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Guoxun Chen, PhD Lab

Guoxun Chen’s lab researches vitamin A status in relation to the development of metabolic disease.


Guoxun Chen’s long-term research interest is to understand the fundamental biochemical and molecular mechanisms of obesity and type 2 diabetes using cell and animal models of human diseases. Since the establishment of his independent research lab, his research results have demonstrated that vitamin A and its metabolites play a role in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism, which is the key link of overnutrition and metabolic diseases.

    1. Chen, G. (2007) Liver Lipid Molecules Induce PEPCK-C Gene Transcription and Attenuate Insulin Action. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 361(3):805-10.
    2. Chen, G., Zhang, Y., Lu, D., Li, N., and Ross, A.C. (2009) Retinoids Synergize with Insulin to Induce Hepatic Gck Expression. Biochemical Journal. 419(3):645-54.
    3. Li, R., Chen, W., Li, Y., Zhang, Y., and Chen, G. (2011) Retinoids Synergized with Insulin to Induce Srebp-1c Expression and Activated Its Promoter via the Two Liver X Receptor Binding Sites That Mediate Insulin Action. Biochemical and Biophysical Research 406(2):268-72
    4. Zhang, Y., Li, R., Chen, W., Li, Y., and Chen, G. (2011) Retinoids Induced Pck1 Expression and Attenuated Insulin-mediated Suppression of Its Expression via Activation of Retinoic Acid Receptor in Primary Rat Hepatocytes. Molecular and Cellular 355(1):1-8.
    5. Ge, Y., Zhang, Y., Li, R., Chen, W., Li, Y., and Chen, G. (2011) Berberine Regulated Gck, G6pc, Pck1 and Srebp-1c Expression and Activated AMP-activated Protein Kinase in Primary Rat Hepatocytes. International Journal of Biological Sciences. 7:673-684
    6. Zhang, Y., Li, R., Chen, W., Li, Y., Ge, Y., and Chen, G. (2011) Insulin-Regulated Srebp-1c and Pck1 mRNA Expression in Primary Hepatocytes from Zucker Fatty But Not Lean Rats is Affected by Feeding Conditions. PLoS One 6(6):e21342
    7. Zhao, S., Li, R., Li, Y., Chen, W., Zhang, Y., and Chen, G. (2012) Roles of Vitamin A Status and Retinoids in Glucose and Fatty Acid Metabolism. Biochemistry and Cell 90(2): 142-152
    8. Zhang, Y., Li, R., Li, Y., Chen, W., Zhao, S., and Chen, G. (2012) Vitamin A status affects obesity development and hepatic expression of key genes for fuel metabolism in Zucker fatty rats. Biochemistry and Cell Biology. 90(4):548-57
    9. Howell, M. and Chen, G. (2012) Is There A Role of Vitamin A in Hepatic Glucose and Fatty Acid Metabolism? Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences. 2:e111
    10. Li, Y., Zhang, Y., Li, R., Chen, W., Howell, M., Zhang, R., and Chen, G. (2012) The hepatic Raldh1 expression is elevated in Zucker fatty rats and its over-expression introduced the retinal-induced Srebp-1c expression in INS-1 cells. PLoS 7(9):e45210
    11. Chen, G. and Pang, Z. (2013) Endocannabinoids and Obesity. Vitamins and Hormones. 91:325-68.
    12. Chen, G. (2013) Roles of Vitamin A Metabolism in the Development of Hepatic Insulin Resistance. ISRN Hepatology. Article ID 534972. dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/534972
    13. Guan, H. and Chen, G. (2014) Factors Affecting Insulin-Regulated Hepatic Gene Expression. Progress in Molecular Biology and Translational Science. 121:165-215
    14. Howell, M., Li, R., Zhang, R., Li, Y., Chen, W., and Chen, G. (2014) The expression of Apoc3 mRNA is regulated by HNF4α and COUP-TFII, but not acute retinoid treatments, in primary rat hepatocytes and hepatoma cells. Molecular and Cellular 387:241-250
    15. Chen, W., and Chen, G., (2014) The roles of vitamin A in the regulation of carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 3(2), 453-479
    16. Li, R., Zhang, R., Li, Y., Zhu B., Chen, W., Zhang, Y., and Chen, G. (2014) A retinoic acid responsive element in the hepatic Gck promoter interacts with RARα, HNF4α, COUP-TFII, which affect the retinoic acid- and insulin-mediated Gck expression. J Nutr Biochem, 25(9):964-76
    17. Chen, W., Howell, M., Li, Y., Li, R., and Chen, G. (2014) Vitamin A and feeding statuses modulate the insulin-regulated gene expression in primary rat hepatocytes. PLoS One, 9(8):e100868.
    18. Goff, M. and Chen, G. (2014) Factors affecting feeding frequency in animals. Journal of Global Health (Chinese), 1(2):44-54
