preadipocyte differentiation assay as a method for screening potential anti-type II diabetes drugs from herbal extracts

• Published in: Planta medica Vol. 72; no. 1; pp. 14 - 19
• Main Authors: Xu, M.E, Xiao, S.Z, Sun, Y.H, Ou-yang, Y, Guan, C, Zheng, X.X
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01.01.2006
• Subjects: adipocytes; Adipocytes - cytology; Adipocytes - drug effects; Animals; Apoptosis - drug effects; cell differentiation; Cell Differentiation - drug effects; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; cultured cells; Drug Evaluation, Preclinical - methods; Drugs, Chinese Herbal - pharmacology; endothelial cells; Endothelium, Vascular - drug effects; Gene Expression - drug effects; herbs; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents - pharmacology; Male; medicinal plants; molecular sequence data; noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; nucleotide sequences; peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor; plant extracts; Plant Extracts - pharmacology; PPAR gamma - genetics; quantitative analysis; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Thiazolidinediones - pharmacology; traditional medicine
• ISSN: 0032-0943; 1439-0221
• DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-916215

A cell-based method for screening drug candidates from herbal extracts that have possible anti-type II diabetic effects was established. The differentiation of preadipocytes into adipocytes was used as a sensitive primary indicator of a drug's potential effect on type II diabetes. We established a quantitative method by using a computer image analysis system for assessing the morphological alterations. The assay was validated by screening compounds extracted from Chinese herbs and the known drug rosiglitazone for their capability of modulating PPARgamma gene expression and glucose uptake by adipocytes. Two drug candidates having possible anti-type II diabetic effects were identified.