Imidapril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, improves insulin sensitivity by enhancing signal transduction via insulin receptor substrate proteins and improving vascular resistance in the Zucker fatty rat

• Published in: Metabolism, clinical and experimental Vol. 48; no. 10; pp. 1248 - 1255
• Main Authors: Nawano, Masao, Anai, Motonobu, Funaki, Makoto, Kobayashi, Hiroyuki, Kanda, Akira, Fukushima, Yasushi, Inukai, Kouichi, Ogihara, Takehide, Sakoda, Hideyuki, Onishi, Yukiko, Kikuchi, Masatoshi, Yazaki, Yoshio, Oka, Yoshitomo, Asano, Tomoichiro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.10.1999; Elsevier
• Subjects: Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Glucose - drug effects; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Blood Pressure - drug effects; Female; Glucose Tolerance Test; Heart Rate - drug effects; Hormones. Endocrine system; Imidazoles - pharmacology; Imidazolidines; Insulin - pharmacology; Insulin - physiology; Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins; Liver - blood supply; Liver - enzymology; Liver Circulation - drug effects; Medical sciences; Muscle, Skeletal - blood supply; Muscle, Skeletal - enzymology; Obesity - genetics; Obesity - physiopathology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases - metabolism; Phosphoproteins - metabolism; Phosphorylation; Rats; Rats, Zucker; Receptor, Insulin - drug effects; Receptor, Insulin - physiology; Regional Blood Flow - drug effects; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Signal Transduction - physiology; Vascular Resistance - drug effects; Asia; Japan; Endocrinopathy; Animal model; Rat; Imidapril; Phosphatidylinositol; Intraduodenal administration; Blood pressure; Nutritional status; Obesity; Enzyme; Transferases; Diabetes mellitus; Treatment efficiency; Rodentia; Nutrition disorder; Oral administration; Glucose tolerance test; Vertebrata; Chemotherapy; Mammalia; Treatment; Kinase; Animal; Comparative study; ACE inhibitor
• ISSN: 0026-0495; 1532-8600
• DOI: 10.1016/S0026-0495(99)90263-9

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are antihypertensive agents, that inhibit the conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II, resulting in smooth-muscle relaxation and a reduction of vascular resistance. Recently, it has been suggested that ACE inhibitors improve insulin resistance in diabetic patients. To investigate the effect of an ACE inhibitor on insulin sensitivity, insulin signaling, and circulation, imidapril was administered orally or intraduodenally to Zucker fatty rats. Oral administration of imidapril improved insulin sensitivity based on the results of an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and a decrease in urinary glucose secretion. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (Pl 3-kinase) activity associated with hepatic insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) in the insulin-stimulated condition was significantly enhanced 110% without a significant alteration in tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 in the imidapril-treated group. In muscle, IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation and Pl 3-kinase activity associated with IRS-1 in the insulin-stimulated condition were enhanced 70% and 20%, respectively, in the imidapril-treated group. In contrast, an alteration of the IRS-2 pathway was observed only in liver; a significant insulin-induced increase in the IRS-2-associated Pl 3-kinase over the basal level was observed in the imidapril-treated group but not in the control. In addition, treatment with imidapril was shown to significantly reduce blood pressure and increase blood flow in the liver and muscle. These results suggest that the ACE inhibitor imidapril may improve insulin sensitivity not only by acting directly on the insulin signaling pathway but also by increasing blood flow in tissues via normalization of vascular resistance, a major cause of hypertension.