Vasoactive drugs enhance pancreatic islet blood flow, augment insulin secretion and improve glucose tolerance in female rats

2006 ◽  
Vol 112 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen Huang ◽  
Leif Jansson ◽  
Åke Sjöholm

Pravastatin, irbesartan and captopril are frequently used in the treatment of patients with Type 2 diabetes. These drugs also exert beneficial metabolic effects, causing an improved glucose tolerance in patients, but the precise mechanisms by which this is achieved remain elusive. To this end, we have studied whether these drugs influence insulin secretion in vivo through effects on islet blood perfusion. Captopril (3 mg/kg of body weight), irbesartan (3 mg/kg of body weight) and pravastatin (0.5 mg/kg of body weight) were injected intravenously into anaesthetized female Wistar rats. Blood flow rates were determined by a microsphere technique. Blood glucose concentrations were measured with test reagent strips and serum insulin concentrations were measured by ELISA. Pancreatic blood flow was markedly increased by pravastatin (P<0.001), captopril (P<0.05) and irbesartan (P<0.01). Pancreatic islet blood flow was significantly and preferentially enhanced after the administration of captopril (P<0.01), irbesartan (P<0.01) and pravastatin (P<0.001). Kidney blood flow was enhanced significantly by pravastatin (P<0.01), irbesartan (P<0.05) and captopril (P<0.01). Captopril and pravastatin also enhanced late-phase insulin secretion and positively influenced glycaemia in intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests. In conclusion, the present study suggests that a local pancreatic renin–angiotensin system and pravastatin treatment may be selectively controlling pancreatic islet blood flow, augmenting insulin secretion and thereby improving glucose tolerance. Our findings indicate significant gender-related differences in the vascular response to these agents. Since statins and renin–angiotensin system inhibitors are frequently used by diabetic patients, the antidiabetic actions of these drugs reported previously might occur, in part, through the beneficial direct islet effects shown in the present study.

1996 ◽  
Vol 151 (3) ◽  
pp. 507-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
A M Svensson ◽  
C Hellerström ◽  
L Jansson

Abstract The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of diet-induced obesity on pancreatic islet blood perfusion in normal Wistar rats. Furthermore, we investigated to what extent any obesity-associated changes in islet blood flow could be reversed after reversion to a normal diet with normalization of body weight. Young adult female Wistar rats were offered a palatable mixed high-caloric diet (cafeteria diet) in addition to standard pelleted chow. Age-matched control rats received standard pelleted chow only. After 4 weeks the diet-treated rats had a body weight of approximately 15% more than that of the controls. All diet-treated rats had decreased glucose tolerance and increased serum insulin concentrations, but basal blood glucose concentrations were similar in anesthetized diet-treated and control rats. Whole pancreatic and islet blood flow rates were measured with a microsphere technique. The islet blood flow as well as fractional islet blood flow were increased (P<0·01) in rats fed the cafeteria diet, while blood perfusion of the whole pancreas was similar to that of the control rats. In a second experiment, rats received the cafeteria diet for 4 weeks and were then fed standard pelleted food alone for another 3 weeks, while controls received standard diet for 7 weeks. After this period total body weight, retroperitoneal fat pad weight and glucose tolerance were similar to those of the controls. Whole pancreatic blood flow was unchanged as compared with that of control rats. However, both islet blood flow (P<0·01) and fractional blood flow (P<0·01) were increased. We conclude that diet-induced obesity in rats is associated with decreased glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinemia and a specific increase in absolute and fractional islet blood perfusion. This increase persists for at least 3 weeks after the diet is withdrawn despite normalization of body weight and glucose tolerance. Journal of Endocrinology (1996) 151, 507–511


1985 ◽  
Vol 59 (3) ◽  
pp. 924-927 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Freund ◽  
G. L. Brengelmann

We recently found that paraplegic humans respond to hyperthermia with subnormal increase in skin blood flow (SkBF), based on measurements of forearm blood flow (FBF). Is this inhibition of SkBF a defect in thermoregulation or a cardiovascular adjustment necessary for blood pressure control? Since high resting plasma renin activity (PRA) is found in unstressed individuals with spinal cord lesions and since PRA increases during hyperthermia in normal humans, we inquired whether the renin-angiotensin system is responsible for the attenuated FBF in hyperthermic resting paraplegics. Five subjects, 28–47 yr, with spinal transections (T1-T10), were heated in water-perfused suits. Blood samples for PRA determinations were collected during a control period and after internal temperature reached approximately 38 degrees C. Some subjects with markedly attenuated FBF had little or no elevation of PRA; those with the best-developed FBF response exhibited the highest PRA. Clearly, circulating angiotensin is not the agent that attenuates SkBF. Rather, increased activity of the renin-angiotensin system may be a favorable adaptation that counters the locally mediated SkBF increase in the lower body and thus allows controlled active vasodilation in the part of the body subject to centrally integrated sympathetic effector outflow.


1996 ◽  
Vol 298 (3) ◽  
pp. 287-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Atef ◽  
Max Lafontan ◽  
Alexandre Double ◽  
Christophe Hélary ◽  
Alain Ktorza ◽  
...  

1991 ◽  
Vol 261 (4) ◽  
pp. H1190-H1196 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. G. Jones ◽  
J. P. Minei ◽  
A. E. Barber ◽  
T. J. Fahey ◽  
G. T. Shires ◽  
...  

