Acarbose, an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor, decreases aortic gene expression and serum levels of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in fructose-fed rats.
Insulin resistance is one of the determinants of post-prandial hyperglycaemia. Recently, acarbose, an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor that delays the absorption of carbohydrates from the small intestine, has been found to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease in patients with impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes. However, the molecular mechanism by which acarbose inhibits cardiovascular events remains unknown. In this study, we examined whether oral administration of acarbose could suppress expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in fructose-fed rats, a widely used animal model of insulin resistance. Serum MCP-1 levels were elevated in fructose-fed rats after 4 weeks. Acarbose treatment for 4 weeks reduced the fructose-induced elevation of serum MCP-1 levels. Acarbose treatment for 8 weeks decreased MCP-1 mRNA levels in the aortae of fructose-fed rats. These results suggest that the cardioprotective effects of acarbose could be due, at least in part, to the suppression of MCP-1 expression.
Nakamura
K
K
Department of Internal Medicine, Murume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan; 2Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
Yamagishi
S
S
Matsui
T
T
Yoshida
T
T
Imaizumi
T
T
Makino
T
T
Shimizu
T
T
Inoue
H
H
D020909:Acarbose / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000378:metabolism*; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D004032:Diet; D005632:Fructose / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D065089:Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D065089:Glycoside Hydrolase Inhibitors; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005632:Fructose; D020909:Acarbose