Alteration of phosphotyrosine phosphatase activity in tissues from diabetic and pregnant rats

Transgenic mouse models resistant to diet-induced metabolic disease: is energy balance the key?

The prevalence and economic burden of obesity and type 2 diabetes is a driving force for the discovery of molecular targets to improve insulin sensitivity and glycemic control. Here, we review several transgenic mouse models that identify promising targets, ranging from proteins involved in the insulin signaling pathway, alterations of genes affecting energy metabolism, and transcriptional metabolic regulators. Despite the diverse endpoints in each model, a common thread that emerges is the necessity for maintenance of energy balance, suggesting pharmacotherapy must target the development of drugs that decrease energy intake, accelerate energy expenditure in a well controlled manner, or augment natural compensatory responses to positive energy balance.

Impaired Angiogenesis After Hindlimb Ischemia in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Deficient angiogenesis after ischemia may contribute to worse outcomes of peripheral arterial disease in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors promote angiogenesis. We hypothesized that in peripheral arterial disease, maladaptive changes in VEGF ligand/receptor expression could account for impaired angiogenesis in DM. Skeletal muscle from diet-induced, type 2 diabetic (DM) and age-matched normal chow (NC)-fed mice was collected at baseline and 3 and 10 days after hindlimb ischemia and analyzed for expression of VEGF (n=10 per group), full-length VEGF receptor (VEGFR)-1, soluble VEGFR-1, and markers of downstream VEGF signaling (n=20 per group) using ELISA, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, and Western blots. In the absence of ischemia, DM mice had increased VEGF (NC versus DM: 26.6+/-2.6 versus 53.5+/-8.8 pg/mg protein; P<0.05), decreased soluble and membrane-bound VEGFR-1 (NC versus DM: 1.44+/-0.30 versus 0.85+/-0.08 and 1.03+/-0.10 versus 0.72+/-0.10, respectively; P<0.05), decreased phospho-AKT/AKT and phospho-endothelial NO synthase/endothelial NO synthase (NC versus DM: 0.76+/-0.2 versus 0.38+/-0.1 and 0.36+/-0.06 versus 0.25+/-0.04, respectively; P<0.05), and no change in VEGFR-2. After ischemia, both DM and NC had comparable increases in VEGF-A. VEGFR-1 and soluble VEGFR-1 expression increased in both groups, but the fold increase was significantly greater in DM. These data demonstrate that soluble VEGFR-1, an angiogenesis inhibitor, is regulated in skeletal muscle by type 2 DM and ischemia. In the absence of ischemia, despite reductions in both soluble VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-1, VEGF ligand signaling is lower in DM compared with controls. After ischemia, maladaptive upregulation of these receptors further reduces the capacity of VEGF to induce an angiogenic response, which may provide a novel target for therapy.

Insulin sensitivity in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats treated with different doses of 17beta-oestradiol or progesterone

It has been reported that in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes, hyperglycaemia leads to progressive insulin resistance of the peripheral tissues. In this study, we tried to elucidate the effects of hyperglycaemia on insulin sensitivity and insulin signalling in ovariectomized (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. In addition, we attempted to demonstrate the role of 17beta-oestradiol and progesterone on insulin sensitivity, focusing on their effects on key proteins of skeletal muscle, insulin receptor (IR) and glucose transporter-4 (Glut-4). Our results show that hyperglycaemia could modulate insulin signalling, at the IR and Glut-4 level, in different ways depending on exposure time. 17beta-Oestradiol and progesterone have different effects on insulin signalling. 17beta-Oestradiol treatment improves insulin sensitivity, but its action is dependent on the exposure time and its plasma level. During the early period of treatment (days 6-11), this hormone counteracts the effects of hyperglycaemia downstream of the IR, whereas during the later period of treatment (days 11-16), it may counteract the effects of hyperglycaemia by modulating IR relative tyrosine phosphorylation. By contrast, progesterone only improves insulin sensitivity during the early period of treatment (days 6-11), and this effect is not associated with changes in IR and Glut-4 content. Both hormones have a protective role in skeletal muscle against the effects of glucose toxicity, but their effects begin at different stages of treatment. These new findings improve our understanding of insulin resistance in type 1 diabetes mellitus and of the risk/benefit ratio when 17beta-oestradiol and progesterone are used in oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy taken by menopausal women with controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus.

Fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase: potential role in oxidative stress protection and regulation of its gene expression by insulin

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling regulates the expression of several genes involved in lipid and glucose homeostasis; deregulation of these genes may contribute to insulin resistance and progression toward type 2 diabetes. By employing RNA arbitrarily primed-PCR to search for novel phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-regulated genes in response to insulin in isolated rat adipocytes, we identified fatty aldehyde dehydrogenase (FALDH), a key component of the detoxification pathway of aldehydes arising from lipid peroxidation events. Among these latter events are oxidative stresses associated with insulin resistance and diabetes. Upon insulin injection, FALDH mRNA expression increased in rat liver and white adipose tissue and was impaired in two models of insulin-resistant mice, db/db and high fat diet mice. FALDH mRNA levels were 4-fold decreased in streptozotocin-treated rats, suggesting that FALDH deregulation occurs both in hyperinsulinemic insulin-resistant state and hypoinsulinemic type 1 diabetes models. Moreover, insulin treatment increases FALDH activity in hepatocytes, and expression of FALDH was augmented during adipocyte differentiation. Considering the detoxifying role of FALDH, its deregulation in insulin-resistant and type 1 diabetic models may contribute to the lipid-derived oxidative stress. To assess the role of FALDH in the detoxification of oxidized lipid species, we evaluated the production of reactive oxygen species in normal versus FALDH-overexpressing adipocytes. Ectopic expression of FALDH significantly decreased reactive oxygen species production in cells treated by 4-hydroxynonenal, the major lipid peroxidation product, suggesting that FALDH protects against oxidative stress associated with lipid peroxidation. Taken together, our observations illustrate the importance of FALDH in insulin action and its deregulation in states associated with altered insulin signaling.

Vanadate enhances but does not normalize glucose transport and insulin receptor phosphorylation in skeletal muscle from obese women with gestational diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVE

We compared the insulin-mimetic effects of vanadate, a protein-tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor, with the effects of insulin on skeletal muscle glucose transport and insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrate 1 phosphorylation to test the hypothesis that protein-tyrosine phosphatases participate in pregnancy-induced insulin resistance.

STUDY DESIGN

Skeletal muscle fiber strips were obtained from the rectus abdominis during cesarean delivery in 7 patients with gestational diabetes mellitus, 11 pregnant women with normal glucose tolerance (pregnant control group), and 11 nonpregnant women undergoing elective surgery (nonpregnant control group). Muscle tissues were incubated in vitro for 15 to 60 minutes with or without maximal insulin (100 nmol/L) or sodium vanadate (6 micromol/L). Insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrate 1 tyrosine phosphorylation were measured, as was 2-deoxyglucose transport. The levels of protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B were measured by Western blot analysis.

RESULTS

Vanadate stimulated maximal 2-deoxyglucose transport more than did insulin alone in all samples (P<.05), but the value was still less in muscle tissues from pregnant control subjects and patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (P<.05). In muscle tissues from pregnant control subjects vanadate increased tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrate 1 to levels similar to those in muscle tissues from nonpregnant control subjects. In patients with gestational diabetes mellitus vanadate increased insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrate 1 tyrosine phosphorylation, but these values remained less than in muscle tissues from nonpregnant control subjects (P<.05). Protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B levels were not significantly different in skeletal muscles from each group.

CONCLUSION

Vanadate did not restore normal glucose transport activity during pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus, which indicates that decreased glucose uptake is probably not caused by impaired tyrosine phosphorylation events alone. Increased serine kinase activity and impaired glucose transporter 4 translocation probably contribute to insulin signaling abnormalities associated with pregnancy, especially in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B in diabetes

A role for protein tyrosine phosphatases in the negative regulation of insulin signaling and a putative involvement in the insulin resistance associated with type 2 diabetes have been postulated since their discovery. The recent demonstration that mice lacking the protein tyrosine phosphatase-1B (PTP-1B) have enhanced insulin sensitivity validates this. Furthermore, when fed a high fat diet, these mice maintained insulin sensitivity and were resistant to obesity, suggesting that inhibition of PTP-1B activity could be a novel way of treating type 2 diabetes and obesity. This commentary reviews our current knowledge of PTP-1B in insulin signaling and its role in diabetes and discusses the development of potent and selective PTP-1B inhibitors.

