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  • The Natural Metabolite 4-Cresol Improves Glucose Homeostasis and Enhances β-Cell Function.

The Natural Metabolite 4-Cresol Improves Glucose Homeostasis and Enhances β-Cell Function.

Cell reports (2020-02-23)
Francois Brial, Fawaz Alzaid, Kazuhiro Sonomura, Yoichiro Kamatani, Kelly Meneyrol, Aurélie Le Lay, Noémie Péan, Lyamine Hedjazi, Taka-Aki Sato, Nicolas Venteclef, Christophe Magnan, Mark Lathrop, Marc-Emmanuel Dumas, Fumihiko Matsuda, Pierre Zalloua, Dominique Gauguier
ABSTRACT

Exposure to natural metabolites contributes to the risk of cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs). Through metabolome profiling, we identify the inverse correlation between serum concentrations of 4-cresol and type 2 diabetes. The chronic administration of non-toxic doses of 4-cresol in complementary preclinical models of CMD reduces adiposity, glucose intolerance, and liver triglycerides, enhances insulin secretion in vivo, stimulates islet density and size, and pancreatic β-cell proliferation, and increases vascularization, suggesting activated islet enlargement. In vivo insulin sensitivity is not affected by 4-cresol. The incubation of mouse isolated islets with 4-cresol results in enhanced insulin secretion, insulin content, and β-cell proliferation of a magnitude similar to that induced by GLP-1. In both CMD models and isolated islets, 4-cresol is associated with the downregulated expression of the kinase DYRK1A, which may mediate its biological effects. Our findings identify 4-cresol as an effective regulator of β-cell function, which opens up perspectives for therapeutic applications in syndromes of insulin deficiency.

MATERIALS
Product Number
Brand
Product Description

Sigma-Aldrich
p-Xylene-bis(N-pyridinium bromide), ≥95% (TLC)
Sigma-Aldrich
Human PRSS8 / Prostasin ELISA Kit
Sigma-Aldrich
p-Cresol, ≥99%, FG
Sigma-Aldrich
2-Isopropylmalic acid, 98%
Sigma-Aldrich
Glucagon-Like Peptide I Amide Fragment 7-36 human, ≥97% (HPLC), powder