Hongting Zheng

The University of Arizona | UA · College of Pharmacy

The gut microbiota, as a ‘new organ’ of humans, has been identified to affect many biological processes, including immunity, inflammatory response, gut-brain neural circuits, and energy metabolism. Profound dysbiosis of the gut microbiome could change the metabolic pattern, aggravate systemic inflammation and insulin resistance, and exacerbate meta...

Background Thyrotropin-secreting pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) are rare pituitary adenomas that are occasionally accompanied by hypersecretion of other anterior pituitary hormones, such as growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL). The clinical, biochemical, and pathological characteristics may represent diverse circumstances. Case prese...

Background Diabetic cardiomyopathy (DbCM) is defined as the existence of abnormal myocardial structure and functions in the absence of other cardiac diseases, such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, and significant valvular disease, in individuals with diabetes. Although abundant epidemic evidence demonstrates that diabetes is independently...

Background Combined 17α-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase deficiency (17-OHD) is a very rare form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) caused by mutations in the CYP17A1 gene. Almost 100 different mutations of the CYP17A1 gene have been reported, including p.R96Q mutation, but no case of p.R96Q mutation has been described in Asian populations. Case prese...

Purpose To investigate the clinical characteristics and associated factors of colonic polyps in patients with acromegaly. Methods Clinical characteristics and colonoscopy findings of 86 acromegaly patients who received treatment were retrospectively reviewed, and colonoscopy findings and the correlation with growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary...

Despite optimal medical therapy, many patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) progress to end-stage renal disease. The identification of new biomarkers and drug targets for DKD is required for the development of more effective therapies. The apoptosis of renal tubular epithelial cells is a key feature of the pathogenicity associated with DKD. S...

Transient receptor potential channel 5 (TRPC5) is predominantly distributed in the brain, especially in the central amygdala (CeA), which is closely associated with pain and addiction. Although mounting evidence indicates that the CeA is related to energy homeostasis, the possible regulatory effect of TRPC5 in the CeA on metabolism remains unclear....

Background Thyrotropin (TSH)-secreting pituitary neuroendocrine tumors (PitNETs) are pretty rare pituitary adenomas, occasionally accompanied by hypersecretion of other anterior pituitary hormones: growth hormone (GH) and prolactin (PRL). The clinical, biochemical, and pathological characteristics may represent diverse circumstances. Case presentat...

In our previous study, we demonstrated that hypoglycemic agent DPP-4i changed the gut microbiota composition in diabetic patients and mice, and the DPP-4i-altered microbiome improved glucose tolerance in colonized mice. However, the mediators and their mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Comparing the intestinal metabolite profiles of HFD mice trea...

Nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) is reportedly involved in hepatic lipid metabolism, but the results are contradictory, and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we focused on elucidating the effects of Nrf2 on hepatic adipogenesis and on determining the possible underlying mechanism. We established a non‐alcoholic fatty...

Objective: CTRP7 is a cytokine that is known to be associated with obesity. However, its relationship with insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic diseases remains unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between CTRP7 and IR under in vivo and in vitro conditions. Methods: CTRP7 expression in mice and hepatocytes was deter...

Purpose: This study investigates the clinical characteristics and the associated factors of colonic polyps in patients with acromegaly. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed clinical characteristics and colonoscopy findings of 86 acromegalic patients who received treatment between August 2015 and July 2020 at Xinqiao Hospital. We analyzed colonoscop...

Background: Diaphanous related formin 1 (DIAPH1) is a novel component of advanced glycation end product (AGE) signal transduction that was recently found to participate in diabetes-related disorders, obesity, and androgen hormones. We investigated whether plasma DIAPH1 levels were a potential prognostic predictor for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCO...

Background: High salt intake is the leading dietary risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. Although clinical evidence suggests that high salt intake is associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, it remains elusive whether salt-induced hepatic damage leads to the development...

