Quantitative characterization of insulin-glucose response in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic and cholesterol-fed rabbits and the effect of cilazapril

Effect of behavioral interventions on insulin sensitivity and atherosclerosis in the Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbit

OBJECTIVE

A previous study suggested that insulin metabolic variables play a role in the progression of atherosclerosis in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits. The present study sought to determine: 1) if young, individually caged WHHLs are insulin-resistant relative to New Zealand white (NZW) rabbits and 2) whether dietary or exercise interventions can improve insulin sensitivity and slow the development of atherosclerosis in these animals.

METHODS

Forty-two WHHLs were assigned to a dietary, exercise, or control condition, and 12 NZWs were used as a comparison control group. The intervention ran from 3 to 7 months of age, and all animals received an intravenous glucose tolerance test at the beginning and end of the intervention.

RESULTS

WHHLs were insulin-resistant relative to NZWs at 3 months of age. Whereas the dietary intervention was effective in controlling insulin resistance, WHHLs in the exercise group without dietary restriction and the control group exhibited significant increases in insulin resistance. No intervention significantly influenced the progression of atherosclerosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Young WHHLs are insulin-resistant during an early period when atherosclerosis is developing rapidly. Dietary restriction, but not exercise without weight control, is effective in controlling insulin metabolic variables in the WHHL model. Although dietary intervention can reduce cardiovascular risk factors such as insulin resistance, it is not effective in slowing the development of atherosclerosis in these genetically dyslipidemic animals. Similarly, exercise training, without dietary control, does not influence the progression of disease in WHHLs.

High lipoprotein lipase activity increases insulin sensitivity in transgenic rabbits

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the hydrolysis of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and plays an important role in glucose metabolism. To examine the hypothesis that increased LPL activity may alter insulin sensitivity, we investigated glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity in transgenic (Tg) rabbits expressing the human LPL gene under the control of a I(2) -actin promoter. An intravenous glucose tolerance test showed that the plasma glucose clearance rate was not significantly different between Tg and non-Tg rabbits; however, the area under the curve for insulin and free fatty acids in Tg rabbits was significantly reduced compared with that of non-Tg rabbits (P < .05). Using the intravenous insulin tolerance test, we found that the area of under the curve of glucose of Tg rabbits was also significantly reduced (P < .01). Furthermore, euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp test revealed that the mean glucose infusion rate in Tg rabbits was significantly higher than in non-Tg rabbits (P < .05). These results demonstrate that systemic overexpression of LPL increases whole-body insulin sensitivity and genetic manipulation of LPL genes may be a potential target for the treatment of diabetic patients.

Overexpression of lipoprotein lipase improves insulin resistance induced by a high-fat diet in transgenic rabbits

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Dysfunctions of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) have been found to be associated with dyslipidaemias, atherosclerosis, obesity and insulin resistance. There are two conflicting hypotheses regarding the roles of LPL in glucose metabolism and insulin resistance. Whether systemically increased LPL activity would be beneficial or detrimental to insulin sensitivity is yet to be resolved. To address this issue, we studied transgenic rabbits overexpressing human LPL transgene.

METHODS

LPL transgenic and control rabbits were fed a 10% high-fat diet (HFD) for 16 weeks. To evaluate glucose metabolism, we compared plasma levels of glucose and insulin in transgenic rabbits with control rabbits and performed an intravenous glucose tolerance test. In addition, we measured adipose tissue accumulation in HFD-fed rabbits.

RESULTS

Increased LPL activity in transgenic rabbits resulted in a significant reduction of plasma triglycerides and non-esterified fatty acids, but not in basal levels of glucose and insulin. HFD feeding induced an elevation of plasma glucose levels accompanied by hyperinsulinaemia in control rabbits, but was significantly inhibited in transgenic rabbits. The intravenous glucose tolerance test showed that transgenic rabbits had faster glucose clearance associated with lower levels of insulin secretion than control rabbits. In addition, there was a significant reduction of body adipose tissue in transgenic rabbits compared with in control rabbits fed an HFD. Scanning electron microscopic examination revealed that adipocytes in transgenic rabbits were predominately small cells.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Our results showed that systemically increased LPL activity improves insulin resistance and reduces adipose accumulation in transgenic rabbits, indicating that systemic elevation of LPL may have potential benefits for the treatment of insulin resistance and obesity.

Inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein increases serum apolipoprotein (apo) A-I levels by increasing the synthesis of apo A-I in rabbits

BACKGROUND

Inhibition of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is an effective way to increase HDL levels in animals and humans. The effects of a CETP inhibitor, JTT-705, on the in vivo kinetics of apolipoprotein (apo) A-I and apo A-I gene expression in the liver and intestine were investigated.

METHODS

Japanese White rabbits were randomly fed normal rabbit chow LRC-4 (n=10, control) or a food admixture of LRC-4 and 0.75% JTT-705 (n=10, treated) for 7 months. An in vivo kinetics study of apo A-I was performed by injecting rabbit 125I-apo A-I, and apo A-I mRNA levels were quantified by RT-PCR.

RESULTS

JTT-705 significantly inhibited CETP activities, increased serum levels of HDL-cholesterol (C), HDL2-C, HDL-phospholipid, and apo A-I, and decreased HDL-triglyceride levels. The synthetic rate of apo A-I was higher in the treated rabbits than in control rabbits (13.7 +/- 2.6 versus 9.5 +/- 1.3 mg/kg per day, P < 0.05), while the fractional catabolic rate was similar in the two groups. JTT-705 increased apo A-I mRNA levels in the liver without affecting those in the intestine.

CONCLUSION

Inhibition of CETP activity by JTT-705 increases HDL levels by increasing the synthesis of apo A-I, suggesting that it could be a promising therapeutic approach for atherosclerosis.

Evaluation of apolipoprotein A-I kinetics in rabbits in vivo using in situ and exogenous radioiodination methods

The kinetics of in vivo clearance of apolipoprotein (apo) A-I radioiodinated by the iodine monochloride (ICI) method of McFarlane [McFarlane, A.S. (1958) Efficient Trace-Labelling of Proteins with Iodine, Nature 182, 53] as modified by Bilheimer and co-workers [Bilheimer, D.W., Eisenberg, S., and Levy, R.I. (1972) The Metabolism of Very Low Density Lipoprotein Proteins. I. Preliminary in vitro and in vivo Observations, Biochim. Biophys. Acta 260, 212-221] and by using the IODO Beads Iodination Reagent were evaluated in rabbits. Both human apoA-I and rabbit HDL radioiodinated by the IODO Beads Iodination Reagent were cleared faster from plasma of rabbits than those radiolabeled by the ICI method. However, the different radiolabeling procedures in the ICI method, i.e., apoA-I radiolabeled either exogenously or in situ as a part of intact HDL, were not associated with a significant difference in the in vivo kinetics of apoA-I in rabbits if apoA-I was prepared by the guanidine HCI method and used fresh. 125I-ApoA-I subjected to delipidation and lyophilization was cleared only slightly faster from the plasma of rabbits than fresh 125I-apoA-I. We also found that apoA-I separated by the guanidine HCI method and used fresh was cleared faster from the plasma of rabbits when it was injected as free apoA-I without adding serum albumin or after in vitro incubation with rabbit HDL than when injected after reassociation with rabbit plasma. We conclude that the ICI method is a more appropriate radioiodination method for studying the in vivo kinetics of HDL than the IODO Beads Iodination Reagent and that the in vitro incubation conditions before injection are important factors that affect the in vivo kinetics of apo A-I.

Social environment influences the progression of atherosclerosis in the watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbit

BACKGROUND

Although there is evidence that emotionally stressful behavior can accelerate the progression of atherosclerosis, there is less data to support the notion that affiliative social behavior can slow disease progression. The present study examines the influence of social environment on the progression of atherosclerosis in the Watanabe Heritable Hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbit, a model that spontaneously develops lesions because of a genetic defect in lipoprotein clearance.

