Rats with low brain angiotensinogen do not exhibit insulin resistance during early aging.

During aging increases in body weight, insulin resistance, and elevated systolic pressure contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome. Long-term systemic blockade of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) with either an angiotensin (Ang) II type 1 (AT1) receptor antagonist or angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor improves insulin sensitivity and decreases risk of new onset (type II) diabetes. However, the role of the brain RAS in mediating development of insulin insensitivity during aging is not known. Therefore, we compared responses to an oral glucose load in transgenic rats with selective antisense suppression of brain angiotensinogen (ASrAogen); (mRen2)27 rats with high brain angiotensin II; and control Hannover Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats, at wk 16 and 68 of age. ASrAogen animals had lower body weight than either SD or (mRen2)27 rats at both ages (p < 0.001). The oral glucose tolerance test at 16 wk in (mRen2)27 animals revealed a higher glucose-insulin index (154,421 +/- 11,231 units; p < 0.05) and a lower glucose-insulin index in ASrAogen rats (41,580 +/- 10,923 units, p < 0.05) compared to SD rats (97,134 +/- 19,822 units), suggesting insulin resistance in the (mRen2)27 and enhanced insulin sensitivity in the ASrAogen relative to SD rats. At 68 wk, the glucose-insulin index remained low in the ASrAogen rats as evidence of maintained insulin sensitivity during aging compared with either SD or (mRen2)27 (p < 0.05). SD animals do not differ from (mRen2)27 rats at 68 wk indicating the development of a state of relative insulin resistance with increased age in the SD rats. Moreover, there was a positive correlation (r = 0.44; p < 0.05) between body weight and the glucose-insulin index in SD, but not ASrAogen or (mRen2)27 rats. The relationships between insulin and leptin, insulin and glucose, and leptin and body weight observed in SD rats were absent in ASrAogen and (mRen2)27 rats. We conclude that the glial RAS plays a role in development of insulin resistance as well as influencing weight gain associated with early aging.