The Synergistic Effect of GlucagonLike Peptide1 and Chamomile Oil on Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells into InsulinProducing Cells

Objective Glucagonlike peptide1 (GLP1) has attracted tremendous attention for treatment of diabetes. Likewise, it seems that active ingredients of chamomile oil might have antidiabetic effects. This work was conducted to investigate the effects of the combination of GLP1 and chamomile oil on differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into functional insulinproducing cells (IPCs). Materials and Methods In this experimental study, adipose MSCs derived from the adult male New Zealand white rabbits were assigned into four groups: control (without any treatment); GLP1 (in which cells were treated with 10 nM GLP1 every other day for 5 days); chamomile oil (in which cells were treated with 100 ug/ml Matricaria chamomilla L. flower oil every other day for 5 days); and GLP1+ chamomile oil (in which cells were treated with 10 nM GLP1 and 100 µg/ml M. chamomilla flower oil every other day for 5 days). Characterization of isolated MSCs was performed using flow cytometry, Alizarin red S staining and Oil red O staining. The expressions of genes specific for IPCs were measured using reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) assay. Measurement of insulin and the cleaved connecting peptide (Cpeptide) in response to different concentrations of glucose, were performed using ELISA kits. Results Our results demonstrated that isolated cells highly expressed MSC markers and were able to differentiate into osteocytes and adipocytes. Additionally, using GLP1 in combination with chamomile oil exhibited higher levels of IPCs gene markers including NK homeobox gene 2.2 (NKX2.2), paired box gene 4 (PAX4), insulin (INS) and pancreatic duodenal homeobox1 (PDX1) as well as insulin and Cpeptide secretion in response to different glucose concentrations compared to GLP1 or chamomile oil alone (P 0.05). ConclusionCollectively, these findings establish a substantial foundation for using peptides in combination with natural products to obtain higher efficiency in regenerative medicine and peptide therapy.