Abstract
Background:
Individuals with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) who demonstrate a catch-up in body weight are prone to insulin resistance. High expressions of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) are thought to aggravate insulin resistance. We hypothesized that downregulating SOCS3 expression via small interfering RNA (siRNA) might have beneficial effects on insulin-resistant hepatocytes of catch-up growth IUGR rats (CG-IUGRs).
Methods:
An IUGR rat model was employed via maternal nutritional restriction. After evaluating metabolic states of CG-IUGR offspring, effective SOCS3-specific siRNA (siSOCS3) was transfected into cultured hepatocytes using liposomes. mRNA levels of SOCS3, insulin receptor substrates (IRSs), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and Akt2, key gluconeogenesis genes, were assessed via real-time PCR. Protein expression and phosphorylation changes were evaluated via western blot.
Results:
CG-IUGR hepatocytes showed increases in SOCS3 and gluconeogenic gene expressions, and decreases in IRS1 and PI3K expressions as compared with controls. After transfecting CG-IUGR hepatocytes with siSOCS3, protein levels of IRS1, PI3K, and phosphorylated Akt2 were higher as compared with those of untransfected CG-IUGR cells. Transcriptional suppression effects of gluconeogenesis genes were more obvious in siSOCS3-treated cells after insulin stimulation.
Conclusion:
Additional insights were provided to understand mechanisms of insulin resistance in CG-IUGR rats. Downregulating SOCS3 might improve insulin signaling transduction and ameliorate hepatic glucose metabolism in insulin-resistant CG-IUGR rats in vitro.
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Ye, J., Zheng, R., Wang, Q. et al. Downregulating SOCS3 with siRNA ameliorates insulin signaling and glucose metabolism in hepatocytes of IUGR rats with catch-up growth. Pediatr Res 72, 550–559 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/pr.2012.123
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/pr.2012.123
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