Insulin therapy stimulates lipid synthesis and improves endocrine functions of adipocytes in dietary obese C57BL/6 mice.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether insulin intervention could affect the metabolic and endocrine functions of adipose tissue.


METHODS
C57BL/6 mice were fed on a high-fat-diet for 12-16 weeks to induce insulin resistance. Insulin intervention was administered in the high-fat-diet mice for 4 weeks at 12 weeks (early insulin treatment) or 16 weeks (late insulin treatment). Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests were performed before and after insulin treatment. Expression levels of factors involved in the triglyceride synthesis and endocrine functions of adipose tissue including phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK-C), fatty acid synthase (FAS), aquaporin 7 (AQP7), adiponectin, visfatin, and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were determined by Western blot.


RESULTS
In the obese mice, glucose tolerance was impaired; triglyceride content was increased in the liver tissue; protein expression of FAS and adiponectin was decreased; expression of visfatin was increased in adipose tissue. After 4-week insulin treatment, glucose tolerance was improved; triglyceride content was decreased in the liver and skeletal muscle; expression of PEPCK-C, FAS, and adiponectin was increased in the adipose tissue; IL-6 and AQP7 expression was reduced in the fat. Early insulin treatment had better effect in increasing the expression of FAS and PEPCK-C and decreasing the expression of IL-6.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that insulin can target adipocytes for improvement of insulin sensitivity through stimulating triglyceride synthesis and partly improving endocrine functions.
Chen
Xiang
X
Department of Endocrinology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China.
Yu
Qiu-qiong
QQ
Zhu
Yan-hua
YH
Bi
Yan
Y
Sun
Wei-ping
WP
Liang
Hua
H
Cai
Meng-ying
MY
He
Xiao-ying
XY
Weng
Jian-ping
JP
D017667:Adipocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D052242:Adiponectin / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D020346:Aquaporins / Q000378:metabolism; D002262:Carboxy-Lyases / Q000378:metabolism; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008820:Mice, Obese; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000188:drug therapy*
D052242:Adiponectin; C491927:Aqp7 protein, mouse; D020346:Aquaporins; D007328:Insulin; D015850:Interleukin-6; D064429:Fatty Acid Synthases; D054409:Nicotinamide Phosphoribosyltransferase; D002262:Carboxy-Lyases