Increased energy expenditure, decreased adiposity, and tissue-specific insulin sensitivity in protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B-deficient mice

Protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP-1B) is a major protein-tyrosine phosphatase that has been implicated in the regulation of insulin action, as well as in other signal transduction pathways. To investigate the role of PTP-1B in vivo, we generated homozygotic PTP-1B-null mice by targeted gene disruption. PTP-1B-deficient mice have remarkably low adiposity and are protected from diet-induced obesity. Decreased adiposity is due to a marked reduction in fat cell mass without a decrease in adipocyte number. Leanness in PTP-1B-deficient mice is accompanied by increased basal metabolic rate and total energy expenditure, without marked alteration of uncoupling protein mRNA expression. In addition, insulin-stimulated whole-body glucose disposal is enhanced significantly in PTP-1B-deficient animals, as shown by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp studies. Remarkably, increased insulin sensitivity in PTP-1B-deficient mice is tissue specific, as insulin-stimulated glucose uptake is elevated in skeletal muscle, whereas adipose tissue is unaffected. Our results identify PTP-1B as a major regulator of energy balance, insulin sensitivity, and body fat stores in vivo.

Development of vanadate sensitive human erythrocytes insulin receptor tyrosine phosphatase assay

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of sodium orthovanadate on the alterations of human erythrocytes insulin receptor autophosphorylation. Human erythrocytes were incubated with insulin in a cell system and then lysed. The autophosphorylated insulin receptors were measured with the aid of a two-site immunofluorometric assay and using a monoclonal anti-insulin receptor antibody to label the insulin receptors and a monoclonal anti-phosphotyrosine antibody to assess tyrosine phosphorylation. When the erythrocytes were treated with insulin and then reincubated in insulin-free medium, vanadate completely inhibited insulin receptor dephosphorylation, although it had no effect on in vitro receptor autophosphorylation. Thus insulin receptor tyrosine phosphatase activity is postulated to be [% (autophosphorylated insulin receptors with vanadate - autophosphorylated insulin receptors without vanadate)/total insulin receptors] under overall steady conditions in a cell system. Using this assay, the insulin receptor tyrosine phosphatase activities of 25 control and 32 diabetic subjects were studied. There was no significant difference in insulin receptor tyrosine phosphatase activity between control subjects and diabetic subjects (0.173 +/- 0.062 vs 0.209 - +/- 0.057 autophosphorylated insulin receptors units/insulin receptors units). The assay used in this study requires only 0.6 ml of whole blood, and so should be a useful tool for detecting patients who are insulin-resistant due to abnormal insulin receptor tyrosine phosphatase activity.

Alterations in skeletal muscle protein-tyrosine phosphatase activity and expression in insulin-resistant human obesity and diabetes

Obese human subjects have increased protein-tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) activity in adipose tissue that can dephosphorylate and inactivate the insulin receptor kinase. To extend these findings to skeletal muscle, we measured PTPase activity in the skeletal muscle particulate fraction and cytosol from a series of lean controls, insulin-resistant obese (body mass index > 30) nondiabetic subjects, and obese individuals with non-insulin-dependent diabetes. PTPase activities in subcellular fractions from the nondiabetic obese subjects were increased to 140-170% of the level in lean controls (P < 0.05). In contrast, PTPase activity in both fractions from the obese subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes was significantly decreased to 39% of the level in controls (P < 0.05). By immunoblot analysis, leukocyte antigen related (LAR) and protein-tyrosine phosphatase 1B had the greatest increase (threefold) in the particulate fraction from obese, nondiabetic subjects, and immunodepletion of this fraction using an affinity-purified antibody directed at the cytoplasmic domain of leukocyte antigen related normalized the PTPase activity when compared to the activity from control subjects. These findings provide further support for negative regulation of insulin action by specific PTPases in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance in human obesity, while other regulatory mechanisms may be operative in the diabetic state.

