Feeding in response to insulin and 2-deoxy-D-glucose in Zucker rats on dietary self-selection

KRAS-related long noncoding RNAs in human cancers

KRAS is one of the most widely prevalent proto-oncogenes in human cancers. The constitutively active KRAS oncoprotein contributes to both tumor onset and cancer development by promoting cell proliferation and anchorage-independent growth in a MAPK pathway-dependent manner. The expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) and the KRAS oncogene are known to be dysregulated in various cancers, while long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) can act as regulators of the miRNAs targeting KRAS oncogene in different cancers and have gradually become a focus of research in recent years. In this review article, we summarize recent advances in the research on lncRNAs that have sponging effects on KRAS-targeting miRNAs as crucial mediators of KRAS expression in different cell types and organs. A deeper understanding of lncRNA function in KRAS-driven cancers is of major fundamental importance and will provide a valuable clinical tool for the diagnosis, prognosis, and eventual treatment of cancers.

Expression Levels of Genes Likely Involved in Glucose-sensing in the Obese Zucker Rat Brain

It has been suggested that certain cells in the brain, like pancreatic beta-cells, use glucose transporter-2 (GLUT-2), glucokinase and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) to sense glucose in the service of multiple aspects of energy balance. The obese Zucker rat displays numerous disturbances in energy homeostasis and may provide a model of dysfunctional expression of genes related to nutrient control systems. Using real-time RT-PCR we measured gene expression for three of the pancreatic glucose-sensing markers and neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the medial, lateral hypothalamus and hindbrain of lean and obese Zucker rats of both genders. Additionally, we measured circulating levels of glucose, leptin, insulin, corticosterone and glucagon. The results indicate that GLUT-2 mRNA expression is decreased, whereas glucokinase is increased in the hindbrain of obese rats. NPY mRNA level is significantly higher, whereas GLP-1R is significantly lower in the medial hypothalamus in obese individuals. Gender-related differences were found in the hindbrain and medial hypothalamus for GLUT-2 and in the lateral hypothalamus for GLP-1R and they may be related to the fact that the female Zucker rats do not develop diabetes as readily as males. Furthermore, the hindbrain may be an important site for glucose-sensing where major phenotypic changes occur for glucose-sensing genes expression.

Insulin during infancy attenuates insulin-induced hypoglycemia in adult male rats

To examine whether insulin during infancy affects later glucose regulation, 60 rat pups of both sexes were injected daily on postnatal Days 9-20 with either insulin (2 or 8 U/kg), 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG; 200 or 400 mg/kg), or saline. Two hours postinjection on Day 15, pups given insulin were hypoglycemic and pups given 2DG were hyperglycemic; both groups were normoglycemic at 6 h. The two insulin doses produced similar long-term effects, as did the 2DG doses, so doses were combined to make single insulin and 2DG groups. On Day 44, baseline plasma glucose for rats given insulin or 2DG during infancy was below saline control levels (111.3, 114.5, and 120.7 mg/dL, respectively, p < 0.05). On Days 60 and 62, plasma glucose was assessed 2 h after injection of 3 U/kg insulin; food was allowed between the insulin injection and the glucose test on only one of these days. When food was present after injection of insulin, the early treatments did not influence either amount of food ingested or plasma glucose levels. When food was withheld, however, males given insulin before weaning maintained a higher plasma glucose than did males given 2DG or saline before weaning (67.4, 40.1, and 16.4 mg/dL, respectively, p < 0.01); females were unaffected by the early treatment. Postweaning body weights did not differ from control values for rats given early insulin or 2DG. On Day 72, there were no effects of early treatment on plasma insulin, plasma glucose, liver weight, or kidney weight. These results suggest that preweaning exposure to insulin attenuates the hypoglycemia of adult males given insulin without food.

