Fagomine

Kinase experiment:

Lysosomal enzyme activities in cell lysates are determined. Briefly, cells are scraped in ice-cold 0.1% Triton X-100 in water. After centrifugation (6000 rpm for 15 min at 4°C) to remove insoluble materials, protein concentrations are determined using Protein Assay Rapid Kit. The lysates are incubated at 37°C with the corresponding 4-methylumbelliferyl β-D-glycopyranoside solution in 0.1 M citrate buffer (pH 4). The liberated 4-methylumbelliferone is measured with a fluorescence plate reader (excitation 340 nm; emission 460 nm). For enzyme inhibition assay, cell lysates from normal skin fibroblasts are mixed with the 4-methylumbelliferyl β-D-glycopyranoside substrates in the absence or presence of increasing concentrations of Fagomine[1].

Cell experiment:

Human skin fibroblasts from a healthy and three Gaucher disease patients (with N188S/G183W, V230G/R296X and L444P/L444P mutations) are maintained in our laboratory with DMEM supplemented with 10% FBS as the culture medium. For enzyme activity enhancement assay, cells are cultured in the presence of different concentrations of Fagomine or DMSO alone (as a control) for 5 days and harvested by scraping. Cytotoxicity of Fagomine is monitored by measuring the lactate dehydrogenase activities in the cultured supernatants[1].

Animal experiment:

Rats[3] Sprague-Dawley rats (male, 22 weeks old) are randomly assigned to one of the three dietary groups: the control group, fed a standard diet (STD); a group fed HFHS (modified high-fat high-sucrose diet); and a group fed HFHS supplemented with 0.065% Fagomine (HFHS+FG). The percentage of Fagomine is adjusted so that its ratio to sucrose is 2 mg/g, as defined before from the results of post-prandial tests.The modified diets are processed. Feed consumption is monitored every day throughout the experiment and body weight is measured before and at the end of the nutritional intervention. All animal manipulations are carried out in the morning to minimize the effects of circadian rhythms.

References:

[1]. Mena-Barragán T, et al. Inhibitor versus chaperone behaviour of d-fagomine, DAB and LAB sp2-iminosugar conjugates againstglycosidases: A structure-activity relationship study in Gaucher fibroblasts. Eur J Med Chem. 2015 Aug 31. pii: S0223-5234(15)30222-1.
[2]. Ramos-Romero S, et al. Effect of (D)-fagomine on excreted Enterobacteria and weight gain in rats fed a high-fat high-sucrose diet. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2014 Apr;22(4):976-9.
[3]. Molinar-Toribio E, et al. D-Fagomine attenuates metabolic alterations induced by a high-energy-dense diet in rats. Food Funct. 2015 Aug;6(8):2614-9.