Currently, the most effective strategy for dealing with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is delaying the onset of dementia. Severe hypoglycemia is strongly associated with dementia; however, the effects of recurrent moderate hypoglycemia (RH) on progression of cognitive deficits in diabetic patients with genetic susceptibility to AD remain unclear. Here, w...

Objective:Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by reproductive dysfunctions and metabolic disorders. This study aims to compare the therapeutic effectiveness of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) + Metformin (Met) versus co-cyprindiol (cyproterone acetate/ethinylestradiol, CPA/EE) + Met in overweight PCOS women and iden...

P62 is a protein adaptor for various metabolic processes. Mice that lack p62 develop adult-onset obesity. However, investigations on p62 in reproductive dysfunction are rare. In the present study, we explored the effect of p62 on the reproductive system. P62 deficiency-induced reproductive dysfunction occurred at a young age (8 week old). Young sys...

Metformin is the first-line pharmacotherapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). Metformin exerts its glucose-lowering effect primarily through decreasing hepatic glucose production (HGP). However, the precise molecular mechanisms of metformin remain unclear due to supra-pharmacological concentration of metformin used in the study. Here, we investig...

The activity of proteinase is reported to correlate with the development and progression of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Puromycin-sensitive aminopeptidase (PSA/NPEPPS) is an integral nontransmembrane enzyme that functions to catalyze the cleavage of amino acids near the N-terminus of polypeptides. A previous study suggested that this...

Oxidative stress critically influences carcinogenesis and the progression of melanoma, and aggressive malignant melanoma activity is due to its high metastatic ability. Some findings in several cancer cell lines have indicated that mGPDH, a component of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, also modulates oxidative stress. However, the role of mGPDH...

Mitochondrial function is essential for bioenergetics, metabolism and signaling and is compromised in diseases such as proteinuric kidney diseases, contributing to the global burden of kidney failure, cardiovascular morbidity and death. The key cell type that prevents proteinuria is the terminally differentiated glomerular podocyte. Here, we charac...

Cutaneous wound healing is a fundamental biological and coordinated process, and failure to maintain this process contributes to the dysfunction of tissue homeostasis, increasing the global burden of diabetic foot ulcerations. However, the factors that mediate this process are not fully understood. Here, we identify dedicator of cytokinesis 5 (Dock...

Background COVID‐19, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), is currently outbreaking and posing significant threats to public health worldwide. It is notable that a substantial proportion of COVID‐19 severe patients coexist diabetic conditions, indicating the progression and outcome of COVID‐19 may relate to diabete...

Background: Recurrent moderate hypoglycemia (RH), a major adverse effect of hypoglycemic therapy in diabetic patients, is one of the main risk factors for cognitive impairment and dementia. Transient receptor potential canonical channel 6 (TRPC6) is a potential therapeutic target for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its expression is highly regulated...

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major complication of diabetes mellitus and a primary cause of end-stage renal failure. Clinical studies indicate that metabolic surgery improves DN; however, the mechanism remains unclear. Here, we report that Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) surgery significantly blocked and reversed DN without affecting the insulin...

Primary aldosteronism (PA) is associated with resistant hypertension and cardiovascular events. There are some limitations of current medical and surgical therapies for PA. To determine the efficacy and safety of catheter‐based adrenal artery ablation for treatment of PA patients who refused both surgery and medical therapy, we performed this prosp...

Objective: Moderate-to-severe subacute thyroiditis is clinically managed with 6-8 weeks of glucocorticoid therapy. However, no studies have evaluated short-term prednisone treatment for subacute thyroiditis. Methods: This 24-week, prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled study enrolled patients (aged 18-70) with subacute thyroiditis who wer...

Background and Aims: Identification of new biomarkers and drug targets for diabetic nephropathy (DN) is required for the development of more effective therapy. In this study, we investigated the role of SIK2 in protecting against renal tubular injury. Methods: Diabetes was induced in C57BL/6 mice by streptozotocin (STZ) injection. Inhibitor ARN-323...

