin sensitization (MIS). Two main experimental groups (control and olanzapine-treated) were created with two subgroups (fasted and re-fed) within each. After oral vehicle/olanzapine administration, the first meal size and duration and the total amount of consumed food was recorded in conscious rats. Then, under anaesthesia, the carotid artery and jugular vein was prepared and cannulated to obtain samples for blood glucose and hormone determination as well as for insulin/glucose infusion, respectively. Basal insulin sensitivity and MIS was determined by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) calculation and by rapid insulin sensitivity test, respectively. In fasted animals, olanzapine increased blood glucose and plasma insulin and reduced basal insulin sensitivity, but it failed to modify other hormone levels. Postprandial leptin and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) levels increased, and ghrelin level decreased significantly (p < 0.05) both in vehicle- and olanzapine-treated groups, but plasma insulin increased only in vehicle-treated animals. Furthermore, decrement in ghrelin level was attenuated in olanzapine-treated animals compared to controls. There was no significant change in the first meal size and duration or in the total amount of food consumed. Olanzapine had no effect on the MIS. We demonstrated that olanzapine can induce insulin resistance without weight gain in healthy rats. Furthermore, the MIS was preserved after acute olanzapine treatment. The blunted postprandial ghrelin and insulin response could contribute to the effect of olanzapine on feeding behaviour. Pharmacological induction of MIS may improve the olanzapine-induced insulin resistance.

Identification of PPARγ ligands with One-dimensional Drug Profile Matching.

INTRODUCTION: Computational molecular database screening helps to decrease the time and resources needed for drug development. Reintroduction of generic drugs by second medical use patents also contributes to cheaper and faster drug development processes. We screened, in silico, the Food and Drug Administration-approved generic drug database by means of the One-dimensional Drug Profile Matching (oDPM) method in order to find potential peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonists. The PPARγ action of the selected generics was also investigated by in vitro and in vivo experiments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The in silico oDPM method was used to determine the binding potency of 1,255 generics to 149 proteins collected. In vitro PPARγ activation was determined by measuring fatty acid-binding protein 4/adipocyte protein gene expression in a Mono Mac 6 cell line. The in vivo insulin sensitizing effect of the selected compound (nitazoxanide; 50-200 mg/kg/day over 8 days; n = 8) was established in type 2 diabetic rats by hyperinsulinemic euglycemic glucose clamping. RESULTS: After examining the closest neighbors of each of the reference set's members and counting their most abundant neighbors, ten generic drugs were selected with oDPM. Among them, four enhanced fatty acid-binding protein/adipocyte protein gene expression in the Mono Mac 6 cell line, but only bromfenac and nitazoxanide showed dose-dependent actions. Induction by nitazoxanide was higher than by bromfenac. Nitazoxanide lowered fasting blood glucose levels and improved insulin sensitivity in type 2 diabetic rats. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that the oDPM method can predict previously unknown therapeutic effects of generic drugs. Nitazoxanide can be the prototype chemical structure of the new generation of insulin sensitizers.

Toxicity of cytotoxic agents to granulocyte-macrophage progenitors is increased in obese Zucker and non-obese but insulin resistant Goto-Kakizaki rats.

Increased risk of anticancer chemotherapy in seriously obese patients is known. Obesity may be among factors that predict treatment-related toxicity during chemotherapy. We investigated whether functional changes in granulopoiesis may also contribute to increased myelotoxicity in addition to the known alterations of pharmacokinetic parameters in obesity. Hemopoiesis - as measured by cellularity, frequency of granulocyte-macrophage progenitors (CFU-GM) and total CFU-GM content of the femoral bone marrow - did not differ in obese, insulin resistant Zucker rats compared with Wistar rats. Nevertheless increased sensitivity of their CFU-GM progenitor cells to cytotoxic drugs was found by culturing them in vitro in the presence of carboplatin, doxorubicin and 5-fluorouracil. All drugs were more toxic on CFU-GM progenitor cells of insulin resistant Zucker rats than on CFU-GM cells of the control strain. This might be based on metabolic disorders, at least in part, because we could demonstrate a similar increase in toxicity of the studied anticancer drugs to the CFU-GM progenitors originated from the non-obese but insulin resistant Goto-Kakizaki rats in the same dose ranges. After in vivo administration of rosiglitazone, an insulin sensitizer, the anticancer drug sensitivity of CFU-GM progenitors of Goto-Kakizaki rats was decreased concurrently with improvement of insulin resistance. Although the increased treatment-related myelotoxicity and mortality are well-known among obese patients with malignant diseases, only the altered half lives, volumes of distribution and clearances of cytotoxic drugs are thought to be the underlying reasons. According to our knowledge the results presented here, are the first observations about an impaired granulopoiesis in obese animals.

