Diabetes Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity
Lithocholic Acid Improves Glucose Homeostasis by Activating the TGR5-GLP-1 Axis via Gut Microbiota-Derived Secondary Bile Acids: A Study Done on Diabetic Sprague-Dawley Rats
By Chiying Xu, Kun Yang, Renran Wu and 5 others.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to investigate the effects of lithocholic acid on glucose metabolism in streptozotocin -induced diabetic Sprague-Dawley (STZ-DM) rats and to explore its potential mechanisms.
Methods
STZ-DM rats were randomly allocated into two groups (n=6 per group) and received LCA (50 mg/kg/d) or vehicle by daily gavage for 6 weeks. Longitudinal monitoring of body weight and fasting blood glucose was performed throughout the intervention, and oral glucose tolerance tests were conducted to evaluate glucose metabolic capacity. Fecal bile acid metabolomics and gut microbial community analyses were further conducted. Additionally, the transcriptional levels of ileal TGR5, FXR and GLP-1, as well as the key hepatic gluconeogenic genes G6PC and PCK1, were quantified by RT-qPCR at the mRNA level for mechanistic exploration.
