Discovery of Novel Marine-Derived Phidiandine/Lipoic Acid Hybrid as a Potential Anti-Atherosclerosis Agent: Design, Synthesis and in Vitro/in Vivo Evaluation.

In the present study, a novel derivative, IOP-LA, was prepared by hybridizing antioxidant lipoic acid (LA) and our recently reported antioxidative marine phidianidine B-inspired indole/1,2,4-oxadiazole derivative. Our results demonstrated that IOP-LA could protect vascular endothelial cells (VECs) from oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)-induced oxidative stress by activating the Nrf2 pathway, inhibit the production of atherosclerotic plaque, and promote the stability of atherosclerotic plaque in apoE-/- mice. Moreover, the protective effect of IOP-LA was superior to LA at the same concentration. Mechanistic studies revealed that IOP-LA significantly inhibited the increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and the translocation of nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) nuclear induced by oxLDL through the nuclear factor erythroid2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway. In summary, the data demonstrate that IOP-LA, as a new antioxidant, protects VECs from oxLDL-induced oxidative stress by activating the Nrf2 pathway. It is worth noting that this study provides a promising lead compound for the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis.

Discovery of marine phidianidine-based Nrf2 activators and their potential against oxLDL- and HG-induced injury in HUVECs.

One effective strategy for treating atherosclerosis is to inhibit the injury of vascular endothelial cells (VECs) induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) and high glucose (HG). This study synthesized and evaluated a series of novel Nrf2 activators derived from the marine natural product phidianidine for their ability to protect human umbilical VECs against oxLDL- and HG-induced injury. The results of in vitro bioassays demonstrated that compound D-36 was the most promising Nrf2 activator, effectively inhibiting the apoptosis of HUVECs induced by oxLDL and HG. Furthermore, Nrf2 knockdown experiments confirmed that compound D-36 protected against oxLDL- and HG-induced apoptosis in HUVECs by activating the Nrf2 pathway. These findings provide important insights into a new chemotype of marine-derived Nrf2 activators that could potentially be optimized to develop effective anti-atherosclerosis agents.

Design, synthesis and biological evaluation of marine phidianidine-inspired derivatives against oxidized ldl-induced endothelial injury by activating Nrf2 anti-oxidation pathway.

Inhibition of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL)-induced vascular endothelial cell (VEC) injury is one of the effective strategies for treating atherosclerosis. In the present study, a series of novel marine phidianidine-inspired indole-1,2,4-oxadiazoles was designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their effects against oxLDL-induced injury in VECs. Among them, compound D-6, displaying the most effective protective activity, was found to inhibit oxLDL-induced apoptosis and the expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in VECs. Mechanistic studies showed that D-6 could trigger Nrf2 nuclear translocation, subsequently resulting in increased expression of Nrf2 target gene HO-1. Meanwhile, D-6 suppressed the increase of ROS level and nuclear translocation of NF-κB induced by oxLDL. Importantly, Nrf2 knockdown attenuated the inhibition effects of D-6 on oxLDL-induced apoptosis, ROS production and NF-κB nuclear translocation. Collectively, our studies demonstrated that compound D-6 protected against oxLDL-induced endothelial injury by activating Nrf2/HO-1 anti-oxidation pathway.

Effect of p18 on endothelial barrier function by mediating vascular endothelial Rab11a-VE-cadherin recycling.

Endothelial barrier integrity requires recycling of VE-cadherin to adherens junctions. Both p18 and Rab11a play significant roles in VE-cadherin recycling. However, the underlying mechanism and the role of p18 in activating Rab11a have yet to be elucidated. Performing in vitro and in vivo experiments, we showed that p18 protein bound to VE-cadherin before Rab11a through its VE-cadherin-binding domain (aa 1-39). Transendothelial resistance showed that overexpression of p18 promoted the circulation of VE-cadherin to adherens junctions and the recovery of the endothelial barrier. Silencing of p18 caused endothelial barrier dysfunction and prevented Rab11a-positive recycling endosome accumulation in the perinuclear recycling compartments. Furthermore, p18 knockdown in pulmonary microvessels markedly increased vascular leakage in mice challenged with lipopolysaccharide and cecal ligation puncture. This study showed that p18 regulated the pulmonary endothelial barrier function in vitro and in vivo by regulating the binding of Rab11a to VE-cadherin and the activation of Rab11a.

