Compositions and methods for regulating glucose homeostasis and insulin action

A method of increasing oxygen consumption, reducing cellular reactive oxygen species, depolarizing a mitochondrial inner membrane, and increasing oxygen consumption rate without donating electrons to the electron transport chain using a mitochondrial uncoupler, said method comprising contacting a cell or mitochondria with a composition comprising at least one compound having a structure of formula I or formula II:

• or active analogs or derivatives thereof,
• wherein R1-R10 are all independently optional, and when present are each independently selected from the group consisting of H, halogen, hydroxy, acyl, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclo, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, amino, amide, thiol, sulfone, sulfoxide, oxo, oxy, nitro, carbonyl, carboxy, amino acid sidechain, and amino acid, wherein each group can be optionally substituted;
• or
• or active analogs and derivatives thereof,
• wherein R1-R2 are independently optional, and are each independently selected from the group consisting of H, halogen, hydroxy, acyl, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclo, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, amino, amide, thiol, sulfone, sulfoxide, oxo, oxy, nitro, carbonyl, carboxy, amino acid sidechain, and amino acid, wherein each group can be optionally substituted.