Amino acids are important modulators of skeletal muscle metabolism, but their impact on glucose uptake by skeletal muscle remains unclear. To address the effect of an amino acid (AA) mixture consisting predominately of isoleucine on glucose uptake we first conducted a dose-response experiment, investigating how different concentrations of the AA mixture affect glucose uptake by isolated rat epitrochlearis muscle. In a subsequent experiment we examined how the AA mixture affects insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by isolated rat epitrochlearis muscle. It was found that the AA mixture with as little as 0.5 mM Ile increases [H3]2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) uptake by 76% compared to basal glucose uptake. The AA mixtures with 1, 2 or 4 mM Ile provided no significant additional effect. Next we combined the AA mixture consisting of 2 mM Ile, 0.012 mM Cys, 0.006 mM Val and 0.014 mM Leu with physiological levels (75 μU/ml, sINS) and maximally-stimulating levels (2 mU/ml, mINS) of insulin. The AA mixture only, sINS and mINS significantly increased 2-DG uptake compared to basal by 63, 79 and 298%, respectively. When the AA mixture was combined with sINS and mINS 2-DG uptake was further increased significantly by 26 and 14%, respectively. Western blotting analysis revealed that compared to basal the AA mixture increased AS160 phosphorylation, while phosphorylation of Akt and mTOR did not change. Combining the AA mixture with sINS resulted in no additional phosphorylation compared to sINS alone. Interestingly, addition of the AA mixture to mINS resulted in increased phosphorylation of mTOR, Akt and AS160 compared to mINS alone. Our results suggest that certain AAs (1) increase glucose uptake in the absence of insulin and (2) augment insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in an additive manner. These effects on glucose uptake appear to be mediated via a molecular pathway that is partially independent from the canonical insulin signaling cascade. / text

Orientadores: Antonio Carlos Boschiero, Alex Rafacho / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T10:53:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Purificacao_ThaisAlmeida_M.pdf: 1255549 bytes, checksum: 5142cacf6ca932aa0dd1a86b9eef5074 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: Administração de glicocorticóides em roedores e humanos aumenta a resistência à insulina (RI). A RI, provocada por dexametasona, leva a hiperinsulinemia por aumento da secreção do hormônio pelas ilhotas pancreáticas. Recentemente, demonstrou-se que a AS160, uma GAP (proteína ativadora de GTPase), participa no tráfego de vesículas em diferentes tipos celulares que, por sua vez, pode ser alterado por dexametasona. Neste trabalho, avaliamos possível participação da AS160 na secreção de insulina em ilhotas de ratos RI por dexametasona, para isto foram avaliadas proteínas envolvidas no processo de secreção; pAS160, Akt e AMPK. Ratos Wistar adultos foram tratados com o glicocorticóide (DEX) com 1mg/kg (ip) de peso corporal, ou salina (CTL), durante 5 dias. Ao final do período de tratamento, os ratos foram submetidos a um Teste de Tolerância à Glicose intraperitoneal (ipGTT) e, após sacrifício, amostras de sangue foram coletadas para dosagem de insulina. As ilhotas pancreáticas foram isoladas por digestão do pâncreas com colagenase. As proteínas insulares foram avaliadas por Western Blot e os genes por RCP-TR. A insulina, contida nas amostras de sangue e nas incubações de ilhotas, foi medida por radioimunoensaio (RIA). A razão pAS160/AS160 foi aumentada nas ilhotas DEX (P<0,05). Nestas ilhotas, resultados semelhantes foram observados para a razão pAkt/Akt (P<0,05). O tratamento com DEX também aumentou a expressão gênica e protéica da Rab27A (P<0,05), contudo, reduziu significativamente sua associação com a AS160 (P<0,05). A associação entre essas duas proteínas foi observada pela primeira vez nas ilhotas neste trabalho. O tratamento com DEX também reduziu as expressões gênica e protéica bem como a fosforilação da AMPK. A secreção de insulina foi maior nas ilhotas DEX comparado à CTL e, em ambas, a secreção foi diminuída pela wortmanina (inibidor da PI3K). Ilhotas de ratos CTL e DEX, tratados com anti-sense anti-AS160, tiveram o conteúdo protéico da AS160 reduzido em ± 80%, comparado ao CTL (P<0,05). Nas ilhotas de ratos CTL knockdown, a secreção de insulina foi maior que nos CTL e, nas ilhotas dos DEX knockdown a secreção foi semelhante às DEX. Concluindo, o aumento da secreção de insulina em ilhotas de ratos RI por dexametasona envolve a participação da AS160 e, essa potencialização parece ser mediada pela via PI3K/Akt. Esse aumento de secreção parece também ser diretamente proporcional ao aumento da dissociação entre a Rab27A e a AS160 / Abstract: It is well known that glucocorticoids induce insulin resistance (IR). It is also known that dexamethasone-induced IR is linked to increased levels of plasma insulin due to higher insulin secretion by pancreatic islets. Recent findings show that the Rab-GTPase AS160 plays a role in the traffic of vesicles in different cells type that, in turn, may be affected by dexamethasone. Here, we evaluated the participation of AS160 in the insulin secretion in islets from dexamethasone treated rats. Adult rats were treated