Hepatocyte growth factor ameliorates hyperglycemia and corrects ?-cell mass in IRS2-deficient mice.
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ABSTRACT: Insulin resistance, when combined with decreased ?-cell mass and relative insufficient insulin secretion, leads to type 2 diabetes. Mice lacking the IRS2 gene (IRS2(-/-) mice) develop diabetes due to uncompensated insulin resistance and ?-cell failure. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) activates the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway in ?-cells without recruitment of IRS1 or IRS2 and increases ?-cell proliferation, survival, mass, and function when overexpressed in ?-cells of transgenic (TG) mice. We therefore hypothesized that HGF may protect against ?-cell failure in IRS2 deficiency. For that purpose, we cross-bred TG mice overexpressing HGF in ?-cells with IRS2 knockout (KO) mice. Glucose homeostasis analysis revealed significantly reduced hyperglycemia, compensatory hyperinsulinemia, and improved glucose tolerance in TG/KO mice compared with those in KO mice in the context of similar insulin resistance. HGF overexpression also increased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in IRS2(-/-) islets. To determine whether this glucose homeostasis improvement correlated with alterations in ?-cells, we measured ?-cell mass, proliferation, and death in these mice. ?-Cell proliferation was increased and death was decreased in TG/KO mice compared with those in KO mice. As a result, ?-cell mass was significantly increased in TG/KO mice compared with that in KO mice, reaching levels similar to those in wild-type mice. Analysis of the intracellular targets involved in ?-cell failure in IRS2 deficiency showed Pdx-1 up-regulation, Akt/FoxO1 phosphorylation, and p27 down-regulation in TG/KO mouse islets. Taken together, these results indicate that HGF can compensate for IRS2 deficiency and subsequent insulin resistance by normalizing ?-cell mass and increasing circulating insulin. HGF may be of value as a therapeutic agent against ?-cell failure.
SUBMITTER: Alvarez-Perez JC
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4250367 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Dec
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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