Abstract：
As one of the most abundant plant polyphenols in the human diet, (-)-epicatechin (EC) can improve insulin sensitivity and regulate glucose homeostasis. However, the primary mechanisms involved in EC anti-T2DM benefits remain unclear. The present study explored the effects of EC on the gut microbiota and liver transcriptome in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) Goto-Kakizaki rats for the first time. The findings showed that EC protected glucose homeostasis, alleviated systemic oxidative stress, relieved liver damage, and increased serum insulin. Further investigation showed that EC reshaped gut microbiota structure, including inhibiting the proliferation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-producing bacteria and reducing serum LPS. In addition, transcriptome analysis revealed that the insulin signaling pathway may be the core pathway of the EC anti-T2DM effect. Therefore, EC may modulate the gut microbiota and liver insulin signaling pathways by the gut-liver axis to alleviate T2DM. As a diet supplement, EC has promising potential in T2DM prevention and treatment.
摘要：
作为人类饮食中含量最丰富的植物多酚之一，（-）-表儿茶素（EC）可以改善胰岛素敏感性并调节葡萄糖稳态。然而,EC抗T2DM获益的主要机制尚不清楚.本研究首次探讨了EC对2型糖尿病（T2DM）Goto-Kakizaki大鼠肠道菌群和肝脏转录组的影响。研究结果表明，EC保护葡萄糖稳态，缓解全身氧化应激，减轻肝损伤，血清胰岛素增加.进一步的研究表明，EC重塑了肠道菌群结构，包括抑制产生脂多糖(LPS)的细菌的增殖和降低血清LPS。此外,转录组分析显示，胰岛素信号通路可能是EC抗T2DM作用的核心通路。因此,EC可能通过肠-肝轴调节肠道菌群和肝脏胰岛素信号通路以缓解T2DM。作为饮食补充剂，EC在T2DM的预防和治疗中具有很好的潜力。
