@article{Lv_Ren_Zhang_Huang_Hao_Ma_Ma_Yang_2020, title={Antidiabetic effects of a lipophilic extract obtained from flowers of <em>Wisteria sinensis</em> by activating Akt/GLUT4 and Akt/GSK3β}, volume={64}, url={https://foodandnutritionresearch.net/index.php/fnr/article/view/3589}, DOI={10.29219/fnr.v64.3589}, abstractNote={<p><strong>Background</strong>: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is primarily caused by insulin resistance (IR) in insulin-sensitive tissues, including liver, white adipose tissues (WAT), and skeletal muscles. Discovering nutritious foods with antidiabetic effects is of great significance. Numerous published reports indicated that protein kinase B (Akt) and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) play crucial roles in ameliorating IR and diabetic symptoms.</p> <p><strong>Objective</strong>: In the present study, antidiabetic effects and the potential mechanism of action of WS-PE (a lipophilic extract from edible flowers of Wisteria sinensis) were explored with L6 cells<em> in vitro</em> and in high-fat diet (HFD) + Streptozocin (STZ)-induced diabetic mice<em> in vivo.</em></p> <p><strong>Design</strong>:<em> In vivo</em>, HFD + STZ-induced diabetic mice were used as diabetic models to investigate the potential antidiabetic and antidyslipidemic activities. <em>In vitro</em>, a novel GLUT4 translocation assay system was established to evaluate the potential effects of WS-PE on GLUT4 translocation. Western blot analysis was adopted to investigate the molecular mechanisms of WS-PE both in vivo and in vitro.</p> <p><strong>Results</strong>: <em>In vitro</em>, WS-PE increased glucose uptake by stimulating GLUT4 expression and translocation, which were regulated by Akt phosphorylation. In vivo, the WS-PE treatment ameliorated the hyperglycemia, IR, and dyslipidemia and reversed hepatic steatosis and pancreatic damage in diabetic mice. The WS-PE treatment increased GLUT4 expression by Akt activation in WAT and skeletal muscle. Akt activation stimulated GSK3β phosphorylation in liver and skeletal muscles, indicating that WS-PE showed regulatory effects on glycogen synthesis in liver and skeletal muscles.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion</strong>: These <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em> results indicated that the WS-PE treatment exerted antidiabetic effects by activating Akt/GLUT4 and Akt/GSK3β.</p&gt;}, journal={Food & Nutrition Research}, author={Lv Yibing and Ren Wenjie and Zhang Yirui and Huang Yun and Hao Ji and Ma Kun and Ma Yuanren and Yang Xinzhou}, year={2020}, month={Sep.} }