Gut barrier failure and bacterial translocation (BT) after thermal injury may result from splanchnic vasoconstriction and intestinal ischemia. The role of the renin-angiotensin system in intestinal blood flow and BT after thermal injury was studied by pretreatment with the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor enalapril in Wistar rats before sham or 30% scald burn. Adequacy of ACE inhibition was documented by the absence of a hypertensive response to angiotensin I, and intestinal blood flow was determined using 51Cr-labeled microspheres. Small bowel blood flow was decreased by 46% at 4-h postburn (P less than 0.05) in untreated burned animals despite maintenance of normal cardiac index but returned to baseline levels by 24 h after injury. Enalapril pretreatment resulted in maintenance of small bowel blood flow after thermal injury and was associated with a significantly reduced incidence of BT (20% vs. 75% in untreated burned animals, P less than 0.01). These findings further implicate intestinal ischemia in the etiology of gut barrier dysfunction after thermal injury, mediated in part by activation of the renin-angiotensin system.


2001 ◽  
Vol 281 (6) ◽  
pp. R1854-R1861 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raynald Bergeron ◽  
Michael Kjær ◽  
Lene Simonsen ◽  
Jens Bülow ◽  
Dorthe Skovgaard ◽  
...  

The study examined the implication of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in regulation of splanchnic blood flow and glucose production in exercising humans. Subjects cycled for 40 min at 50% maximal O2 consumption (V˙o 2 max) followed by 30 min at 70% V˙o 2 maxeither with [angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) blockade] or without (control) administration of the ACE inhibitor enalapril (10 mg iv). Splanchnic blood flow was estimated by indocyanine green, and splanchnic substrate exchange was determined by the arteriohepatic venous difference. Exercise led to an ∼20-fold increase ( P < 0.001) in ANG II levels in the control group (5.4 ± 1.0 to 102.0 ± 25.1 pg/ml), whereas this response was blunted during ACE blockade (8.1 ± 1.2 to 13.2 ± 2.4 pg/ml) and in response to an orthostatic challenge performed postexercise. Apart from lactate and cortisol, which were higher in the ACE-blockade group vs. the control group, hormones, metabolites, V˙o 2, and RER followed the same pattern of changes in ACE-blockade and control groups during exercise. Splanchnic blood flow (at rest: 1.67 ± 0.12, ACE blockade; 1.59 ± 0.18 l/min, control) decreased during moderate exercise (0.78 ± 0.07, ACE blockade; 0.74 ± 0.14 l/min, control), whereas splanchnic glucose production (at rest: 0.50 ± 0.06, ACE blockade; 0.68 ± 0.10 mmol/min, control) increased during moderate exercise (1.97 ± 0.29, ACE blockade; 1.91 ± 0.41 mmol/min, control). Refuting a major role of the RAS for these responses, no differences in the pattern of change of splanchnic blood flow and splanchnic glucose production were observed during ACE blockade compared with controls. This study demonstrates that the normal increase in ANG II levels observed during prolonged exercise in humans does not play a major role in the regulation of splanchnic blood flow and glucose production.


1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (5) ◽  
pp. E736-E740 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Atef ◽  
A. Ktorza ◽  
L. Picon ◽  
L. Penicaud

Hyperinsulinemia, a main feature of both human and animal obesity, has been demonstrated to be due to both an increased sensitivity to nutrient secretagogues and an impairment of the nervous regulation of insulin secretion. Recent studies have shown that pancreatic islet blood flow increases under conditions associated with an enhanced insulin secretion. The aim of this study was to determine whether or not changes in islet blood flow are present in hyperinsulinemic obese rats. Using the nonradioactive microsphere technique, we were able to show a significantly higher islet blood flow in obese rats either of the Zucker strain or Wistar rats after lesion of the ventromedial hypothalamus than in their respective lean controls. Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy had no significant effect on basal islet blood flow of lean rats, whereas it decreased significantly that of obese Zucker rats. Conversely, clonidine, an alpha 2-adrenergic agonist, induced a higher decrease of islet blood flow in obese than in lean Zucker rats. The injection of an intravenous bolus of glucose (375 mg/kg iv) increased significantly more islet blood flow in obese than in lean Zucker rats. It is concluded that obese rats present an increased pancreatic islet blood flow, which may result, at least in part, from exaggerated parasympathetic activity and lower than normal sympathetic activity. This could participate in the hyperinsulinemia observed in these rats.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 463-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucas M. Kangussu ◽  
Lucas Alexandre Santos Marzano ◽  
Cássio Ferraz Souza ◽  
Carolina Couy Dantas ◽  
Aline Silva Miranda ◽  
...  

Cerebrovascular Diseases (CVD) comprise a wide spectrum of disorders, all sharing an acquired or inherited alteration of the cerebral vasculature. CVD have been associated with important changes in systemic and tissue Renin-Angiotensin System (RAS). The aim of this review was to summarize and to discuss recent findings related to the modulation of RAS components in CVD. The role of RAS axes is more extensively studied in experimentally induced stroke. By means of AT1 receptors in the brain, Ang II hampers cerebral blood flow and causes tissue ischemia, inflammation, oxidative stress, cell damage and apoptosis. On the other hand, Ang-(1-7) by stimulating Mas receptor promotes angiogenesis in brain tissue, decreases oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and improves cognition, cerebral blood flow, neuronal survival, learning and memory. In regard to clinical studies, treatment with Angiotensin Converting Enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and AT1 receptor antagonists exerts preventive and therapeutic effects on stroke. Besides stroke, studies support a similar role of RAS molecules also in traumatic brain injury and cerebral aneurysm. The literature supports a beneficial role for the alternative RAS axis in CVD. Further studies are necessary to investigate the therapeutic potential of ACE2 activators and/or Mas receptor agonists in patients with CVD.


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