The role of central juxtaposed with another zinc finger gene 1 (JAZF1) in glucose regulation remains unclear. Here, we activated mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) JAZF1 in high‐fat diet (HFD)‐fed rats by an adenovirus expressing JAZF1 (Ad‐JAZF1). We evaluated the changes in the hypothalamic insulin receptor (InsR)‐PI3K‐Akt‐AMPK pathway and hepatic gluc...

Background: Moderate-to-severe subacute thyroiditis is commonly treated with 6-8 weeks glucocorticoids; however, no studies have described short-term prednisone treatment for subacute thyroiditis. We evaluated the efficacy of this treatment for subacute thyroiditis. Methods: This was a 24-week, prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled study...

The impairment of podocyte protein filtration function caused by excessive mitochondrial calcium intake is a critical feature of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Ca2+ channel transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1) has been reported to protect against ischemia-reperfusion induced acute renal injury, but there is no report...

The dedicator of cytokinesis 5 (DOCK5) is associated with obesity. However, the mechanism by which DOCK5 contributes to obesity remains completely unknown. Here, we show that hepatic DOCK5 expression significantly decreases at a state of insulin resistance (IR). Deletion of DOCK5 in mice reduces energy expenditure, promotes obesity, augments IR, dy...

Genetic association studies have implicated that cartilage intermediate layer protein 2 (CILP-2) confers the risk susceptibility for type 2 diabetes (T2DM). However, it is still unknown whether CILP-2 is involved in the regulation of glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance (IR). In the current study, we initially observed that CILP-2 as a secret...

Background: Ghrelin modulates many physiological processes. However, the effects of intestinal ghrelin on hepatic glucose production (HGP) are still unclear. The current study was to explore the roles of intestinal ghrelin on glucose homeostasis and insulin signaling in the liver. Methods: The system of intraduodenal infusion and intracerebral m...

Endothelial dysfunction is an early step to the progression of cardiovascular diseases in diabetes. Apart from their anti-diabetic action, DPP-4 (dipeptidyl peptidase-4) inhibitors also reduce cardiovascular events in diabetic patients. However, the underlying mechanism of the beneficial effect of DPP-4 inhibitor on endothelial function is still ob...

The whitening and loss of brown adipose tissue (BAT) during obesity and aging promote metabolic disorders and related diseases. The imbalance of Ca2+ homeostasis accounts for the dysfunction and clearance of mitochondria during BAT whitening. Capsaicin, a dietary factor activating TRPV1, can inhibit obesity induced by high-fat diet (HFD), but wheth...

Background: High levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and aromatic amino acids (AAAs) were associated with an increased risk of hyperglycemia and the onset of diabetes. This study is aimed at assessing circulating valine concentrations in subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and in T2D patients and high-fat diet- (HFD-) fed mice treated wit...

Objective: Secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (Sfrp5) has been shown to be associated with energy homeostasis and insulin resistance in mouse models of obesity and diabetes. However, its central role in glucose and lipid metabolism is unknown. Methods: HFD-fed rats received ICV infusions of vehicle or Sfrp5 during a pancreatic euglycemic clamp...

Excessive salt consumption leads to cardiovascular diseases. Despite various measures designed to reduce salt intake, daily salt intake remains at a high level. Appropriate salt intake is balanced by salt taste preference triggered by epithelium sodium channel and salt taste aversion evoked by bitter taste sensor, transient receptor potential chann...

Previous cross-sectional studies have established that circulating osteoprotegerin (OPG) levels are associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the role of OPG in metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and NAFLD, is still unclear. In the current study, we demonstrated that hepatic OPG expression was downregulated in NAFLD indiv...

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-9 has been reported to regulate energy balance in vivo. However, the mechanisms underlying BMP9-mediated regulation of energy balance remain incompletely understood. Here, we investigated the role of BMP9 in energy metabolism. In the current study, we found that hepatic BMP9 expression was down-regulated in insulin...

