Characterization of insulin binding to bovine liver and mammary microsomes

Level of dietary energy and 2,4-thiazolidinedione alter molecular and systemic biomarkers of inflammation and liver function in Holstein cows

Background

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of overfeeding a moderate energy diet and a 2,4-thiazolidinedione (TZD) injection on blood and hepatic tissue biomarkers of lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, and inflammation as it relates to insulin sensitivity.

Results

Fourteen dry non-pregnant cows were fed a control (CON) diet to meet 100% of NRC requirements for 3 wk, after which half of the cows were assigned to a moderate-energy diet (OVE) and half of the cows continued on CON for 6 wk. All cows received an intravenous injection of 4 mg TZD/kg of body weight (BW) daily from 2 wk after initiation of dietary treatments and for 2 additional week. Compared with CON cows and before TZD treatment, the OVE cows had lower concentration of total protein, urea and albumin over time. The concentration of cholesterol and tocopherol was greater after 2 wk of TZD regardless of diet. Before and after TZD, the OVE cows had greater concentrations of AST/GOT, while concentrations of paraoxonase, total protein, globulin, myeloperoxidase, and haptoglobin were lower compared with CON cows. Regardless of diet, TZD administration increased the concentration of ceruloplasmin, ROMt, cholesterol, tocopherol, total protein, globulin, myeloperoxidase and beta-carotene. In contrast, the concentration of haptoglobin decreased at the end of TZD injection regardless of diet. Prior to TZD injection, the mRNA expression of PC, ANGPTL4, FGF21, INSR, ACOX1, and PPARD in liver of OVE cows was lower compared with CON cows. In contrast, the expression of HMGCS2 was greater in OVE compared with CON cows. After 1 wk of TZD administration the expression of IRS1 decreased regardless of diet; whereas, expression of INSR increased after 2 wk of TZD injection. Cows fed OVE had lower overall expression of TNF, INSR, PC, ACOX1, FGF21, and PPARD but greater HMGCS2 expression. These differences were most evident before and after 1 wk of TZD injection, and by 2 wk of TZD differences in expression for most genes disappeared.

Conclusions

Based on molecular and blood data, administration of TZD enhanced some aspects of insulin sensitivity while causing contradictory results in terms of inflammation and oxidative stress. The bovine liver is TZD-responsive and level of dietary energy can modify the effects of TZD. Because insulin sensitizers have been proposed as useful tools to manage dairy cows during the transition period, further studies are required to investigate the potential hepatotoxicity effect of TZD (or similar compounds) in dairy cattle.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40104-017-0196-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Tissue-specific differences in insulin binding affinity and insulin receptor concentrations in skeletal muscles, adipose tissue depots and liver of cattle and sheep

Differences in insulin binding affinity and in concentrations of insulin receptor, were found in a variety of tissues taken, at slaughter, from mature steers (701 (s.d. 23) kg) and growing lambs (47 (s.d. 2·1) kg). In both species, liver had lower insulin binding affinity than skeletal muscles m. pectineus m. longissimus dorsi and m. rectus capitis (all P < 0·001) and subcutaneous, omental and perirenal adipose depots (all P < 0·001). Site-specific differences in affinity for insulin existed between adipose depots (subcutaneous < omental, P < 0·05; subcutaneous < perirenal, P < 0·001) and between tissue-types (subcutaneous fat < m. pectineus skeletal muscle, P < 0·05; m. rectus capitis < perirenal fat, P < 0·05) in steers. In lambs also, receptor affinity for insulin differed between tissue-type (m. longissimus dorsi < perirenal fat, P < 0·05; m. rectus capitis < subcutaneous fat, P < 0·05 and m. rectus capitis < perirenal fat, P < 0·001) but lambs did not show the adipose depot-specific differences in insulin affinity observed in steers. Insulin receptor concentration differed between adipose depots (subcutaneous < omental, P < 0·05; subcutaneous < perirenal, P < 0·01) and between tissue-type (m. pectineus < perirenal fat P < 0·05) in steers and perirenal and subcutaneous adipose depots of lambs had higher receptor concentrations than m. longissimus dorsi and m. pectineusP < 0·001). This is the first study to demonstrate, in any species, differences in insulin receptor binding affinity and receptor concentration in a wide range of tissues (liver, skeletal muscles and adipose depots) from the same individual. Such differences in meat-producing animals could, through effects on tissue sensitivity and/or responsiveness to insulin, influence nutrient partitioning to tissues and affect overall rates of lipid storage and net protein synthesis.

Comparative studies on the major features of insulin receptors in mammalian and non-mammalian liver membranes

1. The camel has insulin receptors that by multiple function criteria are very similar to those of the other mammals (rabbit and rat) and non-mammals (chicken and pigeon), with sharp pH dependence to insulin binding at pH 7.2-7.6. 2. Equilibrium binding was faster at higher temperatures (24-37 degrees C) than at lower (4 degrees C). 3. Binding data yielded curvilinear Scatchard plots with half maximal displacement of 125I-insulin at 9 x 10(-9) M, 2.5 x 10(-9) M, 6.3 x 10(-10) M for camel, rabbit, pigeon and chicken respectively, suggesting differences in mammalian and non-mammalian liver membranes. 4. Autoradiogram patterns showed the presence of an identical subunit structure with Mr 74,000 for all membranes studied. Pigeon membrane showed a band with Mr 110,000, the absence of which in other membranes could be due to the degradation factor or the concentration of disuccinimidyl suberate (DSS).

Effect of dietary fat and lactation status on insulin binding to bovine milk fat globule membranes

Lactating cows were used to examine the relationship between lactation status and insulin binding to milk fat globule membranes. Variables evaluated were daily milk yield, stage of lactation, breed, age, lactation number, daily milk fat and protein yields, milk fat and protein percentages, breeding status, body weight, body weight.75, and mammary health. Milk yield was correlated with insulin binding and accounted for 20% of the binding variability. No other variables were related to insulin binding. Insulin binding to milk fat globule membranes increased with supplemental dietary fat up to 4% added fat in the diet dry matter. Milk fat globule membranes may provide a useful model for assessing insulin receptor regulation in the mammary gland. Sources of variation in insulin binding to mammary membranes remain to be identified.