Amylin exerts osteogenic actions with different efficacy depending on the diabetic status.

Amylin displays osteogenic features, but its role in diabetic osteopenia is unclear. We examined the possible osteogenic action of amylin infusion for 3days into fructose-induced insulin-resistant (IR) and streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic (T2D) and normal (N) rats. Amylin failed to affect glycaemia or parathyroid hormone levels in any group, but reduced hyperinsulinemia in IR rats. In N rats, amylin increased bone formation rate and reduced osteoclast surface and erosive surface in the femoral metaphysis, and increased osteoprotegerin (OPG)/receptor activator of NFκB ligand (RANKL) mRNA ratio in the tibia. In T2D rats, amylin normalized trabecular structure parameters and increased osteoblast number and osteocalcin (OC) expression in long bones. In contrast, in IR rats, no apparent osteogenic effect of amylin in the femur was observed, although both OC and OPG/RANKL ratio were increased in the tibia. Our findings demonstrate a different osteogenic efficacy of amylin in two diabetic settings.

Amylin effect in extrapancreatic tissues participating in glucose homeostasis, in normal, insulin-resistant and type 2 diabetic state.

Amylin is co-secreted with insulin, responds to the same stimuli, is anorectic, lowers body weight by reducing fat mass, and is proposed for diabetes treatment. We examined the effect of a 3-day constant infusion of close to physiological doses of amylin in Wistar rats, on glucotransporter expression, glycogen content (G), glycogen synthase a activity (GSa) and glucose transport (GT), in liver, muscle and fat from insulin resistant (IR) and type 2 diabetic (T2D) models, compared to normal (N) animals; plasma glucose and insulin were measured. Plasma insulin in IR was higher than in N or T2D, and amylin normalized the value. In both, IR and T2D, liver G was lower than normal, accompanied by GLUT-2, mRNA and protein, higher and lower, respectively, than in N; amylin normalized G in both groups, without changes in GLUT-2, except for an mRNA increase in T2D. In IR and T2D, muscle GSa was reduced, together with respective over- and under-GLUT-4 expression; amylin induced only a trend toward GSa normalization in both groups. In isolated adipocytes, GT and GLUT-4 in IR and T2D were lower and higher, respectively, than in N; after amylin, not only GT was normalized in both groups but also the response to insulin was much more pronounced, including that in N, without major changes in GLUT-4. This suggests that the beneficial effect of amylin in states running with altered glucose homeostasis could occur by partially acting on the hexose metabolism of the liver and mainly on that of the adipose tissue.

Alteration of adipocyte metabolism in omega3 fatty acid-depleted rats.

Presently an insufficient supply of long-chain polyunsaturated omega3 fatty acid is prevalent in Western populations leading to potential metabolic consequences. Based on this fact, this study deals mainly with various aspects of lipid metabolism in second generation female omega3-depleted rats. The parametrial fat and body weights were higher in omega3-depleted than control animals. This coincided with liver steatosis but did not alter heart triglyceride/phospholipid ratio. The net uptake of [U-14C] palmitate by adipocytes was also higher in omega3-depleted rats than in control animals. The uptake of D-[U- 4C] glucose or [1,2 (-14)C] acetate by adipocytes was lower, however in omega3-depleted than control animals and was unaffected by insulin in the former as distinct from latter animals. Despite comparable basal lipolysis, the increase in glycerol output from adipocytes provoked by theophylline was higher in omega3-depleted than control rats. The fatty acid pattern of lipids in adipose tissue was characterized in the omega3-depleted rats by a much lower omega3 content, higher apparent Delta 9-saturase and elongase activities, lower efficiency for the conversion of C18:2omega6 to C20:4omega6 and higher efficiency for the conversion of C18:3omega3 to C20:5omega3. These features were compared to those prevailing in liver and plasma lipids. The present study thus extends knowledge on the alteration of lipid metabolism resulting from a deficiency in long-chain polyunsaturated omega3 fatty acids.

Participation of protein kinases in the stimulant action of GLP-1 on 2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake by normal rat skeletal muscle.

