Dehydrotrametenolic acid sensitize animal models of Non-Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus to insulin

我们最近发现了具有胰岛素增敏剂功能的三萜酸化合物--脱氢曲烯醇酸。这一天然产物是从我国著名中药材--茯苓属植物干燥菌核中分离得到的，在体外具有激活PPARγ和促进脂肪细胞分化的作用。我们研究了脱氢曲烯醇酸对肥胖高血糖db/db小鼠血糖浓度的影响。糖耐量试验结果表明，脱氢曲烯醇酸可降低非胰岛素依赖型糖尿病(NIDDM)小鼠模型的高血糖，并具有胰岛素增敏剂的作用。这些萜类和噻唑烷类抗糖尿病药物，如西格列酮，虽然在结构上不相关，但它们在生物活性上有许多共同的特征：都可以诱导脂肪转化，在体外激活PPARγ，并降低糖尿病动物模型的高血糖。脱氢曲烯醇酸是一种很有前途的新型胰岛素增敏药物。这一发现对开发非噻唑烷型胰岛素增敏剂具有重要意义。

We have recently identified the triterpene acid compound, dehydrotrametenolic acid functioning as an insulin sensitizer. This natural product has been isolated from dried sclerotia of P.(Poria)cocos Wolf (Polyporaceae), which is a well known traditional Chinese medicinal plant, and is observed to activate PPAR γ and promote adipocyte differentiation in vitro. We have examined the effects of dehydrotrametenolic acid on plasma glucose concentration in obese hyperglycemic db/db mice. Dehydrotrametenolic acid can reduce hyperglycemia in mouse models of noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and act as an insulin sensitizer as indicated in the results of the glucose tolerance test. These terpenoids and thiazolidine type of antidiabetic agents such as Ciglitazone although structurally unrelated, share many common features in their biological activities: both induce adipose conversion, activate PPAR γ in vitro and reduce hyperglycemia in animal models of NIDDM. Dehydrotrametenolic acid is a promising candidate as a new type of insulin sensitizing drug. This finding is very important for the development of nonthiazolidine type of insulin sensitizer.