Cold storage induces time-dependent F2-isoprostane formation in renal tubular cells and rat kidneys. (17/1004)

BACKGROUND: Previous findings suggest a possible role for free radicals in cold-storage-associated tissue injury. Because free radical-induced lipid peroxidation catalyzes the cyclooxygenase-independent formation of vasoconstrictive F2-isoprostanes, the hypothesis that isoprostanes are produced during cold storage was tested in this study. METHODS: Total isoprostanes (free and esterified) in renal tubular epithelial (LLC-PK1) cells or whole kidneys, subjected to cold storage, were quantitated employing the gas chromatographic-mass spectroscopic method. LLC-PK1 cells were stored at 4 degrees C in a University of Wisconsin (UW) solution for 0, 24, 48, and 72 hours or 48 hours with desferrioxamine (DFO) or the lazaroid compound 2-methyl aminochroman (2-MAC). In the rat model, kidneys were perfused and stored for 48 hours in the UW solution with or without added DFO or 2-MAC. RESULTS: Isoprostanes in LLC-PK1 cells increased by fivefold following 24 hours of cold storage (36 +/- 2 pg/well to 185 +/- 6, mean +/- SE, following 24 hours of cold storage, P < 0.0001), and the levels continued to increase significantly at 48 and 72 hours. DFO and 2-MAC caused significant suppression of isoprostane formation. Cold storage of the kidneys in UW solution for 48 hours was accompanied by an eightfold increase in isoprostanes compared with control kidneys not subjected to cold storage (25.0 +/- 3.0 vs. 2.9 +/- 0.1 ng/g, P < 0.0001). The addition of 2-MAC or DFO to the UW solution was associated with a near complete suppression of 48-hour cold-induced isoprostane formation. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide evidence for the formation of large quantities of antioxidant-suppressible isoprostanes in kidney cells and whole kidney during cold-preservation. Based on this, it is hypothesized that (a) isoprostanes, which are potent renal vasoconstrictors, may contribute to immediate post-transplant vasoconstriction and dysfunction in kidneys subjected to extended cold storage, and that (b) the addition of 2-MAC or DFO to a UW solution in such circumstances may attenuate these alterations partly by suppressing isoprostane formation.  (+info)

Effect of troglitazone on plasma lipid metabolism and lipoprotein lipase. (18/1004)

AIMS: To clarify how troglitazone, an insulin-sensitizing agent, affects lipid metabolism and postheparin plasma lipoprotein lipase (LPL). METHODS: Fifteen patients (3 male, 12 female) (the average age 62+/-7 years; the mean body mass index (BMI) 25+/-3 kg/m2 ) were recruited for this study. The serum lipids and postheparin plasma lipoprotein lipase (LPL) mass before and 4 weeks after oral administration of troglitazone (200 mg day-1 ) were measured. A mouse preadipocyte cell line, 3T3-L1, was incubated with troglitazone and LPL enzyme protein mass in the culture media was measured by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. A reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using primers specific for the carboxyl terminal 135 amino acid of mouse LPL cDNA was used to evaluate the effect of troglitazone on expression of LPL and Northern blot analysis carried out to determine expression of LPL. RESULTS: The average levels before treatment of fasting serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, plasma glucose and glycohaemoglobin A1c were 5.6+/-0.9, 1.8+/-1.0, 1.5+/-0.5, 8.1+/-1.7 mmol l-1 and 7.8+/-1.6% respectively. Four weeks after treatment, those levels were 5.4+/-0.9, 1.2+/-0.3 (P=0.004), 1.6+/-0.5 (P=0.02) mmol l-1, 7.7+/-2.3 mmol l-1 and 7. 3+/-0.6% (P=0.01), respectively. The postheparin plasma LPL mass increased from 226+/-39 to 257+/-68 ng ml-1 (P=0.03) during that period. The LPL mass in the media of 3T3 L1 cells cultured in the presence of 10, 20 or 30 microm of this compound increased in a dose dependent manner. RT-PCR revealed that the area of the bands of the RT-PCR products on 1.5% agarose gel analyzed with NIH image from the cell extracts cultured in the presence of 10 microm troglitazone was significantly larger (P=0.0069) than that in the absence of this compound. Northern blot analysis revealed that in the cultured 3T3-L1 cells, the expression of LPL was enhanced in the presence of 10 microm troglitazone. CONCLUSIONS: Troglitazone improves plasma triglyceride-rich lipoproteins metabolism by enhancing the expression of LPL in adipocytes.  (+info)

