title: Age- and gender-related changes in glucose homeostasis in glucocorticoid-treated rats.
abstract: The disruption to glucose homeostasis upon glucocorticoid (GC) treatment in adult male rats has not been fully characterized in older rats or in females. Thus, we evaluated the age- and gender-related changes in glucose homeostasis in GC-treated rats. We injected male and female rats at 3 months and 12 months of age with either dexamethasone (1.0 mg/kg body mass, intraperitoneally) or saline, daily for 5 days. All of the GC-treated rats had decreased body mass and food intake, and adrenal hypotrophy. Increased glycemia was observed in all of the GC-treated groups and only the 3-month-old female rats were not glucose intolerant. Dexamethasone treatment resulted in hyperinsulinemia and hypertriacylglyceridemia in all of the GC-treated rats. The glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) was higher in all of the dexamethasone-treated animals, but it was less pronounced in the older animals. The β-cell mass was increased in the younger male rats treated with dexamethasone. We conclude that dexamethasone treatment induces glucose intolerance in both the 3- and 12-month-old male rats as well as hyperinsulinemia and augmented GSIS. Three-month-old female rats are protected from glucose intolerance caused by GC, whereas 12-month-old female rats developed the same complications that were present in 3- and 12-month-old male rats.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Physiological Sciences, Center of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), 88040-900 Florianópolis, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cristiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Francielle Batista D
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Luiz M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Gonçalves-Neto
authors.forename: Sebastião Roberto
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Taboga
authors.forename: Antonio Carlos
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Boschero
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rafacho
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D004435:Eating / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000139:chemically induced; D006706:Homeostasis; D006946:Hyperinsulinism / Q000139:chemically induced; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D000078790:Insulin Secretion; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012737:Sex Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D001786:Blood Glucose; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007328:Insulin; D014280:Triglycerides; D003907:Dexamethasone; D002784:Cholesterol; D005947:Glucose
keywords: dexamethasone; dexaméthasone; female; femelle; glucose tolerance; insulin secretion; insulin sensitivity; sensibilité à l’insuline; sécrétion d’insuline; tolérance au glucose