title: Puerarin improves insulin resistance and modulates adipokine expression in rats fed a high-fat diet.
abstract: The link between obesity and insulin resistance largely accounts for the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome and diabetes mellitus, in which adipokine expression plays a key role. Puerarin, a major active isoflavone extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine Radix Puerariae, has been studied for its comprehensive biological actions. However, its effect on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced insulin resistance and adipokine expression in rat has not been well investigated. In the present study, male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed on a normal control diet (NCD) or HFD for 6 weeks, followed by administration of puerarin (100 and 200 mg/kg) for up to 8 weeks. Compared to NCD, HFD feeding for 6 weeks led to increased body weight gain and impaired glucose/insulin tolerance manifested by oral glucose/intraperitoneal insulin tolerance tests in rats. These exacerbations prolonged through HFD feeding, but were effectively reversed by puerarin administration. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay demonstrated that, serum levels of leptin and resistin, but not that of adiponectin, were markedly augmented by HFD and retarded by puerarin treatment. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction results showed that, in agreement with the circulating levels, mRNA expression of leptin and resistin in epididymal white adipose tissue was modified by HFD and improved by puerarin in the same pattern. Collectively, we revealed that puerarin could improve body weight gain, glucose/insulin intolerance and adipokine expression in HFD-induced insulin resistant rats, indicating its potential value for treatment of metabolic syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Xiamen Diabetes Institute, 55 Zhen-Hai Road, Xiamen 361003, PR China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chang-Qin
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Peng-Wen
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Su-Yun
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Wei-Juan
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Hui-Jie
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xue-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shu-Yu
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines / Q000097:blood*; D052242:Adiponectin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D052436:Adipose Tissue, White / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D007529:Isoflavones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D052243:Resistin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; D052242:Adiponectin; C499920:Adipoq protein, rat; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D004041:Dietary Fats; D007529:Isoflavones; D020738:Leptin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D052243:Resistin; C499622:Retn protein, rat; C033607:puerarin