DIABETES, VAOLUME 45, SUPPLEMENT 1, JANUARY 1996, PAGES S125-S128
Glucose Transport Activity in Insulin-Resistant Rat Muscle
Effects of Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors and Bradykinin Antagonism
Erik J. Henriksen, Stephan Jacob, Hans J. Augustin, and Guenther J. Dietze
Insulin resistance of skeletal muscle glucose disposal underlies the pathogenesis of NIDDM and is associated
with hypertension, obesity, and dyslipidemia. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are used
primarily in antihypertensive therapy but also are known to improve whole-body insulin-mediated glucose
disposal. However, the exact site of action is not well characterized. We have used the isolated epitrochlearis
muscle from a well-established animal model of skeletal muscle insulin resistance, the obese Zucker rat, to test
the effect of oral administration of ACE inhibitors on insulin-sensitive muscle glucose transport activity. Both
acute and chronic administration of a sulfhydryl-containing ACE inhibitor (captopril) or a
non-sulfhydryl-containing ACE inhibitor (tran-dolapril) significantly enhanced in vitro insulin-mediated muscle
glucose transport activity. In addition, the acute effect of oral captopril administration was completely abolished
by pretreatment of the animal with a bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist (HOE 140). These findings indicate that
ACE inhibitors may improve whole-body glucose metabolism by acting on the insulinsensitive skeletal muscle
glucose transport system. In addition, bradykinin or one of its metabolites may be involved in the action of the
ACE inhibitor captopril on insulin-resistant muscle. Diabetes 45 (Suppl. l):S125-S128, 1996
Copyright © 1996 American Diabetes Association
Last updated: 5/30/96
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