Effect of subchronic metformin treatment on macronutrient selection in genetically obese Zucker rats

Metformin has been particularly recommended to be used in obese type 2 diabetic patients because of its weight decreasing and serum lipid profile normalizing effects. In the present study the effects of subchronic metformin treatment on macronutrient selection, weight gain and plasma insulin and glucose were investigated in 20 genetically obese male Zucker rats which were maintained on a free-feeding self-selection paradigm with three pure macronutrient diets of carbohydrate, fat and protein. Half of the rats were given metformin hydrochloride 320 mg/kg/day up to 18 days in drinking water. The other half of the animals received normal drinking water as a control. Metformin treatment significantly reduced 24 hr carbohydrate (P < 0.01), fat (P < 0.001) and protein (P < 0.01) intake. The proportion of fat of the total consumed energy was significantly increased by metformin (P < 0.01) while the proportion of protein was decreased (P < 0.05). In hunger stimulated feeding experiment metformin decreased selectively protein intake (P < 0.01). Changes in macronutrient selection were associated with reduced body weight gain in metformin treated rats (P < 0.001). Metformin markedly reduced the hyperinsulinaemia (P < 0.01) and plasma glucose levels (P < 0.05), which suggests improved glucose tolerance after metformin treatment. It is concluded that subchronic metformin treatment can modify the composition of energy intake in a macronutrient selective manner.

Resistance to insulin-induced hyperphagia in fat-preferring rats

Outbred male Sprague-Dawley rats were screened for their macronutrient (fat, carbohydrate and protein) preference profile and divided into two groups, the low- and high fat-preferring groups each deriving 23% and 72% of its total caloric intake from fat respectively. Subcutaneous administration of bovine insulin (6U/kg) resulted in an increase in total caloric intake in the low, but not the high fat-preferring group. Furthermore, the increased caloric intake in the low fat-preferring group was entirely due to increased carbohydrate consumption. These data suggest a defect in the action of insulin in fat-preferring rats.

Regulation of the anorectic drug recognition site during glucoprivic feeding

The acute effects of 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG)-induced glucoprivic feeding on the anorectic drug recognition site and Na+K(+)-ATPase in the brain were examined in adult rats and in lean and genetically obese mice. The marked hyperglycemia and the induction of feeding caused by the administration of 2-DG to satiated rats and lean mice were associated with significant increases in Na+K(+)-ATPase activity, and in [3H]ouabain binding and [3H]mazindol binding to the anorectic drug recognition site in hypothalamic membranes. Basal and 2-DG-stimulated levels of blood glucose were significantly correlated to the levels of hypothalamic [3H]ouabain (r = + .91, p less than 0.01) and [3H]mazindol (r = + .87, p less than 0.01) binding. A significant correlation (r = .74, p less than 0.05) was also observed between [3H]mazindol binding and [3H]ouabain binding supporting the hypothesis that these hypothalamic binding sites are functionally coupled in their response to circulating glucose. Following the intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of the diabetogenic drug alloxan, 2-DG did not stimulate feeding or increase [3H]mazindol and [3H]ouabain binding sites in the hypothalamic paraventricular area. Since 2-DG still caused hyperglycemia in alloxan-treated rats, alloxan-induced inactivation of glucoreceptor mechanisms led to an uncoupling of the anorectic drug recognition site from a hypothalamic glucostat. In genetically obese mice (ob/ob), 2-DG also could not induce feeding or increase hypothalamic [3H]ouabain or [3H]mazindol binding, despite a significant hyperglycemic response. In contrast, 2-DG did increase feeding and the binding of [3H]ouabain and [3H]mazindol to the hypothalamus of lean littermates.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Dietary self-selection in insulin-injected hamsters

Adult male golden hamsters were given access to a variety of nutrient sources and were observed following the administration of regular insulin. It was hypothesized that if insulin produced hyperphagia in hamsters by the activation of a glucoprivic feeding mechanism, a selective increase in carbohydrate consumption would be observed. All animals received subcutaneous injections of 10, 30, 50 and 100 units/kg of insulin as well as a control injection of saline. Food consumption was recorded at +3, +6 and +24 hours after injections. In Experiment 1 hamsters having continuous access to Purina lab chow, fat (Crisco) and sucrose (sugar cubes) increased their total caloric consumption in response to insulin, but did not do so by selectively increasing their carbohydrate intake. In Experiment 2 hamsters maintained on Purina chow and sugar cubes consistently increased their carbohydrate intake as well as their total caloric consumption in response to insulin, but again the increase in carbohydrate intake was not selective; increased consumption of both sugar cubes and Purina chow occurred, and neither the proportion of total calories derived from carbohydrate nor the proportion of total calories derived from sugar cubes was affected by insulin administration. The results support the conclusion that insulin-induced hyperphagia in hamsters results from the activation of a non-glucoprivic feeding mechanism.