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Small molecule SWELL1 complex induction improves glycemic control and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in murine Type 2 diabetes
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Small molecule SWELL1 complex induction improves glycemic control and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in murine Type 2 diabetes

Susheel K Gunasekar, Litao Xie, Ashutosh Kumar, Juan Hong, Pratik R Chheda, Chen Kang, David M Kern, Chau My-Ta, Joshua Maurer, John Heebink, …
Nature communications, Vol.13(1), pp.784-784
02/10/2022
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28435-0
PMCID: PMC8831520
PMID: 35145074
url
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28435-0View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes is associated with insulin resistance, impaired pancreatic β-cell insulin secretion, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Tissue-specific SWELL1 ablation impairs insulin signaling in adipose, skeletal muscle, and endothelium, and impairs β-cell insulin secretion and glycemic control. Here, we show that I and SWELL1 protein are reduced in adipose and β-cells in murine and human diabetes. Combining cryo-electron microscopy, molecular docking, medicinal chemistry, and functional studies, we define a structure activity relationship to rationally-design active derivatives of a SWELL1 channel inhibitor (DCPIB/SN-401), that bind the SWELL1 hexameric complex, restore SWELL1 protein, plasma membrane trafficking, signaling, glycemic control and islet insulin secretion via SWELL1-dependent mechanisms. In vivo, SN-401 restores glycemic control, reduces hepatic steatosis/injury, improves insulin-sensitivity and insulin secretion in murine diabetes. These findings demonstrate that SWELL1 channel modulators improve SWELL1-dependent systemic metabolism in Type 2 diabetes, representing a first-in-class therapeutic approach for diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
Signal Transduction Adipose Tissue - metabolism Animals Cryoelectron Microscopy Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental - metabolism Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - metabolism Glucose - metabolism Glycemic Control - methods Insulin - metabolism Insulin Resistance Insulin Secretion Insulin-Secreting Cells - metabolism Liver - metabolism Male Membrane Proteins - genetics Membrane Proteins - metabolism Mice Mice, Inbred C57BL Molecular Docking Simulation Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease - metabolism Transcriptome

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