Abstract
It is thought that all type 2 diabetic patients usually pass through a phase of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) before developing diabetes. Since patients with IGT have high risk of developing type 2 diabetes as well ascardiovascular diseases, it is very important to manage such reversible disease state to prevent more serious diseases. We and others reported that peripheral injection of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) exhibits hypophagic and hypoglycemic effects in obese hyperglycemic animals, indicating its antiobesity and antidiabetic effects. BDNF belongs to a family of neurotrophins and plays a crucial role in the survival and differentiation of central and peripheral neurons. To evaluate the effect of BDNF on insulin sensitivity in Zucker fatty (ZF) rats, animal models of IGT, we applied the glucose clamp technique. Chronic treatment with BDNF significantly improved insulin sensitivity of ZF rats, as determined by the increase in glucose infusion rates to maintain euglycemia under hyperinsulinemic condition. The result showed for the first time that BDNF improved insulin sensitivity in an animal model of IGT as well as overt diabetes.
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