Cornus Officinalis Significantly Improves Oxidative Capacity and Promotes the Calcium-Dependent Transcription Factor, NFATC2, in Human 1.1B4 Pancreatic Cell Line

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease resulting in the destruction of pancreatic β cells (β-cells) and subsequent loss of insulin production. The only treatment for T1D is using exogenous insulin coupled with continual glucose monitoring following significant autoimmune destruction of β-cells. Novel interventional therapies are needed that can preserve and protect existing pancreatic β cells in individuals with early identified T1D autoimmunity. Our initial in-vitro evidence indicates Cornus officinalis (CO) may be able to serve in this function. What sets ethnopharmacology apart from conventional medicine is the simultaneous targeting of multiple mechanisms using a single herb due to the composition of numerous bioactive ingredients. CO has been used in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) for over 2 millennia for the therapeutic effect of improved glucose tolerance and has also demonstrated efficacy in animal models but rarely examined in the context of T1D. We hypothesize that CO treatment may provide a β cell restorative and protective therapy for T1D and inhibit progressive cytokine-mediated β cell loss while enhancing existing β cells. Our preliminary evidence demonstrated a dose-dependent exposure of 1.1B4 cells to CO increased proliferation and protected against cytokine-induced cell death. We examined the metabolic effect of CO using the Agilent Seahorse XF Analyzer and at a two-hour time point there was a remarkable increase in maximal respiratory and glycolytic capacity following CO treatment. However, the molecular mechanism in which CO is inducing a proliferative and metabolic effect in 1.1B4 cells has not been elucidated. Therefore, we employed transcriptomics by RNA-Seq to analyze the early initiators of this increased metabolic effect. Our strongest and most significantly differentially expressed transcript was calcium-dependent transcription factor, NFATc. Expression of NFATc was validated by qPCR, which displayed a 2-fold increase in gene expression. NFATc is an essential transcription factor for β cell proliferation, endocrine function, and insulin secretion and may be a mediator of CO induced biological effects. Lastly, to date, 300 compounds have been elucidated from CO; therefore we wanted to analyze the components within our CO extracts via HPLC/MS in order to elucidate the bioactive ingredients. We found over 300 compounds, and of those, we found known bioactive ingredients such as, loganin and morroniside, while also finding novel extracts with potential bioactive properties. Altogether, CO increased β cell metabolism while inducing the NFAT pathway to signal for increased proliferation and endocrine function. Further experiments will examine the anti-diabetic effects of individual CO constituents that were identified via HPLC/MS, and the full molecular mechanism related to the NFAT signaling pathway

Cornus Officinalis Significantly Improves Oxidative Capacity and Promotes the Calcium-Dependent Transcription Factor, NFATC2, in Human 1.1B4 Pancreatic Cell Line

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease resulting in the destruction of pancreatic β cells (β-cells) and subsequent loss of insulin production. The only treatment for T1D is using exogenous insulin coupled with continual glucose monitoring following significant autoimmune destruction of β-cells. Novel interventional therapies are needed that can preserve and protect existing pancreatic β cells in individuals with early identified T1D autoimmunity. Our initial in-vitro evidence indicates Cornus officinalis (CO) may be able to serve in this function. What sets ethnopharmacology apart from conventional medicine is the simultaneous targeting of multiple mechanisms using a single herb due to the composition of numerous bioactive ingredients. CO has been used in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) for over 2 millennia for the therapeutic effect of improved glucose tolerance and has also demonstrated efficacy in animal models but rarely examined in the context of T1D. We hypothesize that CO treatment may provide a β cell restorative and protective therapy for T1D and inhibit progressive cytokine-mediated β cell loss while enhancing existing β cells. Our preliminary evidence demonstrated a dose-dependent exposure of 1.1B4 cells to CO increased proliferation and protected against cytokine-induced cell death. We examined the metabolic effect of CO using the Agilent Seahorse XF Analyzer and at a two-hour time point there was a remarkable increase in maximal respiratory and glycolytic capacity following CO treatment. However, the molecular mechanism in which CO is inducing a proliferative and metabolic effect in 1.1B4 cells has not been elucidated. Therefore, we employed transcriptomics by RNA-Seq to analyze the early initiators of this increased metabolic effect. Our strongest and most significantly differentially expressed transcript was calcium-dependent transcription factor, NFATc. Expression of NFATc was validated by qPCR, which displayed a 2-fold increase in gene expression. NFATc is an essential transcription factor for β cell proliferation, endocrine function, and insulin secretion and may be a mediator of CO induced biological effects. Lastly, to date, 300 compounds have been elucidated from CO; therefore we wanted to analyze the components within our CO extracts via HPLC/MS in order to elucidate the bioactive ingredients. We found over 300 compounds, and of those, we found known bioactive ingredients such as, loganin and morroniside, while also finding novel extracts with potential bioactive properties. Altogether, CO increased β cell metabolism while inducing the NFAT pathway to signal for increased proliferation and endocrine function. Further experiments will examine the anti-diabetic effects of individual CO constituents that were identified via HPLC/MS, and the full molecular mechanism related to the NFAT signaling pathway

