Type-1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease caused by progressive loss of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Butyrate is a commensal microbial-derived metabolite, implicated in intestinal homeostasis and immune regulation. Here, we investigated the mechanism of diabetes remission in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice following butyrate administration. Sodium butyrate (150 mM) was administered to female NOD mice in drinking water after the onset of hyperglycemia (15–25 weeks age) and at 4 weeks of age (early-intervention group). Butyrate administration reduced the progression of hyperglycemia in diabetic mice and delayed onset of diabetes in the early-intervention group with a reduction in insulitis. Butyrate administration increased regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the colon, mesenteric lymph nodes, Peyer’s patches, and its protective effects diminished upon depletion of Tregs. Further, an increase in α4β7, CCR9, and GPR15 expressing Tregs in the pancreatic lymph nodes (PLN) and pancreas in butyrate-treated mice suggested migration of gut-primed Tregs towards the pancreas. Finally, the adoptive transfer experiments demonstrated that induced Tregs from gut-associated lymphoid tissue can migrate towards the pancreas and PLN and delay the onset of diabetes. Our results thus suggest that early administration of butyrate can restore immunological tolerance during T1D via induction of Tregs with migratory capabilities.

Cyclin D1 (CCND1) and E-cadherin (CDH1) are two important genes of the β-catenin/LEF pathway that is involved in tumorigenesis of various cancers including colorectal cancer (CRC). However, studies of the association between genetic variants of these two genes and CRC have shown conflicting results. We conducted a genetic association study in South Indian population (cases, 103; controls, 107) to assess the association of CCND1 870G/A and CDH1 -160C/A single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with CRC risk. Genotyping of SNPs was performed by PCR sequencing analysis. Haplotype frequencies for multiple loci and the standardized disequilibrium coefficient (D') for pair-wise linkage disequilibrium (LD) were assessed by Haploview Software. In addition, to better understand the role of CCND1 and CDH1 in the pathophysiology of CRC, the expression pattern was evaluated in analogous tumor and adjacent normal tissues from 23 CRC patients by Western blot analysis. The frequencies of CCND1 870A/A (P = 0.045) genotype, CDH1 -160A allele (P = 0.042), and 870A/-160A haplotype (P = 0.002) were significantly higher in patients as compared with controls. Strong LD was observed between 870G/A and -160C/A SNPs in cases (D' = 0.76) as compared to controls (D' = 0.32). Furthermore, elevated CCND1 and diminished CDH1 expression was observed in tumor tissue as compared with analogous normal tissue of CRC patients. Interestingly, advanced-stage tumors showed wider expression alterations than in early-stage tumors. In conclusion, CCND1 870G/A and CDH1 -160C/A SNPs may modify the risk of CRC susceptibility in South Indian population. In addition, elevated CCND1 and diminished CDH1 expression appears to be useful prognostic markers for CRC.

Rationale: The endocannabinoidome mediators, N-Oleoylglycine (OlGly) and N-Oleoylalanine (OlAla), have been shown to reduce acute naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal affective and somatic responses.Objectives: To determine the role and mechanism of action of OlGly and OlAla in withdrawal responses from chronic exposure to opiates in male Sprague-Dawley rats.Methods: Opiate withdrawal was produced: 1) spontaneously 24 h following chronic exposure to escalating doses of morphine over 14 days (Experiments 1 and 2) and steady-state exposure to heroin by minipumps for 12 days (Experiment 3), 2) by naloxone injection during steady-state heroin exposure (Experiment 4), 3) by naloxone injection during operant heroin self-administration (Experiment 5).Results: In Experiment 1, spontaneous morphine withdrawal produced somatic withdrawal reactions. The behavioral withdrawal reactions were accompanied by suppressed endogenous levels of OlGly in the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex, N-Arachidonylglycerol and OlAla in the amygdala, 2-arachidonoylglycerol in the nucleus accumbens, amygdala and interoceptive insular cortex, and by changes in colonic microbiota composition. In Experiment 2, treatment with OlAla, but not OlGly, reduced spontaneous morphine withdrawal responses. In Experiment 3, OlAla attenuated spontaneous steady-state heroin withdrawal responses at both 5 and 20 mg/kg; OlGly only reduced withdrawal responses at the higher dose of 20 mg/kg. Experiment 4 demonstrated that naloxone-precipitated heroin withdrawal from steady-state exposure to heroin (7 mg/kg/day for 12 days) is accompanied by tissue-specific changes in brain or gut endocannabinoidome mediator, including OlGly and OlAla, levels and colonic microbiota composition, and that OlAla (5 mg/kg) attenuated behavioural withdrawal reactions, while also reversing some of the changes in brain and gut endocannabinoidome and gut microbiota induced by naloxone. Experiment 5 demonstrated that although OlAla (5 mg/kg) did not interfere with operant heroin self-administration on its own, it blocked naloxone-precipitated elevation of heroin self-administration behavior.Conclusion: These results suggest that OlAla and OlGly are two endogenous mediators whose brain concentrations respond to chronic opiate treatment and withdrawal concomitantly with changes in colon microbiota composition, and that OlAla may be more effective than OlGly in suppressing chronic opiate withdrawal responses.

Histone modifications occupy an essential position in the epigenetic landscape of the cell, and their alterations have been linked to cancers. Histone 3 lysine 4 (H3K4) methylation has emerged as a critical epigenetic cue for the regulation of gene transcription through dynamic modulation by several H3K4 methyltransferases (writers) and demethylases (erasers). Any disturbance in the delicate balance of writers and erasers can result in the mis-regulation of H3K4 methylation, which has been demonstrated in several human cancers. Therefore, H3K4 methylation has been recognized as a putative therapeutic or prognostic tool and drug trials of different inhibitors of this process have demonstrated promising results. Henceforth, more detailed knowledge of H3K4 methylation is utmost important for elucidating the complex cellular processes, which might help in improving the disease outcome. The primary focus of this review will be directed on deciphering the role of H3K4 methylation along with its writers/erasers in different cancers.