N Kubota

The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo-to, Japan

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Publications (21)168.65 Total impact

  • Article: Depletion of homeodomain-interacting protein kinase 3 impairs insulin secretion and glucose tolerance in mice.
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    ABSTRACT: AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Insufficient insulin secretion and reduced pancreatic beta cell mass are hallmarks of type 2 diabetes. Here, we focused on a family of serine-threonine kinases known as homeodomain-interacting protein kinases (HIPKs). HIPKs are implicated in the modulation of Wnt signalling, which plays a crucial role in transcriptional activity, and in pancreas development and maintenance. The aim of the present study was to characterise the role of HIPKs in glucose metabolism. METHODS: We used RNA interference to characterise the role of HIPKs in regulating insulin secretion and transcription activity. We conducted RT-PCR and western blot analyses to analyse the expression and abundance of HIPK genes and proteins in the islets of high-fat diet-fed mice. Glucose-induced insulin secretion and beta cell proliferation were measured in islets from Hipk3 ( -/- ) mice, which have impaired glucose tolerance owing to an insulin secretion deficiency. The abundance of pancreatic duodenal homeobox (PDX)-1 and glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β phosphorylation in Hipk3 ( -/- ) islets was determined by immunohistology and western blot analyses. RESULTS: We found that HIPKs regulate insulin secretion and transcription activity. Hipk3 expression was most significantly increased in the islets of high-fat diet-fed mice. Furthermore, glucose-induced insulin secretion and beta cell proliferation were decreased in the islets of Hipk3 ( -/- ) mice. Levels of PDX1 and GSK-3β phosphorylation were significantly decreased in Hipk3 ( -/- ) islets. CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION: Depletion of HIPK3 impairs insulin secretion and glucose tolerance. Decreased levels of HIPK3 may play a substantial role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes.
    Diabetologia 09/2012; · 6.81 Impact Factor
  • Article: Control of beta cell function and proliferation in mice stimulated by small-molecule glucokinase activator under various conditions.
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    ABSTRACT: We investigated changes in the expression of genes involved in beta cell function and proliferation in mouse islets stimulated with glucokinase activator (GKA) in order to elucidate the mechanisms by which GKA stimulates beta cell function and proliferation. Islets isolated from mice were used to investigate changes in the expression of genes related to beta cell function and proliferation stimulated by GKA. In addition, Irs2 knockout (Irs2 (-/-)) mice on a high-fat diet or a high-fat diet containing GKA were used to investigate the effects of GKA on beta cell proliferation in vivo. In wild-type mice, Irs2 and Pdx1 expression was increased by GKA. In Irs2 (-/-) mice, GKA administration increased the glucose-stimulated secretion of insulin and Pdx1 expression, but not beta cell proliferation. It was particularly noteworthy that oxidative stress inhibited the upregulation of the Irs2 and Pdx1 genes induced by GKA. Moreover, whereas neither GKA alone nor exendin-4 alone upregulated the expression of Irs2 and Pdx1 in the islets of db/db mice, prior administration of exendin-4 to the mice caused GKA to increase the expression of these genes. GKA-stimulated IRS2 production affected beta cell proliferation but not beta cell function. Oxidative stress diminished the effects of GKA on the changes in expression of genes involved in beta cell function and proliferation. A combination of GKA and an incretin-related agent might therefore be effective in therapy.
    Diabetologia 03/2012; 55(6):1745-54. · 6.81 Impact Factor
  • Chapter: Adiponectin and AdipoR1 regulate PGC-1alpha and mitochondria by Ca(2+) and AMPK/SIRT1
    01/2010: pages 1313-9; , ISBN: 1476-4687 (Electronic)
  • Article: Reconsideration of insulin signals induced by improved laboratory animal diets, Japanese and American diets, in IRS-2 deficient mice.
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    ABSTRACT: Current Japanese and American diets and Japanese diet immediately after the War were converted to laboratory animal diets. As a result, current laboratory animal diet (CA-1, CLEA) unexpectedly resembled the diet of Japanese after the War. This is considered to result in an under-evaluation of diabetes research using laboratory animals at present. Therefore, changes in insulin signals caused by current Japanese and American diets were examined using IRS-2 deficient mice ( IRS2(-/-) mice) and mechanisms of aggravation of type 2 diabetes due to modern diets were examined. IRS2(-/-) mice at 6 weeks of age were divided into three groups: Japanese diet (Jd) group, American diet (Ad) group and CA-1 diet [regular diet (Rd)] group. Each diet was given to the dams from 7 days before delivery. When the IRS2(-/-) mice reached 6 weeks of age, the glucose tolerance test (GTT), insulin tolerance test (ITT) and organ sampling were performed. The sampled organs and white adipose tissue were used for analysis of RNA, enzyme activity and tissues. In GTT and ITT, the Ad group showed worse glucose tolerance and insulin resistance than the Rd group. Impaired glucose tolerance of the Jd group was the same as that of the Rd group, but insulin resistance was worse than in the Rd group. These results were caused an increase in fat accumulation and adipocytes in the peritoneal cavity by lipogenic enzyme activity in the liver and muscle, and the increase in TNFalpha of hypertrophic adipocyte origin further aggravated insulin resistance and the increase in resistin also aggravated the impaired glucose tolerance, leading to aggravation of type 2 diabetes. The Japanese and American diets given to the IRS2(-/-) mice, which we developed, showed abnormal findings in some IRS2(-/-) mice but inhibited excessive reactions of insulin signals as diets used in ordinary nutritional management.
    Experimental and Clinical Endocrinology &amp Diabetes 08/2009; 117(10):577-86. · 1.69 Impact Factor
  • Chapter: Microfiltration and Ultrafiltration
    N. Kubota, T. Hashimoto, Y. Mori
    12/2008: pages 101 - 129; , ISBN: 9780470276280
  • Article: Crucial role of insulin receptor substrate-2 in compensatory beta-cell hyperplasia in response to high fat diet-induced insulin resistance.
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    ABSTRACT: In type 2 diabetes, there is a defect in the regulation of functional beta-cell mass to overcome high-fat (HF) diet-induced insulin resistance. Many signals and pathways have been implicated in beta-cell function, proliferation and apoptosis. The co-ordinated regulation of functional beta-cell mass by insulin signalling and glucose metabolism under HF diet-induced insulin-resistant conditions is discussed in this article. Insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-2 is one of the two major substrates for the insulin signalling. Interestingly, IRS-2 is involved in the regulation of beta-cell proliferation, as has been demonstrated using knockout mice models. On the other hand, in an animal model for human type 2 diabetes with impaired insulin secretion because of insufficiency of glucose metabolism, decreased beta-cell proliferation was observed in mice with beta-cell-specific glucokinase haploinsufficiency (Gck(+/) (-)) fed a HF diet without upregulation of IRS-2 in beta-cells, which was reversed by overexpression of IRS-2 in beta-cells. As to the mechanism underlying the upregulation of IRS-2 in beta-cells, glucose metabolism plays an important role independently of insulin, and phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein triggered by calcium-dependent signalling is the critical pathway. Downstream from insulin signalling via IRS-2 in beta-cells, a reduction in FoxO1 nuclear exclusion contributes to the insufficient proliferative response of beta-cells to insulin resistance. These findings suggest that IRS-2 is critical for beta-cell hyperplasia in response to HF diet-induced insulin resistance.
    Diabetes Obesity and Metabolism 11/2008; 10 Suppl 4:147-56. · 3.38 Impact Factor
  • Article: Fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus observed in insulin receptor substrate 2 deficient mice.
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    ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to characterise the fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) accompanying abrupt hyperglycaemia and ketonuria observed in insulin receptor substrate 2 (IRS2)-deficient mice. IRS2-deficient mice backcrossed onto the original C57BL/6J:Jc1 background (B6J-IRS2(-/-) mice) for more than 10 generations were used. Eight male IRS2-deficient mice with ketonuria and abrupt increase in plasma glucose concentrations over 25 mmol/l were used as the fulminant type 1 diabetic mice (diabetic mice) and 8 male IRS2-deficient mice (8 weeks old) without glycosuria were used as the control mice. Plasma metabolite, immunoreactive insulin (IRI) and C-peptide concentrations, hepatic energy metabolism related enzyme activities and histopathological change in pancreatic islets were investigated. The diabetic mice showed significantly higher plasma glucose and cholesterol concentrations and lower plasma IRI and C-peptide concentrations than the control mice. In livers of the diabetic mice, glycolytic and malate-aspartate shuttle enzyme activities decreased significantly and gluconeogenic, lipogenic and ketone body synthesis enzyme activities increased significantly compared to those in the control mice. The pancreatic islets of the diabetic mice decreased significantly in size and number of beta cells. The diabetic IRS2-deficient mice did not show the islet-related antibodies observed in the diabetic NOD mice in their sera. The characteristics of the diabetic IRS2-deficient mice resembled those of the human nonautoimmune fulminant type 1 DM. IRS2-deficient mice may be a useful animal model for studying the degradation mechanism of pancreatic beta cells in the process of development of fulminant type 1 DM.
    Clinical and Experimental Medicine 07/2008; 8(2):93-9. · 1.58 Impact Factor
  • Article: Adiponectin induces insulin secretion in vitro and in vivo at a low glucose concentration.
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    ABSTRACT: A decrease in plasma adiponectin levels has been shown to contribute to the development of diabetes. However, it remains uncertain whether adiponectin plays a role in the regulation of insulin secretion. In this study, we investigated whether adiponectin may be involved in the regulation of insulin secretion in vivo and in vitro. The effect of adiponectin on insulin secretion was measured in vitro and in vivo, along with the effects of adiponectin on ATP generation, membrane potentials, Ca2+ currents, cytosolic calcium concentration and state of 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). In addition, insulin granule transport was measured by membrane capacitance and total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) analysis. Adiponectin significantly stimulated insulin secretion from pancreatic islets to approximately 2.3-fold the baseline value in the presence of a glucose concentration of 5.6 mmol/l. Although adiponectin had no effect on ATP generation, membrane potentials, Ca2+ currents, cytosolic calcium concentrations or activation status of AMPK, it caused a significant increase of membrane capacitance to approximately 2.3-fold the baseline value. TIRF analysis revealed that adiponectin induced a significant increase in the number of fusion events in mouse pancreatic beta cells under 5.6 mmol/l glucose loading, without affecting the status of previously docked granules. Moreover, intravenous injection of adiponectin significantly increased insulin secretion to approximately 1.6-fold of baseline in C57BL/6 mice. The above results indicate that adiponectin induces insulin secretion in vitro and in vivo.
    Diabetologia 06/2008; 51(5):827-35. · 6.81 Impact Factor
  • Source
    Conference Proceeding: Trajectory generation based on a steady-state genetic algorithm for imitative learning of a partner robot
    N. Kubota, T. Shimizu
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    ABSTRACT: This paper proposes a steady-state genetic algorithm for trajectory generation used in the imitation of a partner robot interacting with a human. Various types of genetic algorithms have been applied for the trajectory generation of robot manipulators. In this paper, we propose a trajectory generation method for the partner robot by a steady-state genetic algorithm based on the human motions pattern, and compare the proposed method with its related methods. Finally, we show experimental results of trajectory generation through interaction with a human.
    Evolutionary Computation, 2007. CEC 2007. IEEE Congress on; 10/2007
  • Article: The mechanisms by which both heterozygous peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) deficiency and PPARgamma agonist improve insulin resistance.
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    ABSTRACT: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) gamma is a ligand-activated transcription factor and a member of the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily that is thought to be the master regulator of fat storage; however, the relationship between PPARgamma and insulin sensitivity is highly controversial. We show here that supraphysiological activation of PPARgamma by PPARgamma agonist thiazolidinediones (TZD) markedly increases triglyceride (TG) content of white adipose tissue (WAT), thereby decreasing TG content of liver and muscle, leading to amelioration of insulin resistance at the expense of obesity. Moderate reduction of PPARgamma activity by heterozygous PPARgamma deficiency decreases TG content of WAT, skeletal muscle, and liver due to increased leptin expression and increase in fatty acid combustion and decrease in lipogenesis, thereby ameliorating high fat diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. Moreover, although heterozygous PPARgamma deficiency and TZD have opposite effects on total WAT mass, heterozygous PPARgamma deficiency decreases lipogenesis in WAT, whereas TZD stimulate adipocyte differentiation and apoptosis, thereby both preventing adipocyte hypertrophy, which is associated with alleviation of insulin resistance presumably due to decreases in free fatty acids, and tumor necrosis factor alpha, and up-regulation of adiponectin, at least in part. We conclude that, although by different mechanisms, both heterozygous PPARgamma deficiency and PPARgamma agonist improve insulin resistance, which is associated with decreased TG content of muscle/liver and prevention of adipocyte hypertrophy.
    Journal of Biological Chemistry 12/2001; 276(44):41245-54. · 4.77 Impact Factor
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    Article: Inhibition of RXR and PPARgamma ameliorates diet-induced obesity and type 2 diabetes.
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    ABSTRACT: PPARgamma is a ligand-activated transcription factor and functions as a heterodimer with a retinoid X receptor (RXR). Supraphysiological activation of PPARgamma by thiazolidinediones can reduce insulin resistance and hyperglycemia in type 2 diabetes, but these drugs can also cause weight gain. Quite unexpectedly, a moderate reduction of PPARgamma activity observed in heterozygous PPARgamma-deficient mice or the Pro12Ala polymorphism in human PPARgamma, has been shown to prevent insulin resistance and obesity induced by a high-fat diet. In this study, we investigated whether functional antagonism toward PPARgamma/RXR could be used to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes. We show herein that an RXR antagonist and a PPARgamma antagonist decrease triglyceride (TG) content in white adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and liver. These inhibitors potentiated leptin's effects and increased fatty acid combustion and energy dissipation, thereby ameliorating HF diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance. Paradoxically, treatment of heterozygous PPARgamma-deficient mice with an RXR antagonist or a PPARgamma antagonist depletes white adipose tissue and markedly decreases leptin levels and energy dissipation, which increases TG content in skeletal muscle and the liver, thereby leading to the re-emergence of insulin resistance. Our data suggested that appropriate functional antagonism of PPARgamma/RXR may be a logical approach to protection against obesity and related diseases such as type 2 diabetes.
    Journal of Clinical Investigation 11/2001; 108(7):1001-13. · 15.39 Impact Factor
  • Article: Increased expression of the sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 gene in insulin receptor substrate-2(-/-) mouse liver.
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    ABSTRACT: Insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-2(-/-) mice develop diabetes because of insulin resistance in the liver and failure to undergo beta-cell hyperplasia. Here we show by DNA chip microarray analysis that expression of the sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-1 gene, a downstream target of insulin, was paradoxically increased in 16-week-old IRS-2(-/-) mouse liver, where insulin-mediated intracellular signaling events were substantially attenuated. The expression of SREBP-1 downstream genes, such as the spot 14, ATP citrate-lyase, and fatty acid synthase genes, was also increased. Increased liver triglyceride content in IRS-2(-/-) mice assures the physiological importance of SREBP-1 gene induction. IRS-2(-/-) mice showed leptin resistance; low dose leptin administration, enough to reduce food intake and body weight in wild-type mice, failed to do so in IRS-2(-/-) mice. Interestingly, high dose leptin administration reduced SREBP-1 expression in IRS-2(-/-) mouse liver. Thus, IRS-2 gene disruption results in leptin resistance, causing an SREBP-1 gene induction, obesity, fatty liver, and diabetes.
    Journal of Biological Chemistry 11/2001; 276(42):38337-40. · 4.77 Impact Factor
  • Article: The fat-derived hormone adiponectin reverses insulin resistance associated with both lipoatrophy and obesity.
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    ABSTRACT: Adiponectin is an adipocyte-derived hormone. Recent genome-wide scans have mapped a susceptibility locus for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome to chromosome 3q27, where the gene encoding adiponectin is located. Here we show that decreased expression of adiponectin correlates with insulin resistance in mouse models of altered insulin sensitivity. Adiponectin decreases insulin resistance by decreasing triglyceride content in muscle and liver in obese mice. This effect results from increased expression of molecules involved in both fatty-acid combustion and energy dissipation in muscle. Moreover, insulin resistance in lipoatrophic mice was completely reversed by the combination of physiological doses of adiponectin and leptin, but only partially by either adiponectin or leptin alone. We conclude that decreased adiponectin is implicated in the development of insulin resistance in mouse models of both obesity and lipoatrophy. These data also indicate that the replenishment of adiponectin might provide a novel treatment modality for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
    Nature Medicine 09/2001; 7(8):941-6. · 22.46 Impact Factor
  • Article: Subcellular localization of insulin receptor substrate family proteins associated with phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity and alterations in lipolysis in primary mouse adipocytes from IRS-1 null mice.
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    ABSTRACT: To clarify the roles of insulin receptor substrate (IRS) family proteins in phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase activation and insulin actions in adipocytes, we investigated the intracellular localization of IRS family proteins and PI 3-kinase activation in response to insulin by fractionation of mouse adipocytes from wild-type and IRS-1 null mice. In adipocytes from wild-type mice, tyrosine-phosphorylated IRS-1 and IRS-2, which were found to associate with PI 3-kinase in response to insulin, were detected in the plasma membrane (PM) and low-density microsome (LDM) fractions. By contrast, tyrosine-phosphorylated IRS-3 (pp60), which was found to associate with PI 3-kinase, was predominantly localized in the PM fraction. In adipocytes from IRS-1-null mice, insulin-stimulated PI 3-kinase activity in anti-phosphotyrosine (alphaPY) immunoprecipitates in the LDM fraction was almost exclusively mediated via IRS-2 and was reduced to 25%; however, insulin-stimulated PI 3-kinase activity in the PM fraction was primarily mediated via IRS-3 and was reduced to 60%. To determine the potential functional impact of the distinct subcellular localization of IRSs and associating PI 3-kinase activity on adipocyte-specific metabolic actions, we examined lipolysis in IRS-1 null mice. The level of isoproterenol-induced lipolysis was increased 5.1-fold in adipocytes from IRS-1 null mice as compared with wild-type mice. Moreover, hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) protein was increased 4.3-fold in adipocytes from IRS-1-null mice compared with wild-type mice, and HSL mRNA expression was also increased. The antilipolytic effect of insulin in IRS-1 null adipocytes, however, was comparable to that in wild-type mice. Thus, discordance between these two insulin actions as well as the transcriptional and translational effect (HSL mRNA and protein regulation) and the PM effect (antilipolysis) of insulin may be explained by distinct roles of both PI 3-kinase activity associated with IRS-1/IRS-2 and PI 3-kinase activity associated with IRS-3 in insulin actions related to their subcellular localization.
    Diabetes 07/2001; 50(6):1455-63. · 8.29 Impact Factor
  • Article: Essential role of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) and IRS-2 in adipocyte differentiation.
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    ABSTRACT: To investigate the role of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) and IRS-2, the two ubiquitously expressed IRS proteins, in adipocyte differentiation, we established embryonic fibroblast cells with four different genotypes, i.e., wild-type, IRS-1 deficient (IRS-1(-/-)), IRS-2 deficient (IRS-2(-/-)), and IRS-1 IRS-2 double deficient (IRS-1(-/-) IRS-2(-/-)), from mouse embryos of the corresponding genotypes. The abilities of IRS-1(-/-) cells and IRS-2(-/-) cells to differentiate into adipocytes are approximately 60 and 15%, respectively, lower than that of wild-type cells, at day 8 after induction and, surprisingly, IRS-1(-/-) IRS-2(-/-) cells have no ability to differentiate into adipocytes. The expression of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein alpha (C/EBPalpha) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) is severely decreased in IRS-1(-/-) IRS-2(-/-) cells at both the mRNA and the protein level, and the mRNAs of lipoprotein lipase and adipocyte fatty acid binding protein are severely decreased in IRS-1(-/-) IRS-2(-/-) cells. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) activity that increases during adipocyte differentiation is almost completely abolished in IRS-1(-/-) IRS-2(-/-) cells. Treatment of wild-type cells with a PI 3-kinase inhibitor, LY294002, markedly decreases the expression of C/EBPalpha and PPARgamma, a result which is associated with a complete block of adipocyte differentiation. Moreover, histologic analysis of IRS-1(-/-) IRS-2(-/-) double-knockout mice 8 h after birth reveals severe reduction in white adipose tissue mass. Our results suggest that IRS-1 and IRS-2 play a crucial role in the upregulation of the C/EBPalpha and PPARgamma expression and adipocyte differentiation.
    Molecular and Cellular Biology 05/2001; 21(7):2521-32. · 5.53 Impact Factor
  • Article: The role of PPARgamma as a thrifty gene both in mice and humans.
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    ABSTRACT: The biological role of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) was investigated by gene targeting and case-control study of the Pro12Ala PPARgamma2 polymorphism. Homozygous PPARgamma-deficient embryos died at 10.5-11.5 days post conception (dpc) due to placental dysfunction. Heterozygous PPARgamma-deficient mice were protected from the development of insulin resistance due to adipocyte hypertrophy under a high-fat diet, whose phenotypes were abrogated by PPARgamma agonist treatment. Heterozygous PPARgamma-deficient mice showed overexpression and hypersecretion of leptin despite the smaller size of adipocytes and decreased fat mass, which may explain these phenotypes at least in part. This study reveals a hitherto unpredicted role for PPARgamma in high-fat diet-induced obesity due to adipocyte hypertrophy and insulin resistance, which requires both alleles of PPARgamma. A Pro12Ala polymorphism has been detected in the human PPARgamma2 gene. Since this amino acid substitution may cause a reduction in the transcriptional activity of PPARgamma, this polymorphism may be associated with decreased insulin resistance and decreased risk of type 2 diabetes. To investigate this hypothesis, we performed a case-control study of the Pro12Ala PPARgamma2 polymorphism. In an obese group, subjects with Ala12 were more insulin sensitive than those without. The frequency of Ala12 was significantly lower in the diabetic group, suggesting that this polymorphism protects against type 2 diabetes. These results revealed that in both mice and humans, PPARgamma is a thrifty gene mediating type 2 diabetes.
    British Journal Of Nutrition 01/2001; 84 Suppl 2:S235-9. · 3.01 Impact Factor
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    Article: Disruption of insulin receptor substrate 2 causes type 2 diabetes because of liver insulin resistance and lack of compensatory beta-cell hyperplasia.
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    ABSTRACT: To investigate the role of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-2 in vivo, we generated IRS-2-deficient mice by gene targeting. Although homozygous IRS-2-deficient mice (IRS-2-/- mice) had a body weight similar to wild-type mice, they progressively developed type 2 diabetes at 10 weeks. IRS-2-/- mice showed insulin resistance and a defect in the insulin-stimulated signaling pathway in liver but not in skeletal muscle. Despite insulin resistance, the amount of beta-cells was reduced to 83% of that in wild-type mice, which was in marked contrast to the 85% increase in the amount of beta-cells in IRS-1-deficient mice (IRS-1-/- mice) to compensate for insulin resistance. Thus, IRS-2 plays a crucial role in the regulation of beta-cell mass. On the other hand, insulin secretion by the same number of cells in response to glucose measured ex vivo was significantly increased in IRS-2-/- mice compared with wild-type mice but was decreased in IRS-1-/- mice. These results suggest that IRS-1 and IRS-2 may play different roles in the regulation of beta-cell mass and the function of individual beta-cells.
    Diabetes 12/2000; 49(11):1880-9. · 8.29 Impact Factor
  • Article: Insulin receptor substrate-1 in osteoblast is indispensable for maintaining bone turnover.
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    ABSTRACT: Insulin receptor substrates (IRS-1 and -2) are essential for intracellular signaling by insulin and IGF-I, anabolic regulators of bone metabolism. Mice lacking the IRS-1 gene IRS-1(-/-) showed severe osteopenia with low bone turnover. IRS-1 was expressed in osteoblasts, but not in osteoclasts, of wild-type (WT) mice. IRS-1(-/-) osteoblasts treated with insulin or IGF-I failed to induce tyrosine phosphorylation of cellular proteins, and they showed reduced proliferation and differentiation. Osteoclastogenesis in the coculture of hemopoietic cells and osteoblasts depended on IRS-1 expression in osteoblasts and could not be rescued by IRS-1 expression in hemopoietic cells in the presence of not only IGF-I but also 1,25(OH)(2)D(3). In addition, osteoclast differentiation factor (RANKL/ODF) was not induced by these factors in IRS-1(-/-) osteoblasts. We conclude that IRS-1 deficiency in osteoblasts impairs osteoblast proliferation, differentiation, and support of osteoclastogenesis, resulting in low-turnover osteopenia. Osteoblastic IRS-1 is essential for maintaining bone turnover, because it mediates signaling by IGF-I and insulin and, we propose, also by other factors, such as 1,25(OH)(2)D(3).
    Journal of Clinical Investigation 05/2000; 105(7):935-43. · 15.39 Impact Factor
  • Article: Insulin effect during embryogenesis determines fetal growth: a possible molecular link between birth weight and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes.
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    ABSTRACT: Low birth weight has been reported to be associated with impaired insulin secretion and insulin resistance. It has been proposed that this association results from fetal programming in response to the intrauterine environment (the thrifty phenotype hypothesis). To elucidate the relationship between birth weight and genetically determined defects in insulin secretion, we measured the birth weights of neonates derived from crosses of male pancreatic beta-cell type glucokinase knockout (Gck+/-) mice and female wild-type (WT) or Gck+/- mice. In 135 offspring, birth weights were lower in the presence of a fetal heterozygous mutation and higher in the presence of a maternal heterozygous mutation. Moreover, Gck-/- neonates had significantly smaller birth weights than WT or Gck+/- neonates (means +/- SE 1.49+/-0.03 [n = 30] vs. 1.63+/-0.03 [n = 30] or 1.63+/-0.02 [n = 50] g, respectively; P<0.01). Thus, Gck mutations in beta-cells may impair insulin response to glucose and alter intrauterine growth as well as glucose metabolism after birth. This study has confirmed the results of a previous report that human subjects carrying mutations in Gck had reduced birth weights and has provided direct evidence for a link between insulin and fetal growth. Moreover, birth weights were reduced in insulin receptor substrate-1 knockout mice despite normal insulin levels. Taken together, these results suggest that a genetically programmed insulin effect during embryogenesis determines fetal growth and provides a possible molecular link between birth weight and susceptibility to type 2 diabetes.
    Diabetes 01/2000; 49(1):82-6. · 8.29 Impact Factor
  • Article: PPAR gamma mediates high-fat diet-induced adipocyte hypertrophy and insulin resistance.
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    ABSTRACT: Agonist-induced activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) is known to cause adipocyte differentiation and insulin sensitivity. The biological role of PPAR gamma was investigated by gene targeting. Homozygous PPAR gamma-deficient embryos died at 10.5-11.5 dpc due to placental dysfunction. Quite unexpectedly, heterozygous PPAR gamma-deficient mice were protected from the development of insulin resistance due to adipocyte hypertrophy under a high-fat diet. These phenotypes were abrogated by PPAR gamma agonist treatment. Heterozygous PPAR gamma-deficient mice showed overexpression and hypersecretion of leptin despite the smaller size of adipocytes and decreased fat mass, which may explain these phenotypes at least in part. This study reveals a hitherto unpredicted role for PPAR gamma in high-fat diet-induced obesity due to adipocyte hypertrophy and insulin resistance, which requires both alleles of PPAR gamma.
    Molecular Cell 11/1999; 4(4):597-609. · 14.18 Impact Factor

Institutions

  • 1999–2012
    • The University of Tokyo
      • • Faculty & Graduate School of Medicine
      • • Department of Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases
      Tokyo, Tokyo-to, Japan
  • 2007
    • Tokyo Metropolitan University
      Tokyo, Tokyo-to, Japan