Zhu-fang Shen

Pioglitazone can ameliorate insulin resistance in low-dose streptozotocin and high sucrose-fat diet induced obese rats

AbstractAim:To investigate the effect of the peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor (PPAR)-γ agonist, pioglitazone, on insulin resistance in low-dose streptozotocin and high sucrose-fat diet induced obese rats.Methods:Normal female Wistar rats were injected intraperitoneally with low-dose streptozotocin (STZ, 30 mg/kg) and fed with a high sucrose-fat diet for 8 weeks. Pioglitazone (20 mg/kg) was administered orally to the obese and insulin-resistant rats for 28 d. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests, insulin tolerance tests and gluconeogenesis tests were carried out over the last 14 d. At the end of d 28 of the treatment, serums were collected for biochemical analysis. Glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) and insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) protein expression in the liver and skeletal muscle were detected using Western blotting.Results:Significant insulin resistance and obesity were observed in low-dose STZ and high sucrose-fat diet induced obese rats. Pioglitazone (20 mg/kg) treatment significantly decreased serum insulin, triglyceride and free fatty acid levels, and elevated high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Pioglitazone also lowered the lipid contents in the liver and muscles of rats undergoing treatment. Gluconeogenesis was inhibited and insulin sensitivity was improved markedly. The IRS-1 protein contents in the liver and skeletal muscles and the GLUT4 contents in skeletal muscle were elevated significantly.Conclusion:The data suggest that treatment with pioglitazone improves insulin sensitivity in low-dose STZ and high sucrose-fat diet induced obese rats. The insulin sensitizing effect may be associated with ameliorating lipid metabolism, reducing hyperinsulinemia, inhibiting gluconeogenesis, and increasing IRS-1 and GLUT4 protein expression in insulin-sensitive tissues.

The PPARα/γ dual agonist chiglitazar improves insulin resistance and dyslipidemia in MSG obese rats

1 The aim of this study was to investigate the capacity of chiglitazar to improve insulin resistance and dyslipidemia in monosodium L‐glutamate (MSG) obese rats and to determine whether its lipid‐lowering effect is mediated through its activation of PPARα. 2 Chiglitazar is a PPARα/γ dual agonist. 3 The compound improved impaired insulin and glucose tolerance; decreased plasma insulin level and increased the insulin sensitivity index and decreased HOMA index. Euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp studies showed chiglitazar increased the glucose infusion rate in MSG obese rats. 4 Chiglitazar inhibited alanine gluconeogenesis, lowered the hepatic glycogen level in MSG obese rats. Like rosiglitazone, chiglitazar promoted the differentiation of adipocytes and decreased the maximal diameter of adipocytes. In addition, chiglitazar decreased the fibrosis and lipid accumulation in the islets and increased the size of islets. 5 Chiglitazar reduced plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol (TCHO), nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) and low density lipoprotein‐cholesterol levels; lowered hepatic triglyceride and TCHO contents; decreased muscular NEFA level. Unlike rosiglitazone, chiglitazar showed significant increase of mRNA expression of PPARα, CPT1, BIFEZ, ACO and CYP4A10 in the liver of MSG obese rats. 6 These data suggest that PPARα/γ coagonist, such as chiglitazar, affect lipid homeostasis with different mechanisms from rosiglitazone, chiglitazar may have better effects on lipid homeostasis in diabetic patients than selective PPARγ agonists.

Berberine inhibits mouse insulin gene promoter through activation of AMP activated protein kinase and may exert beneficial effect on pancreatic β-cell

Berberine is one of the main alkaloids of Rhizoma coptidis, proven to have anti-diabetic potentials through activation of AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK) in liver and muscle. However, the role of berberine on the insulin gene is unknown. Therefore, the effect of berberine on insulin gene transcription was investigated in the present study. Reporter gene assays were used in the mouse β-cell line NIT-1 to test the effect of berberine on the promoter of mouse insulin gene Ins2. The mRNA and protein levels of insulin were also detected. Diet induced glucose intolerant mice were used to explore the effect of berberine on blood glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance in vivo. The insulin content in islet was semi-quantified by an image analysis software in the immunohistochemistry sections. The results revealed that berberine caused a reversible concentration-dependent inhibition of insulin gene transcription in NIT-1 cells which showed a significant difference from the long term used AMPK activator metformin. Such inhibition on insulin promoter resulted in the reduction of mRNA and protein of insulin. Furthermore, the inhibition of insulin promoter was totally abolished by AMPK inhibitor Compound C. Berberine significantly improved insulin resistance and glucose intolerance of mice. Likewise, insulin content in islets of berberine treated mice was also decreased. Thus, the insulin gene represents a novel target of AMPK that may contribute to the action of berberine in type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Long-term fenofibrate treatment impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and up-regulated pancreatic NF-kappa B and iNOS expression in monosodium glutamate-induced obese rats: Is that a latent disadvantage?

