{"title":"Repurposing Incretin Therapies: A Narrative Review of Emerging Indications Across Cardiometabolic, Liver, Kidney, Neurological, Psychiatric, and Other Systems.","authors":"Ibrahim S Alhomoud, Sarah E Wheeler, Dave L Dixon","doi":"10.1139/cjpp-2025-0038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjpp-2025-0038","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Incretin therapies have revolutionized the management of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Recent evidence suggests that these agents modulate key pathways involved in cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, neuropsychiatric, and reproductive health. In this narrative review, we examine the role of incretin-based therapies in chronic kidney disease, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, neurodegenerative and cognitive disorders, substance use disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, knee osteoarthritis, and polycystic ovary syndrome. The mechanisms underlying these benefits appear to extend beyond glucose and weight regulation, including anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and cardiorenal effects. We summarize key clinical trial data, highlight knowledge gaps, and discuss future directions for integrating incretin-based therapies into broader clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":9520,"journal":{"name":"Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144076212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Narasimman Gurusamy, Bandar Muteb H Almalki, Sai Katragadda, James Murray, Robert C Speth, Lisa S Robison
{"title":"Epigenetic regulation by ketone bodies in cardiac diseases and repair.","authors":"Narasimman Gurusamy, Bandar Muteb H Almalki, Sai Katragadda, James Murray, Robert C Speth, Lisa S Robison","doi":"10.1139/cjpp-2024-0270","DOIUrl":"10.1139/cjpp-2024-0270","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ketone bodies, particularly β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), play an important role in the epigenetic regulation of gene expression in cardiac tissues, impacting both cardiac health and disease. This review explores the multifaceted influence of ketone bodies on epigenetic mechanisms, including histone acetylation, DNA methylation, ubiquitination, sirtuins activation, and RNA modulation. By acting as endogenous histone deacetylase inhibitors, ketone bodies enhance histone acetylation, thereby promoting the expression of genes involved in antioxidant defenses, anti-inflammatory responses, and metabolic regulation. Furthermore, BHB affects DNA methylation patterns by altering the availability of key metabolites such as S-adenosylmethionine. Ketogenic diet, which elevates BHB levels, has been shown to modulate gene expression, such as increasing FOXO3a and metallothionein 2, and improve cardiac function. This review highlights the therapeutic potential of ketone bodies in managing cardiac diseases through their epigenetic effects, underscoring the need for further research to elucidate the detailed molecular pathways and long-term impacts of these metabolic interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":9520,"journal":{"name":"Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143959472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Myotubularin related protein 7, a novel STIM1 binding protein.","authors":"Ning Dai, Jody Groenendyk, Marek Michalak","doi":"10.1139/cjpp-2025-0039","DOIUrl":"10.1139/cjpp-2025-0039","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Stromal interaction molecule 1 (STIM1) is a Ca<sup>2+</sup> sensor in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane. The protein plays a crucial role in store-operated Ca<sup>2+</sup> entry (SOCE) by transducing ER Ca<sup>2+</sup> depletion signals to Ca<sup>2+</sup> release-activated Ca<sup>2+</sup> channel protein 1 (ORAI1) at the plasma membrane. Myotubularin related protein 7 (MTMR7) is a lipid phosphatase that dephosphorylates phosphoinositides. Using yeast two-hybrid analysis, immunoprecipitation and fluorescence microscopy, we discovered that MTMR7 interacts with STIM1 at the ER. These observations identified MTMR7 as a novel STIM1-binding protein that bridges myotubularins and phosphoinositide signaling with SOCE. Our research revealed a novel link between Ca<sup>2+</sup> signaling and phosphoinositide biology, positioning MTMR7 as a potential marker or drug target for SOCE related human pathophysiology.</p>","PeriodicalId":9520,"journal":{"name":"Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143985143","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Meghan V McCue, Irena A Rebalka, Thomas J Hawke, David A MacLean
{"title":"Examining tissue-level changes in doxorubicin accumulation and nitric oxide formation in skeletal muscle and tumours in a mouse model of breast cancer.","authors":"Meghan V McCue, Irena A Rebalka, Thomas J Hawke, David A MacLean","doi":"10.1139/cjpp-2024-0368","DOIUrl":"10.1139/cjpp-2024-0368","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Doxorubicin is a commonly used chemotherapy that rapidly accumulates in skeletal muscle and disrupts nitric oxide (NO) formation. However, studies investigating these effects have largely been performed in tumour-free models, therefore it remains unknown whether intramuscular accumulation and disruptions to NO content persist during tumour growth. Female C57bl/6 mice (<i>n</i> = 8/group) were randomly assigned to true control, doxorubicin control, tumour only, or tumour plus doxorubicin groups. Tumours were grown for 21, 24, or 28 days using E0771 cells. Doxorubicin was administered as a single 10 mg/kg intraperitoneal dose on day 21. Doxorubicin accumulation was similar in muscle with and without tumours present. Doxorubicinol, a metabolite of doxorubicin, was elevated (<i>p</i> < 0.05) in 24-day tumour + doxorubicin compared to doxorubicin alone. NO was similar across all groups in muscle; however, tumour NO was 15-fold higher at day 21 compared to 24, or 28 days (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The results confirm that doxorubicin is sequestered in skeletal muscle when a tumour is present, which may impact bioavailability. Tumour growth transiently increased intramuscular doxorubicinol, potentially exacerbating the toxicity of the drug. Earlier stage tumour growth appeared to profoundly elevate NO, which could suggest temporal angiogenesis and vasodilation to facilitate growth.