Bushen Huoxue Huayu Recipe up-regulates expression of insulin receptor substrate-1 and phosphorylation of tyrosine in adipose tissue in androgen sterilized rats / 中西医结合学报

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) and phosphorylation of tyrosine in androgen sterilized rats (ASRs) and the effects of Bushen Huoxue Huayu Recipe (BHHR), a compound Chinese herbal medicine for tonifying kidney and activating blood, on the ASRs, and to analyze the possible mechanism. METHODS: ASR models were established by means of testosterone injected subcutaneously at the age of 9 days. The model rats were randomly divided into BHHR group (n=15) and untreated group (n=15); the rats in normal group (n=15) were injected with oil. The rats in the BHHR group were treated with BHHR for 30 days, and the rats in model group and normal group were treated with distilled water for 30 days. Body weight and area under the curve (AUC) of insulin were measured after treatment. Expression of IRS-1 and phosphorylation of tyrosine in adipose tissue in ASRs were analysed by immunohistochemical method. RESULTS: The body weight and insulin AUC in the untreated group were increased and more than those in the BHHR group and the normal control group (P<0.05). Expression of IRS-1 and phosphorylation of tyrosine in normal group were significantly higher than those in the untreated group (P<0.05), and those in BHHR group were improved and significantly different from those in the untreated group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: BHHR can increase the expression of IRS-1 and phosphorylation of tyrosine in adipose tissue in IR rats, which may be one of its mechanisms in improving insulin sensitivity of the target tissues.