Enzymatic digest of whey protein and wheylin-1, a dipeptide released in the digest, increase insulin sensitivity in an Akt phosphorylation-dependent manner

Food Funct. 2018 Sep 19;9(9):4635-4641. doi: 10.1039/c8fo00919h.

Abstract

We investigated the effects of the enzymatic digest of β-lactoglobulin, a major bovine milk whey protein, on glucose metabolism in KK-Ay mice, an animal model of type II diabetes. In the glucose tolerance test and insulin tolerance test (ITT), the thermolysin digest of β-lactoglobulin decreased blood glucose levels, suggesting that it increases insulin sensitivity in diabetic KK-Ay mice. The digest also increased phosphorylation of Akt, an intracellular factor activated in response to the insulin receptor activation, in the liver and skeletal muscle. Next, we searched for a bioactive peptide present in the digest that increased the insulin sensitivity. Wheylin-1 is an anxiolytic-like dipeptide (Met-His) isolated from the thermolysin digest of β-lactoglobulin. Wheylin-1 decreased blood glucose levels in the ITT test and increased hepatic Akt phosphorylation. Wheylin-1 also increased insulin-induced Akt phosphorylation in hepatic HepG2 cells and muscular C2C12 myotube cells. These results suggest that wheylin-1 increases insulin sensitivity in an Akt-dependent manner in vivo and in vitro. Taken together, we found that the thermolysin digest of bovine milk whey β-lactoglobulin and wheylin-1 increase insulin sensitivity in an Akt system-dependent manner. Wheylin-1 is the first factor found that increases insulin sensitivity in association with Akt-phosphorylation.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / drug therapy*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / genetics
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / metabolism
  • Glucose Tolerance Test
  • Humans
  • Insulin / metabolism*
  • Lactoglobulins / administration & dosage
  • Lactoglobulins / chemistry*
  • Liver / drug effects
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Male
  • Muscle, Skeletal / drug effects
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
  • Peptide Fragments / administration & dosage*
  • Peptide Fragments / chemistry
  • Phosphorylation
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism*
  • Thermolysin / chemistry
  • Whey Proteins / chemistry

Substances

  • Insulin
  • Lactoglobulins
  • Peptide Fragments
  • Whey Proteins
  • wheylin-1 peptide
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Thermolysin