The dietary regulation of LEAP2 depends on meal composition in mice.

Ghrelin represents a key hormone regulating energy balance. Upon activation of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), ghrelin increases blood glucose levels, food intake, and promotes weight gain. The liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP2) acts as an endogenous antagonist of the GHSR.

Insulin treatment improves liver histopathology and decreases expression of inflammatory and fibrogenic genes in a hyperglycemic, dyslipidemic hamster model of NAFLD.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are highly prevalent comorbidities in patients with Type 2 diabetes. While many of these patients eventually will need treatment with insulin, little is known about the effects of insulin treatment on histopathological parameters and hepatic gene expression in diabetic patients with co-existing NAFLD and NASH. To investigate this further, we evaluated the effects of insulin treatment in NASH diet-fed hamsters with streptozotocin (STZ) -induced hyperglycemia.

Dietary fat stimulates development of NAFLD more potently than dietary fructose in Sprague-Dawley rats.

Background: In humans and animal models, excessive intake of dietary fat, fructose and cholesterol has been linked to the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the individual roles of the dietary components remain unclear. To investigate this further, we compared the effects of a high-fat diet, a high-fructose diet and a combination diet with added cholesterol on the development of NAFLD in rats.

Diabetic Phenotype in the Small Intestine of Zucker Diabetic Fatty Rats.

Background/aims: In contrast to streptozotocin (STZ)-induced rodent models of diabetes, there are no thorough characterizations of the intestinal phenotype and the underlying changes in the global gene-expression of genetic models of diabetes, such as the Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rat. The aim of the present study was to characterize the intestine in the ZDF rat.

Methods: The intestine of ZDF rats and lean controls was examined macroscopically and histologically, and ribonucleic acid sequencing (RNAseq) was performed in samples of jejunal mucosa.

Treatment with insulin analog X10 and IGF-1 increases growth of colon cancer allografts.

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are associated with an increased risk for development of certain forms of cancer, including colon cancer. The publication of highly controversial epidemiological studies in 2009 raised the possibility that use of the insulin analog glargine increases this risk further. However, it is not clear how mitogenic effects of insulin and insulin analogs measured in vitro correlate with tumor growth-promoting effects in vivo.