Linking stress with urocortin in rats.

The corticotropin-releasing factor neuropeptides (CRH and UCN-1,2,3), as well as spexin, contribute to the control of energy balance and limit food intake in mammals. However, the role of these neuropeptides in chronic variable stress remains unknown. The effect of chronic varied stress on circulating corticosterone levels and urocortin expression levels in the brains of experimental rats was studied in this study. Rats were subjected with 28 days long term stress protocol, end of stress protocol experimental and control animal organs isolated, brain urocorcortin-1,2,3 expression by RT-PCR and serum corticosterone by ELISA method. UCN levels in the brain were altered in rats subjected to prolonged varied stress. Furthermore, corticosterone levels were elevated as a result of the same urocortin expression pattern, indicating that urocortin expression is controlled by glucocorticoids via a glucocorticoid-responsive element (GRE). Thus, data shows that hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, also known as the LHPA axis, and limbic system are both stimulated by stress, which is reflected in the form of elevated corticosterone levels, according to the genes UCN1, 2, and 3.

Hypolipidemic effect of ß-caryophyllene in high fat diet and fructose induced type-2 diabetic adult male rats.

Skeletal muscle is responsible for the majority of insulin-stimulated whole-body glucose elimination, under normal circumstances. High dietary fat consumption increases stored fat mass and is a major risk factor for metabolic disorders. The conventional pharmacological treatments are associated with many adverse side effects and high rates of secondary failure which lead to an increasing demand for natural products with anti-diabetic activity and lesser side effects. ß-Caryophyllene is a naturally occurring sequiterpene that may be found in cannabis and a range of culinary herbs and spices. It contains antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-lipidemic effects, among others. However, the effect of ß-Caryophyllene on glucose absorption and oxidation, is yet unknown. Hence, the current study was intended to investigate the anti-diabetic impact of ß-Caryophyllene in type-2 diabetes caused by a high-fat diet. To evaluate its anti-diabetic efficacy, high fat diet and fructose-induced type-2 diabetic rats were administered an effective dosage of ß-Caryophyllene (200 mg/kg b.wt, orally for 30 days). The treatment of diabetes-induced rats with ß-Caryophyllene restored the altered levels of blood glucose, serum insulin as well as lipid parameters. Our findings show that ß-caryophyllene improves glycemia control by alleviating dyslipidemia in type-2 diabetic rats. From the present findings, it is evident that ß-caryophyllene can be used as an anti-diabetic drug.