METHODS AND RESULTS

WHHL rabbits were assigned to 1 of 3 social or behavioral groups: an unstable group, in which unfamiliar rabbits were paired daily, with the pairing switched each week; a stable group, in which littermates were paired daily for the entire study; and an individually caged group. The stable group exhibited more affiliative social behavior and less agonistic behavior than the unstable group and significantly less aortic atherosclerosis than each of the other 2 groups. Although the unstable and individually caged groups had comparable aortic lesion areas, the severity of the disease progressed faster in the unstable group, as indexed by a larger area of calcification and increased fibrous cap thickness in complex lesions. The unstable group showed increased agonistic behavior and signs of chronic adrenocortical and gonadal activation, whereas the individually caged group was relatively sedentary, had low glucocorticoid levels, and was hyperinsulinemic compared with the other groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study demonstrates that social environment can slow, as well as accelerate, the progression of atherosclerosis. It also emphasizes the importance of behavioral factors in atherogenesis, even in a model of disease with strong genetic determinants.

Effects of high-dose troglitaz one on insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits

To clarify the dose-response effects of troglitazone on insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function, we examined the effects of high-dose troglitazone (100 mg/day per animal, administered as a food admixture) on glucose and insulin metabolism in hyperinsulinemic Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbits, and compared the results with our previous results with low-dose troglitazone (10 mg /day per animal).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Glucose and insulin metabolism were quantitatively characterized by a minimal model technique as reported previously.

RESULTS

When troglitazone was administrated at a high dose for 6 months, it reduced hyperinsulinemia as reflected by a reduced basal (steady-state) insulin concentration lb and the insulin response to a glucose load, improved beta-cell function as reflected by decreased second-phase post-hepatic insulin delivery to glucose phi2, and reduced insulin resistance as reflected by increased insulin sensitivity to glucose disposal Si, without affecting glucose tolerance as reflected by an unchanged rate of glucose utilization Kg or insulin-independent glucose disposal Sg. The reductions in Ib and phi2 and the increases in Si in WHHL rabbits treated with a high dose of troglitazone were greater (p<0.05) than those observed in WHHL rabbits treated with a low dose of troglitazone, as assessed by a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance and the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test.

CONCLUSION

In WHHL rabbits, troglitazone dose-dependently reduced hyperinsulinemia, improved beta-cell function, and increased insulin sensitivity.

Combination treatment with troglitazone, an insulin action enhancer, and pravastatin, an inhibitor of HMG-CoA reductase, shows a synergistic effect on atherosclerosis of WHHL rabbits

We examined whether improving insulin resistance augments the antiatherosclerotic effect of LDL reduction. Since WHHL rabbits show hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, we administered troglitazone (100 mg/kg), an insulin action enhancer, pravastatin sodium (50 mg/kg), an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor, and a combination of both drugs to 2-month-old WHHL rabbits for 32 weeks. As compared to the control, total cholesterol levels in the plasma and LDL were decreased significantly by 20% in the pravastatin and combination groups. Basal immunoreactive insulin levels and insulin index were decreased significantly by approximately 50% in the troglitazone and combination groups. Surface lesion area of atherosclerosis on the thoracic aorta was decreased significantly by 36% in the combination group and was less in the troglitazone group. Coronary atherosclerosis was decreased significantly by 39% in the combination group and was less in the pravastatin and troglitazone groups. The collagen content in the plaques was decreased in the troglitezone and combination groups and the extracellular lipid deposits were decreased in the pravastatin and combination groups. The incidence and severity of xanthomata in the digital joints were also decreased significantly in the three treated groups. In conclusion, the antiatherogenic effect of the combination treatment is stronger than that of the monotherapy.