D-glucose-induced dysmorphogenesis of embryonic kidney

An organ culture system was used to study the effect of D-glucose on embryonic kidneys, and to delineate the mechanism(s) relevant to their dysmorphogenesis. Metanephroi were cultured in the presence of 30 mM D-glucose. A notable reduction in the size and population of nephrons was observed. Ureteric bud branches were rudimentary and the acuteness of their tips, the site of nascent nephron formation, was lost. Metanephric mesenchyme was atrophic, had reduced cell replication, and contained numerous apoptotic cells. Competitive reverse transcriptase-PCR analyses and immunoprecipitation studies indicated a decrease in expression of heparan sulfate proteoglycan (perlecan). Status of activated protein-2 was evaluated since its binding motifs are present in the promoter region of the perlecan gene. Decreased binding activity of activated protein-2, related to its phosphorylation, was observed. D-glucose-treated explants also had reduced levels of cellular ATP. Exogenous administration of ATP restored the altered metanephric morphology and reduced [35S]sulfate-incorporated radioactivity associated with perlecan. The data suggest that D-glucose adversely affects the metanephrogenesis by perturbing various cellular phosphorylation events involved in the transcriptional and translational regulation of perlecan. Since perlecan modulates epithelial/mesenchymal interactions, its deficiency may have led to the metanephric dysmorphogenesis and consequential atrophy of the mesenchyme exhibiting accelerated apoptosis.

Altered basal and insulin-stimulated phosphotyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) activity in skeletal muscle from NIDDM patients compared with control subjects

To measure possible changes in basal and insulin-stimulated phosphotyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) activity in skeletal muscle from insulin-resistant individuals, soluble and particulate muscle fractions were prepared from biopsies taken before and after a 3-h hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp in eight non-insulin-dependent diabetic (NIDDM) patients and nine control subjects. We used a sensitive sandwich-immunofluorescence assay and the human insulin receptor as the substrate. PTPase activity was expressed as percentage of dephosphorylation of phosphotyrosyl-residues in immobilized insulin receptors per 2 h incubation time per 83 micrograms and 19 micrograms muscle fraction protein (soluble and particulate fraction, respectively). In the diabetic soluble muscle fractions, the basal PTPase activity was decreased compared with that of control subjects (11.5 +/- 5.5 vs 27.5 +/- 3.3, p < 0.04, mean +/- SEM). In the particulate muscle fractions from the control subjects, PTPase activity was increased after 3 h hyperinsulinaemia (20.0 +/- 3.2 vs 30.2 +/- 3.6, p < 0.03) and in the corresponding soluble fractions PTPase activity seemed decreased (27.5 +/- 3.3 vs 19.9 +/- 5.9, NS). No effect of insulin on PTPase activity was found in NIDDM patients (25.1 +/- 4.1 vs 27.2 +/- 5.2, 11.5 +/- 5.5 vs 15.1 +/- 4.5 [particulate and soluble fractions], NS). In conclusion, we found that the basal PTPase activity in soluble muscle fractions was decreased in NIDDM patients; furthermore, insulin stimulation was unable to increase PTPase activities in the particulate fractions, as opposed to the effect of insulin in control subjects.

Phosphotyrosine protein phosphatases and diabetic pregnancy: an association between low molecular weight acid phosphatase and degree of glycemic control

Low molecular weight acid phosphatase encoded by the highly polymorphic locus ACP1 is a member of the protein-tyrosin phosphatase family (PTPases) which plays an essential role in the control of receptor signalling through phosphotyrosine pathways. Recent experiments have shown that purified rat liver ACP, corresponding to human ACP1, is able to hydrolyze a phosphotyrosine-containing synthetic peptide corresponding to the 1146-1158 sequence of the human insulin receptor, and shows a high affinity for it. This prompted us to analyze the degree of glycemic control in relation to ACP1 genetic variability in a sample of 214 diabetic pregnant women including IDDM, NIDDM and gestational diabetes. The ACP1 genotype was also determined in 482 non-diabetic pregnant women. In diabetic women glycemic levels in the last trimester of pregnancy appear to be significantly associated with the ACP1 genotype, and correlate positively with ACP1 enzymatic activity. The data suggest that quantitative variations of ACP1 may influence the clinical manifestations of diabetic disorders, and call for further studies on the role of this enzyme in the modulation of insulin-receptor phosphotyrosine pathways.

