Molecular mechanisms of citrus flavanones on hepatic gluconeogenesis.
It is well known that hyperglycaemia is the initiating cause of tissue damage associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus and that enhanced hepatic gluconeogenesis may account for the increase in blood glucose levels. The purpose of this work was to investigate the possible actions and mechanisms of three related citrus flavanones, namely hesperidin, hesperetin and naringenin, on hepatic gluconeogenesis and related parameters using isolated perfused rat liver. Hesperetin and naringenin (but not hesperidin) inhibited gluconeogenesis from lactate plus pyruvate, alanine and dihydroxyacetone. The inhibitory effects of these flavanones on gluconeogenesis from lactate and pyruvate (hesperetin IC50 75.6 μM; naringenin IC50 85.5 μM) as well as from alanine were considerably more pronounced than those from dihydroxyacetone. The main cause of gluconeogenesis inhibition is the reduction of pyruvate carboxylation by hesperetin (IC50 134.2 μM) and naringenin (IC50 143.5 μM) via inhibition of pyruvate transport into the mitochondria. Secondary causes are likely inhibition of energy metabolism, diversion of glucose 6-phosphate for glucuronidation reactions and oxidation of NADH by flavanone phenoxyl radicals. The influence of the structural differences between hesperetin and naringenin on their metabolic effects was negligible. Analytical evidence indicated that the presence of a rutinoside moiety in hesperidin noticeably decreases its metabolic effects, confirming that hesperetin and naringenin interact with intracellular enzymes and mitochondrial or cellular membranes better than hesperidin. Thus, the inhibition of the gluconeogenic pathway by citrus flavanones, which was similar to that of the drug metformin, may represent an attractive novel treatment strategy for type 2 diabetes.
Department of Biochemistry, Laboratory of Liver Metabolism, University of Maringá, 87020900 Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. Electronic address: rrconstantin@hotmail.com.
Rodrigo Polimeni
RP
Constantin
Department of Biochemistry, Laboratory of Liver Metabolism, University of Maringá, 87020900 Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. Electronic address: rpconstantin@yahoo.com.
Renato Polimeni
RP
Constantin
Department of Biochemistry, Laboratory of Liver Metabolism, University of Maringá, 87020900 Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. Electronic address: abracht@uem.br.
Adelar
A
Bracht
Department of Biochemistry, Laboratory of Liver Metabolism, University of Maringá, 87020900 Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. Electronic address: nsyamamoto@uem.br.
Nair Seiko
NS
Yamamoto
Department of Biochemistry, Laboratory of Liver Metabolism, University of Maringá, 87020900 Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. Electronic address: eliiwamoto@uem.br.
Emy Luiza
EL
Ishii-Iwamoto
Department of Biochemistry, Laboratory of Liver Metabolism, University of Maringá, 87020900 Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. Electronic address: jconstantin@uem.br.
Jorgete
J
Constantin
D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002957:Citrus / Q000737:chemistry*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D044950:Flavanones / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005943:Gluconeogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D005947:Glucose / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006569:Hesperidin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019289:Pyruvic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
D044950:Flavanones; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts; D019289:Pyruvic Acid; D006569:Hesperidin; C005273:naringenin; D005947:Glucose; C013015:hesperetin
Citrus flavanones; Gluconeogenesis; Glycolysis; Hesperetin (PubChem CID: 72281); Hesperidin (PubChem CID: 10621); Liver perfusion; Naringenin (PubChem CID: 439246); Oxygen uptake; Ureagenesis