title: Improved insulin-sensitivity in mice heterozygous for PPAR-gamma deficiency.
abstract: The thiazolidinedione class of insulin-sensitizing, antidiabetic drugs interacts with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-gamma). To gain insight into the role of this nuclear receptor in insulin resistance and diabetes, we conducted metabolic studies in the PPAR-gamma gene knockout mouse model. Because homozygous PPAR-gamma-null mice die in development, we studied glucose metabolism in mice heterozygous for the mutation (PPAR-gamma(+/-) mice). We identified no statistically significant differences in body weight, basal glucose, insulin, or FFA levels between the wild-type (WT) and PPAR-gamma(+/-) groups. Nor was there a difference in glucose excursion between the groups of mice during oral glucose tolerance test, but insulin concentrations of the WT group were greater than those of the PPAR-gamma(+/-) group, and insulin-induced increase in glucose disposal rate was significantly increased in PPAR-gamma(+/-) mice. Likewise, the insulin-induced suppression of hepatic glucose production was significantly greater in the PPAR-gamma(+/-) mice than in the WT mice. Taken together, these results indicate that - counterintuitively - although pharmacological activation of PPAR-gamma improves insulin sensitivity, a similar effect is obtained by genetically reducing the expression levels of the receptor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California-San Diego, San Diego, California 92103, USA. pmiles@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Barak
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Olefsky
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006579:Heterozygote; D006720:Homozygote; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007328:Insulin; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear; D014157:Transcription Factors; D005947:Glucose