Identification of MiR-211-5p as a tumor suppressor by targeting ACSL4 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Liver cancer is among the most common malignancy worldwide. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the principal histological subtype of liver cancer, is globally the third most common cause of cancer-related mortality. The high rates of recurrence and metastasis contribute to the poor prognosis of HCC patients. In recent years, increasing evidence has shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in the tumorigenesis, progression, and prognosis of HCC. METHODS: To screen for key candidate miRNAs in HCC, three microarray datasets were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The sole common differentially expressed miRNA (DEmiR) observed in the above three datasets using a Venn diagram was microRNA-211-5p (miR-211-5p). The expression of miR-211-5p from HCC tissues was measured in several HCC cell lines. Additionally, using Kaplan-Meier plots, the potential prognostic value of miR-211-5p in HCC was analyzed. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and transwell assays examined the ability of miR-211-5p to induce cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in HCC cultures. The interaction of miR-211-5p and Acyl-CoA Synthetase Long Chain Family Member 4 (ACSL4) was assessed both theoretically and using a luciferase reporter assay. Finally, the ability of miR-211-5p to modulate tumorigenesis in HCC in vivo was assessed after establishing a xenograft model. RESULTS: qRT-PCR demonstrated that the relative expression of miR-211-5p was considerably down-regulated in HCC tissues and cell lines compared with normal tissue. Kaplan-Meier plots indicated that HCC patients with decreased expression of miR-211-5p had poor overall survival. Upregulation of miR-211-5p in vitro consistently suppressed cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. In contrast, enhanced expression of ACSL4 promoted a malignant phenotype in HCC cells. Importantly, we discovered that ACSL4 was a direct downstream target of miR-211-5p in HCC, and that miR-211-5p suppressed the malignant phenotype by inhibition of ACSL4 expression. Furthermore, miR-211-5p overexpression impaired tumorigenesis and growth of HCC in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Targeting miR-211-5p and the downstream gene ACSL4 will possibly provide novel insight and represents a promising approach to future therapy of HCC patients.

A New Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER)-Targeting Fluorescent Probe for the Imaging of Cysteine in Living Cells.

Cysteine (Cys) is an important endogenous amino acid and plays critical physiological roles in living systems. Herein, an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-targeting fluorescent probe (FER-Cys) was designed and prepared for imaging of Cys in living cells. The probe FER-Cys consists of a fluorescein framework as the fluorescent platform, acrylate group as the response site for the selective recognition of Cys, and ER-specific p-toluenesulfonamide fragment. After the response of probe FER-Cys to Cys, a turn-on fluorescence signal at 546 nm could be detected obviously. The probe FER-Cys further shows desirable selectivity to Cys. Finally, the probe FER-Cys was proven to selectively detect Cys in live cells and successfully image the changes of Cys level in the cell models of H2O2-induced redox imbalance.

[Analysis of 131 cases of COVID-19 treated with Ganlu Xiaodu Decoction].

In this study, Donghua Hospital information management system and Meikang clinical pharmacy management system were used to collect medical records of all inpatients diagnosed as coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) in Wuhan Third Hospital. The statistics was based on the data of the cases treated with Ganlu Xiaodu Decoction, including demographic statistics, clinical cha-racteristics before medication, outcome of after medication and efficacy of drug combination. Excel 2003 and SPSS Clementine 12.0 software were used to conduct statistics on the included cases, and Apriori algorithm and association rules were used for the association analysis on drug combination. A total of 131 cases of COVID-19 were treated with Ganlu Xiaodu Decoction combined with Chinese and Western medicine. All of the patients were cured and discharged. The drug combination mainly included Ganlu Xiaodu Decoction, abidor, Lianhua Qingwen, moxifloxacin, Qiangli Pipa Lu, vitamin C, glycyrrhizinate diammonium, pantoprazole and Shufeng Jiedu. There is a certain regularity and effectiveness in the treatment of COVID-19 infection patients with the combination of Ganlu Xiaodu Decoction and other drugs, but the rationality and safety still need to be further verified.

