Effects of pioglitazone on hepatic and peripheral insulin resistance in Wistar fatty rats.

Effects of pioglitazone (5-[4-[2-(5-etyl-2-pyridyl)ethoxy] benzyl]-2,4-thiazolidinedione, AD-4833, also known as U-72, 107E) on peripheral and hepatic insulin resistance were examined using genetically obese-hyperglycemic rats, Wistar fatty. Pioglitazone was administered to fatty rats (3 mg/kg/d) and lean rats (10 mg/kg/d) for 6 days. Pioglitazone decreased hyperglycemia and hypertriglyceridemia without affecting hyperinsulinemia in the fatty rats, and significantly reduced plasma levels of triglyceride and insulin without altering normoglycemia in the lean rats. The same rats were subjected to an isotopic method combined with a euglycemic clamp technique for assessing insulin sensitivity in hepatic glucose production (HGP) and peripheral glucose utilization (PGU). HGP decreased and PGU increased in response to infused insulin in the lean rats but did not in the fatty rats, indicating that insulin resistance was present in the liver and peripheral tissues of the fatty rats. Treatment with pioglitazone restored the responses of HGP and PGU to infused insulin in the fatty rats, but did not produce any changes in the lean rats. When the same levels of glycemia and insulinemia were established by 480 mU/h of insulin in both treated and control fatty groups, PGU was 1.5-fold higher and HGP was 3-fold lower in the pioglitazone treated group. Pioglitazone also corrected the abnormality in hepatic enzyme regulation by insulin of the fatty rats: glucose-6-phosphatase decreased and glucokinase increased, suggesting the increased response of the liver to insulin and the resultant suppression of HGP. Therefore, pioglitazone is expected to be useful for treating abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus through reducing insulin resistance of the peripheral tissues and liver.