Effect of rosuvastatin on insulin sensitivity in an animal model of insulin resistance: evidence for statin-induced hepatic insulin sensitization.

Statin-treatment of fructose-fed/insulin resistant hamsters was recently shown to ameliorate metabolic dyslipidemia and hepatic VLDL overproduction. Here, we provide evidence that rosuvastatin treatment of insulin resistant hamsters can induce improvements in hepatic and whole body insulin sensitivity. Treatment with 10 mg/kg/day rosuvastatin for 10 days significantly reduced fasting insulin (-59%) and triglyceride (-50%) levels in fructose-fed hamsters (p<0.05). Following an intraperitoneal (IP) glucose challenge, rosuvastatin-treated hamsters exhibited enhanced glucose clearance compared to untreated hamsters maintained on the high-fructose diet (area under curve (AUC)=1772+/-223 mM min vs. 2413+/-253 mM min, respectively; p<0.002) with a significant reduction in 2h post-challenge glucose (n=5, p<0.02). Rosuvastatin-treatment also significantly improved sensitivity to an IP insulin challenge (AUC=314+/-39 mM min vs. 195+/-22 mM min for rosuvastatin-treated and fructose-fed hamsters, respectively; p<0.04, n=3). At the molecular level, significant increases in tyrosine-phosphorylation of the hepatic insulin receptor and IRS-1 were observed for rosuvastatin-treated hamsters (+37% and +58%, respectively) compared to fructose-fed controls following an intravenous (IV) bolus of insulin (p<0.05). Increases in insulin receptor and IRS-1 phosphorylation were also observed in muscle and adipose tissue. Analysis of hepatic Akt phosphorylation and mass revealed a small (25%) increase in serine phosphorylation of Akt with no significant change in Akt mass, although serine-phosphorylation and mass of Akt2 were significantly increased (+32%, p=0.03, and +42%, p=0.01, respectively). Interestingly, expression of PTP-1B, a key negative regulator of insulin signaling, showed a non-significant trend toward reduction in liver and was significantly reduced in adipose tissue (-20% and -37%, respectively). Taken together, these data suggest that statin-treatment increases whole body and peripheral tissue insulin sensitivity via improved cellular insulin signal transduction.

Intestinal insulin resistance and aberrant production of apolipoprotein B48 lipoproteins in an animal model of insulin resistance and metabolic dyslipidemia: evidence for activation of protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B, extracellular signal-related kinase, and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c in the fructose-fed hamster intestine.

Postprandial dyslipidemia is recognized as an important complication of insulin-resistant states, and recent evidence implicates intestinal lipoprotein overproduction as a causative factor. The mechanisms linking intestinal lipoprotein overproduction and aberrant insulin signaling in intestinal enterocytes are currently unknown. Intestinal insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism were studied in a fructose-fed hamster model of insulin resistance and metabolic dyslipidemia. Intestinal lipoprotein production in chow-fed hamsters was responsive to the inhibitory effects of insulin, and a decrease in circulating levels of triglyceride-rich apolipoprotein (apo)B48-containing lipoproteins occurred 60 min after insulin administration. However, fructose-fed hamster intestine was not responsive to the insulin-induced downregulation of apoB48-lipoprotein production, suggesting insulin insensitivity at the level of the intestine. Enterocytes from the fructose-fed hamster exhibited normal activity of the insulin receptor but reduced levels of insulin receptor substrate-1 phosphorylation and mass and Akt protein mass. Conversely, the protein mass of the p110 subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B, and basal levels of phosphorylated extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) were significantly increased in the fructose-fed hamster intestine. Modulating the ERK pathway through in vivo inhibition of mitogen-activated protein/ERK kinase 1/2, the upstream activator of ERK1/2, we observed a significant decrease in intestinal apoB48 synthesis and secretion. Interestingly, enhanced basal ERK activity in the fructose-fed hamster intestine was accompanied by an increased activation of sterol regulatory element-binding protein. In summary, these data suggest that insulin insensitivity at the level of the intestine and aberrant insulin signaling are important underlying factors in intestinal overproduction of highly atherogenic apoB48-containing lipoproteins in the insulin-resistant state. Basal activation of the ERK pathway may be an important contributor to the aberrant insulin signaling and lipoprotein overproduction in this model.