Discovery of new multifunctional selective acetylcholinesterase inhibitors: structure-based virtual screening and biological evaluation.

Although the mechanism of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is still not fully understood, the development of multifunctional AChE inhibitors remains a research focus for AD treatment. In this study, 48 AChE candidate inhibitors were picked out from SPECS database through a pharmacophore- and molecular docking-based virtual screening. The biological evaluation results indicated that four compounds 7, 29, 41 and 48 with different scaffolds exhibited potent and selective AChE inhibitory activity, with the best IC50 value of 1.62 ± 0.11 µM obtained for 48. Then their mechanism of action, the inhibition on Aß aggregation, neurotoxicity, and neuroprotective activity against Aß-induced nerve cell injury were well studied. The binding mode of 48 with AChE was also proposed. The present bioassay results indicated that these multifunctional AChE inhibitors were worth for further structural derivatization to make them the anti-AD lead compounds.

Molecular-docking-guided design and synthesis of new IAA-tacrine hybrids as multifunctional AChE/BChE inhibitors.

A series of new indole-3-acetic acid (IAA)-tacrine hybrids as dual acetylcholinesterase (AChE)/butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitors were designed and prepared based on the molecular docking mode of AChE with an IAA derivative (1a), a moderate AChE inhibitor identified by screening our compound library for anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) drug leads. The enzyme assay results revealed that some hybrids, e.g. 5d and 5e, displayed potent dual in vitro inhibitory activities against AChE/BChE with IC50 values in low nanomolar range. Molecular modeling studies in tandem with kinetic analysis suggest that these hybrids target both catalytic active site and peripheral anionic site of cholinesterase (ChE). Molecular dynamic simulations and Molecular Mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM-PBSA) calculations indicate that 5e has more potent binding affinity than hit 1a, which may explain the stronger inhibitory effect of 5e on AChE. Furthermore, their predicted pharmacokinetic properties and in vitro influences on mouse brain neural network electrical activity were discussed. Taken together, compound 5e can be highlighted as a lead compound worthy of further optimization for designing new anti-AD drugs.

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 regulates endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondrial function to preserve skeletal muscle lipid metabolism.

OBJECTIVE: Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and mitochondrial function affected intramuscular fat accumulation. However, there is no clear evident on the effect of the regulation of ER stress and mitochondrial function by Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on the prevention of intramuscular fat metabolism. We investigated the effects of ACE2 on ER stress and mitochondrial function in skeletal muscle lipid metabolism. METHODS: The triglyceride (TG) content in skeletal muscle of ACE2 knockout mice and Ad-ACE2-treated db/db mice were detected by assay kits. Meanwhile, the expression of lipogenic genes (ACCα, SREBP-1c, LXRα, CPT-1α, PGC-1α and PPARα), ER stress and mitochondrial function related genes (GRP78, eIF2α, ATF4, BCL-2, and SDH6) were analyzed by RT-PCR. Lipid metabolism, ER stress and mitochondrial function related genes were analyzed by RT-PCR in ACE2-overexpression C2C12 cell. Moreover, the IKKß/NFκB/IRS-1 pathway was determined using lysate sample from skeletal muscle of ACE2 knockout mice. RESULTS: ACE2 deficiency in vivo is associated with increased lipid accumulation in skeletal muscle. The ACE2 knockout mice displayed an elevated level of ER stress and mitochondrial dysfunctions in skeletal muscle. In contrast, activation of ACE2 can ameliorate ER stress and mitochondrial function, which slightly accompanied by reduced TG content and down-regulated the expression of skeletal muscle lipogenic proteins in the db/db mice. Additionally, ACE2 improved skeletal muscle lipid metabolism and ER stress genes in the C2C12 cells. Mechanistically, endogenous ACE2 improved lipid metabolism through the IKKß/NFκB/IRS-1 pathway in skeletal muscle. CONCLUSIONS: ACE2 was first reported to play a notable role on intramuscular fat regulation by improving endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial function. This study may provide a strategy for treating insulin resistance in skeletal muscle.