Effects of a thiazolidinedione compound on body fat and fat distribution of patients with type 2 diabetes. (19/1004)

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of a thiazolidinedione (600 mg troglitazone) insulin-sensitizing treatment on total body fat measured by underwater weighing, on intra- and extra-abdominal fat mass using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and on anthropometric measures. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Type 2 diabetic outpatients were studied in a double-blind randomized trial carried out at Glasgow Royal Infirmary, Scotland. RESULTS: Groups who received troglitazone (8 men, 3 women) and placebo (8 men, 2 women) were well matched for age, BMI, total body fat percentage by underwater weighing, and intra-abdominal fat (kilograms) by MRI. After 12 weeks, body weight changes in the troglitazone group (mean +0.66 kg [95% CI -0.71 to 2.04], P = 0.31) and the placebo group (mean +0.25 kg [-0.64 to 1.13], P = 0.55) were not statistically different. Changes in total body fat with troglitazone (mean +1.02% body wt [-1.13 to 3.17], P = 0.32) and placebo (mean -0.54% body wt [-1.68 to 0.59], P = 0.31) were not significantly different. There was, however, a decrease in intra-abdominal fat mass in the troglitazone-treated group (mean -0.47 kg [-0.79 to -0.13], P = 0.01), and this was significantly different (P = 0.03) from placebo treatment (mean -0.41 kg [-0.77 to -0.05]). CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with the thiazolidinedione troglitazone in human patients with type 2 diabetes decreases intra-abdominal fat mass but does not affect total body fat or weight. This potentially valuable effect points to a differential action on insulin sensitivity in different adipose tissue depots.  (+info)

Troglitazone, an antidiabetic agent, inhibits cholesterol biosynthesis through a mechanism independent of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma. (20/1004)

Troglitazone is an antidiabetic agent of the thiazolidinedione family. It is generally believed that thiazolidinediones exert their insulin-sensitizing activity through activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma), a member of the steroid nuclear receptor superfamily. In the present study, we examined the effect of troglitazone on cholesterol biosynthesis in cultured Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. Troglitazone inhibited biosynthesis of cholesterol, but not that of total sterols, in a dose-dependent manner, with a half-maximal concentration (IC50) value of 8 micromol/l. At 20 micromol/l, troglitazone inhibited cholesterol biosynthesis by more than 80%, resulting in the accumulation of lanosterol and several other sterol products. This inhibitory effect observed in CHO cells was also reproduced in HepG2, L6, and 3T3-L1 cells, suggesting that there is a common pathway for this troglitazone action. One hour after removal of troglitazone from the culture medium, disappearance of the accumulated sterols was accompanied by restored cholesterol synthesis, indicating that those accumulated sterols are precursors of cholesterol. PPAR-gamma reporter assays showed that PPAR-gamma activation by troglitazone was completely blocked by actinomycin D and cycloheximide. In contrast, the inhibition of cholesterol synthesis by troglitazone remained unchanged in the presence of the above compounds, suggesting that this inhibition is mechanistically distinct from the transcriptional regulation by PPAR-gamma. Like troglitazone, two other thiazolidinediones, ciglitazone and englitazone, exhibited similar inhibitory effect on cholesterol synthesis; however, other known PPAR-gamma ligands such as BRL49653, pioglitazone, and 15-deoxy-delta(12,14)-prostaglandin J2 showed only weak or no inhibition. The dissociation of PPAR-gamma binding ability from the potency for inhibition of cholesterol synthesis further supports the conclusion that inhibition of cholesterol biosynthesis by troglitazone is unlikely to be mediated by PPAR-gamma.  (+info)

Troglitazone inhibits voltage-dependent calcium currents in guinea pig cardiac myocytes. (21/1004)

