Modulation of skeletal muscle insulin signaling with chronic caloric restriction in cynomolgus monkeys.
OBJECTIVE
Caloric restriction (CR) has been shown to retard aging processes, extend maximal life span, and consistently increase insulin action in experimental animals. The mechanism by which CR enhances insulin action, specifically in higher species, is not precisely known. We sought to examine insulin receptor signaling and transcriptional alterations in skeletal muscle of nonhuman primates subjected to CR over a 4-year period.


METHODS
At baseline, 32 male adult cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were randomized to an ad libitum (AL) diet or to 30% CR. Dietary intake, body weight, and insulin sensitivity were obtained at routine intervals over 4 years. At the end of the study, hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps were performed and skeletal muscle (vastus lateralis) was obtained in the basal and insulin-stimulated states for insulin receptor signaling and gene expression profiling.


RESULTS
CR significantly increased whole-body insulin-mediated glucose disposal compared with AL diet and increased insulin receptor signaling, i.e., insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1, insulin receptor phosphorylation, and IRS-associated PI 3-kinase activity in skeletal muscle (P < 0.01, P < 0.01, and P < 0.01, respectively). Gene expression for insulin signaling proteins, i.e., IRS-1 and IRS-2, were not increased with CR, although a significant increase in protein abundance was noted. Components of the ubiquitin-proteasome system, i.e., 20S and 19S proteasome subunit abundance and 20S proteasome activity, were significantly decreased by CR.


CONCLUSIONS
CR increases insulin sensitivity on a whole-body level and enhances insulin receptor signaling in this higher species. CR in cynomolgus monkeys may alter insulin signaling in vivo by modulating protein content of insulin receptor signaling proteins.
Wang
Zhong Q
ZQ
Division of Nutrition and Chronic Diseases, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University System, Baton Rouge, LA, USA.
Floyd
Z Elizabeth
ZE
Qin
Jianhua
J
Liu
Xiaotuan
X
Yu
Yongmei
Y
Zhang
Xian H
XH
Wagner
Janice D
JD
Cefalu
William T
WT