Synthesis and evaluation of coumarin/1,2,4-oxadiazole hybrids as selective BChE inhibitors with neuroprotective activity.

A series of new coumarin/1,2,4-oxadiazole hybrids were synthesized and evaluated for cholinesterase inhibitory and neuroprotective activities. Among them, enantiomers 5u and 5v showed potent hBChE inhibitory activity with IC50 values of 8.17 and 9.56 µM, respectively, and also exhibited good selectivity for hBChE over hAChE by 9.49- and 7.58-fold, respectively. In addition, both compounds could protect SH-SY5Y cells against Aß25-35-induced neurotoxicity. The preliminary bioassay results provided a new chemotype for multifunctional anti-Alzheimer's disease agents and continuing investigation into compounds 5u and 5v is warranted.

Discovery of New Selective Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) Inhibitors with Anti-Aß Aggregation Activity: Structure-Based Virtual Screening, Hit Optimization and Biological Evaluation.

In this study, a series of selective butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitors was designed and synthesized from the structural optimization of hit 1, a 4-((3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-2(1H)-yl)methyl)benzoic acid derivative identified by virtual screening our compound library. The in vitro enzyme assay results showed that compounds 9 ((4-((3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-2(1H)-yl)methyl)phenyl)(pyrrolidin-1-yl)methanone) and 23 (N-(2-bromophenyl)-4-((3,4-dihydroisoquinolin-2(1H)-yl)methyl)benzamide) displayed improved BChE inhibitory activity and good selectivity towards BChE versus AChE. Their binding modes were probed by molecular docking and further validated by molecular dynamics simulation. Kinetic analysis together with molecular modeling studies suggested that these derivatives could target both the catalytic active site (CAS) and peripheral anionic site (PAS) of BChE. In addition, the selected compounds 9 and 23 displayed anti-Aß1-42 aggregation activity in a dose-dependent manner, and they did not show obvious cytotoxicity towards SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Also, both compounds showed significantly protective activity against Aß1-42-induced toxicity in a SH-SY5Y cell model. The present results provided a new valuable chemical template for the development of selective BChE inhibitors.

Discovery of new potent protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) inhibitors by assembly of key pharmacophores from known inhibitors.

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) is an epigenetics related enzyme that has been validated as a promising therapeutic target for human cancer. Up to now, two small molecule PRMT5 inhibitors has been put into phase I clinical trial. In the present study, a series of candidate molecules were designed by combining key pharmacophores of formerly reported PRMT5 inhibitors. The in vitro PRMT5 inhibitory testing of compound 4b14 revealed an IC50 of 2.71 µM, exhibiting high selectivity over PRMT1 and PRMT4 (>70-fold selective). As expected, 4b14 exhibited potent anti-proliferative activity against a panel of leukemia and lymphoma cells, including MV4-11, Pfeiffer, SU-DHL-4 and KARPAS-422. Besides, 4b14 showed significant cell cycle arrest and apoptosis-inducing effects, as well as reduced the cellular symmetric arginine dimethylation level of SmD3 protein. Finally, affinity profiling analysis indicated that hydrophobic interactions, π-π stacking and cation-π actions made the major contributions to the overall binding affinity. This scaffold provides a new chemical template for further development of better lead compounds targeting PRMT5.

Total Synthesis of Pulmonarin B and Design of Brominated Phenylacetic Acid/Tacrine Hybrids: Marine Pharmacophore Inspired Discovery of New ChE and Aß Aggregation Inhibitors.

