Evidence mapPaperPMID 33819291Full record

ArticlePloS one2021

Antidiabetic effects of betulinic acid mediated by the activation of the AMP-activated protein kinase pathway.

Tae-Jun Song, Choon-Ho Park, Kyu-Ree In, Jong-Bae Kim, Joo Hee Kim, Miran Kim, Hye Jin Chang

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
18citing papers in PubMed
2.7field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

18 citing papers in PubMed, 41 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Tae-Jun SongGraduate School of Life Science, Handong Global University, Pohang, South Korea.
Choon-Ho ParkGraduate School of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmaceutics, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea.
Kyu-Ree InDepartment of Life Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea.
Jong-Bae KimGraduate School of Life Science, Handong Global University, Pohang, South Korea.
Joo Hee KimCollege of Pharmacy, Ajou University, Suwon, South Korea.
Miran KimDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ajou University Hospital, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea.
Hye Jin ChangDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ajou University Hospital, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, South Korea.ORCID 0000-0002-1122-1269
Handong Global University · KRAjou University · KRAjou University Hospital · KR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Betulinic acid (BA) is a naturally arising pentacyclic triterpenoid that has anti-malarial, anti-retroviral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer biological effects. More recently, it has been reported to possess anti-obesity activity mediated by the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). We further investigated antidiabetic activity of BA in mouse tissues at the cellular and systemic levels. We found that BA stimulated AMPK in a similar fashion to the known AMPK activators, such as 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-1-β-D-ribofuranoside and metformin. Notably, the level of glucose uptake by BA was not altered by wortmannin, suggesting that this activation did not depend on phosphoinositide 3-kinase. Furthermore, BA diminished blood glucose levels in alloxane-treated ICR mice and in untreated mice during the glucose tolerance test. BA also stimulated mRNA expression of glucose transporter 4, which could partly explain increased glucose uptake. BA also increased AS160 phosphorylation by insulin-independent mechanisms in the extensor digitorum longus muscle. These results indicate that BA may serve as a promising therapeutic agent for diabetes by activating AMPK, like metformin. Notably, BA also enhanced mouse endurance capacity, indicating that it also affects metabolic regulation in addition to its antidiabetic activity.

Indexed as

AMP-Activated Protein Kinase KinasesAnimalsBetulinic AcidBlood GlucoseCell LineGlucose IntoleranceGlucose Transporter Type 4GTPase-Activating ProteinsHypoglycemic AgentsMiceMice, Inbred C57BLMice, Inbred ICRMuscle, SkeletalPentacyclic TriterpenesProtein KinasesAMP-Activated Protein Kinase KinasesBetulinic AcidBlood GlucoseGlucose Transporter Type 4GTPase-Activating ProteinsHypoglycemic AgentsPentacyclic TriterpenesProtein KinasesSlc2a4 protein, mouseTbc1d4 protein, mouse

Identifiers

PMID33819291
PMCPMC8021171
OpenAlexW3142485208

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.