Several protein kinases were recently proposed for involvement in GLP-1-stimulated D-glucose transport in skeletal muscle from both normal subjects and type 2 diabetic patients. This study was mainly aimed at investigating the effect of potential inhibitors of distinct protein kinases and protein phosphatase-1 upon insulin- and GLP-1-stimulated 2-deoxy-D-glucose net uptake by normal rat skeletal muscle. The basal uptake of the D-glucose analog was decreased by wortmannin--a phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase inhibitor--, PD98059--a mitogen-activated protein kinases inhibitor--, and TNFalpha--a protein phosphatase-1 inhibitor--, but not by either rapamycin--a p70s6 kinase inhibitor--, or H-7--, a protein kinase C inhibitor--. The enhancing action of both insulin and GLP-1 upon 2-deoxy-D-glucose transport was abolished by PD98059 and H-7, but largely unaffected by TNFalpha. Wortmannin and rapamycin preferentially affected the response to GLP-1 and insulin, respectively. These findings thus document both analogies and dissimilarities in the participation of the concerned enzymes in the stimulant action of insulin versus GLP-1 upon D-glucose transport in normal rat skeletal muscle.

Cell signalling of glucagon-like peptide-1 action in rat skeletal muscle.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), an incretin with glucose-dependent insulinotropic and insulin-independent antidiabetic properties, has insulin-like effects on glucose metabolism in extrapancreatic tissues participating in overall glucose homeostasis. These effects are exerted through specific receptors not associated with cAMP, an inositol phosphoglycan being a possible second messenger. In rat hepatocytes, activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (PKB), protein kinase C (PKC) and protein phosphatase 1 (PP-1) has been shown to be involved in the GLP-1-induced stimulation of glycogen synthase. We have investigated the role of enzymes known or suggested to mediate the actions of insulin in the GLP-1-induced increase in glycogen synthase a activity in rat skeletal muscle strips. We first explored the effect of GLP-1, compared with that of insulin, on the activation of PI3K, PKB, p70s6 kinase (p70s6k) and p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and the action of specific inhibitors of these kinases on the insulin- and GLP-1-induced increment in glycogen synthase a activity. The study showed that GLP-1, like insulin, activated PI3K/PKB, p70s6k and p44/42. Wortmannin (a PI3K inhibitor) reduced the stimulatory action of insulin on glycogen synthase a activity and blocked that of GLP-1, rapamycin (a 70s6k inhibitor) did not affect the action of GLP-1 but abolished that of insulin, PD98059 (MAPK inhibitor) was ineffective on insulin but blocked the action of GLP-1, okadaic acid (a PP-2A inhibitor) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (a PP-1 inhibitor) were both ineffective on GLP-1 but abolished the action of insulin, and Ro 31-8220 (an inhibitor of some PKC isoforms) reduced the effect of GLP-1 while completely preventing that of insulin. It was concluded that activation of PI3K/PKB and MAPKs is required for the GLP-1-induced increment in glycogen synthase a activity, while PKC, although apparently participating, does not seem to play an essential role; unlike in insulin signaling, p70s6k, PP-1 and PP-2A do not seem to be needed in the action of GLP-1 upon glycogen synthase a activity in rat muscle.

Cell signalling of the GLP-1 action in rat liver.