Beneficial cardiac effects of cicletanine in conscious rabbits with metabolic syndrome.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: High-fat diet and consequent metabolic syndrome (MS) can lead to elevated risk for cardiac arrhythmias. This preclinical study was to investigate if cicletanine (CIC) could produce cardioprotective effects in conscious rabbits exhibiting the main symptoms of MS. METHODS: NZW rabbits that had undergone an 8-week-long cholesterol-enriched diet (1.5%) were instrumented with a pacemaker electrode and randomly assigned into 3 groups according to the oral treatment of either CIC (50 mg·kg) or sotalol (25 mg·kg) and their placebo b.i.d. over 5 days. Study groups were subjected to either "arrhythmia challenge" by programmed electrical stimulation in the "Arrhythmogenesis" study (N = 54) or global myocardial ischemia by rapid pacing in the "Ventricular Overdrive Pacing-induced Myocardial Ischemia" study (N = 18). The antiarrhythmic effect was evaluated by the establishment of the incidence of programmed electrical stimulation-induced arrhythmias. Proarrhythmia indicators (eg, QTc, Tpeak-Tend) were also measured to assess the cardiac safety profile of CIC. To evaluate the background of antiarrhythmic effect, cardiac cyclic nucleotide (cyclic 3',5'-guanosine monophosphate [cGMP], cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate [cAMP]) and nitric oxide content were determined. The antiischemic effect was characterized by change of intracavital ST segment. RESULTS: Cicletanine treatment significantly decreased the incidence of ventricular arrhythmias, increased cardiac cGMP and nitric oxide content and reduced cardiac cAMP level. Cicletanine did not modify significantly QTc and Tpeak-Tend interval. The ST-segment change in response to rapid pacing was reduced significantly by CIC. (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Cicletanine exerts beneficial cardiac effects in rabbits with symptoms of MS, which may be of influence with regard to the clinical application of the drug.

Effect of experimental hypercholesterolaemia on K+ channel alpha-subunit mRNA levels in rabbit hearts.

We investigated the effect of dietary cholesterol on gene transcription of delayed rectifier (I(Kr) - ERG1 and I(Ks) - KvLQT1) and transient outward (I(to,fast) - Kv4.2 and Kv4.3) potassium channel subunits in rabbit hearts using real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). While the level of Kv4.3 mRNA did not change, both Kv4.2 and ERG1 mRNAs were downregulated, whereas the level of KvLQT1 was increased in hypercholesterolaemic rabbits, indicating that hypercholesterolaemia altered ventricular K(+) channel alpha-subunit gene transcription.

Insulin sensitization induced by oral cicletanine in conscious rabbits.

The endogenous insulin sensitizing machinery termed the hepatic insulin sensitizing substance (HISS) mechanism has been shown to be nitrergic and linked to sensory fibers in the anterior hepatic plexus. We studied whether this mechanism could pharmacologically be exploited by cicletanine, a cGMP-PDE inhibitor antihypertensive drug, in conscious rabbits. Whole body insulin sensitivity and peripheral glucose uptake were determined by hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic glucose clamping, and cardiac radiolabelled deoxyglucose (DOG) uptake in neurogenic, achieved by perineurial capsaicin treatment of the anterior hepatic plexus through defunctionalization of hepatic sensory fibers, and metabolic, induced by dietary hypercholesterolemia, insulin resistance models after single oral doses of cicletanine (3, 10 and 30 mg kg(-1)) or rosiglitazone (3 mg kg(-1)). The effect of cicletanine on cardiac and vascular tissue NO, cGMP, cAMP was measured by means of spin trapping technique and radioimmunoassay, respectively. Insulin sensitivity and peripheral DOG uptake were significantly increased by 10 and 30 mg kg(-1) cicletanine in both healthy and hypercholesterolaemic rabbits, but not in those with neurogenic insulin resistance. Rosiglitazone had no effect in healthy and neurogenic insulin resistant rabbits although it improved insulin sensitivity in hypercholesterolemic animals. The 10 mg kg(-1) cicletanine dose induced no change in either cardiac or vascular tissue NO, cGMP or cAMP concentrations. Nevertheless, at a dose of 30 mg kg(-1) producing an insulin sensitizing effect of approximately the same amplitude as seen with 10 mg kg(-1), the drug significantly increased tissue NO and cGMP concentrations. Oral cicletanine attains its insulin sensitizing effect at doses lower than those necessary to activate the NO-cGMP pathway in the cardiovascular system. This metabolic effect requires functional integrity of hepatic sensory nerves.

