Simultaneous Effects of Metformin and Sitagliptin on the Contents of Insulin Resistance Proteins Glucose Transporter 4 and Protein Kinase B in Diabetic Patients\' Adipose Tissue

Abstract

Objective: Obesity is a factor in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Obesity contributes a wide variety of metabolic changes such as insulin resistance. The insulin signal mechanism to intra-cells occurs in insulin resistance, primarily in adipose tissue cells, which can be appropriate targets for therapeutic approaches by recognizing the proteins in this pathway. The study aimed to evaluate the simultaneous impact of metformin and sitagliptin on the expression of protein levels involved in insulin resistance Protein Kinase B (Akt) and Glucose Transporter 4 (GLUT4) in diabetic adipose tissue. Materials and Methods: In order to evaluate the content of proteins involved in insulin resistance Akt and GLUT4 in adipose tissue of diabetic patients with the use of SDS-PAGE and western blot analyses, we studied 6 persons of type 2 diabetic patients who obtained 3 months of care with simultaneous metformin and sitagliptin, 4 persons returned from them after treatment and 8 persons as a stable case (control group). Results: There was an increase in glucose intake and a decrease in serum glucose levels (P-value= 0.025) and no decrease in insulin resistance (P-value= 0.6) following simultaneous metformin and sitagliptin therapy, but no improvement in serum insulin levels (P-value=1.01). Increases in the content of Akt protein (P-value= 0.682) and GLUT4 protein (P-value= 0.851) involved in insulin resistance in diabetic patientschr('39') adipose tissue, were not observed. Conclusion: Simultaneous treatment with metformin and sitagliptin had no effect on insulin resistance proteins Akt and GLUT4 in type 2 diabetic adipose tissue.

Keywords

• insulin resistance
• metformin
• sitagliptin
• type 2 diabetes
• glucose transporter 4
• protein kinase b