GLP-1, incretin with insulin-independent antidiabetic properties, is insulinomimetic upon glucose metabolism in extrapancreatic tissues, acting through specific receptors not associated to adenylate cyclase activation. We investigated the role of enzymes mediating insulin actions, in the GLP-1-induced glycogen synthase a activation in rat hepatocytes. GLP-1, like insulin, activates PI3K/PKB, p70s6k, p44 and p42 MAP-kinase. Wortmannin (PI3K/PKB inhibitor) blocked the stimulatory action of insulin on glycogen synthase a and reduced that of GLP-1; rapamycin (p70s6k inhibitor) was ineffective and PD98059 (MEK/MAPK inhibitor) decreased only the insulin effect; okadaic acid (PP-2A inhibitor) was ineffective, while TNFalpha (PP-1 inhibitor) blocked the action of insulin and reduced that of GLP-1; H-7 or Ro 31-8220 (PKC inhibitors) decreased the GLP-1 effect, while only H-7 reduced that of insulin. The activation of PI3K/PKB, PKC and PP-1, but not PP-2A, seems to mediate the GLP-1 stimulatory action on glycogen synthase a in rat hepatocytes, while MAPKs and p70s6k could participate in other GLP-1 effects.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose metabolism in human myocytes.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has been shown to have insulin-like effects upon the metabolism of glucose in rat liver, muscle and fat, and on that of lipids in rat and human adipocytes. These actions seem to be exerted through specific receptors which, unlike that of the pancreas, are not - at least in liver and muscle - cAMP-associated. Here we have investigated the effect, its characteristics, and possible second messengers of GLP-1 on the glucose metabolism of human skeletal muscle, in tissue strips and primary cultured myocytes. In muscle strips, GLP-1, like insulin, stimulated glycogen synthesis, glycogen synthase a activity, and glucose oxidation and utilization, and inhibited glycogen phosphorylase a activity, all of this at physiological concentrations of the peptide. In cultured myotubes, GLP-1 exerted, from 10(-13) mol/l, a dose-related increase of the D-[U-(14)C]glucose incorporation into glycogen, with the same potency as insulin, together with an activation of glycogen synthase a; the effect of 10(-11) mol/l GLP-1 on both parameters was additive to that induced by the equimolar amount of insulin. Synthase a was still activated in cells after 2 days of exposure to GLP-1, as compared with myotubes maintained in the absence of peptide. In human muscle cells, exendin-4 and its truncated form 9-39 amide (Ex-9) are both agonists of the GLP-1 effect on glycogen synthesis and synthase a activity; but while neither GLP-1 nor exendin-4 affected the cellular cAMP content after 5-min incubation in the absence of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxantine (IBMX), an increase was detected with Ex-9. GLP-1, exendin-4, Ex-9 and insulin all induced the prompt hydrolysis of glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs). This work shows a potent stimulatory effect of GLP-1 on the glucose metabolism of human skeletal muscle, and supports the long-term therapeutic value of the peptide. Further evidence for a GLP-1 receptor in this tissue, different from that of the pancreas, is also illustrated, suggesting a role for an inositolphosphoglycan (IPG) as at least one of the possible second messengers of the GLP-1 action in human muscle.

Pancreatic and hepatic glycogen content in normoglycemic and hyperglycemic rats.

As judged from morphological criteria, glycogen accumulates to a larger extent in insulin-producing B-cells than in acinar cells of the pancreas in situations of sustained hyperglycemia. In the present study, the glycogen content of the pancreatic gland and liver was measured in either euglycemic or glucose-infused hyperglycemic control rats, as well as in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Whilst the glycogen content of the pancreas was significantly higher in STZ rats than in control euglycemic rats, it was further enhanced in glucose-infused control rats, despite the fact that the latter animals were not more severely hyperglycemic and for a shorter time than STZ rats. From these measurements, it was estimated that, relative to wet weight, the glycogen content was, under the present experimental conditions, about 75 times higher in insulin-producing than other pancreatic cells. Moreover, it is proposed that the intravenous administration of glucagon may help in distinguishing between the glycogen present in the endocrine and exocrine moieties of the pancreatic gland, this hormone being apparently unable to provoke glycogenolysis in the exocrine pancreas, at variance with the situation prevailing in isolated pancreatic islets.

Activation of glycogen synthase a in hepatocytes exposed to alpha-D-glucose pentaacetate.

The effects of alpha-D-glucose pentaacetate (1.7 mM) upon glycogen synthase a activity and lactate output were examined in rat hepatocytes incubated at increasing concentrations of D-glucose. The ester enhanced the activity of glycogen synthase a at all concentrations (2.8, 4.0 and 8.0 mM) of D-glucose, which itself provoked a concentration-related increase in enzymatic activity. Likewise, the output of lactate augmented at increasing concentrations of D-glucose. However, alpha-D-glucose pentaacetate failed to cause a further increase in lactate output, the trend being even towards a lower production of lactate in the presence than absence of the ester. These findings suggest that the activation of glycogen synthase a by alpha-D-glucose pentaacetate and the subsequent increase in glycogen synthesis are sufficiently pronounced to prevent the increase in glycolysis otherwise expected from the generation of unesterified D-glucose from the same ester. Such a situation, which differs from that previously documented in pancreatic islet cells, could be favourable in the perspective of using alpha-D-glucose pentaacetate as a novel insulinotropic, and hence hypoglycaemic, tool in the treatment of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.