BackgroundFenofibrate, a PPAR alpha agonist, has been widely used in clinics as lipid-regulating agent. PPAR alpha is known to be expressed in many organs including pancreatic beta cells and regulate genes involved in fatty acid metabolism. Some reports based on cell lines or animals have provided evidences that PPAR alpha agonists may affect (increased or suppressed) beta cell insulin secretion, and several studies are producing interesting but still debated results.MethodsIn this research, we investigated the long term effects of fenofibrate on beta cell function in a metabolic syndrome animal model, monosodium glutamate (MSG) induced obese rats. Obese MSG rats were administered by gavage with fenofibrate at a dose of 100 mg/kg for 12 weeks. Oral glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance tests were performed to evaluate glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity. We have used the hyperglycemic clamp technique to evaluate the capacity of beta cell insulin secretion. This technique provides an unbiased approach to understand the beta cell function in vivo. The changes of gene and protein expression in the pancreas and islets were also analyzed by Real-Time-PCR, Western blot and immunostaining.ResultsFenofibrate reduced the plasma lipid levels within a few days, and showed no beneficial effects on glucose homeostasis or insulin sensitivity in obese MSG rats. But the animals treated with fenofibrate exhibited significantly decreased fasting plasma insulin and impaired insulin secretory response to glucose stimulation. Further studies confirmed that fenofibrate increased MDA level and decreased total ATPase activity in pancreatic mitochondrion, accompanied by the upregulation of iNOS and NF-kappa B and TNF alpha expression in pancreatic islets of obese MSG rats.ConclusionsLong-term fenofibrate treatment disrupted beta cell function, and impaired glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in obese MSG rats, perhaps to some extent associated with the activated inflammatory pathway and increased formation of oxidative products, especially the up-regulation of NF-kappa B and iNOS expression in islets.

Atorvastatin improves insulin sensitivity in mice with obesity induced by monosodium glutamate.

AbstractAim:To examine the mechanisms underlying the effects of atorvastatin on glucose and lipid metabolism.Methods:Mice with insulin resistance and obesity induced by monosodium glutamate (MSG) were used. Atorvastatin (80 mg·kg−1·d−1) or vehicle control treatment was given orally once a day for 30 days. Plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and free fatty acids were monitored. Serum insulin and glucose concentrations were used to calculate the insulin resistance index and insulin sensitivity index using a homeostasis model. Body length, waistline circumference, intraperitoneal adipose tissue mass, and total body mass were measured. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western analysis were used to determine the expression of inflammatory factors and proteins involved in inflammation signaling pathways.Results:Atorvastatin improved insulin sensitivity, ameliorated glucose tolerance, and decreased plasma levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C, HDL-C and free fatty acids. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western analysis revealed increased expression of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) in serum and adipose tissue in MSG obese mice. Atorvastatin treatment decreased expression of IL-6, TNF-α, nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and I-kappa-B (IκB) kinase-β, but increased the expression of IκB, in adipose tissue.Conclusion:Atorvastatin is a potential candidate for the prevention and therapy of diseases associated with insulin resistance such as type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. One possible mechanism underlying the effects of atorvastatin on glucose and lipid metabolism may be to ameliorate a state of chronic inflammation.

Effects and Potential Mechanisms of Pioglitazone on Lipid Metabolism in Obese Diabetic KKAy Mice

This study aimed to analyze the effects and potential mechanisms of pioglitazone on triglyceride and cholesterol metabolism in obese diabetic KKAy mice. Pioglitazone was orally administered to KKAy mice over 30 days. Compared to C57BL/6J mice, KKAy mice developed obvious insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and hyperlipidemia. Pioglitazone treatment resulted in deteriorated microvesicular steatosis and elevated hepatic triglyceride levels, though plasma triglyceride and free fatty acid levels were reduced by the treatment, compared to nontreated KKAy mice. Plasma alanine aminotransferase activities were also significantly increased. Additionally, pioglitazone increased plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, and LDL-cholesterol but decreased hepatic cholesterol. Gene expression profiling revealed that pioglitazone stimulated hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma hyperactivity, and induced the upregulation of adipocyte-specific and lipogenesis-related genes but downregulated of genes involved in triglyceride lipolysis and fatty acid β-oxidation. Pioglitazone also regulated the genes expression of hepatic cholesterol uptake and excretion, such as low density lipoprotein receptor (LDL-R) and scavenger receptor type-BI (SR-BI). These results suggested that pioglitazone could induce excessive hepatic triglyceride accumulation, thus aggravating liver steatosis and lesions in KKAy mice. Furthermore, pioglitazone may suppress the clearance of serum cholesterol from the liver predominantly through inhibition of LDL-R and SR-BI expression, thus increasing the plasma cholesterol.