Decreased skeletal muscle phosphotyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) activity towards insulin receptors in insulin-resistant Zucker rats measured by delayed Europium fluorescence

In order to measure the phosphotyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) activity in small muscle biopsies, a sandwich-immunofluorescence assay was developed using the phosphorylated human insulin receptor as a substrate, a C-terminal insulin receptor antibody as catching antibody and Europium-labelled anti-phosphotyrosine as detecting antibody. Soluble and particulate muscle fractions were prepared from soleus muscle of obese, diabetic (fa/fa) Zucker rats and their lean littermates (Fa/-). In the soluble muscle fractions of the obese (fa/fa) rats PTPase activity was significantly reduced compared to control (Fa/-) rats (45.2 +/- 2.6% vs 61.3 +/- 4.7%, p < 0.02). This reduction was completely prevented by 24 days of metformin treatment which decreased plasma glucose and plasma insulin levels. In particulate muscle fractions, however, no difference in PTPase activity was found among any groups of rats examined. These results show that the alterations in soluble PTPase activity in the insulin-resistant, diabetic Zucker rat vary with the abnormality in glucose homeostasis.

Alterations in specific protein-tyrosine phosphatases accompany insulin resistance of streptozotocin diabetes

To test whether protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPases) may play a role in the insulin resistance of insulinopenic diabetes, we assessed PTPase activity as well as the protein and mRNA abundance of three major candidate PTPases in subcellular fractions of liver and skeletal muscle of streptozotocin-diabetic rats before and after insulin treatment. PTPase activity against the insulin receptor in liver and muscle cytosol increased to 120-125% of control in the diabetic animals and by an additional 5-10% after insulin treatment. In the particulate fraction, PTPase activity decreased to 65-70% of control in diabetic liver and muscle and increased to 115-120% of control after insulin treatment. Protein for the leukocyte common antigen-related PTPase paralleled the changes in the PTPase activity in the particulate fraction. SH-PTP2/syp and PTPase 1B were both significantly increased in diabetes. SH-PTP2/syp also exhibited an increased ratio of particulate to cytosol distribution in diabetic tissues (1.8-1.9) that was reversed after insulin treatment (0.79-0.95). Northern analysis suggested that the PTPases were regulated at a pretranslational level. These changes in the abundance and distribution of specific PTPases may be involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance in insulinopenic diabetes.

Glucose-induced stimulation of human insulin-receptor mRNA and tyrosine kinase activity in cultured cells

The effects of high glucose on insulin-receptor tyrosine kinase activity and gene expression were investigated in 3T3-HIR cells. Cells incubated for 48 h in the presence of 25 mM glucose showed a 5-fold increase in the amount of insulin receptors per cell, receptor autophosphorylation and phosphorylation of the exogenous substrate poly(Glu/Tyr) compared with cells grown in the absence of glucose but in the presence of 25 mM fructose. These effects were associated with a 4-fold stimulation in steady-state levels of insulin-receptor mRNA. Significant cellular glucose utilization and lactate production were observed in the presence of high glucose in the culture medium, indicating a functional glycolytic pathway in glucose-treated cells, but not in cells treated with fructose. Such a differential response to hexoses favours the hypothesis of a carbohydrate regulation via a glycolytic intermediate. This was further supported by a similar glucose-induced increase in mRNA levels of the enzyme glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. To test the hypothesis that the stimulatory effect of glucose on amount of insulin receptors and phosphorylation state could result from post-transcriptional modifications, cells exposed to glucose were incubated with actinomycin D, a potent inhibitor of gene transcription. In cells challenged with high glucose plus inhibitor, insulin-receptor mRNA half-life was increased from 1 to 3 h, indicating that posttranscriptional mechanisms are involved in these processes of glucose regulation. Inhibition of protein synthesis by cycloheximide induced an overexpression of insulin-receptor mRNA levels in the presence of glucose, suggesting that labile repressor protein(s) could be implicated in the effects of glucose. We conclude that (1) long-term culture with high glucose increases the amount of insulin receptors and their tyrosine kinase activity and (2) the glucose-induced increase in insulin-receptor mRNA levels can be accounted for, at least in part, by posttranscriptional events.