with dexamethasone (DEX) with 1.0 mg/kg, body weight (ip) or saline (CTL) for 5 consecutive days. Insulin resistance was evaluated by intraperitoneal Glucose Tolerance Test (ipGTT). After, the rats were sacrificed and the islets isolated by the digestion of their pancreases with collagenase. Protein was measured by Western- Blot, and insulin by RIA. AS160 expression, phosphorylation, and the pAS160/AS160 ratio were increased in DEX islets (P<0.05). Similar results were observed for Akt (P<0.05). Dexamethasone also increased Rab27a protein and gene expression but significantly reduced its association with AS160. The association between these two proteins was observed in pancreatic islets for the first time in this work. AMPK gene and protein expression as well as phosphorylation were reduced by Dexamethasone (P<0.05). The insulin secretion was higher in DEX compared with CTL islets (P<0.05). Both secretions were reduced by wortmanin. Islets from CTL and DEX rats, treated with anti-sense anti-AS160, showed ± 80% reduction on its expression. The CTL knockdown islets secreted more insulin than CTL and the DEX knockdown secreted similar amount of insulin than DEX islets. In conclusion, these results indicated that AS160 participates in the increased insulin secretion in islets from DEX rats, and this effect seems to be dependent on the activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway. The increase in insulin secretion also depends on the dissociation between Rab27a and AS160 / Mestrado / Fisiologia / Mestre em Biologia Funcional e Molecular

Oxidative damage has been suggested to play a key role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular disease. Increased free radical production induced by oxidative stress can oxidise low density lipoproteins, activates platelets, induces endothelial dysfunction and disturbs glucose transport by consuming endogenous antioxidants. Using a combination, of in vitro and in vivo experimental models, the primary aims of the studies undertaken for this thesis were to examine whether different antioxidants could negate risk factors leading to thrombosis, atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases. The studies utilised the mechanisms involved in platelet activity and glucose uptake by skeletal muscle myotubes. The first study determined if olive leaf extract would attenuate platelet activity in healthy human subjects. Blood samples (n=11) were treated with five different concentrations of extract of Olea europaea L. leaves ranging from 5.4£gg/mL to 54£gg/mL. A significant reduction in platelet activity (pless than0.001) and ATP release from platelets (p=0.02) was observed with 54£gg/mL olive leaf extract. The next crossover study compared the effect of exercise and antioxidant supplementation on platelet function between trained and sedentary individuals. An acute bout of 1 hour exercise (sub maximal cycling at 70% of VO2max) was used to induce oxidative stress in 8 trained and 8 sedentary male subjects, before and after one week supplementation with 236 mg/day of cocoa polyphenols. Baseline platelet count and ATP release increased significantly (pless than0.05) after exercise in all subjects. Baseline platelet numbers in the trained were higher than in the sedentary (235¡Ó37 vs. 208¡Ó34 x109/L, p less than 0.05), whereas platelet activation in trained subjects was lower than sedentary individuals (51¡Ó6 vs. 59¡Ó5%, p less than0.05). Seven days of cocoa polyphenol supplementation did not change platelet activity compared to the placebo group. The third study determined the effect of 5 weeks of either 100mg/day £^-Tocopherol (n=14), 200mg/d £^-Tocopherol (n=13) or placebo (n=12) on platelet function, lipid profile and the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein. Blood £^-tocopherol concentrations increased significantly (pless than0.05) relative to dose. Both doses attenuated platelet activation (pless than0.05). LDL cholesterol, platelet aggregation and mean platelet volume were decreased by 100mg/d £^-tocopherol (all pless than0.05). The final study determined the effect of glucose oxidase induced oxidative stress and £^-tocopherol treatment on glucose transport and insulin signalling in cultured rat L6 muscle cells. One hour treatment with 100mU/mL glucose oxidase significantly decreased glucose uptake both with and without 100nM insulin stimulation (pless than0.05). Pre-treatment with 100ƒÝM and 200ƒÝM £^-tocopherol partially protected cells from the effect of glucose oxidase, whereas 200ƒÝM £^-tocopherol restored both basal and insulin stimulated glucose transport to control levels. Glucose oxidase-induced oxidative stress did not impair basal or insulin stimulated phosphorylation of Akt or AS160, but 200ƒÝM £^-tocopherol improved insulin-stimulated phosphorylation of these proteins. In summary, the results from the studies undertaken for this thesis provide evidence that antioxidant supplementation maintains normal platelet function, exerts a positive effect on blood lipid profile and improves glucose uptake in normal healthy asymptomatic population as well as under conditions of induced oxidative stress. Antioxidants including foods rich in cocoa, olive and gamma tocopherol have the potential to combat oxidative stress induced risk factors leading to cardiovascular diseases.