Background: Increasing evidence indicates that the gut microbiota contributes to the occurrence and development of metabolic diseases. However, little is known about the effects of commonly used antidiabetic agents on the gut microbiota. In this study, we investigated the roles of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4i) and α-glucosidase inhibi...

Mitochondrial glycerol 3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (mGPDH) is an integral component of the respiratory chain, and recent studies have suggested that it plays an important role in hepatic glucose homeostasis. However, its function in hepatic lipid metabolism is unclear. Here, we identified a novel role for mGPDH in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NA...

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-9 has been associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, methods for delivering exogenous BMP-9 genes in vivo are lacking. In this study, we developed a gene delivery system using polyethyleneimine (PEI)-based core-shell nanoparticles (PCNs) as gene delivery carriers, and investigated the...

Abstract Insulin is critical for glucose homeostasis, and insulin deficiency or resistance leads to the development of diabetes. Recent evidence suggests that diabetes can be remitted independent of insulin. However, the underlying mechanism remains largely elusive. In this study, we utilized metabolic surgery as a tool to identify the non-insulin...

Background/Aims: Alarin has been reported to be related with increased food intake and body weight. The relationship of circulating Alarin with insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome (MetS), however, is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the physiological role of Alarin and its association with MetS in humans. Methods: Newly diagnosed MetS...

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Objective: C1q/TNF-related protein5 (CTRP5) is a member of the C1q/tumor necrosis factor α- (TNF-α-) related protein family and has been reported to be associated with the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism. However, the clinical association between CTRP5 and metabolic syndrome (MetS) has not been reported. The aim of the current study is...

Asprosin is a white adipose tissue-derived hormone that increases abnormally in mammals with insulin resistance. However, the role of asprosin in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a disease partly characterized by insulin resistance, and its potential connection with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and PCOS has not been thoroughly elucidated to dat...

Supplementary Table 1: medication history profile by group. Supplementary Table 2: clinical, metabolic, and sex hormone features of healthy, T2DM, and PCOS female subjects. Supplementary Table 3: metabolic characteristics of T2DM and PCOS females in normal-weight and overweight subgroups categorized by BMI. Supplementary Table 4: correlations betwe...

While adult mammalian skeletal muscle is stable due to its post-mitotic nature, muscle regeneration is still essential throughout life for maintaining functional fitness. During certain diseases, such as the modern pandemics of obesity and diabetes, the regeneration process becomes impaired, which leads to the loss of muscle function and contribute...

Background C1q/TNF‐related protein isoform 15 (CTRP15) has been reported to be related to glucose and lipid metabolism, but the results are inconsistent. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of metabolic disorders. The aim of this study is to determine circulating CTRP15 levels in individuals with MetS and investigate the association among circul...

JAZF zinc finger 1 (JAZF1) is involved in glucose and lipid metabolisms. However, its role in aging- and nutrient-related hepatic steatosis is unclear. In the current study, we demonstrated that JAZF1 expression was markedly down-regulated in obesity-associated mice and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. During aging, JAZF1 expressi...

Aims: C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein-6 (CTRP6) is a novel adipokine and has emerged as an important mediator for lipid and glucose metabolism. However, to date, the relationship between CTRP6 and T2DM in humans has not been demonstrated. Our objective is to investigate the association of circulating CTRP6 with T2DM in a cross-sectional...

High salt intake is one independent risk factor for cardiac hypertrophy. Polycystic kidney disease 2-like 1 (PKD2L1, also called TRPP3) acts as a sour sensor in taste cells, and its possible role in the cardiovascular system is unknown. Here, we report that knockout of PKD2L1 exacerbated high-salt diet (HSD)-induced cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis...

Background and Aims: Emerging evidence indicates that the gut microbiota contributes to the occurrence and development of metabolic diseases. While, little is known about the effect of antidiabetic agents on the gut microbiota. In the current study, we investigated the role of DPP-4i and acarbose in modulating the gut microbial community. Methods:...