Pharmacological activation of insulin-degrading enzyme improves insulin secretion and glucose tolerance in diet-induced obese mice.

Aim: To investigate the use of synthetic preimplantation factor (sPIF) as a potential therapeutic tool for improving glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in the setting of diabetes.

Materials And Methods: We used a preclinical murine model of type 2 diabetes (T2D) induced by high-fat diet (HFD) feeding for 12 weeks. Saline or sPIF (1 mg/kg/day) was administered to mice by subcutaneously implanted osmotic mini-pumps for 25 days.

A novel orthotopic mouse model replicates human lung cancer cachexia.

Introduction: Cancer cachexia, highly prevalent in lung cancer, is a debilitating syndrome characterized by involuntary loss of skeletal muscle mass and is associated with poor clinical outcome, decreased survival and negative impact on tumour therapy. Various lung tumour-bearing animal models have been used to explore underlying mechanisms of cancer cachexia. However, these models do not simulate anatomical and immunological features key to lung cancer and associated muscle wasting.