Sulforaphane reduces hepatic glucose production and improves glucose control in patients with type 2 diabetes
(Expert study taken: Annika S. Axelsson, Emily Tubbs, Brig Mecham, Shaji Chacko, and other authors, Science Translational Medicine, June 14, 2017, Vol 9, Issue 394, OI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aah4477)
Type 2 diabetes is becoming increasingly common worldwide, and not all patients can be successfully treated with current medications. Axelsson et al. analyzed gene expression patterns associated with type 2 diabetes and compared them with gene expression patterns for thousands of candidate drugs to find compounds that could reverse the effects of diabetes. The leading candidate from this analysis was SULFORAFAN, a natural compound found in broccoli sprouts and other vegetables.
The authors showed that sulforaphane inhibits glucose production in cultured cells and improves glucose tolerance in rodents on a high-fat or high-fructose diet. Moreover, in a clinical study, broccoli sprout extract containing sulforaphane was well tolerated and improved fasting glucose levels in human patients with obesity and dysregulated type 2 diabetes.
A potentially useful approach to drug discovery is to link the gene expression profiles of tissues affected by disease to drug signatures. Based on analysis of co-expressed genes and genetic data, we identified a disease signature for type 2 diabetes in liver tissue. From a database of 3800 drug signatures, we identified sulforaphane as a compound that can reverse the disease signature.
Sulforaphane suppressed glucose production in liver cells via translocation of nuclear factor NRF2 and reduced the expression of key enzymes in gluconeogenesis. Moreover, sulforaphane reversed the disease signature in the liver of diabetic animals and reduced excessive glucose production and glucose intolerance to a metformin-like extent. Finally, sulforaphAn in the form of concentrated broccoli sprout extract reduced fasting glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels in obese patients with dysregulated type 2 diabetes.
Sulforaphane, reduces glucose production in the liver and improves blood sugar control, which has been shown in both animal and human trials with type 2 diabetes. This discovery could represent a new treatment option for diabetes, especially for patients who can’t tolerate conventional drugs like metformin.