Project description:To determine the genes potentially responsible for the lactate-mediated gene expression regulation in hepatocellular carcinoma, we performed RNA-seq analyses on parental HepG2, HepG2/metR and oxamate-treated HepG2/metR cells. To gain mechanistic insights into the lactate-induced pro-migratory phenotypes, we established a cell model that acquired a resistance to metformin while producing lactate at a high level by selecting HepG2 cells that survived a chronic exposure to metformin for more than 5 months (HepG2/metR). In HepG2/metR cells, glycolysis rates were increased by more than 3 folds compared with parental cells, and consequently, lactate production was also highly enhanced. To clarify the gene expression regulation between the lactate level in the HepG2/metR model, we treated the cells with oxamate, an inhibitor of lactate dehydrogenase, and found that it significantly. Using a 2-fold change cut-off value in transcriptome, we selected 1,757 genes significantly up-regulated in HepG2/metR vs parental HepG2 cells. 690 genes were down-regulated by oxamate treatment in HepG2/metR cells. Eventually, we selected 136 genes that are common in the two gene sets, which may directly respond to lactate signaling
Project description:Objective: To study the effect of astragalus polysaccharide combined with metformin on mRNA expression profile of type 2 diabetic mice, and to explore the molecular mechanism of astragalus polysaccharide combined with metformin in the treatment of type 2 aging diabetes. Methods: Natural aging mice were induced by high-sugar and high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin to prepare aging diabetes model. The experimental mice were divided into aging control group, aging diabetes model group, metformin treatment group, astragalus polysaccharide and metformin. The treatment group was treated with gavage for 60 consecutive days. Immunohistochemical detection of insulin levels in pancreatic tissue of each group of mice, serum insulin levels were measured by mouse insulin kit to observe the treatment of aging diabetes and astragalus polysaccharide combined with metformin; using Agilent mouse whole gene expression profile chip The mRNA expression changes of liver tissues in each group were analyzed, and the differential genes were screened by bioinformatics tools and the differential genes and signal pathways were enriched and analyzed. Results: Compared with the aging group, the insulin and insulin antibody levels in the model group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the insulin and insulin antibody levels in the two treatment groups increased (P<0.05), and jaundice The level of polysaccharide in combination with metformin was significantly higher than that in metformin group (P<0.05). The differential gene analysis of the chip showed that there were 5617 differential genes in the aging diabetes model group, 3131 were up-regulated, and 2486 were down-regulated; the Astragalus polysaccharide combined with metformin treatment group had 4767 differential genes, compared with the aging diabetes model group. 2143 up-regulated, 2624 down-regulated, genes with significant differences were mainly involved in protease activity and drug metabolism, and significantly enriched into 33 signaling pathways (P<0.01). Conclusion: The gene regulatory network plays an important role in the intervention of Astragalus polysaccharides and metformin in the treatment of aging type 2 diabetes.
Project description:Objective: To study the effect of astragalus polysaccharide combined with metformin on mRNA expression profile of type 2 diabetic mice, and to explore the molecular mechanism of astragalus polysaccharide combined with metformin in the treatment of type 2 aging diabetes. Methods: Natural aging mice were induced by high-sugar and high-fat diet combined with streptozotocin to prepare aging diabetes model. The experimental mice were divided into aging control group, aging diabetes model group, metformin treatment group, astragalus polysaccharide and metformin. The treatment group was treated with gavage for 60 consecutive days. Immunohistochemical detection of insulin levels in pancreatic tissue of each group of mice, serum insulin levels were measured by mouse insulin kit to observe the treatment of aging diabetes and astragalus polysaccharide combined with metformin; using Agilent mouse whole gene expression profile chip The mRNA expression changes of liver tissues in each group were analyzed, and the differential genes were screened by bioinformatics tools and the differential genes and signal pathways were enriched and analyzed. Results: Compared with the aging group, the insulin and insulin antibody levels in the model group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the insulin and insulin antibody levels in the two treatment groups increased (P<0.05), and jaundice The level of polysaccharide in combination with metformin was significantly higher than that in metformin group (P<0.05). The differential gene analysis of the chip showed that there were 5617 differential genes in the aging diabetes model group, 3131 were up-regulated, and 2486 were down-regulated; the Astragalus polysaccharide combined with metformin treatment group had 4767 differential genes, compared with the aging diabetes model group. 2143 up-regulated, 2624 down-regulated, genes with significant differences were mainly involved in protease activity and drug metabolism, and significantly enriched into 33 signaling pathways (P<0.01). Conclusion: The gene regulatory network plays an important role in the intervention of Astragalus polysaccharides and metformin in the treatment of aging type 2 diabetes.
Project description:To further understand the pharmacological properties of imeglimin, we here investigated the effects of imeglimin in hepatocytes and compared those with metformin. We investigated the genes expression in the cultured human hepatoma HepG2 cells by RNA-seq. HepG2 cells were stimulated with 0.25 mM, 3 mM metformin or imeglimin, or 1 mM AICAR, or vehicle alone for 12 h.
