RN, A. R. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2023

An Anti-diabetic Nutraceutical enhances muscle cell glucose uptake of cardiometabolic drugs

Type 2 diabetes is currently treated by multiple drugs that are often combined to achieve maximum blood glucose lowering in patients. Yet more than 50% of patients are unable to attain target glucose levels. There is clear need for agents which can be added to current drugs to help patients achieve their target blood glucose levels safely. To this end we tested an anti-diabetic nutraceutical for its ability to enhance glucose uptake in muscle cells in combination with currently used cardiometabolic drugs. We show here that the nutraceutical is able to effectively improve glucose uptake of multiple drugs suggesting that it may help in enhancement of glucose lowering by the drugs in patients and achieve optimal glucose levels.

pharmacology and toxicology↗

bioRxiv2022

Suppression of insulin stimulated muscle glucose uptake by non-caloric sweetener sucralose and its reversal by an antidiabetic nutraceutical supplement

Non caloric sweeteners (NCS) have been used for decades now as sugar substitutes in foods and beverages. The market for such products has grown immensely over time. There are human studies which report their negative effects on glucose metabolism with various results of disturbances in glucose metabolism, weight gain etc. No studies to the best of our knowledge have directly addressed the impact of the NCS on muscle glucose uptake. Muscle tissue can account for over 70 percent of whole-body glucose uptake. Therefore, we examined directly the effect of NCS on muscle cell glucose uptake. We find that aspartame moderately increased insulin stimulated glucose uptake by muscle cells in vitro. But sucralose, saccharin and stevia suppressed insulin stimulated glucose uptake. Sucralose is one of the most often used sweetener in foods and beverages globally it is important to understand its effects on glucose metabolism. Therefore, we explored the mechanism of its inhibition of glucose uptake by using an anti-diabetic nutraceutical which is known to target insulin mediated glucose uptake and metabolism pathways. We show here that the nutraceutical is able to relieve the suppression by sucrose in muscle uptake by a novel mechanism of action. We propose that such nutraceuticals may be useful to combine with sucralose containing products to offset negative effects of the NCS on glucose metabolism.

pharmacology and toxicology↗