Nutritional recovery with a soybean diet impaired the glucagon response but did not alter liver gluconeogenesis in the adult offspring of rats deprived of protein during pregnancy and lactation

Nutritional recovery of early malnutrition with a soybean diet reduces liver glycogen stores in the fed state and produces liver insulin resistance. We investigated whether nutritional recovery on a soybean flour diet alters hepatic gluconeogenesis in the adult offspring of rats deprived of protein during pregnancy and lactation. Male rats from mothers that were fed either 17% (C) or 6% (L) protein during pregnancy and lactation were maintained on a 17% casein (CC, n = 16 and LC, n = 17), 17% soybean flour (CS, n = 10 and LS, n = 10), or 6% casein (LL, n = 10) diet after weaning. The soybean diet reduced basal serum glucose (soybean diet, 5.6 ± 0.6 mmol/L vs. casein diet, 6.2 ± 0.6 mmol/L; p < 0.05) but increased alanine aminotransferase mRNA/GAPDH (soybean diet, 0.062 ± 0.038 vs. casein diet, 0.024 ± 0.011; p < 0.01), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase mRNA/GAPDH (soybean diet, 1.53 ± 0.52 vs. casein diet, 0.95 ± 0.43; p < 0.05), and glycerokinase protein content (soybean diet, 0.86 ± 0.08 vs. casein diet, 0.75 ± 0.11; p < 0.05). The serum glucose concentration (recovered groups, 5.6 ± 0.5 mmol/L vs. control groups, 6.2 ± 0.7 mmol/L; p < 0.05) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase activity (recovered groups, 2.8 ± 0.6 μU/mg vs. control groups, 3.6 ± 0.6 μU/mg; p < 0.05) were decreased in rats subjected to protein restriction in early life. The glucose area under the curve during the pyruvate tolerance test did not differ among groups, whereas glucose area under the curve after glucagon infusion was reduced by early malnutrition (recovered groups, 4210 ± 572 mg/dL·40 min vs. control groups, 4493 ± 688 mg/dL·40 min; p < 0.001) and by the soybean diet (soybean diet, 3995 ± 500 mg/dL·40 min vs. casein diet, 4686 ± 576 mg/dL·40 min; p < 0.05). Thus, the soybean diet impaired the response to glucagon but did not alter gluconeogenesis.

THE EFFECT OF CAFFEINE SUPPLEMENTATION ON TRAINED INDIVIDUALS SUBJECTED TO MAXIMAL TREADMILL TEST

Background:

Intense physical training increases oxidative stress and inflammation, resulting into muscle and cellular damage. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of caffeine supplementation on trained young individuals subjected to two treadmill maximal tests.

Materials and Methods:

It was a double-blind and crossover study comprising 24 active individuals within the age group 18-30 years. The comparisons were conducted: the effect of exercise (week 1 x 2) and caffeine intake (GC x GP) on thiobarbituric acid (TBARS), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10 (IL-10) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) variables during pre-exercise time (30 min. after caffeine or placebo intake) and post-exercise (5 min after treadmill test).

Results:

The comparison between weeks 1 and 2 showed increase in the first week, in the following items: TBARS, IL-6 and IL-10 in the GC and GP groups. The comparison within the same week showed that GC individuals presented lower post-exercise TBARS values in the first and second weeks; IL- 6 presented higher post-exercise values in the GC group in both weeks. The paired analysis comparing pre- and post-exercise, with and without caffeine showed that IL-6 presented higher post-exercise values in the GC group.

Conclusion:

Caffeine used by athletes can decrease oxidative stress. The increased IL-6 suggest that this ergogenic supplement may stimulate muscle hypertrophy, since IL-6 has myokine effect. However, the caffeine effect on IL-6 level and muscle hypertrophy increase should be better investigated in future studies.

A low-protein diet during pregnancy prevents modifications in intercellular communication proteins in rat islets

BACKGROUND

Gap junctions between β-cells participate in the precise regulation of insulin secretion. Adherens junctions and their associated proteins are required for the formation, function and structural maintenance of gap junctions. Increases in the number of the gap junctions between β-cells and enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion are observed during pregnancy. In contrast, protein restriction produces structural and functional alterations that result in poor insulin secretion in response to glucose. We investigated whether protein restriction during pregnancy affects the expression of mRNA and proteins involved in gap and adherens junctions in pancreatic islets. An isoenergetic low-protein diet (6% protein) was fed to non-pregnant or pregnant rats from day 1-15 of pregnancy, and rats fed an isocaloric normal-protein diet (17% protein) were used as controls.

RESULTS

The low-protein diet reduced the levels of connexin 36 and β-catenin protein in pancreatic islets. In rats fed the control diet, pregnancy increased the levels of phospho-[Ser(279/282)]-connexin 43, and it decreased the levels of connexin 36, β-catenin and beta-actin mRNA as well as the levels of connexin 36 and β-catenin protein in islets. The low-protein diet during pregnancy did not alter these mRNA and protein levels, but avoided the increase of levels of phospho-[Ser(279/282)]-connexin 43 in islets. Insulin secretion in response to 8.3 mmol/L glucose was higher in pregnant rats than in non-pregnant rats, independently of the nutritional status.

CONCLUSION

Short-term protein restriction during pregnancy prevented the Cx43 phosphorylation, but this event did not interfer in the insulin secretion.

