MOLECULAR MECHANISMS UNDERLYING THE ANTIDIABETIC EFFECTS OF MULINUM SPINOSUM ROOT DECOCTION

BERRUEZO,S; PAVAROTTI, M; ALVAREZ, MS; SCAPINI, C; CREMER, C; CASTRO C

Congreso; XXXIX Reunión Científica Anual de la Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo; 2021

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

An aromatic bitter decoction prepared from the root of Mulinum spinosum, popularly known as “neneo”, is used in traditional medicine as a hypoglycemic agent; however, the molecular mechanisms underline this effect remain unknown. The aim of this work was to analyze whether aqueous extracts from neneo roots enhance insulin sensitivity in vivo experiments. Cytotoxicity was tested in vascular smooth muscle cells using MTT tetrazolium reduction assay, and Glut-4 translocation, as a measure of Insulin Sensitizing, was performed in L6 myoblast cells. As a diabetic animal model, adult male C57BL/6 mice were fed with 20% w/v fructose (Fru) in drinking water combined with 30% w/w high-fat diet (HFD) over a period of 12 weeks. Neneo root extracts (3 or 6 g/kg/day) were administered in drinking water along with Fru-HFD. Mice were weighed weekly, a glucose tolerance test was determined at the end of the treatment period, and adipose tissue was collected after sacrifice. Neneo root extract (0.5-10 mg·mL−1) did not affect cell viability, only higher concentrations (20 and 50 mg·mL−1) significantly reduced 10% fetal calf serum-induced proliferation. Translocation of GLUT4 from the intercellular compartment to the plasma membrane as the surface level of GLUT4myc, was measured by an antibody-coupled assay. In the presence of 25 nM insulin, GLUT4 quantification on the membrane cell of L6 cells was higher than controls (p