Biological activity of EXf, a peptide analogue of exendin-4

Exendin-4 is an incretin mimetic that has been developed for the treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes. EXf is an available carboxy-terminal truncated fragment of exendin-4 with two amino acid substitutions. The purpose of these studies was to evaluate the biological activity of EXf. After a single subcutaneous injection, EXf significantly decreased plasma glucose concentration and glucose excursion following the administration of an oral glucose challenge both in non-diabetic (ICR), monosodium l-glutamate induced insulin resistance (MSG-IR) and diabetic KK-ay mice. Meanwhile, EXf resulted in an increase of first-phase insulin secretion in normal mice and KK-ay mice following the glucose challenge. EXf was also shown to inhibit small intestinal transit in rodent models. EXf activated the cAMP response element (CRE) of the rat insulin I gene promoter (RIP1) GFP-construct in a dose-dependent manner in the cultured mouse insulinoma cell line, termed NIT-1, and this agonist activity was blocked by the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor antagonist exendin(9-39). In summary, EXf, an analogue of exendin-4, has agonist activity to GLP-1 receptor in vitro and glucoregulatory activities in vivo, thus it can be considered as a new candidate for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

A novel GLP-1 analog, BPI3006, with potent DPP IV resistance and good glucoregulatory effect.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone that decreases postprandial glycemic excursions by enhancing insulin secretion but with short half-life due to rapid inactivation by enzymatic N-terminal truncation. Therefore, efforts are being made to improve the stability of GLP-1 via modifying its structure or inhibiting dipeptidyl-peptidase IV (DPP IV), which is responsible for its degradation. Here we report a novel GLP-1 analog BPI3006 with -NHCO- of Ala(8) replaced by -CH(CF(3))NH- and features of its metabolic stability, GLP-1 receptor trans-activation and in vivo biological activity. BPI3006 is highly resistant to DPP IV-mediated degradation with 91.1% of parental peptide left after 24h exposure to the enzyme. BPI3006 also effectively activates its target gene promoter through GLP-1 receptor activation by measuring the transiently transfected reporter gene green fluorescence protein (GFP) expression in NIT-1 cells. Furthermore, BPI3006 could well restrain the glycemia variation in fasted normal ICR mice after a single administration followed by an oral glucose loading. In spontaneous type 2 diabetic KKA(y) mice, BPI3006 injected twice daily could significantly improve the oral glucose tolerance and hyperinsulinemia, as well as ameliorate the food and water consumption. In conclusion, BPI3006 has enhanced resistance to DPP IV leading to improved stability, and shows excellent in vivo biological activity. Thus it may be a new candidate for T2DM treatment and its novel modification may provide valuable guidance for the future development of long-acting GLP-1 analogs.

Synthesis and anti-diabetic activity of(RS)-2-ethoxy-3-{4-[2-(4-trifluoro-methanesulfonyloxy-phenyl)-ethoxy]-phenyl}-propionic acid

AbstractAim:To synthesize and study the anti-diabetic activity of (RS)-2-ethoxy-3-{4-[2-(4-trifluoromethanesulfonyloxy-phenyl)-ethoxy]-phenyl}-propionic acid (compound I).Methods:Compound I was prepared in 6 steps, using 4-(2-hydroxy-ethyl)-phenol as the starting material. The in vitro selectivity and potency of target compound I, rosiglitazone and WY-14643 on human PPARα and PPARγ were determined in reporter gene assays. In vivo, rosiglitazone and compound I were administered orally to KKAy mice for 14 d. Insulin tolerance tests and oral glucose tolerance tests were performed on the 10th and 14th day of treatment, respectively. At the end of the treatment, sera were collected for biochemical analysis.Results:In vitro, compound I significantly activated both PPARα and PPARγ. In vivo, compound I corrected the impaired insulin and glucose tolerance of KKAy mice, and produced a significant reduction in plasma triglyceride levels after 14 d of treatment. The effect produced was significant compared with the control group.Conclusion:Both in vitro and in vivo anti-diabetic activity studies for compound I were conducted and the data suggest that this compound is a potentially effective anti-diabetic agent.