A low-protein diet during pregnancy alters glucose metabolism and insulin secretion

In pancreatic islets, glucose metabolism is a key process for insulin secretion, and pregnancy requires an increase in insulin secretion to compensate for the typical insulin resistance at the end of this period. Because a low-protein diet decreases insulin secretion, this type of diet could impair glucose homeostasis, leading to gestational diabetes. In pancreatic islets, we investigated GLUT2, glucokinase and hexokinase expression patterns as well as glucose uptake, utilization and oxidation rates. Adult control non-pregnant (CNP) and control pregnant (CP) rats were fed a normal protein diet (17%), whereas low-protein non-pregnant (LPNP) and low-protein pregnant (LPP) rats were fed a low-protein diet (6%) from days 1 to 15 of pregnancy. The insulin secretion in 2.8 mmol l(-1) of glucose was higher in islets from LPP rats than that in islets from CP, CNP and LPNP rats. Maximal insulin release was obtained at 8.3 and 16.7 mmol l(-1) of glucose in LPP and CP groups, respectively. The glucose dose-response curve from LPNP group was shifted to the right in relation to the CNP group. In the CP group, the concentration-response curve to glucose was shifted to the left compared with the CNP group. The LPP groups exhibited an "inverted U-shape" dose-response curve. The alterations in the GLUT2, glucokinase and hexokinase expression patterns neither impaired glucose metabolism nor correlated with glucose islet sensitivity, suggesting that β-cell sensitivity to glucose requires secondary events other than the observed metabolic/molecular events.

Extra-pancreatic insulin production in RAt lachrymal gland after streptozotocin-induced islet β-cells destruction

Previous work has revealed that insulin is secreted in the tear film; its mRNA is expressed in the lachrymal gland (LG) and its receptor in tissues of the ocular surface. To test the hypothesis of insulin production in the LG, we compared normal and diabetic rats for: (1) the presence of insulin and C-peptide, (2) glucose- and carbachol-induced insulin secretion ex-vivo, and (3) biochemical and histological characteristics of diabetic LG that would support this possibility. Four weeks after streptozotocin injection, blood and tears were collected from streptozotocin-diabetic male Wistar rats. Insulin levels in the tear film rose after glucose stimulation in diabetic rats, but remained unchanged in the blood. Ex vivo static secretion assays demonstrated that higher glucose and 200 microM carbachol significantly increased mean insulin levels from LG samples of both groups. Insulin and C-peptide were expressed in LG of diabetic rats as determined by RIA. Comparable synaptophysin immune staining and peroxidase activity in the LG of both groups suggest that the structure and function of these tissues were maintained. These findings provide evidence of insulin production by LG. Higher expression of reactive oxygen species scavengers may prevent oxidative damage to LG compared to pancreatic beta-cells.

Characterization of the insulinotropic action of a phospholipase A2 isolated from Crotalus durissus collilineatus rattlesnake venom on rat pancreatic islets

The ability of PLA2 and crotapotin, isolated from Crotalus durissus collilineatus rattlesnake venom, to stimulate insulin secretion from isolated rat islets was examined. PLA2 and crotapotin stimulated insulin secretion at 2.8 mmol/L glucose, whereas at a high glucose concentrations (16.7 mmol/L) only PLA2 stimulated secretion. Nifedipine (10 micromol/L) did not alter the ability of PLA2 to increase insulin secretion stimulated by a depolarizing concentration of K+ (30 mmol/L). PLA2 did not affect 14CO2 production but significantly increased the efflux of arachidonic acid from isolated islets. These results indicate that PLA2-stimulated secretion is not dependent on an additional influx of Ca2+ through L-type Ca(2+)-channels but rather is associated with arachidonic acid formation in pancreatic islets.

Decreased insulin secretion in islets from rats fed a low protein diet is associated with a reduced PKAalpha expression

A low protein diet has been shown to affect the amount and activity of several enzymes and to decrease insulin secretion by islets isolated from rats fed such a diet. To understand the mechanisms involved in this phenomenon, we investigated the effects of forskolin, a stimulator of adenylyl cyclase, on insulin secretion by pancreatic islets from rats fed a normal (17%; NP) or low (6%; LP) protein diet for 8 wk. Isolated islets were incubated for 1 h in Krebs-bicarbonate solution containing 8.3 mmol glucose/L, with or without 10 micromol forskolin/L. The forskolin-induced insulin secretion was higher in islets from NP rats than in those from LP rats (P<0.05). Western blotting revealed that the amount of the alpha catalytic subunit of protein kinase A (PKAalpha) was 35% lower in islets from LP rats than in islets from NP rats (P<0.05). Moreover, PKAalpha mRNA expression was reduced by 30% in islets from LP rats (P<0.05). Our results indicated a possible relationship between a low protein diet and a reduction in PKAalpha expression. These alterations in PKAalpha may be responsible in part for the decreased insulin secretion by islets from rats fed a low protein diet.

Expression of a thioredoxin peroxidase in insulin-producing cells

The presence of thioredoxin peroxidase (TPx), also known as thiol specific antioxidant (TSA), was investigated in neonatal and adult rat islets, and in the beta-cell line HIT-T15. Western blotting of extracts from neonatal and adult pancreatic islets and from the tumoral cell line HIT-T15 revealed the presence of a 25 kDa protein that comigrated with purified yeast TPx. Endocrine pancreatic TPx accounted for approximately 0.01% of the total protein content. Treatment with H2O2 for 3 h increased the expression of TPx in HIT-T15 cells. The distribution of TPx throughout the islet cells was confirmed by immunocytochemistry. Since pancreatic beta-cells possess a weak antioxidant enzyme defense system, especially with regard to hydrogen peroxidase-decomposing enzymes, the presence of a TPx analog in islets suggests that this enzyme may play a role in protecting pancreatic cells against reactive oxygen species.