A marine natural product, pulmonarin B (1), and a series of related tacrine hybrid analogues were synthesized and evaluated as cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitors. The in vitro ChE assay results revealed that 1 showed moderate dual acetylcholinesterase (AChE)/ butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibitory activity, while the hybrid 12j proved to be the most potent dual inhibitor among the designed derivatives, being almost as active as tacrine. Molecular modeling studies together with kinetic analysis suggested that 12j interacted with both the catalytic active site and peripheral anionic site of AChE. Compounds 1 and 12j could also inhibit self-induced and AChE-induced Aß aggregation. In addition, the cell-based assay against the human hepatoma cell line (HepG2) revealed that 1 and 12j did not show significant hepatotoxicity compared with tacrine and donepezil. Taken together, the present study confirmed that compound 1 was a potential anti-Alzheimer's disease (AD) hit, and 12j could be highlighted as a multifunctional lead compound for anti-AD drug development.

New Chromones from a Marine-Derived Fungus, Arthrinium sp., and Their Biological Activity.

Five new chromone derivatives, arthones A⁻E (1⁻5), together with eight known biogenetically related cometabolites (6⁻13), were isolated from a deep-sea-derived fungus Arthrinium sp. UJNMF0008. Their structures were assigned by detailed analyses of spectroscopic data, while the absolute configurations of 1 and 5 were established by electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations and that of 2 was determined by modified Mosher ester method. Compounds 3 and 8 exhibited potent antioxidant property with DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities, with IC50 values ranging from 16.9 to 18.7 µM. Meanwhile, no compounds indicated obvious bioactivity in our antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory assays at 50.0 µM.

New Octadecanoid Enantiomers from the Whole Plants of Plantago depressa.

In this study, 19 octadecanoid derivatives-four pairs of enantiomers (1⁻8), two racemic/scalemic mixtures (9⁻10), and nine biosynthetically related analogues-were obtained from the ethanolic extract of a Chinese medicinal plant, Plantago depressa Willd. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analyses, with the absolute configurations of the new compounds assigned by time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT)-based electronic circular dichroism (ECD) calculations. Six of them (1, 3⁻6, and 9) were reported for the first time, while 2, 7, and 8 have been previously described as derivatives and are currently obtained as natural products. Our bioassays have established that selective compounds show in vitro anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide (NO) production in mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells.

Synthesis and Evaluation of New Potential Benzo[a]phenoxazinium Photosensitizers for Anticancer Photodynamic Therapy.

The use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) and development of novel photosensitizers (PSs) for cancer treatment have received more and more attention nowadays. In the present work, five benzo[a]phenoxazinium derivatives have been prepared and evaluated for their in vitro anticancer photodynamic activity for the first time. They are red light absorbers and show low fluorescence quantum yield. Of these compounds, PS4 exhibited a higher quantum yield for reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The assays with cells in vitro showed that PS1 and PS4 were not significantly toxic in the dark, but was robustly toxic against the murine breast adenocarcinoma cells 4T1 and normal murine fibroblast cells NIH-3T3 upon photoactivation. More interestingly, PS5 was particularly selective towards 4T1 cancer cells and nearly non-phototoxic to non-cancerous NIH-3T3 cells. The results described in this report suggest that these new benzo[a]phenoxazinium derivatives are potential candidates as PSs for anticancer PDT. Further investigation of benzo[a]phenoxaziniums for anticancer PDT is warranted.

Clinical Retrospective Analysis of 9 Cases of Intraparotid Facial Nerve Schwannoma.