Project description:Statins protect against the development of atherosclerosis via cholesterol-dependent and –independent mechanisms. Understanding the molecular mechanisms mediating simvastatin induced atheroprotective effects is critical for designing anti-atherosclerotic agents. Here, we showed that simvastatin decreases the expression of the Polycomb methyltransferase EZH2 in endothelial cells. To better understand the influence of the simvastatin-induced EZH2 downregulation on endothelial transcriptome, we performed RNA-sequencing study to evaluate differential gene expression after overexpression of EZH2 in the presence of simvastatin treatment. We found simvastatin treatment altered a subset of genes that can be rescued with EZH2 overexpression. Therefore, simvastatin treated endothelial cells display an atheroprotective phenotype by downregulating EZH2.
Project description:Metformin is a kind of widely used antidiabetic agent, which regulates glucose homeostasis through inhibiting liver glucose production and increasing glucose uptake in muscle. Recent studies suggest that metformin exhibits anticancer properties in a variety of cancers. Although several antitumor mechanisms have been proposed for metformin action, its mode of action in human liver cancer remains not elucidated. In our study we investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms of metformin’s antitumor effect on Huh-7 cells of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in vitro. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed to explore the effect of metformin on the transcriptome of Huh-7 cells. The results revealed that 4518 genes (with log2 fold change>1 or < -1, p-adjusted value<0.05) were differentially expressed in Huh-7 cells with treatment of 25mM metformin compared to 0mM metformin including 1812 up-regulated and 2706 down-regulated genes. Gene ontology and KEGG pathway analyses identified 54 classical pathways which were significantly enriched, and 16 pathways are closely associated with cancer, such as cell cycle, DNA replication, ECM-receptor interaction and so on. We selected 11 differentially expressed genes, which are closely associated with HCC to validate their differential expressions through quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). The result exhibited that the genes of FASN, MCM6, MCM5, MARCKS, FADS2, CXCL1, BMP4, SKP2, KNG1, PCNA were down-regulated and DUSP1 is significantly up-regulated in Huh-7 cells with treatment of 25mM metformin. These differentially expressed genes and pathways might play a crucial part in the antitumor effect of metformin, and might be potential targets of metformin treating HCC. Further investigations are required to evaluate the metformin mechanisms of anti-cancer action in vivo.
Project description:Metformin is a well tolerated and often prescribed treatment for type 2 diabetes. However, the effect of metformin on gene expression in endothelial cells remains unknown. We used RNA-seq to profile gene expression in primary human aortic endothelial cells stimulated with metformin in normoglycaemic and hyperglycaemic conditions. We identified novel pathways in hyperglycaemic endothelial cells that may be involved in the development of endothelial dysfunction. Hyperglycaemic endothelial cells expressed interferon-response pathway genes such as MX1 and IFI27. Transcription factor analysis implicates the activation of STAT1 and IRF1. Co-treatment of hyperglycaemic cells with metformin prevented glucose-dependent changes in gene expression, including interferon response genes. Indeed, the effects of metformin in endothelial cells were dependent on glucose levels. In normoglycaemic cells, metformin subtly regulated changes in gene expression. In contrast, metformin was strongly associated with the reversal of gene expression changes induced by hyperglycaemia.
Project description:Purpose: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized systems-based analysis of cellular pathways. The goals of this study are to determine the differentially expressed genes of osteogenic differentiation after treatment with metformin by using NGS-derived transcriptome profiling (RNA-seq) Methods: Osteogenic mRNA profiles of MC3T3-E1 cells treated in osteogenic medium and in osteogenic medium with metformin, in triplicate, using Illumina instrument. Results: Using an optimized data analysis workflow, the data reveals 1946 up-regulated and 1544 down-regulated genes after metformin treatment. Conclusions: Our study represents the first detailed analysis of osteogenic transcriptomes after metformin treatment, with biologic replicates, generated by RNA-seq technology. We conclude that RNA-seq based transcriptome characterization would contribute the target prediction and drug discovery.
Project description:<p class='ql-align-justify'>Several studies indicated anti-cancer effects of metformin in liver cancer. This was attributed to the activation of LKB-AMPK axis, which is associated with anti-hyperglycaemic effect and cytotoxicity. However, glucose- and central carbon-independent effects of metformin and their reversibility remain unexplored. The dose-dependent effects of metformin on HepG2 cells were examined in presence and absence of glucose. The longitudinal evolution of metabolome was analyzed along with gene and protein expression as well as their correlations with and reversibility of cellular phenotype and metabolic signatures. Metformin concentrations ≤2.5mM were found to be non-cytotoxic but anti-proliferative irrespective of presence of glucose. Mitochondrial impairment along with derangement of one-carbon, glutathione and polyamine metabolism was associated with non-cytotoxic metformin treatment irrespective of glucose supplementation. Depletion of pantothenic acid, upregulation of fatty acid desaturation and downregulation of essential amino acid uptake, metabolism and purine salvage were identified as novel glucose-independent effects of metformin. These were significantly correlated with cMyc expression and reduction in proliferation. Rescue experiments established reversibility upon metformin withdrawal and tight association between proliferation, metabotype and cMyc expression. Taken together, derangement of novel glucose-independent pathways and concomitant cMyc downregulation coordinately contribute to anti-proliferative effect, which is reversible and may influence therapeutic utility of metformin.</p>