A red seaweed, Polysiphonia morrowii, extract promotes β-cell regeneration in zebrasfish (Danio rerio)

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a major health issue increasing worldwide. Currently, nearby half a billion people have diabetes. Two major types of DM that type 1 and type 2-DM have different etiologies but feature a crucial common pathological transition into dysfunction of pancreatic β-cells and consequently leading hyperglycemia and finally go into DM. Therefore, maintaining of β-cells such as preventing β-cells degeneration, and promoting β-cells regeneration and proliferation will be essential approaches in prevention and/or treatment of DM. There are many reports that various types of seaweed control metabolic diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure, and blood sugar control. However, no new drug candidates have been developed yet. Additionally, although seaweed has excellent blood sugar control effects, there is no evidence that it directly proliferates or regenerates beta cells. Therefore, we studied on the promotion of β-cell regeneration by a seaweed, Polysiponia morrowii extract (PME) which preserves β-cells and maintains its function. As a result, it was confirmed that PME directly promotes the proliferation of pancreatic islet β-cells with insulin secretion function in in vivo. Therefore, PME shows potential as a candidate for β-cell regeneration that may play a fundamental role in the treatment of diabetes.

Keywords

• Zebrafish
• Anti-diabetes
• Regeneration
• Polysiphonia
• β-cell
• Regenerative medicine