Neurogenic insulin resistance in guinea-pigs with cisplatin-induced neuropathy.

The aim of the present work was to study whether neurotoxicity produced by cisplatin modified tissue insulin sensitivity in guinea-pigs. One week after selective sensory denervation of the anterior hepatic plexus by means of perineurial 2% capsaicin treatment, hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic glucose clamp were performed to estimate insulin sensitivity in male guinea-pigs. The guinea-pigs underwent regional sensory denervation of the anterior hepatic plexus exhibited insulin resistance, whereas systemic capsaicin desensitization increased insulin sensitivity. Intraportal administration of L-nitro-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME decreased, whereas capsaicin increased insulin sensitivity. Neither atropine nor acetylcholine produced any significant effect. In animals with preceding regional capsaicin desensitization, none of the pharmacological maneuvers modified the resulting insulin resistant state. Cisplatin pretreatment induced sensory neuropathy and decreased insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity did not change after either regional or systemic capsaicin desensitization in the cisplatin-treated animals. CGRP(8-37), a nonselective calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonist (50 microg/kg i.v.), significantly increased insulin sensitivity in normal animals but only a tendency to insulin sensitization was seen after cisplatin treatment. Cisplatin treatment, similar to regional capsaicin desensitization of the anterior hepatic plexus, produced a significant decrease in insulin-stimulated uptake of 2-deoxy-D [L-14C] glucose in cardiac and gastrocnemius muscle with no effect on percentage suppression of endogenous glucose production by hyperinsulinaemia. We conclude that the majority of cisplatin-induced insulin resistance is related to functional deterioration of the hepatic insulin sensitizing substance (HISS) mechanism.

Accelerated recovery of 5-fluorouracil-damaged bone marrow after rosiglitazone treatment.

Our preliminary data indicate that rosiglitazone may be myeloprotective. We investigated whether it can modify bone marrow recovery. Five-day pre-treatment with rosiglitazone significantly accelerated recovery of 5-fluorouracil-damaged bone marrow in mice. Frequency and femoral content of granulocyte-macrophage progenitors reached mean baseline faster in pre-treated groups than in 5-fluorouracil-treated controls. Consequently, neutropenia was milder. Five-day insulin pre-treatment had similar effects in vivo. Insulin supports in vitro hematopoiesis. The observed myeloprotection demonstrated the importance of insulin in vivo. Clinical use of insulin to moderate myelotoxicity is impractical but rosiglitazone, an insulin sensitizer, could offer hope. Although rosiglitazone tends to increase plasma insulin levels, the significant myeloprotection was partly due to direct effects on progenitors. In vitro rosiglitazone enhanced the survival of both murine progenitor and human mobilized blood stem cells in the presence of 5-fluorouracil, the effect of which was neutralized by a peroxisome-proliferator-activated receptor-gamma antagonist.

Cyclic GMP-mediated activation of a glibenclamide-sensitive mechanism in the rabbit sphincter of Oddi.

We investigated whether glibenclamide-sensitive potassium channels are involved in cyclic GMP (cGMP)-mediated relaxation of the rabbit Oddi's sphincter. Changes in isometric tension were measured in the presence of atropine (1 microM) and guanethidine (4 microM). Concentration-response curves for nitroglycerin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were shifted to the right in the presence of (p-chloro-D-Phe6, Leu17)-VIP (VIPa), a VIP receptor antagonist. Glibenclamide (1 microM) attenuated the relaxations to VIP, nitroglycerin, or 8-bromo cGMP. In the presence of tetrodotoxin (TTX), glibenclamide attenuated relaxations to VIP without effect on those to nitroglycerin. Furthermore, nitroglycerin increased both cAMP and cGMP concentrations, however, it failed to increase the tissue cAMP concentration in the presence of TTX. VIPa also blocked the increase in content of either cyclic nucleotide. VIP increased cAMP with a TTX-sensitive increase in cGMP content. 8-Bromo cGMP (1 microM) significantly increased the tissue cAMP content. This was blocked by either TTX or VIPa (both 1 microM). We conclude that ATP-sensitive potassium channel (KATP) activation contributes to cGMP-mediated relaxation of the Oddi's sphincter of the rabbit. Activation of KATP results from a cyclic AMP-mediated process due to cGMP-dependent VIP release from neurons.