Exercise and glycemic control in diabetes: benefits, challenges, and adjustments to pharmacotherapy.

Exercise, along with dietary intervention, represents first-line therapy for diabetes mellitus. Aerobic exercise is recommended for its beneficial effects on glucose control as well as its abilities to retard the progression of other comorbidities common in patients with diabetes, such as cardiovascular disease. The capability of aerobic exercise to improve glycemic control in diabetes is well documented, although adherence to exercise regimens is problematic.

Thiazolidinediones inhibit the progression of established hypertension in the Dahl salt-sensitive rat.

We evaluated the effects of two thiazolidinediones (TZDs), the potent PPARgamma agonist rosiglitazone currently being used to treat diabetes, and a structurally similar experimental compound that is a poor PPARgamma agonist, in a non-diabetic, established hypertension model with continuous measurement of blood pressure by telemetry. Hypertension was induced in male Dahl salt-sensitive rats by a three-week pre-treatment with 4% salt before initiation of treatment. Fasting blood samples were taken for analysis of a biomarker panel to assess metabolic, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity of the treatments.

Adiponectin represses gluconeogenesis independent of insulin in hepatocytes.

Adiponectin plays important roles in regulating insulin sensitivity and atherogenesis. Adiponectin has been shown to suppress hepatic glucose production in rodents. It has not been reported whether ectopically expressed adiponectin could regulate glucose metabolism in cultured hepatocyte-like cells.

Role of PYK2 in the development of obesity and insulin resistance.

Non-receptor proline-rich tyrosine kinase-2 (PYK2), which is activated by phosphorylation of one or more of its tyrosine residues, has been implicated in the regulation of GLUT4 glucose transporter translocation and glucose transport. Some data favor a positive role of PYK2 in stimulating glucose transport, whereas other studies suggest that PYK2 may participate in the induction of insulin resistance. To ascertain the importance of PYK2 in the setting of obesity and insulin resistance, we (1) evaluated the regulation of PYK2 in mice fed a high-fat diet and (2) characterized body and glucose homeostasis in wild type (WT) and PYK2(-/-) mice on different diets.