Hepatic SILAC proteomic data from PANDER transgenic model

This article contains raw and processed data related to research published in “Quantitative Proteomic Profiling Reveals Hepatic Lipogenesis and Liver X Receptor Activation in the PANDER Transgenic Model” (M.G. Athanason, W.A. Ratliff, D. Chaput, C.B. MarElia, M.N. Kuehl, S.M., Jr. Stevens, B.R. Burkhardt (2016)) [1], and was generated by “spike-in” SILAC-based proteomic analysis of livers obtained from the PANcreatic-Derived factor (PANDER) transgenic mouse (PANTG) under various metabolic conditions [1]. The mass spectrometry output of the PANTG and wild-type B6SJLF mice liver tissue and resulting proteome search from MaxQuant 1.2.2.5 employing the Andromeda search algorithm against the UniprotKB reference database for Mus musculus has been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium (http://www.proteomexchange.org) via the PRIDE partner repository with dataset identifiers PRIDE: PXD004171 and doi:10.6019/PXD004171. Protein ratio values representing PANTG/wild-type obtained by MaxQuant analysis were input into the Perseus processing suite to determine statistical significance using the Significance A outlier test (p<0.05). Differentially expressed proteins using this approach were input into Ingenuity Pathway Analysis to determined altered pathways and upstream regulators that were altered in PANTG mice

Cornus Officinalis Promotes IGFBP2 and Autophagy in Human 1.1B4 Pancreatic Cell Line as Revealed by Employing a Global Proteomic Approach via Mass Spectrometry

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results in the loss of pancreatic beta cells and subsequent loss of insulin production. Exogenous insulin is the only effective treatment, but there is still no cure or interventional therapy available to inhibit progression of T1D. Successful T1D interventional therapy must protect pancreatic beta cells from autoimmunity while enhancing beta cell survival and function. Our data suggests Cornus officinalis (CO) may be a candidate for interventional therapy to protect pancreatic beta cells from autoimmune attack and increase their function. CO has been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for over 2,000 years and has shown characteristics of anti-diabetic effects in vitro and in vivo but never examined in the application of T1D. Our prior publication (Mol. and Cell. Endo.2019:494:110491), has shown increased proliferation and protection against Th1 cytokine attack upon CO treatment using a human pancreatic beta cell line, 1.1B4. From this, we sought to define precise molecular mechanism by employing a global and phosphorylation mass spectrometry (MS) approach. We applied CO to 1.1B4 cells for 2, 6, 12, and 24h then collected the cell lysates for MS analysis. Our global MS analysis revealed a 12-fold increase in beta cell functional regulator, IGFBP2, at multiple time points. IGFBP2 has been shown to display a T2D protective effect and regulate glucose metabolism. The ingenuity pathway analysis program (IPA) predicted an increase in insulin starting at 2h and the NRF2-mediated oxidative stress pathway at 12h and 24h. Furthermore, NRF2 is an upstream regulator of P62 which was significantly hyperphosphorylated at multiple timepoints from our MS analysis. Nrf2 is responsible for activating antioxidant enzymes upon oxidative stress, which is caused by proinflammatory cytokines in T1D. P62 aids in this pathway by targeting proteins for autophagy upon oxidative stress in order to keep cellular homeostasis within beta cells rather than cells progressing through apoptosis. Autophagy is critical for beta cell function and survival as it promotes survival under beta cell stress which would otherwise lead to cell death. The recovery and protection of autophagy in beta cells of patients in the pre-diagnosed stages of T1D could provide a beneficial interventional therapy in order to delay or inhibit the onset of T1D. Altogether, our proteomic analysis revealed an increase in IGFBP2 and predicted an increase in the NRf2-mediated oxidative stress pathway upon CO induction. Further analysis will examine the IGFBP2 and Nrf2-mediated oxidative pathway as a mechanism of CO induced protective and proliferative effects in pancreatic beta cells

Cornus Officinalis Promotes IGFBP2 and Autophagy in Human 1.1B4 Pancreatic Cell Line as Revealed by Employing a Global Proteomic Approach via Mass Spectrometry

