Ciglitazone, a new hypoglycemic agent. 5. Effect on renal lesions in C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice.

Kidneys of treated and control C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice were analyzed by semiquantitative light microscopy to determine the effects of ciglitazone on the deposition of fluorescein-conjugated IgM and IgG and of PAS-positive material in the glomerular mesangium and renal tubules. Long-term administration (12 and 20 weeks) of ciglitazone significantly improved the blood glucose of most of the treated db/db mice. There appeared to be a reduction of glomerular IgM and IgG in the treated compared with the control group, although IgM did not achieve statistical significance due to heavy stain deposition in two of the treated mice with continuous and severe hyperglycemia. Treated and control mice displayed a similar diffuse expansion and mild thickening of the glomerular mesangium characterized by moderate deposition of PAS-positive material. Expansion of the mesangium was probably not retarded or prevented by ciglitazone therapy since this pathologic process may be controlled by an interaction of metabolic factors other than hyperglycemia per se in the db/db mouse. Glycogen vacuolization (Armeni-Epstein lesion) of the renal tubules was completely ameliorated in the treated mice which showed a reduction of hyperglycemia. The results of this study suggest that prolonged treatment with ciglitazone elicits an improvement of hyperglycemia which seems to retard or reverse glomerular immunopathology and completely reverse tubular derangement but does not prevent expansion of the glomerular matrix in severely diabetic C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice.

Ciglitazone, a new hypoglycaemic agent. 4. Effect on pancreatic islets of C57BL/6J-ob/ob and C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice.

Pancreases of treated and control male C57BL/6J-ob/ob and C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice were evaluated by qualitative and morphometric microscopic techniques to determine the effects of chronic ciglitazone treatment on the morphology of beta cells and surface area and number of pancreatic islets. The beta cells of treated ob/ob and db/db mice displayed moderate to heavy granulation whereas most beta cells of untreated obese and diabetic mice were extensively degranulated. Although moderate proliferation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus was evident in some beta cells of treated db/db mice, both groups of treated ob/ob and db/db mice displayed an improved pattern of insulin synthesis and storage. In contrast, the beta cells of untreated ob/ob and db/db mice were in a severe state of stress which was indicated by extensive hypertrophy of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and mitochondria. Some beta cells of untreated db/db mice also displayed lysosome aggregates indicative of early stages of necrosis. Morphometric analysis revealed that the surface area of islets of treated ob/ob mice was significantly smaller in comparison with that of untreated ob/ob mice. Since the surface area of islets of treated C57BL/6J-+/? mice (lean littermates of ob/ob mice) was less than that of treated ob/ob mice, the progression of islet hypertrophy in the obese mice was probably arrested or attenuated but not to the level of the treated +/? mice. The number of pancreatic islets was significantly greater in treated than in untreated db/db mice. A majority of the islets of untreated db/db mice were atrophic and consisted of acinar and endocrine cells whereas most of the islets of treated db/db mice appeared to be intact and unremarkable. The results of this study suggest that ciglitazone is an effective hypoglycaemic agent which may directly or indirectly promote beta-cell regranulation and an improved pattern of insulin synthesis and storage in ob/ob and db/db mice. However, in treated db/db mice, there still was some evidence of stress in the beta cells. Overall, the prolonged treatment with ciglitazone also seemed to inhibit the hypertrophy of islets in ob/ob mice and protect the structural integrity and viability of islets in db/db mice.

Ciglitazone, a new hypoglycaemic agent. 3. Effect on glucose disposal and gluconeogenesis in vivo in C57BL/6J-ob/ob and -+/? mice.

Ciglitazone is orally active in preventing and reversing the hyperglycaemic syndrome in C57BL/6J-ob/ob mice and it is only mildly and transiently hypoglycaemic in lean littermates (C57BL/6J-+/?). Its effect on glucose disposal in vivo was estimated by injecting glucose-6-3H/14C and following the specific activity of radiolabelled glucose at 15, 30, 45, and 60 min after injection. The rate constants of glucose turnover were calculated to be as follows in decreasing order: treated obese (0.046/min), treated lean (0.032/min), control lean (0.026/min), and control obese (0.022/min). The obese mice showed less futile Cori cycle activity than the lean mice and ciglitazone had negligible effect on glucose recycling. The control obese mice incorporated more radiolabels in hepatic lipids, glycogen, and proteins than the control lean mice and ciglitazone further enhanced the incorporations. Ciglitazone also increased hepatic accumulations of radiolabels in the glycogen and lipid fractions in the lean littermates. Using lactate-14C as precursor, gluconeogenesis in vivo was measured in control and treated obese and lean mice. Ciglitazone significantly lowered the rate of conversion of lactate-14C to glucose-14C in the obese mice but not in the lean littermates.

