Research Article Details
Article ID: | A14766 |
PMID: | 29249016 |
Source: | Hum Cell |
Title: | Therapeutic activity of plant-derived alkaloid conophylline on metabolic syndrome and neurodegenerative disease models. |
Abstract: | Increasing metabolic syndromes including type-2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and steatohepatitis are serious problems in most countries in the world. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases are increasing in many countries. However, therapy for these diseases is not sufficient yet. Thus, effective chemotherapy for these diseases is being expected. Conophylline is an alkaloid isolated from the leaves of Ervatamia microphylla and related plants. It was found to induce beta-cell differentiation in the precursor pancreatic cells. Oral administration of this compound ameliorated type-2 diabetes mellitus model in mice and rats. Later, fibrosis of the pancreatic islets was found to be greatly reduced by conophylline in the pancreatic islets. It also inhibited chemically induced liver cirrhosis. Further study indicated that conophylline inhibited non-alcoholic steatohepatitis in the model mice. On the one hand, loss of autophagy often causes protein aggregation to give neural cell death. Conophylline was found to activate autophagy in cultured neural cells. Activation of autophagy ameliorated cellular models of Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases. Thus, conophylline is likely to be useful for the development of chemotherapy for metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. |
DOI: | 10.1007/s13577-017-0196-4 |

Strategy ID | Therapy Strategy | Synonyms | Therapy Targets | Therapy Drugs | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
S03 | Anti-fibrosis | fibrosis | Angiotensin Receptor Blocker (ARB); CCR2/CCR5 antagonist; Thyroid receptor β agonist; PEGylated human FGF21 analogue; Monoclonal antibody to lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2); Galectin-3 inhibitor; FGF19 variant | Losartan; Cenicriviroc; VK-2809; MGL-3196; Pegbelfermin; Simtuzumab; GR-MD-02; NGM282 | Details |
Diseases ID | DO ID | Disease Name | Definition | Class | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
I05 | 9352 | Type 2 diabetes mellitus | A diabetes that is characterized by chronic hyperglycaemia with disturbances of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. A diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_mellitus_type_2 | disease of metabolism/inherited metabolic disorder/ carbohydrate metabolic disorder/glucose metabolism disease/diabetes/ diabetes mellitus | Details |
I14 | 9970 | Obesity | An overnutrition that is characterized by excess body fat, traditionally defined as an elevated ratio of weight to height (specifically 30 kilograms per meter squared), has_material_basis_in a multifactorial etiology related to excess nutrition intake, decreased caloric utilization, and genetic susceptibility, and possibly medications and certain disorders of metabolism, endocrine function, and mental illness. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obesity | disease of metabolism/acquired metabolic disease/ nutrition disease/overnutrition | Details |