We recently isolated a Krüppel-like zinc-finger transcription factor 5 (KLF5; also known as BTEB2 and IKLF), which is markedly induced in activated vascular smooth-muscle cells and fibroblasts. Here we describe our analysis of the in vivo function of KLF5 using heterozygous KLF5-knockout mice (Klf5(+/-)). In response to external stress, Klf5(+/-) mice showed diminished levels of arterial-wall thickening, angiogenesis, cardiac hypertrophy and interstitial fibrosis. Also, angiotensin II induced expression of KLF5, which in turn activated platelet-derived growth factor-A (PDGF-A) and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) expression. In addition, we determined that KLF5 interacted with the retinoic-acid receptor (RAR), that synthetic RAR ligands modulated KLF5 transcriptional activity, and that in vivo administration of RAR ligands affected stress responses in the cardiovascular system in a KLF5-dependent manner. KLF5 thus seems to be a key element linking external stress and cardiovascular remodeling.

Abstract-Angiotensin II (AII) is involved in the pathogenesis of both hypertension and insulin resistance, though few studies have examined the relationship between the two. We therefore investigated the effects of chronic AII infusion on blood pressure and insulin sensitivity in rats fed a normal (0.3% NaCl) or high-salt (8% NaCl) diet. AII infusion for 12 days significantly elevated blood pressure and significant insulin resistance, assessed by a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp study and glucose uptake into isolated muscle and adipocytes. High-salt loading exacerbated the effects of AII infusion significantly. Despite the insulin resistance, insulin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of the insulin receptor and insulin receptor substrates, activation of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase, and phosphorylation of Akt were all enhanced by AII infusion. Subsequently, to investigate whether oxidative stress induced by AII contributes to insulin resistance, the membrane-permeable superoxide dismutase mimetic, tempol, was administered to AII-infused rats. Chronic AII infusion induced an accumulated plasma cholesterylester hydroperoxide levels, indicating the increased oxidative stress, whereas the treatment with tempol normalized plasma cholesterylester hydroperoxide levels in AII-infused rats. In addition, the treatment with tempol normalized insulin resistance in AII-infused rats, shown as a decreased glucose infusion rate in the hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp study and a decreased insulin-induced glucose uptake into isolated skeletal muscle, as well as enhanced insulin-induced PI 3-kinase activation to those in the control rats. These results strongly suggest that AII-induced insulin resistance cannot be attributed to impairment of early insulin-signaling steps and that increased oxidative stress, possibly through impaired insulin signaling located downstream from PI 3-kinase activation, is involved in AII-induced insulin resistance. Key Words: angiotensin II Ⅲ insulin resistance Ⅲ oxidative stress Ⅲ glucose clamp technique Ⅲ sodium Ⅲ kinase S everal lines of evidence point to an association between hypertension and insulin resistance, 1,2 eg, hypertensive individuals are more likely to become diabetic than normotensive ones. 3 It is therefore notable that angiotensin II (AII) is reportedly involved in the development of both hypertension and insulin resistance, 4 -7 and agents that inhibit the action of AII, ie, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and type 1 AII (AT1) receptor antagonists, not only reduce blood pressure but also restore insulin sensitivity. 8 -14 It has been suggested that crosstalk between AII-and insulinsignaling pathways underlies AII-induced insulin resistance. According to that model, AII induces tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 by Janus kinase 2 (JAK2) associated with the AT1 receptor, thereby attenuating insulin-induced activation of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase associated with IRS-1, which in turn diminishes insulin sensitivity. 15,16 However, ...

Resistin is a hormone secreted by adipocytes that acts on skeletal muscle myocytes, hepatocytes, and adipocytes themselves, reducing their sensitivity to insulin. In the present study, we investigated how the expression of resistin is affected by glucose and by mediators known to affect insulin sensitivity, including insulin, dexamethasone, tumor necrosis factor-␣ (TNF-␣), epinephrine, and somatropin. We found that resistin expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes was significantly upregulated by high glucose concentrations and was suppressed by insulin. Dexamethasone increased expression of both resistin mRNA and protein 2.5-to 3.5-fold in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and by ϳ70% in white adipose tissue from mice. In contrast, treatment with troglitazone, a thiazolidinedione antihyperglycemic agent, or TNF-␣ suppressed resistin expression by ϳ80%. Epinephrine and somatropin were both moderately inhibitory, reducing expression of both the transcript and the protein by 30 -50% in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Taken together, these data make it clear that resistin expression is regulated by a variety of hormones and that cytokines are related to glucose metabolism. Furthermore, they suggest that these factors affect insulin sensitivity and fat tissue mass in part by altering the expression and eventual secretion of resistin from adipose cells.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) is stimulated by association with a variety of tyrosine kinase receptors and intracellular tyrosine-phosphorylated substrates. We isolated a cDNA that encodes a 50-kDa regulatory subunit of PI 3-kinase with an expression cloning method using 32 P-labeled insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1). This 50-kDa protein contains two SH2 domains and an inter-SH2 domain of p85␣, but the SH3 and bcr homology domains of p85␣ were replaced by a unique 6-amino acid sequence. Thus, this protein appears to be generated by alternative splicing of the p85␣ gene product. We suggest that this protein be called p50␣. Northern blotting using a specific DNA probe corresponding to p50␣ revealed 6.0-and 2.8-kb bands in hepatic, brain, and renal tissues. The expression of p50␣ protein and its associated PI 3-kinase were detected in lysates prepared from the liver, brain, and muscle using a specific antibody against p50␣. Taken together, these observations indicate that the p85␣ gene actually generates three protein products of 85, 55, and 50 kDa. The distributions of the three proteins (p85␣, p55␣, and p50␣), in various rat tissues and also in various brain compartments, were found to be different. Interestingly, p50␣ forms a heterodimer with p110 that can as well as cannot be labeled with wortmannin, whereas p85␣ and p55␣ associate only with p110 that can be wortmanninlabeled. Furthermore, p50␣ exhibits a markedly higher capacity for activation of associated PI 3-kinase via insulin stimulation and has a higher affinity for tyrosinephosphorylated IRS-1 than the other isoforms. Considering the high level of p50␣ expression in the liver and its marked responsiveness to insulin, p50␣ appears to play an important role in the activation of hepatic PI 3-kinase. Each of the three ␣ isoforms has a different function and may have specific roles in various tissues.A variety of growth factors and hormones mediate their cellular effects via interactions with cell surface receptors that possess protein kinase activity (1, 2). The interaction of most of these ligands with their receptors induces tyrosine kinase activation and autophosphorylation of the receptor, resulting in physical association of these receptors with several cytoplasmic substrates having SH2 domains. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) 1 has been identified through its ability to associate with cellular protein kinases, including numerous growth factor receptors and oncogene products (3, 4). This lipid kinase phosphorylates phosphatidylinositol at the D-3 position of the inositol ring in response to stimulation with a variety of growth factors and hormones (5). Although the role of this lipid product in cellular regulation remains unclear, recent reports suggest that the activation of PI 3-kinase leads to the activation of c-Akt, Rac, PKC-␥ isoform, and p70 S6 kinase (6 -9). As a result, PI 3-kinase has been suggested to play essential roles in the regulation of various cellular activities, including proliferation (10, 11), differen...