Silk Fibroin Promotes the Regeneration of Pancreatic β-Cells in the C57BL/KsJ-Leprdb/db Mouse

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease, and its progression leads to serious complications. Although various novel therapeutic approaches for diabetes mellitus have developed in the last three decades, its prevalence has been rising more rapidly worldwide. Silk-related materials have been used as anti-diabetic remedies in Oriental medicine and many studies have shown the effects of silk fibroin (SF) in both in vitro and in vivo models. In our previous works, we reported that hydrolyzed SF improved the survival of HIT-T15 cells under high glucose conditions and ameliorated diabetic dyslipidemia in a mouse model. However, we could not provide a precise molecular mechanism. To further evaluate the functions of hydrolyzed SF on the pancreatic β-cell, we investigated the effects of hydrolyzed SF on the pancreatic β-cell proliferation and regeneration in the mouse model. Hydrolyzed SF induced the expression of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and reduced the apoptotic cell population in the pancreatic islets. Hydrolyzed SF treatment not only induced the expression of transcription factors involved in the pancreatic β-cell regeneration in RT-PCR results but also increased neurogenin3 and Neuro D protein levels in the pancreas of those in the group treated with hydrolyzed SF. In line with this, hydrolyzed SF treatment generated insulin mRNA expressing small cell colonies in the pancreas. Therefore, our results suggest that the administration of hydrolyzed SF increases the pancreatic β-cell proliferation and regeneration in C57BL/KsJ-Leprdb/db mice.

Silk Fibroin Materials: Biomedical Applications and Perspectives

“…Among the huge variety of pancreatic diseases, diabetes mellitus (DM) represents a chronic metabolic condition that has systematically increased in terms of its incidence over the past three decades [220]. The burden of diabetes-associated acute and longterm complications, as well as micro-/macro-vascular complications leading to blindness, renal failure, myocardial infarction, and stroke, all represent one of the main problems to manage on both sanitary and socio-economical level.…”

Strategies for Biomaterial-Based Spinal Cord Injury Repair via the TLR4-NF-κB Signaling Pathway

“…Silk fibroin (SF), a major component of silk, is a core silk protein with high biocompatibility and excellent mechanical and physiochemical properties ( Rödel et al, 2018 ; Lv, 2020 ; Park et al, 2020 ). It is a promising natural material for biomaterial applications such as wound healing ( Park et al, 2018 ).…”

Bombyx mori cocoon as a promising pharmacological agent: A review of ethnopharmacology, chemistry, and biological activities

“…After the mice model of type 2 diabetes ate ethanolic extract from the sericin layer for over seven weeks, increased cellular insulin sensitivity and its secretory signaling mediators, improved oral glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance tests, and decreased blood glucose were observed [ 52 ]. Moreover, α-glucosidase inhibition [ 53 ] increased the expression of key enzymes related to insulin metabolism and glycolysis such as glycogen synthase, GSK3β, GLK, PFK1, PKM2, and AMPKα [ 54 ] as well as the capability of pancreatic cell proliferation and regeneration [ 55 ] have also been put forth about blood sugar-lowering mechanisms of silk cocoon and its constitutes. Silk cocoon consumption cannot merely bridle the blood sugar levels in diabetic models of hyperglycemia but also has considerable health beneficiary effects on a variety of diabetes-related complications.…”