title: Increases in energy intake, insulin resistance and stress in rats before Wenchuan earthquake far from the epicenter.
abstract: The study of pre-earthquake (PE) behavior in animals has always been shrouded by controversy. There is very little scientific evidence showing that animals can sense the coming of an earthquake and that their organisms undergo physiological changes during the PE period. On the day of the Wenchuan earthquake, prior to the time of its actual occurrence, we were coincidentally able to measure the insulin sensitivity and stress level in rats that were originally part of another study. We detected defects in insulin signaling and a decrease in glucose uptake in skeletal muscle (SkM) and adipose tissue (AT), indicating impaired insulin sensitivity. These changes were associated with significantly increased plasma corticosterone concentration and elevated HSD11B1 mRNA expression in SkM and AT. The increase in insulin resistance (IR) could be attributed to elevated local (SkM and AT) and systemic stress. Interestingly, we also noticed that the food intake in rats showed a sudden increase two days before the earthquake and reached a peak on the day of the earthquake itself. Our observations suggest the possibility that the rats underwent PE physiological changes consisting of an increase in the stress level and consequently leading to an increase in food intake and IR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China. cheria_chen@126.com
authors.forename: Lu-Lu
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Hao-Hao
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Wei-Hong
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Tian-Shu
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Jiao-Yue
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yue
mesh_terms: D043205:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 / Q000235:genetics; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002681:China; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000378:metabolism; D055866:Earthquakes; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology*; D015309:Glucose Clamp Technique; D007333:Insulin Resistance / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D043205:11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1; D003345:Corticosterone