RGD Reference Report - Conophylline: a novel differentiation inducer for pancreatic beta cells. - Rat Genome Database

Send us a Message
Submit Data |  Help |  Video Tutorials |  News |  Publications |  Download |  REST API |  Citing RGD |  Contact   
Search RGD Grant Resources Citing RGD About Us Contact Us
Genes Variants Community Projects QTLs Strains Markers Genome Information Ontologies Cell Lines References Download Submit Data
OntoMate (Literature Search) JBrowse (Genome Browser) Synteny Browser (VCMap) Variant Visualizer Multi-Ontology Enrichment (MOET) Gene-Ortholog Location Finder (GOLF) InterViewer (Protein-Protein Interactions) PhenoMiner (Quatitative Phenotypes) Gene Annotator OLGA (Gene List Generator) AllianceMine GViewer (Genome Viewer)
Aging & Age-Related Disease Cancer & Neoplastic Disease Cardiovascular Disease Coronavirus Disease Developmental Disease Diabetes Hematologic Disease Immune & Inflammatory Disease Infectious Disease Liver Disease Neurological Disease Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome Renal Disease Respiratory Disease Sensory Organ Disease
Find Models Genetic Models Autism Models Rat PhenoMiner (Quantitative Phenotypes) Chinchilla PhenoMiner Expected Ranges (Quantitative Phenotype) PhenoMiner Term Comparison Hybrid Rat Diversity Panel Phenotypes Phenotypes in Other Animal Models Animal Husbandry Strain Medical Records Phylogenetics Strain Availability Calendar Rats 101 Submissions Photo Archive
Pathways
Rat Community Forum Directory of Rat Laboratories Video Tutorials News RGD Publications RGD Presentations Archive Nomenclature Guidelines Resource Links Laboratory Resources Employment Resources
Advanced Search (OLGA)

Conophylline: a novel differentiation inducer for pancreatic beta cells.

Authors: Kojima, I  Umezawa, K 
Citation: Kojima I and Umezawa K, Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2006;38(5-6):923-30. Epub 2005 Oct 26.
RGD ID: 2311213
Pubmed: PMID:16337165   (View Abstract at PubMed)
DOI: DOI:10.1016/j.biocel.2005.09.019   (Journal Full-text)

Reduction of the beta cell mass is critical in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus. The discovery of agents, which induce differentiation of pancreatic progenitors to beta cells, would be useful to develop a new therapeutic approach to treat diabetes. To identify a new agent to stimulate differentiation of pancreatic progenitor cells to beta cells, we screened various compounds using pancreatic AR42J cells, a model of pancreatic progenitor cells. Among various compounds and extracts tested, we found that conophylline, a vinca alkaloid extracted from leaves of a tropical plant Ervatamia microphylla, was effective in converting AR42J into endocrine cells. Conophylline reproduces the differentiation-inducing activity of activin A. Unlike activin A, however, conophylline does not induce apoptosis. To induce differentiation of AR42J cells, conophylline increases the expression of neurogenin-3 by activating p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. Conophylline also induces differentiation in cultured pancreatic progenitor cells obtained from fetal and neonatal rats. More importantly, conophylline is effective in reversing hyperglycemia in neonatal streptozotocin-treated rats, and both the insulin content and the beta cell mass are increased by conophylline. Histologically, conophylline increases the numbers of ductal cells positive for pancreatic-duodenal-homeobox protein-1 and islet-like cell clusters. Conophylline and related compounds are useful in inducing differentiation of pancreatic beta cells both in vivo and in vitro.



Objects referenced in this article
Gene PDX1 pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 Homo sapiens
Gene Pdx1 pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 Mus musculus
Gene Pdx1 pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 Rattus norvegicus

Additional Information