A dissociated glucocorticoid receptor modulator mitigates glucolipotoxicity in the endocrine pancreas and peripheral tissues: Preclinical data from a mouse model of diet-induced type 2 diabetes

Aims

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a prevalent metabolic disease linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS). The glucolipotoxic environment (GLT) impacts tissues causing low-grade inflammation, insulin resistance and the gradual loss of pancreatic β-cell function, leading to hyperglycemia. We have previously shown that Compound A (CpdA), a plant-derived dissociative glucocorticoid receptor-modulator with inflammation-suppressive activity, displays protective effects on β-cells in type 1 diabetes murine models. This study aimed to evaluate whether the administration of CpdA can attenuate GLT effects and improve pathophysiological parameters in a murine model of T2D/MS.

Main methods

Eight-week-old male C57BL/6NCrl mice were fed either a standard chow diet or a high-fat/high-sucrose diet (HFHS) for 15 weeks. From week 5 of feeding, each group received i.p. injections of CpdA (2.5 μg/g) or vehicle three times a week. We also examined CpdA in vitro effect against GLT using the insulinoma cell line INS-1E and naïve isolated mouse islets.

Key findings

CpdA administration in HFHS fed mice improved glucose homeostasis and insulin sensitivity with no apparent side effects. CpdA treatment also preserved pancreatic islet architecture and insulin expression, while reducing hepatic steatosis and visceral adipose tissue inflammation induced by HFHS diet. In vitro assays in INS-1E cells and naïve isolated mouse islets demonstrated that CpdA counteracted GLT-induced inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and supported the expression of key β-cell identity genes under GLT conditions.

Significance

These findings highlight the potential protective effect of CpdA in preserving β-cell functionality and peripheral tissue physiology in the context of T2D/MS.