    19. Chen, W, Goff, MR, Kuang, H, Chen, G. (2015) Higher Protein Kinase C ζ in Fatty Rat Liver and Its Effect on Insulin Actions in Primary Hepatocytes. PLoS One. 10(3):e0121890. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121890. eCollection 2015. PubMed PMID: 25822413; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC4379029.
    20. Chen, G. (2015) The link between Hepatic Vitamin A Metabolism and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Curr Drug Targets. 16(12):1281-92, PubMed PMID: 25808650.
    21. Eastep, J. and Chen, G. (2015) The relationships of high-fat diet and metabolism of lipophilic vitamins. Integrative Food, Nutrition and Metabolism. 2(3): 174-179
    22. Li, Y., Li, R., Chen, W., and Chen, G. (2016) Vitamin A status and its metabolism contribute to the regulation of hepatic genes during the cycle of fasting and refeeding in rats. J Nutr Biochem. 30(4):33-43. doi:10.1016/j.jnutbio.2015.11.012
    23. Huang, XJ., Li, J., Mei, ZY., Chen, G. (2016) Gentiopicroside and sweroside from Veratrilla baillonii Franch induced phosphorylation of Akt and suppressed Pck1 expression in hepatoma cells. Biochemistry and Cell Biology. 94(3):270-8. doi: 10.1139/bcb-2015-0173
    24. Goff, M. and Chen, G. (2016) Progresses of the Past Decade on Factors Contributing to Skeletal Muscle Glycogen Synthase Regulation. Metabolomics: Open Access. 6(2):174. doi:10.4172/2153-0769.1000174
    25. Zeglen, S. and Chen, G. (2016) E-NPP1 as a Potential Link Between Insulin Resistance and Bone Health in Type 2 Diabetes. EC Nutrition6 (2016): 1021-1036.
    26. Patel, J. and Chen, G. (2017) Current Comprehension of the Role of Fatty Acids in the Development of Type 2 Diabetes. J Nutrition Health Food Sci 5(3):1-11 doi:10.15226/jnhfs.2017.00199
    27. Li, Y., Liu, Y. and Chen, G. (2017) Vitamin A status affects the plasma parameters and regulation of hepatic genes in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Biochimie. 2017 Jun;137:1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.biochi.2017.02.012. Epub 2017 Feb 24.
    28. Chen, W. and Chen, G. (2017) Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge): A Prospective Healing Sage for Cardiovascular Diseases. Curr Pharm Des. 2017 Aug. doi: 10.2174/1381612823666170822101112.
    29. Yang, F., and Chen, G.. (2018) Production of extracellular lysophosphatidic acid in the regulation of adipocyte functions and liver fibrosis. World Journal of Gastroenterology. 2018 Sep 28;24(36):4132-4151. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v24.i36.4132.
    30. Kuang, H., Yang, F., Zhang, Y., Wang, T., and Chen, G. (2018) The Impact of Egg Nutrient Composition and Its Consumption on Cholesterol Homeostasis. Cholesterol, Volume 2018, Article ID 6303810 (22 pages). https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/6303810.
    31. Zhao, S., Jia, T., Tang, Y., Zhang, X., Mao, H., Tian, X., Li, R., Ma, L., Chen, G. (2018) Reduced mRNA and Protein Expression Levels of Tet Methylcytosine Dioxygenase 3 in Endothelial Progenitor Cells of Patients of Type 2 Diabetes With Peripheral Artery Disease. Front Immunol. 2018 Dec 6; 9:2859. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2018.02859. eCollection 2018.
    32. Liu, YP, Jiang, WW., Chen, G. and Li, YQ. (2018) Diagnostic value and safety of emergency single-balloon enteroscopy for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. World J Clin Cases. 2018 Sep 6;6(9):284-290. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v6.i9.284.
    33. Kuang, H., Wei, CH., Wang, T., Eastep, J., Li, Y., Chen, G. (2019) Vitamin A Status Affects Weight Gain and Hepatic Glucose Metabolism in Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry 2019 Feb; 25:1-9. https://doi.org/10.1139/bcb-2018-0284
    34. Zhang, Y., Fang, XM, Chen, G. (2019) Clinical use of low-dose aspirin for elders and sensitive subjects. World J Clin Cases. 2019, Oct 26; 7(20): 3168-3174. doi:10.12998/wjcc.v7.i20.3168.
    35. Goff, M. and Chen G. (2020) Long-Term Treatment with Insulin and Retinoic Acid Increased Glucose Utilization in L6 Muscle Cells via Glycogenesis. Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry. 2020 (Accepted)
    36. Zhang, Y. and Chen G. (2020) The Link of Nutrient Fluxes to Hepatic Insulin Resistance at Gene Expression. Archives of Gastroenterology Research. 2020 (Accepted)
    37. Clark, J. and Chen G. (2020) Current Understanding of Gender Dimorphism Regarding Type 2 Diabetes. Archives of Nutrition and Food Science. 2020 (Accepted)

 

Aaron Armstrong, PhD student

Marcel Holman, MS student

Xinge Hu, MS student

Heqian Kuang, PhD student

 

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