We sought to ascertain whether pretreatment with troglitazone (20 days) cou
ld prevent acute free fatty acid (FFA)-induced insulin resistance in male W
istar rats. Animals were divided into three groups: 1) control, 2) FFA infu
sion alone (FFA1), and 3) thiazolidinedione (TZD)-treated + FFA infusion (F
FA1). Days before a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, all animals were can
nulated in the jugular vein (infusion) and carotid artery (sampling). Anima
ls were allowed 5 days to recover from surgery and fasted 12 h before the e
xperiment. Glucose (variable), insulin (40 mU . kg(-1) . min(-1)), and Lipo
syn (heparinized 10% lipid emulsion) infusions were initiated simultaneousl
y and continued from 0-120 min. Steady-state glucose, 8.3 +/- 0.14 mmol/l,
and insulin concentrations, 7.3 +/- 2.45 nmol/l, were the same between grou
ps. Interestingly, steady-state FFA levels were significantly lower in anim
als pretreated with TZD compared with FFA alone (1.83 +/- 0.26 vs. 2.96 +/-
0.25 mmol/l; P = 0.009), despite matched intralipid infusion rates. A seco
nd group of TZD-treated animals (TZD + FFA2) were infused with intralipid a
t a higher infusion rate (44%) to match the arterial concentrations of FFA1
. The glucose infusion and insulin-stimulated glucose disposal rates (GDRs)
were significantly decreased (40%) for untreated Liposyn infused (FFA1) co
mpared with control rats. In addition, insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1)
phosphorylation and IRS-1-associated phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase ac
tivity was significantly reduced, 30-50%, in FFAI rats. TZD pretreatment pr
evented the FFA-induced decrement in insulin signaling. Fatty acid transloc
ase (FAT/CD36) also was significantly reduced (56%) in untreated FFA1 rats
after the clamp but remained identical to control values for TZD-treated ra
ts. In conclusion, acutely elevated FFA levels 1) induced a significant red
uction in tracer-determined GDR paralleled by impaired tyrosine phosphoryla
tion of IRS-1 and reduced IRS-1-associated PI 3-kinase activity and 2) indu
ced a significant reduction in FAT/CD36 total protein. TZD pretreatment pre
vented FFA-induced decrements in insulin action and prevented the reduction
in FAT/CD36 protein.