PURPOSE: The management of intraparotid facial nerve schwannoma (IFNS) is challenging because it is extremely rare and often misdiagnosed as pleomorphic adenoma or another parotid tumor. The purpose of this study was to report on the authors' experience in the treatment of IFNS and to review the literature regarding the diagnosis and management of IFNS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 1997 through October 2015, 916 consecutive parotidectomies were performed at Shenzhen People's Hospital (Shenzhen, China). Of 916 parotid tumors samples, 9 cases of IFNS confirmed by histopathology were identified and analyzed retrospectively. In addition, 161 published cases from 1956 through 2015 were systematically reviewed. RESULTS: Nine cases of IFNS were identified from 916 parotid tumors samples and accounted for 0.98% of all parotid tumors. All these patients with IFNS underwent tumor removal and parotidectomy with preservation of facial nerve (FN) continuity. The mean follow-up period was 6.2 years (range, 1 to 16 yr). Facial function improved gradually from House-Brackmann grade (HBG) II to III immediately postoperatively to HBG I during the subsequent 3 to 9 months in all cases. Tumor recurrence with stylomastoid foramen involvement was observed in 1 case 3 years after surgery. The others remained free of recurrence. Of 161 IFNS cases reported in the literature, 17 cases with facial paresis were found to have intra-temporal involvement, but no facial paresis was found in patients with intraparotid involvement only. CONCLUSIONS: An IFNS is easily misdiagnosed as pleomorphic adenoma or Warthin tumor preoperatively; the correct diagnosis for IFNS depends mainly on intraoperative observation of the gross relation between the tumor and the FN or excision frozen biopsy examination. The integrity of the FN should be preserved for patients with IFNS and without facial paresis, whenever possible.

Cystic metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma presenting as branchial cleft cyst: report of two cases and review of the literature.

PURPOSE: To describe the differential diagnosis between solitary cystic metastatic carcinoma from branchial cleft cyst and provide references for clinicians to treat cystic metastases from primary sites of the head and neck region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two cases of cystic metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) are presented and a review of the relevant English literature on cystic metastasis from head and neck cancer was performed. RESULTS: Two adult patients with a lateral cystic neck mass were initially clinically diagnosed as branchial cleft cysts. Based on the postoperative histopathologic examination and nasopharyngeal blind biopsy, they were finally diagnosed as cystic metastases from occult nasopharyngeal carcinoma. After a review of the literature, diagnostic strategies, histopathologic features, and therapeutic options for cervical cystic metastases were discussed. CONCLUSION: Cervical cystic metastasis of NPC in adults may mimic branchial cleft cyst in clinical, radiological, and even histological features. Surgeons should bear in mind that when lateral neck cysts with characteristics of suspected malignancy are confronted, nasopharynx examination, including blind or random biopsy, is highly recommended before surgery. Metastatic disease should always be considered as a potential differential diagnosis in adult patients with a cystic neck lesion. Correct diagnosis is important so that appropriate surgical and radiotherapeutic treatment can be delivered.

Growth hormone improves insulin resistance in visceral adipose tissue after duodenal-jejunal bypass by regulating adiponectin secretion.

BACKGROUND: The mechanism of improvement of type 2 diabetes after duodenal-jejunal bypass (DJB) surgery is not clear. AIM: To study the morphological and functional changes in adipose tissue after DJB and explore the potential mechanisms contributing to postoperative insulin sensitivity improvement of adipose tissue in a diabetic male rat model. METHODS: DJB and sham surgery was performed in a-high-fat-diet/streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model. All adipose tissue was weighed and observed under microscope. Use inguinal fat to represent subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and mesangial fat to represent visceral adipose tissue. RNA-sequencing was utilized to evaluate gene expression alterations adipocytes. The hematoxylin and eosin staining, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction, western blot, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to study the changes. Insulin resistance was evaluated by immunofluorescence. RESULTS: After DJB, whole body blood glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity in adipose tissue improved. Fat cell volume in both visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and SAT increased. Compared to SAT, VAT showed more significantly functional alterations after DJB and KEGG analysis indicated growth hormone (GH) pathway and downstream adiponectin secretion were involved in metabolic regulation. The circulating GH and adiponectin levels and GH receptor and adiponectin levels in VAT increased. Cytological experiment showed that GH stimulated adiponectin secretion and improve insulin sensitivity. CONCLUSION: GH improves insulin resistance in VAT in male diabetic rats after receiving DJB, possibly by increasing adiponectin secretion.