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that intracellular Ca2+ overload in cardiac myocytes leads to the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Troglitazone, an insulin-sensitizing agent, is a promising therapeutic agent for diabetes and has been shown to prevent diabetes-induced myocardial changes. To elucidate the underlying mechanism of troglitazone action on cardiac myocytes, the effects of troglitazone on voltage-dependent Ca2+ currents were examined and compared with classic Ca2+ antagonists (verapamil and nifedipine). METHODS AND RESULTS: Whole-cell voltage-clamp techniques were applied in single guinea pig atrial myocytes. Under control conditions with CsCl internal solution, the voltage-dependent Ca2+ currents consisted of both T-type (ICa,T) and L-type (ICa,L) Ca2+ currents. Troglitazone effectively reduced the amplitude of ICa,L in a concentration-dependent manner. Troglitazone also suppressed ICa,T, but the effect of troglitazone on ICa,T was less potent than that on ICa,L. The current-voltage relationships for ICa,L and the reversal potential for ICa,L were not altered by troglitazone. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration of troglitazone on ICa,L measured at a holding potential of -40 mV was 6.3 micromol/L, and 30 micromol/L troglitazone almost completely inhibited ICa,L. Troglitazone 10 micromol/L did not affect the time courses for inactivation of ICa,L and inhibited ICa,L mainly in a use-independent fashion, without shifting the voltage-dependency of inactivation. This effect was different from those of verapamil and nifedipine. Troglitazone also reduced isoproterenol- or cAMP-enhanced ICa,L. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that troglitazone inhibits voltage-dependent Ca2+ currents (T-type and L-type) and then antagonizes the effects of isoproterenol in cardiac myocytes, thus possibly playing a role in preventing diabetes-induced intracellular Ca2+ overload and subsequent myocardial changes.  (+info)

Effects of troglitazone on substrate storage and utilization in insulin-resistant rats. (22/1004)

Elevated serum and tissue lipid stores are associated with skeletal muscle insulin resistance and diminished glucose-stimulated insulin secretion, the hallmarks of type 2 diabetes. We studied the effects of 6-wk treatment with the insulin sensitizer troglitazone on substrate storage and utilization in lean control and Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats. Troglitazone prevented development of diabetes and lowered serum triglycerides (TG) in ZDF rats. Soleus muscle glycogen and TG content were elevated twofold in untreated ZDF rats, and both were normalized by troglitazone to lean control levels (P < 0.05). Troglitazone also normalized insulin-stimulated glucose uptake as well as basal and insulin-stimulated glycogen synthesis, implying increased skeletal muscle glycogen turnover. The proportion of active pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) in soleus muscle was reduced in ZDF relative to lean control rat muscle (16 +/- 2 vs. 21 +/- 2%) but was restored by troglitazone treatment (30 +/- 3%). Increased PDH activation was associated with a 70% increase in glucose oxidation. Muscle lipoprotein lipase activity was decreased by 35% in ZDF compared with lean control rats and was increased twofold by troglitazone. Palmitate oxidation and incorporation into TG were higher in ZDF relative to lean control rats but were unaffected by troglitazone treatment. Troglitazone decreased the incorporation of glucose into the acyl group of TG by 60% in ZDF rats. In summary, ZDF rats demonstrate increased skeletal muscle glycogen and TG stores, both of which were reduced by troglitazone treatment. Troglitazone appears to increase both glycogen and TG turnover in skeletal muscle. Normalization of PDH activity and decreased glucose incorporation into acyl TG may underlie the improvements in intracellular substrate utilization and energy stores, which lead to decreased serum TG and glucose.  (+info)

Effect of troglitazone on body fat distribution in type 2 diabetic patients. (23/1004)

