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Dietary Monounsaturated Fatty Acids but not Saturated Fatty Acids Preserve the Insulin Signaling Pathway via IRS-1/PI3K in Rat Skeletal Muscle

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Lipids

Abstract

Saturated fatty acids (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) show different effects on the development of insulin resistance. In this study, we compared the effect of dietary SFA and MUFA on the insulin signaling pathway in the skeletal muscle of a type 2 diabetic animal model. Twenty-nine-week-old male Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty (OLETF) rats were randomly divided into three groups and fed one of the following diets for 3 weeks; a normal chow diet, an SFA (lard oil) enriched or a MUFA (olive oil) enriched high-fat diet. The vastus lateralis muscle was used for analyses. Insulin tolerance test showed improved insulin sensitivity in rats fed the MUFA diet, as compared to those fed the SFA diet (p < 0.001). The SFA diet reduced IRS-1 expression and phosphorylated PI3K levels in skeletal muscle, as compared with a chow diet (p < 0.001, respectively). On the contrary, muscle IRS-2 expression and phosphorylated ERK1/2 was significantly increased in rats fed the SFA diet (p < 0.001, respectively). Membrane translocation of glucose transporter type 4 decreased in the skeletal muscle of rats fed the SFA diet, as compared to those fed a chow diet (p < 0.001). These changes in insulin signaling pathway in skeletal muscle were not observed in rats fed the MUFA diet. In conclusion, the beneficial effect of dietary MUFA on insulin sensitivity is associated with a conserved IRS-1/PI3K insulin signaling pathway which was altered by dietary SFA.

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Abbreviations

DAG:

Diacylglycerol(s)

ERK:

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase

FFA:

Free fatty acid(s)

FOXO3a:

Forkhead box 3a

GAPDH:

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

IRS:

Insulin receptor substrate

ITT:

Insulin tolerance test

MUFA:

Monounsaturated fatty acid(s)

OGTT:

Oral glucose tolerance test

OLETF rat:

Otsuka Long-Evans Tokushima fatty rat

PI3K:

Phosphoinositol 3-kinase

PI3K p85:

P85 subunit of PI3K

SFA:

Saturated fatty acid(s)

T2DM:

Type 2 diabetes mellitus

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a National Research Foundation grant awarded by the Korea government (MEST) (No. 2009-0091380).

Conflict of interest

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 250 Seongsanno, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 120-752, Korea

    Jae Hoon Moon, Jong Suk Park, Byung Wan Lee, Eun Seok Kang, Chul Woo Ahn, Hyun Chul Lee & Bong Soo Cha

  2. Brain Korea 21 for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 250 Seongsanno, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 120-752, Korea

    Ji Young Lee, Saet Byol Kang & Bong Soo Cha

Authors
  1. Jae Hoon Moon
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  2. Ji Young Lee
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  3. Saet Byol Kang
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  4. Jong Suk Park
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  6. Eun Seok Kang
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  7. Chul Woo Ahn
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  8. Hyun Chul Lee
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bong Soo Cha.

Additional information

J. H. Moon and J. Y. Lee contributed equally to this study.

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Moon, J.H., Lee, J.Y., Kang, S.B. et al. Dietary Monounsaturated Fatty Acids but not Saturated Fatty Acids Preserve the Insulin Signaling Pathway via IRS-1/PI3K in Rat Skeletal Muscle. Lipids 45, 1109–1116 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-010-3475-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-010-3475-3

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