. Chronic infusion of angiotensin-(1-7) improves insulin resistance and hypertension induced by a high-fructose diet in rats.

The present study examined whether chronic treatment with angiotensin (ANG)-(1-7) reduces cardiac remodeling and inhibits growth-promoting signaling pathways in the heart of fructose-fed rats (FFR), an animal model of insulin resistance. Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either normal rat chow (control) or the same diet plus 10% fructose in drinking water. For the last 2 wk of a 6-wk period of the corresponding diet, control and FFR were implanted with osmotic pumps that delivered ANG-(1-7) (100 ng.kg(-1).min(-1)). A subgroup of each group of animals (control or FFR) underwent a sham surgery. We determined heart weight, myocyte diameter, interstitial fibrosis, and perivascular collagen type III deposition as well as the phosphorylation degree of ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and p38MAPK. FFR showed a mild hypertension that was significantly reduced after ANG-(1-7) treatment. Also, FFR displayed higher ANG II circulating and local levels in the heart that remained unaltered after chronic ANG-(1-7) infusion. An increased heart-to-body weight ratio, myocyte diameter, as well as left ventricular fibrosis and perivascular collagen type III deposition were detected in the heart of FFR. Interestingly, significant improvements in these cardiac alterations were obtained after ANG-(1-7) treatment. Finally, FFR that received ANG-(1-7) chronically displayed significantly lower phosphorylation levels of ERK1/2, JNK1/2, and p38MAPK. The beneficial effects obtained by ANG-(1-7) were associated with normal values of Src-homology 2-containing protein-tyrosine phosphatase-1 (SHP-1) activity in the heart. In conclusion, chronic ANG-(1-7) treatment ameliorated cardiac hypertrophy and fibrosis and attenuated the growth-promoting pathways in the heart. These findings show an important protective role of ANG-(1-7) in the heart of insulin-resistant rats.

Obesity is considered a worldwide epidemic. Weight reduction by means of lifestyle changes is difficult to achieve, and pharmacotherapy is frequently needed. Although all currently approved anti-obesity agents have proven to be effective to achieve some degree of weight reduction and improve cardiometabolic risk factors, different compounds differ in their mechanism of action and safety profile. However, it is still difficult to achieve and maintain therapeutic objectives along time. The aim of the present article is to summarize the main characteristics of available anti-obesity agents and to explore novel agents that may provide significant clinical benefits in the future.

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The IkB kinase-b (IKK-b)/nuclear factor-kB signaling pathway has been suggested to link inflammation with obesity and insulin resistance. In addition, angiotensin (Ang) II is able to induce insulin resistance and an inflammatory state through Ang II receptor type 1 (AT1R). Accordingly, we examined whether inhibition of AT1R with irbesartan (IRB) can protect against the development of insulin resistance in obese Zucker rats (OZRs). IRB-treatment improved the insulin-stimulated insulin receptor (IR) phosphorylation at tyrosine (Tyr) residues 1158, 1162, 1163 (involved in activation of the IR kinase) and at Tyr972 (involved in substrate recognition). AT1R blockade also originated a dramatic increase in the phosphorylation of Akt and glycogen synthase kinase-3b. This was accompanied by a decrease in phosphorylation of IR on serine (Ser) 994, a residue that seems to be implicated in the regulation of IR kinase in OZR. In this study, we demonstrated that Ser994 of IR is a direct substrate for TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1), a new member of the IKK-related kinase family. TBK1 was found to co-immunoprecipitate with the IR, in the liver of OZR supporting an in vivo association between the IR and TBK1. Interestingly, a marked increase in the association between TBK1 and the IR was found in the liver of OZR as well as in other models of insulin resistance/diabetes. Taken together, these findings suggest that TBK1 could be involved in the insulin resistance mechanism related with IR Ser994 phosphorylation in a genetic model of diabetes.

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Carvedilol showed enantioselective non-linear pharmacokinetic properties in both groups. An enhanced hypotensive activity of carvedilol was found in L-NAME hypertensive rats compared with control rats, which may be explained by the greater potency of carvedilol for sympathetic vascular tone inhibition.