OBJECTIVE: Troglitazone was recently reported to specifically promote the differentiation of pre-adipocytes into adipocytes in vitro in subcutaneous fat only, indicating a relation to insulin-resistance-improving action of troglitazone. To expand on this finding, we investigated at the clinical level how long-term administration of troglitazone influences the body fat distribution in type 2 diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Troglitazone (400 mg/day) was administered for 6 months to 30 type 2 diabetic patients whose glycemic control was poor. A total of 18 patients received diet therapy alone (in the single-treatment group, BMI 26.0 +/- 4.6, HbA1c 8.2 +/- 1.7%), and 12 patients concomitantly received glibenclamide (1.25-7.5 mg/day) (in the concomitant sulfonylurea group, BMI 25.4 +/- 4.7, HbA1c 9.2 +/- 1.2%). BMI, HbA1c, serum lipid level, and body fat distribution, which were determined by computed tomography (CT) scan at the umbilical level, were measured and compared before and after troglitazone treatment. RESULTS: During the 6-month troglitazone treatment, HbA1c levels decreased and BMI increased in both groups. As for body fat distribution in the single-treatment group, visceral fat area (VFA) decreased (from 118.3 +/- 54.3 to 101.1 +/- 50.8 cm2; P < 0.001), and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) increased (from 189.7 +/- 93.3 to 221.6 +/- 101.6 cm2; P < 0.001), resulting in a decrease in visceral/subcutaneous (V/S) ratio (from 0.74 +/- 0.48 to 0.50 +/- 0.32; P < 0.001). In the concomitant sulfonylurea group, VFA was unchanged (from 108.1 +/- 53.5 to 112.5 +/- 59.9 cm2), while SFA increased (from 144.6 +/- 122.0 to 180.5 +/- 143.5 cm2; P < 0.01), thereby decreasing the V/S ratio (from 0.91 +/- 0.46 to 0.77 +/- 0.44; P < 0.01). The serum triglyceride level and the area under glucose curve during the 75-g oral glucose tolerance test decreased significantly in the single-treatment group. CONCLUSIONS: According to our data, troglitazone appears to promote fat accumulation in the subcutaneous adipose tissue rather than in the visceral adipose tissue in mildly obese Japanese people with type 2 diabetes. This shift of energy accumulation from the visceral to subcutaneous adipose tissue may greatly contribute to the troglitazone-mediated amelioration of insulin resistance.  (+info)

Tumor necrosis factor alpha-induced pancreatic beta-cell insulin resistance is mediated by nitric oxide and prevented by 15-deoxy-Delta12,14-prostaglandin J2 and aminoguanidine. A role for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma activation and inos expression. (24/1004)

Recent studies have identified a beta-cell insulin receptor that functions in the regulation of protein translation and mitogenic signaling similar to that described for insulin-sensitive cells. These findings have raised the novel possibility that beta-cells may exhibit insulin resistance similar to skeletal muscle, liver, and fat. To test this hypothesis, the effects of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha), a cytokine proposed to mediate insulin resistance by interfering with insulin signaling at the level of the insulin receptor and its substrates, was evaluated. TNFalpha inhibited p70(s6k) activation by glucose-stimulated beta-cells of the islets of Langerhans in a dose- and time-dependent manner, with maximal inhibition observed at approximately 20-50 ng/ml, detected after 24 and 48 h of exposure. Exogenous insulin failed to prevent TNFalpha-induced inhibition of p70(s6k), suggesting a defect in the insulin signaling pathway. To further define mechanisms responsible for this inhibition and also to exclude cytokine-induced nitric oxide (NO) as a mediator, the ability of exogenous or endogenous insulin +/- inhibitors of nitric-oxide synthase (NOS) activity, aminoguanidine or N-monomethyl-L-arginine, was evaluated. Unexpectedly, TNFalpha and also interleukin 1 (IL-1)-induced inhibition of p70(s6k) was completely prevented by inhibitors that block NO production. Western blot analysis verified inducible NOS (iNOS) expression after TNFalpha exposure. Furthermore, the ability of IL-1 receptor antagonist protein, IRAP, to block TNFalpha-induced inhibition of p70(s6k) indicated that activation of intra-islet macrophages and the release of IL-1 that induces iNOS expression in beta-cells was responsible for the inhibitory effects of TNFalpha. This mechanism was confirmed by the ability of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma agonist 15-deoxy-Delta12, 14-prostaglandin J2 to attenuate TNFalpha-induced insulin resistance by down-regulating iNOS expression and/or blocking IL-1 release from activated macrophages. Overall, TNFalpha-mediated insulin resistance in beta-cells is characterized by a global inhibition of metabolism mediated by NO differing from that proposed for this proinflammatory cytokine in insulin-sensitive cells.  (+info)