Abstract
In this study, we investigated the genome-wide gene expression profiles in the liver tissue of diabetic rats before and after RS treatment. The microarray-based analysis revealed that a total of 173 genes were up-regulated and 197 genes were down-regulated in response to RS treatment. These genes were mainly related to glucose metabolism (e.g., hexokinase, pyruvate kinase and phosphotransferase etc.), and lipid metabolism (e.g., carnitine palmitoyl transfer 1, fatty acid transporter, beta hydroxyl butyric dehydrogenase etc.). Cluster analysis results showed that the up/down-regulated genes were highly responsive to RS treatment, and were considered to be directly or indirectly associated with reducing plasma glucose and body fat. To interpret the mechanism of RS regulation at the molecular level, a novel gene network was constructed based on 370 up/down-regulated genes coupled with 718 known diabetes-related genes. The topology of the network showed the characteristics of small-world and scale-free network, with some pathways demonstrating a high degree. Forkhead class A signaling pathway, with a degree of 8, was analyzed and was found to have an effect mainly on glucose and lipid metabolism processes. The results indicate that RS can suppress the development of type 2 diabetes in the STZ rat model through modulating the expression of multiple genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism. The potential application of this novel gene network is also discussed.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40064-015-0873-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Highlights
Starch is the most abundant storage glucan composed of two main structural components, amylose and amylopectin
Our previous results revealed that rats treated with resistant starch (RS) for two-week’s showed a 15.9% reduction in blood glucose levels compared to its initial level, and there was a total 27.9% reduction in the blood glucose level after 4-weeks treatment of RS, resulting in a significant difference compared to the model control group (P < 0.001)
These results suggest that liver-specific gene expression is responsive to RS treatment, and this expression pattern could be considered to be directly or indirectly associated with reducing blood glucose and body fat activity
Summary
Starch is the most abundant storage glucan composed of two main structural components, amylose and amylopectin. The effect of RS has drawn increasing interests in that it is not digested in the upper gastrointestinal tract, but is fermented in the large intestine and is beneficial for the gut environment (Lafiandra et al 2014). Our recent research has shown that the applications of RS in foods can moderate the glycemic response and maintain a proper microorganism profile in the human gut (Zhou et al 2013a, b). Previous reports have indicated that lifestyle modifications, such as increasing fasting and exercise may reduce some risk factors such as postprandial glucose levels, decreased insulin sensitivity and obesity, which are more effective than pharmacological intervention in delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes (Stanhope et al 2009). The discovery of natural products with health benefits as an alternative
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