Elevated protein tyrosine phosphatase activity and increased membrane viscosity are associated with impaired activation of the insulin receptor kinase in old rats

Insulin resistance is very common in the elderly, and may be associated with glucose intolerance or frank diabetes. In previous studies we demonstrated that insulin resistance in old Wistar rats is associated with decreased autophosphorylation and activation of the hepatic insulin receptor kinase (IRK) in vivo. We now show that this defect can be reproduced in vitro, where the extent of insulin-induced activation of IRK in liver membranes of old rats was decreased by approximately 50% compared with young controls. The defect could be largely abolished after solubilization of the membranes with Triton X-100. We also show that: (a) the viscosity of membranes from the old rats was significantly (P < 0.001, n = 4) higher (by 15%) compared with young controls; (b) incubation of plasma membranes from old animals with lecithin liposomes, which lowered their cholesterol levels, partially abolished the defect in IRK activation; and (c) Triton extracts of liver membranes prepared from old rats did not interfere with the activation of IRK derived from young controls. Additionally, non-membrane components did contribute to the development of this defect. We observed a significant (approximately 30%) (P < 0.001, n = 18) elevation of cytosolic protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) activity directed against the beta subunit of the insulin receptor in livers of old rats. No such elevation of PTP activity could be demonstrated with synthetic substrates. Our findings are consistent with a model in which increased membrane viscosity as well as enhancement of a cytosolic PTP activity both markedly inhibit the activation in vivo of the hepatic IRK in old animals.

Skeletal muscle protein tyrosine phosphatase activity and tyrosine phosphatase 1B protein content are associated with insulin action and resistance

Particulate and cytosolic protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) activity was measured in skeletal muscle from 15 insulin-sensitive subjects and 5 insulin-resistant nondiabetic subjects, as well as 18 subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Approximately 90% of total PTPase activity resided in the particulate fraction. In comparison with lean nondiabetic subjects, particulate PTPase activity was reduced 21% (P < 0.05) and 22% (P < 0.005) in obese nondiabetic and NIDDM subjects, respectively. PTPase1B protein levels were likewise decreased by 38% in NIDDM subjects (P < 0.05). During hyperinsulinemic glucose clamps, glucose disposal rates (GDR) increased approximately sixfold in lean control and twofold in NIDDM subjects, while particulate PTPase activity did not change. However, a strong positive correlation (r = 0.64, P < 0.001) existed between particulate PTPase activity and insulin-stimulated GDR. In five obese NIDDM subjects, weight loss of approximately 10% body wt resulted in a significant and corresponding increase in both particulate PTPase activity and insulin-stimulated GDR. These findings indicate that skeletal muscle particulate PTPase activity and PTPase1B protein content reflect in vivo insulin sensitivity and are reduced in insulin resistant states. We conclude that skeletal muscle PTPase activity is involved in the chronic, but not acute regulation of insulin action, and that the decreased enzyme activity may have a role in the insulin resistance of obesity and NIDDM.

Insulin receptor dephosphorylation by phosphotyrosine phosphatases obtained from insulin-resistant obese mice

To study the possible involvement of phosphotyrosine phosphatases in insulin resistance, the ability of cytosolic and membrane preparations to dephosphorylate insulin receptors was examined in lean and goldthioglucose-treated insulin-resistant and obese mice. Preparations were obtained from liver, heart, diaphragm and hindleg muscle and their phosphotyrosine phosphatase activities were measured using an immunoenzymatic assay with phosphorylated insulin receptors as substrate. Liver cytosolic and particulate phosphotyrosine phosphatases were more potent than preparations from other tissues and were able to almost completely dephosphorylate the insulin receptor in a dose- and time-dependent manner. No change was observed in cytosolic and membrane-associated phosphotyrosine phosphatases in liver, diaphragm, and heart of obese mice compared with lean mice. In contrast, cytosolic, but not membrane-associated, phosphotyrosine phosphatase activity was decreased in hindleg muscles of obese mice. These results suggest that the regulation of phosphotyrosine phosphatases is tissue-specific. In addition, alterations in total phosphotyrosine phosphatase activity do not appear to play an important role in insulin resistance in all tissues of obese mice, although specific changes cannot be excluded.