Dietary sitostanol reduces plaque formation but not lecithin cholesterol acyl transferase activity in rabbits

The effects of graded amounts of dietary sitostanol (0.01, 0.2 and 0.8% (w/w)) were examined on plasma lipid-profile, coronary artery plaque development and lecithin:cholesterol acyl transferase activity in male New Zealand White rabbits given semi-purified diets for 10 weeks. All diets provided < 10% energy in the form of fat and contained 0.5% (w/w) cholesterol (C). Rabbits fed the semi-purified diet with 0.8% (w/w) (0.64 g/day) sitostanol had lower plasma total cholesterol (TC) (p = 0.006) (15.2 +/- 4.80 mmol/l) and very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (VLDL-C) (p = 0.007) (6.31 +/- 3.11 mmol/l) levels compared to the atherogenic control group (n = 6) (29.6 +/- 5.52 and 17.16 +/- 7.43 mmol/l, respectively). Dietary sitostanol at 0.8% (w/w) depressed plaque accretion in coronary arteries (p = 0.0014) and ascending aorta (p = 0.0004) compared with the atherogenic control, 0.01 and 0.2% (w/w) sitostanol-fed groups. No differences (p = 0.24) in the activity of lecithin:cholesterol acyl transferase (LCAT) were observed across groups, although plasma cholesterol fractional esterification rate was higher (p = 0.004) in the 0.8% (w/w) sitostanol fed animals compared with the atherogenic control. Significant negative correlations were demonstrated between sitostanol intake and plasma TC, LDL-C and VLDL-C levels. Hepatic campesterol levels were correlated (r = 0.3, p = 0.03) with plasma but not hepatic TC concentrations. These results demonstrate that dietary sitostanol at a concentration of 0.8% (w/w) or 0.64 g/day lowered plasma cholesterol levels and depressed atherosclerosis development in rabbits, but did not alter LCAT activity.

Quantification of the effects of troglitazone on insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function in Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbits: a minimal model analysis

Troglitazone is a newly developed antidiabetic drug that has been shown to improve insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia both in diabetic animal models and in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The Watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic (WHHL) rabbit, an animal model of familial hypercholesterolemia, is characterized by hyperinsulinemia, which reflects insulin resistance. In this study to determine the effects of troglitazone on glucose and insulin metabolism in WHHL rabbits, we quantified the rate of glucose utilization (glucose tolerance index [Kg]), sensitivity of first-phase posthepatic insulin secretion to glucose (phi1), sensitivity of second-phase posthepatic insulin secretion to glucose (phi2), insulin sensitivity to glucose disposal ([Si] inversely related to insulin resistance), insulin-independent glucose disposal (glucose effectiveness [Sg]), and rate of insulin clearance (Ki) by incorporating our previously reported two-compartment model of a glucose/insulin system with the glucose disappearance model of Bergman. Galvin insulin sensitivity (GIS) was also computed for comparison with Bergman Si. When troglitazone was administered as a food admixture (24 mg/d per animal) for 6 months, it did not significantly affect beta-cell function as measured by phi2, glucose tolerance as measured by Kg, or Sg, but increased both Si and Ki and reduced phi1, leading to a decreased plasma insulin response during the intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT). Si was strongly and significantly correlated with GIS. These data indicate that in WHHL rabbits, troglitazone improves insulin sensitivity and posthepatic insulin clearance without affecting beta-cell function or glucose tolerance.

Blockade of angiotensin converting enzyme but not of angiotensin AT1 receptors improves glucose tolerance

This study compared the effect of benazepril, an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor to valsartan, an angiotensin AT1 receptor antagonist, on glucose tolerance in the conscious, spontaneously hypertensive rat. Intraperitoneal infusion of benazepril or valsartan at 1, 3 and 10 mg/kg per day produced equivalent dose-related reductions in systolic blood pressure for 12 weeks. Body weight gain during the treatment period was significantly reduced by infusion rates of benazepril. In contrast, only the highest infusion rate of valsartan significantly affected body weight gain. At the end of the 12-week treatment period, neither benazepril nor valsartan significantly affected glucose disposal during intravenous glucose tolerance tests. The insulin response to glucose challenge was unaffected by valsartan whereas following the highest infusion rate of benazepril the plasma levels were significantly reduced. The results demonstrate that benazepril but not valsartan reduces the insulin required to dispose of a glucose load.