Yl. Liu et al., Retinoid X receptor agonists have anti-obesity effects and improve insulinsensitivity in Zucker fa/fa rats, INT J OBES, 24(8), 2000, pp. 997-1004
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether retinoid X receptor agonists act as insul
in sensitizers and compare their effects with that of thiazolidinedione BRL
49653 in obese Zucker rats.
DESIGN: In two independent studies, obese Zucker rats were dosed orally onc
e daily for 14 days with one of the following treatments: LG 100268 (20 mg/
kg), LG 100324 (20 mg/kg), BRL 49653 (3 mg/kg) or vehicle.
MEASUREMENTS: Daily food intake and body weight gain, blood glucose, plasma
and pancreatic insulin, whole body glucose disposal (by euglycaemic-hyperi
nsulinaemic clamp) and tissue glucose utilization.
RESULTS: The retinoid X receptor agonists (rexinoids) LG 100268 and LG 1003
24 caused a reduction in the food intake of obese Zucker rats relative to c
ontrols and to rats receiving BRL 49653, The two rexinoids also produced a
marked decrease in the body weight gain, whereas the growth rate of rats tr
eated with BRL 49653 tended to increase. Both rexinoids and BRL 49653 reduc
ed the plasma insulin concentration of fed rats. LG 100268 and LG 100324 al
so significantly lowered blood glucose concentrations after 1 week of treat
ment. The 5 h fasted plasma insulin concentration was significantly lower i
n the rexinoid-treated groups and the terminal insulin level (at the end of
the clamp) tended to be lower in all treated groups compared with animals
given the dosing vehicle. However, pancreatic insulin content was not affec
ted by any of the treatments. Under euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic clamp con
ditions, there were no significant differences in the rate of hepatic gluco
se output and whole body glucose disposal, except that, in experiment 1, BR
L 49653 caused significant increase in the glucose infusion rate and muscle
glucose utilization. In experiment 2, a similar glucose infusion rate to t
he controls was achieved in all treatment groups but the steady-state insul
in concentration in the treated animals was only about 50% of that in the c
ontrol animals, despite the fact that all rats received a similar insulin i
nfusion concentration. This suggests that both the rexinoids and BRL 49653
increased insulin clearance.
CONCLUSIONS: Chronic administration of retinoid X receptor agonists LG 1002
68 and LG 100324 to Zucker fa/fa rats reduces food intake and body weight g
ain, lowers plasma insulin concentrations while maintaining normoglycaemia,
indicating an improvement of insulin sensitivity.