</p>","PeriodicalId":9520,"journal":{"name":"Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"163-171"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143499321","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Antonios M Diab, Hailey M Stack, Brendan T McKeown, Bruce C Carleton, Kerry B Goralski
{"title":"Systematic review of Health Canada approved clinical therapeutic trials for the treatment or prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).","authors":"Antonios M Diab, Hailey M Stack, Brendan T McKeown, Bruce C Carleton, Kerry B Goralski","doi":"10.1139/cjpp-2024-0055","DOIUrl":"10.1139/cjpp-2024-0055","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian clinical researchers pivoted their research programs to investigate repurposing drugs, accelerating the development of experimental therapies, and developing novel disease-specific treatments. This systematic review analyzes the trial design, participant characteristics, and reported outcomes of all Health Canada authorized clinical trials of therapeutics to prevent or treat COVID-19 with published results as of March 2023. We conclude that there is a need for adaptive clinical trial designs, broader pan-Canadian clinical trial networks, more targeted participant recruitment to facilitate increased diversity and inclusion, and standardization in reporting participant characteristics, outcome measurement, and follow-up. Finally, guided by our findings, we make recommendations for improved clinical trial designs when faced with an emerging disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":9520,"journal":{"name":"Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"146-162"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143572282","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Antonio Viana do Nascimento Filho, Gauri Akolkar, Lara Susan Lima, Filipe Fernandes Stoyell-Conti, Nathalia Bernardes, Maria Claudia Irigoyen, Pawan K Singal, Kátia De Angelis, Danielle da Silva Dias
{"title":"Vitamin C protects against doxorubicin-induced skeletal muscle atrophy: role of oxidative stress.","authors":"Antonio Viana do Nascimento Filho, Gauri Akolkar, Lara Susan Lima, Filipe Fernandes Stoyell-Conti, Nathalia Bernardes, Maria Claudia Irigoyen, Pawan K Singal, Kátia De Angelis, Danielle da Silva Dias","doi":"10.1139/cjpp-2024-0154","DOIUrl":"10.1139/cjpp-2024-0154","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Doxorubicin is known for its significant cardiotoxicity, in part due to increased oxidative stress (OS). In addition, preclinical models have shown that doxorubicin induces skeletal muscle atrophy. While vitamin C has been recognized as a valuable pharmacological intervention to mitigate cardiac toxicity, its effect on doxorubicin-induced skeletal muscle atrophy remains to be determined. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of vitamin C on skeletal muscle of rats exposed to doxorubicin. Indeed, doxorubicin caused a reduction in body weight and gastrocnemius muscle weight, accompanied by an increase in hydrogen peroxide, protein oxidation, and lipid peroxidation in the gastrocnemius muscle. On the other hand, vitamin C was able to prevent the loss of skeletal muscle mass as well as the increase in markers of OS. In addition, negative correlations were found between gastrocnemius muscle mass and markers of cellular damage. In conclusion, vitamin C appears to be a protective agent against doxorubicin-induced skeletal muscle atrophy and OS. This suggests its potential application as a prophylactic measure for patients undergoing doxorubicin treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":9520,"journal":{"name":"Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"200-207"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143405757","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Andrea S K Pop, Maria D Dănilă, Silvia Giuchici, Darius G Buriman, Bogdan M Lolescu, Adrian Sturza, Danina M Muntean, Ana Lascu
{"title":"Epicardial adipose tissue as target of the incretin-based therapies in cardio-metabolic pathologies: a narrative review.","authors":"Andrea S K Pop, Maria D Dănilă, Silvia Giuchici, Darius G Buriman, Bogdan M Lolescu, Adrian Sturza, Danina M Muntean, Ana Lascu","doi":"10.1139/cjpp-2024-0384","DOIUrl":"10.1139/cjpp-2024-0384","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) serves in physiological conditions as a mechanical and thermal myocardial protective layer, as well as a readily available lipid-storage unit. In pathological conditions, EAT expansion becomes deleterious and is currently recognized as an independent risk factor for the progression of cardiovascular diseases. The EAT phenotypic shift from protective to pro-inflammatory/pro-oxidant is facilitated by the presence of metabolic diseases (obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes), which further increase its expansion and dysregulation, favor the occurrence of complications (mainly atrial fibrillation), and promote progression towards heart failure. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists are novel antidiabetic medications belonging to the incretin class that have demonstrated efficacy beyond glycemic control, in terms of weight reduction and cardiorenal protection in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The GLP-1 receptors and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors are expressed in the human EAT and are targeted by an increasing number of pharmacological agonists, with pleiotropic protective effects on EAT structure and function. Herein we review the literature characterizing the benefits of GLP-1 and GIP receptors activation by single and dual agonists with particular emphasis on their effects on EAT and highlight the role of incretin-based therapy for the management of cardiometabolic pathologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":9520,"journal":{"name":"Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"182-192"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143572263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Timothy B Nunes, Karen L Nygard, Marc C J Courchesne, Shawn N Whitehead, Bryan S Richardson, Timothy R H Regnault
{"title":"White matter microglia morphological changes with aging in guinea pig offspring born growth restricted.","authors":"Timothy B Nunes, Karen L Nygard, Marc C J Courchesne, Shawn N Whitehead, Bryan S Richardson, Timothy R H Regnault","doi":"10.1139/cjpp-2024-0275","DOIUrl":"10.1139/cjpp-2024-0275","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fetal growth restriction is implicated in the programming of later-life neurodegeneration. We hypothesized that growth-restricted offspring would show accelerated changes to microglial white matter morphology, relative to controls. Control guinea pig sows were fed ad libitum, while maternal nutrient restriction sows received 70% of control diet switched to 90% from mid-gestation. Offspring were sacrificed at ∼26 days (neonate) or ∼110 days (adult) postpartum. Coronal brain sections from the frontal cortex were subject to IBA1 staining for microglial detection and analyzed by machine learning software. At birth, total body weight of growth-restricted offspring was reduced relative to control (<i>p</i> < 0.0001) with postnatal catch-up growth observed. Microglial density was reduced in the corpus callosum of control (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and growth-restricted (<i>p</i> = 0.13) adults, relative to neonates. Adults from both groups showed greater IBA1-positive area in the cingulum and periventricular white matter (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and increased microglial fractal dimension in the corpus callosum (<i>p</i> < 0.10) and periventricular white matter (<i>p</i> < 0.05), relative to neonates. At the time points studied, we report age-related changes in white matter microglial morphology. However, maternal nutrient restriction leading to fetal growth restriction in guinea pigs does not appear to exacerbate these white matter microglia morphological changes as a marker for later-life neurodegeneration.</p>","PeriodicalId":9520,"journal":{"name":"Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"193-199"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143985145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Causality assessment of adverse events by healthcare professionals in an academic hospital setting: a descriptive retrospective study.","authors":"Sonia Corbin, Maude Lavallée, Pallavi Pradhan, Magalie Thibault, Julie Méthot, Laura Blonde Guefack Djiokeng, Anick Bérard, Marie-Eve Piché, Fernanda Raphael Escobar Gimenes, Rosalie Darveau, Isabelle Cloutier, Jacinthe Leclerc","doi":"10.1139/cjpp-2024-0268","DOIUrl":"10.1139/cjpp-2024-0268","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Key points: </strong>Adverse events among drug users are frequent during hospital stay. Causality assessment of adverse events was poorly documented by healthcare professionals in a hospital setting.</p>","PeriodicalId":9520,"journal":{"name":"Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology","volume":" ","pages":"172-181"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143472145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bin Yu, Xuelian Li, Li Yang, Cheng Han, Jun Tan, Xiaoyan Yu, Min Li, Zhe Xu, Xiongying Chen
{"title":"The calcium-sensitive receptor in the pathogenesis of sepsis.","authors":"Bin Yu, Xuelian Li, Li Yang, Cheng Han, Jun Tan, Xiaoyan Yu, Min Li, Zhe Xu, Xiongying Chen","doi":"10.1139/cjpp-2025-0004","DOIUrl":"10.1139/cjpp-2025-0004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sepsis is an organ dysfunction caused by the body's dysfunctional response to infection, which is one of the most important causes of death in critically ill patients. It is characterized by high morbidity, high mortality, and high treatment costs. Currently, the treatment of sepsis relies mainly on supportive therapy, and there is a lack of targeted intervention ways. Studying the pathogenesis of sepsis and exploring new therapeutic targets are of great theoretical and clinical importance. Calcium-sensitive receptor (CaSR) is a cell membrane receptor belonging to the family of G protein-coupled receptors and is widely distributed in various tissues and organs. Research indicates that CaSR plays a role in mitigating sepsis-induced organ dysfunction, exhibiting tissue-specific protective effects in certain tissues while inducing inflammatory responses in others. Elucidating these dual effects and the underlying signaling pathways could facilitate the development of targeted therapies for sepsis-related organ damage. This review summarizes recent literature and evidence on CaSR signaling in sepsis-induced organ dysfunction. In addition, we provide an up-to-date schematic of the most important and likely molecular signaling pathways associated with CaSR in sepsis.</p>","PeriodicalId":9520,"journal":{"name":"Canadian journal of physiology and pharmacology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143964292","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}