Potential molecular mechanisms underlying the ameliorative effect of Cola nitida (Vent.) Schott & Endl. on insulin resistance in rat skeletal muscles.

Oct 09, 2023

Contributors: Ochuko L Erukainure,Olajumoke A Oyebode,Anil A Chuturgoon,Terisha Ghazi,Aliyu Muhammad,Aimen Aljoundi,Ghazi Elamin,Chika I Chukwuma,Md Shahidul Islam

Cola nitida (Vent.) Schott & Endl. are among the common medicinal plants employed in traditional medicine for treating diabetes and its complications.
The present study investigated the effect of Cola nitida infusion on the expression of key genes involved in insulin signaling vis-à-vis Insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1), tumor protein P53 gene, glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4), phosphoinositide 3-kinases (PI3K) and B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2) in skeletal muscles of type 2 diabetic (T2D) rats.
T2D rats were administered C. nitida infusion at low and high doses (150 and 300 mg/kg bodyweight, respectively), while a high dose of the infusion was administered to a normal toxicological group. Metformin served as the standard antidiabetic drug. The rats were sacrificed at the end of the experimental period. Their psoas muscles were harvested and assayed for the expressions of IRS1, P53, GLUT4, PI3K and BCL2. The studied genes were further subjected to enrichment analysis using the ShinyGO 0.76 online software.
Induction of T2D upregulated the expressions of IRS-1, p53, PI3K and BCL2 in psoas muscles, while concomitantly downregulating GLUT4 expression. These expressions were significantly reversed in T2D rats treated with C. nitida infusion, and statistically significant compared to metformin. Gene enrichment analysis revealed the genes were linked to intrinsic pathways and biological processes involved in insulin resistance. The infusion further improved muscle glucose uptake, ex vivo. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics stimulation of C. nitida infusion phytoconstituents, caffeine and theobromine with IRS-1, P53, GLUT4, PI3K and BCL2 revealed a strong binding affinity as evident by the RMSD and RMSF values.
These results indicate the potentials of C. nitida infusion to improve glucose homeostasis in skeletal muscles of diabetic rats.

Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.

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ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTORS

Ochuko L Erukainure,Olajumoke A Oyebode,Anil A Chuturgoon,Terisha Ghazi,Aliyu Muhammad,Aimen Aljoundi,Ghazi Elamin,Chika I Chukwuma,Md Shahidul Islam
Ochuko L Erukainure

Department of Biochemistry, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Durban, 4000, South Africa.

Olajumoke A Oyebode

Department of Biochemistry, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Durban, 4000, South Africa.

Anil A Chuturgoon

Discipline of Medical Biochemistry and Chemical Pathology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Howard College Campus), Durban, 4000, South Africa.

Terisha Ghazi

Discipline of Medical Biochemistry and Chemical Pathology, School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Howard College Campus), Durban, 4000, South Africa.

Aliyu Muhammad

Center for Cancer Research, Department of Biology, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL, 36088, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, P.M.B. 1044, Nigeria.

Aimen Aljoundi

School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, 4001, South Africa.

Ghazi Elamin

School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Westville Campus, Durban, 4001, South Africa.

Chika I Chukwuma

Center for Quality of Health and Living, Faculty of Health Sciences, Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein, 9301, South Africa.

Md Shahidul Islam

Department of Biochemistry, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Westville Campus), Durban, 4000, South Africa. Electronic address: islamd@ukzn.ac.za.