Burdock miR8175 improves insulin sensitivity in DIO mice by targeting PTP1B and PTPRF [I]

The incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) induced by obesity is rapidly increasing. Although there are many drugs developed for type 2 diabetes, but the anti-diabetic effect of homology of medicine and food is also very popular with the majority of people. Burdock is one such food, but the molecular mechanism of anti-diabetic effect is unclear, limiting its further promotion. In recent years, studies have shown that plant mirnas can regulate host gene expression through dietary absorption, so plant miRNAs have become one of the main active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine. Here, we report that miR8175, a plant miRNA from burdock root, has effective antidiabetic activity. miR8175 is highly enriched in burdock decoction. After administration of burdock decoction or synthetic miR8175 by gavage, significantly elevated levels of miR8175 in mouse serum and liver can be observed. Furthermore, both burdock decoction and miR8175 can significantly improve the impaired glucose metabolism of diabetic mice induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). Our results demonstrate that burdock decoction and miR8175 enhance the insulin sensitivity of the hepatic insulin signaling pathway by targeting PTPRF and PTP1B, which may be the reason for the improvement in metabolism.