title: The protective effects and genetic pathways of thorn grape seeds oil against high glucose-induced apoptosis in pancreatic β-cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Excessive apoptosis of β-cell is closely related to diabetes mellitus. Chronic exposure to high glucose causes β-cell dysfunction and apoptosis in diabetes. Thorn grape (Vitis davidii Foex.) has been used to treat diabetes in Traditional Chinese medicine for many years. In our previous research, thorn grape seeds oil (TGSO) showed promising anti-diabetic effects in animal models. However, it is unknown whether TGSO played an anti-apoptotic role in the anti-diabetic effects and the mechanism regarding signal transduction pathway is unclear either.
  
  
  METHODS
  The rattus pancreatic β-cell line RIN-m5F was treated with/without TGSO which was extracted by supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) fluid extraction and analyzed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). Cell apoptosis was detected by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), insulin secretion was assayed by Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), and the apoptosis-related genes expressions were evaluated by quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  TGSO, containing 87.02% unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs), significantly reduced pancreatic β-cell apoptosis and protected the insulin secretion impaired by high glucose. The expressions of pro-apoptotic genes such as iNOS, Caspase-3, ATF-3, JNK, p38 and Fas were down-regulated while the anti-apoptotic genes Akt and Bcl-2/Bax were up-regulated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicated that TGSO protected β-cells from high glucose-induced apoptosis and its protective activity may be linked to mitochondrial pathway, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway and Fas signal pathway, which implied that TGSO might be an effective complementary or alternative medicine to reduce β-cell apoptosis and dysfunction.
authors.forename: Xihu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Xincong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Luman
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Crop Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, Hunan 410128, P, R, China. chinasaga@163.com.
authors.forename: Dongbo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D002460:Cell Line; D059865:Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000494:pharmacology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D056604:Grape Seed Extract / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D027843:Vitis; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D056604:Grape Seed Extract; D007328:Insulin; D010938:Plant Oils; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D019014:fas Receptor; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D005947:Glucose