Ciglitazone, a new hypoglycemic agent. I. Studies in ob/ob and db/db mice, diabetic Chinese hamsters, and normal and streptozotocin-diabetic rats.

Ciglitazone, 5-[4-(1-methylcyclohexylmethoxy) benzyl]-thiazolidine-2,4-dione, is a new hypoglycemic agent orally active in the obese-hyperglycemic animal models. In C57BL/6J-ob/ob mice, treatment with 100 mg/kg ciglitazone for 2 days elicited a drastic fall in blood glucose. It also decreased plasma insulin, triglycerides, and free fatty acids and food intake without affecting the body weight. Its hypoglycemic activity was independent of its effect on food intake. Regranulation of islet beta-cells and increased pancreatic insulin content were observed in ob/ob mice treated for 41-44 days with 100 mg/kg/day ciglitazone. Ciglitazone showed no effect on food intake, blood glucose, or pancreatic islet beta-cells in a group of lean C57BL/6J-+/? mice concomitantly treated at a dose of 150 mg/kg/day. In C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice, ciglitazone decreased blood glucose and food intake. The untreated db/db mice lost weight despite hyperphagia, whereas the ciglitazone-treated db/db mice gained weight. In the spontaneously diabetic Chinese hamsters, ciglitazone showed no significant effect on food intake, body weight, blood glucose, or insulin content in either plasma or pancreas, but it lowered plasma lipids. In normal rats, ciglitazone failed to affect fasting blood glucose but improved glucose tolerance without increasing insulin secretory response to glucose. In streptozotocin-diabetic rats, it showed no effect on blood glucose or glycemic response to exogenous insulin. The hypoglycemic activity of ciglitazone was specific for obese-hyperglycemic and insulin-resistant animals.

Ciglitazone, a new hypoglycemic agent. II. Effect on glucose and lipid metabolisms and insulin binding in the adipose tissue of C57BL/6J-ob/ob and -+/? mice.

The fat pads isolated from control and ciglitazone-treated C57BL/6J-ob/ob mice and their lean littermates (-+/?) were incubated in vitro with glucose-1-14C/-5-3H in the presence of insulin. The formation of 14CO2 and 3H2O and the levels of free fatty acids and glycerol in the medium and the incorporation of 14C and 3H into esterified lipids and free fatty acids in the fat pads were measured. The basal rates of glucose-1-14C/-5-3H metabolism per unit weight were increased in the fat pads of ciglitazone-treated mice, more pronouncedly in the treated lean than in the treated obese. The insulin-dependent effects were enhanced in the treated ob/ob mice. To see the dose-response of insulin, a second experiment was carried out in which portions of the fat pads were incubated in vitro with glucose-1-14C in the presence of 0-40 ng/ml insulin and isolated adipocytes were used to estimate for 125I-insulin binding. The basal rates of 14CO2 and 14C-lipids formation per unit weight of fat pads were increased in both treated obese and treated lean groups but insulin-dependent elevation was seen only in the treated obese group. Ciglitazone significantly increased insulin binding capacity at the low-affinity sites in the adipocytes of obese mice but not in those of lean mice. The data showed that ciglitazone increased the basal rate of glucose metabolism, lipogenesis, insulin receptor number, and post-receptor responses in the C57BL/6J-ob/ob mice; it increased the basal rate of glucose metabolism and lipogenesis but not insulin sensitivity in the lean mice.

Islet innervation of nondiabetic and diabetic Chinese hamsters. I. Acetylcholinesterase histochemistry and norepinephrine fluorescence.

Cholinergic and adrenergic innervation of pancreatic islets from age- and sex-matched nondiabetic (M subline) and diabetic (AC subline) Chinese hamsters was analyzed by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) histochemistry and norepinephrine fluorescence. The AChE activity was significantly diminished in islets of diabetic animals compared with that of nondiabetic controls. The reduction in cholinergic innervation displayed an inverse relationship with respect to nonfasting plasma glucose and ketone levels. On the basis of qualitative analysis, adrenergic activity also appeared to be depressed in islets of diabetic animals. These date suggest that autonomic control of islet function is altered in diabetic Chinese hamsters when plasma glucose and ketone levels arae elevated and may exacerbate metabolic complications in this animal model.