Eight weeks after liraglutide or human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell administration, FPG, HbA<sub>1c</sub> , glucagon, body weight, and pancreatic ASK1, JNK, and BAX mRNA and proteins were significantly decreased, and the levels of serum C-p, INS and GLP-1, ratio of insulin positive area, and Bcl-2 expression were significantly increased in three treatment groups compared with T2DM group (P<.05).
Western blot, ELISA and qRT-PCR results showed that the mRNA and protein expression profiles of Caspase-3 and Bax were highly up-regulated and that Bcl-2 was down-regulated in the T2DM-PD-p38 inhibitor group.
Furthermore, we found that the level of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 was decreased (approximately 2-fold) with a concomitant increase in cleaved caspase-3 (approximately 3-fold) in T2D retina compared to control.
Additionally, cellular apoptosis in rats with DM was increased, and the expression of Bcl‑2 was downregulated, while levels of Bcl‑2‑associated X and caspase‑3 were upregulated, and these observations were reversed by MLT, as determined by TUNEL and western blot analysis, respectively.
Moreover, Ex-4 regulated several markers for autophagy in GK rat brains (as mTOR, PI3K class III, LC3 II, Atg7, p62, LAMP-1, and Parkin), ultimately protecting against apoptosis (by decreasing several caspase-like activities and mitochondrial cytochrome c, and increasing Bcl2 levels upon T2D).