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results in the loss of pancreatic beta cells and subsequent loss of insulin production. Exogenous insulin is the only effective treatment, but there is still no cure or interventional therapy available to inhibit progression of T1D. Successful T1D interventional therapy must protect pancreatic beta cells from autoimmunity while enhancing beta cell survival and function. Our data suggests Cornus officinalis (CO) may be a candidate for interventional therapy to protect pancreatic beta cells from autoimmune attack and increase their function. CO has been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for over 2,000 years and has shown characteristics of anti-diabetic effects in vitro and in vivo but never examined in the application of T1D. Our prior publication (Mol. and Cell. Endo.2019:494:110491), has shown increased proliferation and protection against Th1 cytokine attack upon CO treatment using a human pancreatic beta cell line, 1.1B4. From this, we sought to define precise molecular mechanism by employing a global and phosphorylation mass spectrometry (MS) approach. We applied CO to 1.1B4 cells for 2, 6, 12, and 24h then collected the cell lysates for MS analysis. Our global MS analysis revealed a 12-fold increase in beta cell functional regulator, IGFBP2, at multiple time points. IGFBP2 has been shown to display a T2D protective effect and regulate glucose metabolism. The ingenuity pathway analysis program (IPA) predicted an increase in insulin starting at 2h and the NRF2-mediated oxidative stress pathway at 12h and 24h. Furthermore, NRF2 is an upstream regulator of P62 which was significantly hyperphosphorylated at multiple timepoints from our MS analysis. Nrf2 is responsible for activating antioxidant enzymes upon oxidative stress, which is caused by proinflammatory cytokines in T1D. P62 aids in this pathway by targeting proteins for autophagy upon oxidative stress in order to keep cellular homeostasis within beta cells rather than cells progressing through apoptosis. Autophagy is critical for beta cell function and survival as it promotes survival under beta cell stress which would otherwise lead to cell death. The recovery and protection of autophagy in beta cells of patients in the pre-diagnosed stages of T1D could provide a beneficial interventional therapy in order to delay or inhibit the onset of T1D. Altogether, our proteomic analysis revealed an increase in IGFBP2 and predicted an increase in the NRf2-mediated oxidative stress pathway upon CO induction. Further analysis will examine the IGFBP2 and Nrf2-mediated oxidative pathway as a mechanism of CO induced protective and proliferative effects in pancreatic beta cells

Oral gavage delivery of Cornus officinalis extract delays type 1 diabetes onset and hyperglycemia in non‐obese diabetic (NOD) mice

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease initiated by genetic predisposition and environmental influences, which result in the specific destruction of insulin‐producing pancreatic β‐cells. Currently, there are over 1.6 million cases of T1D in the United States with a worldwide incidence rate that has been increasing since 1990. Here, we examined the effect of Cornus officinalis (CO), a well‐known ethnopharmacological agent, on a T1D model of the non‐obese diabetic (NOD) mouse. A measured dose of CO extract was delivered into 10‐week‐old NOD mice by oral gavage for 15 weeks. T1D incidence and hyperglycemia were significantly lower in the CO‐treated group as compared to the water gavage (WT) and a no handling or treatment control group (NHT) following treatment. T1D onset per group was 30%, 60% and 86% for the CO, WT and NHT groups, respectively. Circulating C‐peptide was higher, and pancreatic insulitis was decreased in non‐T1D CO‐treated mice. Our findings suggest that CO may have therapeutic potential as both a safe and effective interventional agent to slow early stage T1D progression

Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, Matrix-Metalloproteinases 8 and 9 Levels in the Saliva Are Associated with Increased Hemoglobin A1c in Type 1 Diabetes Subjects.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease resulting in the targeted destruction of pancreatic β-cells and permanent loss of insulin production. Proper glucose management results in better clinical outcomes for T1D and provides a strong rationale to identify non-invasive biomarkers indicative or predictive of glycemic control. Therefore, we investigated the association of salivary inflammation with HbA1c in a T1D cohort.Unstimulated saliva was collected from 144 subjects with T1D at the USF Diabetes Center. BMI, duration of diabetes, and HbA1c were recorded during clinical visit. Levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, -6, -8, -10, IFN-γ, TNF-α, MMP-3, -8, and -9 were measured using multiplexing immunoassay analysis. To account for smoking status, salivary cotinine levels were also determined.Multiple linear (HbA1c) and logistic (self-reported gingival condition) regression analyses were performed to examine the relationships between the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) components and HbA1c and gingival condition (adjusted for age, duration of diabetes, BMI, and sex; model for HbA1c also adjusted for gingival condition and model for gingival condition also adjusted for HbA1c). PCA components 1 (MMP-8 and MMP-9) and 3 (TNF-α) were significantly associated with HbA1c (β = 0.28 ±0.14, p = 0.045; β = 0.31 ±0.14, p = 0.029), while PCA component 2 (IL-6, IL-1β, and IL-8) was significantly associated with gingival condition (OR 1.60 95% CI 1.09-2.34, p = 0.016). In general, increased salivary inflammatory burden is associated with decreased glycemic control and self-reported gingival condition.The saliva may represent a useful reservoir of novel noninvasive inflammatory biomarkers predictive of the progression and control of T1D

\u3cem\u3eAnemarrhena asphodeloides\u3c/em\u3e Bunge and its Constituent Timosaponin‐AIII induce Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in Pancreatic Cancer Cells

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most recalcitrant and lethal of all cancers. We examined the effects of Anemarrhena asphodeloides (AA) and timosaponin‐AIII (TAIII), a steroidal saponin present in AA, on pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and aimed to elucidate their potential apoptotic mechanisms of action. Viability assays and cell cycle analysis revealed that both AA and TAIII significantly inhibited pancreatic cancer cell proliferation and cell cycle progression compared to treatment with gemcitabine, the standard chemotherapeutic agent for advanced pancreatic cancer. We identified a dose‐dependent increase in caspase‐dependent apoptosis and activation of pro‐apoptotic PI3K/Akt pathway proteins, with a subsequent downregulation of pro‐survival PI3K/Akt pathway proteins, in pancreatic cancer cells treated with AA or TAIII over those treated with gemcitabine