title: Triterpenoid saponins from Stauntonia chinensis ameliorate insulin resistance via the AMP-activated protein kinase and IR/IRS-1/PI3K/Akt pathways in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells.
abstract: Inflammation and oxidative stress play crucial roles in the etiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In this study, we examined the anti-diabetic effects of triterpenoid saponins extracted from Stauntonia chinensis on stimulating glucose uptake by insulin-resistant human HepG2 cells. The results showed that saponin 6 significantly increased glucose uptake and glucose catabolism. Saponin 6 also enhanced the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and activated the insulin receptor (IR)/insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1)/phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway. Therefore, our results suggest that saponins from S. chinensis improve glucose uptake and catabolism in hepatic cells by stimulating the AMPK and the IR/IRS-1/PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. The results also imply that saponins from S. chinensis can enhance glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity, representing a promising treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Natural Products Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, South Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China. huxin5540@126.com.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Natural Products Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, South Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China. shaqueen@sina.com.
authors.forename: Sha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Natural Products Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, South Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China. xuj@mail.scuec.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Natural Products Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, South Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China. biner70@sina.com.
authors.forename: De-Bing
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Chemistry and Material Sciences, South Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China. chenyuwh888@126.com.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Natural Products Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, South Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan 430074, China. yanggz888@126.com.
authors.forename: Guang-Zhong
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006593:Hexokinase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D055504:Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D011770:Pyruvate Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D011972:Receptor, Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D012503:Saponins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000633:toxicity*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D057949:Streptophyta / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D014315:Triterpenes / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: C526292:IRS1 protein, human; D055504:Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins; D012503:Saponins; D014315:Triterpenes; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D006593:Hexokinase; D011770:Pyruvate Kinase; D011972:Receptor, Insulin; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases