Neuregulin 1 Improves Glucose Tolerance in db/db Mice

PLoS One. 2015 Jul 31;10(7):e0130568. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130568. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

In vitro experiments using rodent skeletal muscle cells suggest that neuregulin 1 (NRG1) is involved in glucose metabolism regulation, although no study has evaluated the role of NRG1 in systemic glucose homeostasis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of chronic and acute NRG1 treatment on glucose homeostasis in db/db mice. To this aim, glucose tolerance tests were performed in 8-week-old male db/db mice after treatment with NRG1 (50μg.kg-1) or saline 3 times per week for 8 weeks. In other experiments, glucose tolerance and pyruvate tolerance tests were performed in db/db mice 15 minutes after a single NRG1 (50μg.kg-1) or saline injection. Liver, adipose tissue, hypothalamus and skeletal muscle were also collected 30 minutes after acute NRG1 (50μg.kg-1) or saline treatment, and the phosphorylation status of the ERBB receptors, AKT (on Ser473) and FOXO1 (on Ser256) was assessed by western blotting. Chronic treatment (8 weeks) with NRG1 improved glucose tolerance in db/db mice. Acute treatment also lowered glycemia and insulinemia during glucose or pyruvate tolerance tests. NRG1 acute injection induced activation of ERBB3 receptors and phosphorylation of AKT and FOXO1 only in liver. Altogether, this study shows that acute and chronic NRG1 treatments improve glucose tolerance in db/db mice. This effect could be mediated through inhibition of hepatic gluconeogenesis.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Glucose / metabolism
  • Forkhead Box Protein O1
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Gluconeogenesis / physiology
  • Glucose Tolerance Test*
  • Insulin / blood
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Neuregulin-1 / metabolism
  • Neuregulin-1 / physiology*
  • Phosphorylation
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism

Substances

  • Blood Glucose
  • Forkhead Box Protein O1
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Foxo1 protein, mouse
  • Insulin
  • Neuregulin-1
  • Nrg1 protein, mouse
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work. Zensun Sci & Tech Ltd. provided support in the form of salary for author (XL), but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.