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Objectives: This study examined the effect of Vitis vinifera grape skin extract (ACH09) on hyperglycaemia and the insulin-signalling cascade in alloxan-treated mice., Methods: Glycaemia, serum insulin and Western blot analysis of insulin cascade proteins were evaluated in the gastrocnemius muscles of four groups of adult mice: control, ACH09 (200 mg/kg per day, p.o.), alloxan (300 mg/kg, i.p.) and alloxan + ACH09. Insulin secretion in isolated pancreatic islets was also studied., Key Findings: Glycaemia values in the alloxan + ACH09 and ACH09 groups were significantly lower than in the alloxan-treated and control groups, respectively. Increased insulin resistance (HOMA index) was observed in the alloxan-treated group but not in the alloxan + ACH09 group. Insulin receptor content and Akt phosphorylation were significantly greater in the alloxan + ACH09 group compared with the alloxan-treated group. The glucose transporter (GLUT-4) content was reduced in alloxan-treated mice compared with the control group, while alloxan + ACH09 and ACH09-treated mice showed a significant increase in GLUT-4 content. ACH09 treatment did not change glucose-induced insulin secretion in isolated pancreatic islets., Conclusions: The results suggest that ACH09 has hypoglycaemic and antihyperglycaemic effects that are independent of an increase in insulin release but are probably dependent on an increase in insulin sensitivity resulting from an activation of the insulin-signalling cascade in skeletal muscle., (© 2011 The Authors. JPP © 2011 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.)

Overnutrition during critical developmental periods is believed to be a risk factor for the emergence of metabolic disorders in adulthood. The present study investigated the effects of pups overfeeding during lactation on offspring's insulin secretion. To study the consequences of overnutrition early in life in rats, litter size reduction has been shown to be an appropriate experimental model. To induce early postnatal overnutrition, litter size was reduced to three pups per litter at the third day following birth [overfed group (OG)]. In the control group (CG), the litter size was adjusted to 10 pups per litter. Metabolic parameters and glucose-stimulated insulin secretion were assessed. OG pups ingested more milk at 10 and 21 days and had an augmented food intake at 1 year compared to the CG. Consistently, body weight, body fat, and fasting plasma levels of insulin were higher in 1-year-old OG rats. In addition, OG rats exhibited enhanced insulin secretion, accompanied by elevated content of GLUT-2 in pancreatic islets compared to CG. These findings indicate that early postnatal overnutrition during a critical developmental period in life may program permanent alterations in glucose-stimulated insulin secretion.

Human overnutrition has caused a rise in the prevalence of obesity in recent years. In addition to the deleterious effects of obesity during childhood, long-term effects in adulthood have been described as well. For instance, cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes are among the diseases associated with a history of obesity. Altered insulin secretion and action have been described as important links between these diseases and obesity. Insulin acts as a unique anabolic hormone providing regulation of whole-body glucose homeostasis and peripheral tissue glucose uptake in tissues such as the heart. In this study, we examined insulin signaling in the heart of obese animals using an experimental model of inducing overweight adult animals by overnutrition in early life. In these animals, overfeeding during lactation was able to induce a significant increase in body weight starting at the 10th day of life, and this increased weight persisted until adulthood. Impairment in glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinemia, and an increased insulin/glucose ratio were also observed in these animals. Moreover, an increased heart weight/tibia length ratio was also observed, indicating an enlarged heart size. The overfed animals also had decreased insulin sensitivity in the heart, as confirmed by decreased insulin receptor (IR)-beta and IR substrate-1 (Irs1) phosphorylation, increased phosphatase, non-receptor type 1 (Ptpn1)-IR-beta association, decreased -Irs1-associated activity, and reduction in anti-phospho Akt1 phosphorylation. In conclusion, our findings showed that overnutrition during early life induced obesity and insulin resistance in the adult offspring, and further increased heart size and impaired cardiac insulin signaling, putatively due to an increase in Ptpn1 activity.

Experimental and clinical studies have demonstrated that early postnatal overnutrition represents a risk factor for later obesity and associated metabolic and cardiovascular disturbance. In the present study, we assessed the levels of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT-4), GLUT-1, insulin receptor (IR), IR substrate 1 (IRS-1), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and Akt expression, as well as insulin-stimulated glucose transport and Akt activity in adipocytes from adult rats previously raised in small litters (SL). The normal litter (NL) served as control group. We also investigated glycemia, insulinemia, plasma lipid levels, and glucose tolerance. Our data demonstrated that early postnatal overfeeding induced a persistent hyperphagia accompanied by a significant increase in body weight until 90 days of age. The SL group also presented a significant increase ( approximately 42%) in epidydimal fat weight. Blood glucose, plasma insulin, and lipid levels were similar among the animals from the SL and NL groups. While insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was approximately twofold higher in adipocytes from the NL group, no stimulatory effect was observed in the SL group. The impaired insulin-stimulated glucose transport in adipose cells from the SL rats was associated with a significant decrease in GLUT-4, IRS-1 and PI3K expression, and Akt activity. In contrast, IR and Akt expression in adipocytes was not different between the SL and NL groups. Despite these alterations, our results showed no differences in glucose tolerance test in rats raised under different feeding conditions. Our findings reinforce a potent and long-term effect of neonatal overfeeding, which can program major changes in the metabolic regulatory mechanisms.