ABSTRACT Deleterious effects of free fatty acids, FFAs, on insulin sensitivity are observed in vivo studies in humans. Mechanisms include impaired insulin signaling, oxidative stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction, but the effects on insulin secretion are less well known. Our aim was to review the relationship of increased FFAs with insulin resistance, secretion and mainly with the incretin effect in humans. Narrative review. Increased endogenous or administered FFAs induce insulin resistance. FFAs effects on insulin secretion are debatable; inhibition and […]

ABSTRACT GH is one of the insulin counterregulatory hormones which acts in the opposite way to insulin, increasing the glucose production by the liver and kidneys and decreasing glucose uptake from peripheral tissues, thus being a hyperglycemic hormone. When in excess, as in acromegaly, it induces glucose intolerance and diabetes. As expected, patients with GH deficiency (GHD) have hypoglycemia, especially in early childhood, but as GH is also a lipolytic hormone, these patients are becoming obese with higher percentages of […]

OBJECTIVE: To determine if resistive exercise protocol can modulate Tnf-?, SOCS3 and glucose transporter GLUT4 genes expression in skeletal muscle, and peripheral insulin sensitivity in obese rats induced by hyperlipidic diet. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wistar obese rats induced by hyperlipidic diet were subjected a resistive exercise protocol as jump squat. Insulin sensitivity and mRNA content of Tnf-?, SOCS3 and GLUT4 were assayed and compared among the groups: obese sedentary (OS) and exercised (OE), control sedentary (CS) and exercised (CE). RESULTS: […]

Over the last three decades, it has become apparent that testosterone plays a significant role in glucose homeostasis and lipid metabolism. The metabolic syndrome is a clustering of risk factors predisposing to diabetes mellitus type 2, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The main components of the syndrome are visceral obesity, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, raised blood pressure and dyslipidemia (elevated triglycerides, low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol), and a pro-inflammatory and thrombogenic state. Cross-sectional epidemiological studies have reported a […]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of exercise on insulin sensitivity, lipid metabolism and weight loss in women submitted to a weight reduction program. The study consisted in a clinical trial including 40 obese women (BMI 30.41 to 53.29 kg/m2), 20 in each group. Both groups received nutritional counseling and psychological support. The intervention group participated in supervised exercise three times per week for 20 weeks. For the anthropometric measurements, which were taken at three times, […]

Hyperhomocysteinemia is an independent cardiovascular risk factor. There are controversies about a possible relation between homocysteine and insulin resistance/sensitivity. To test the relation between homocysteinemia and insulin sensitivity, serum total homocysteine concentrations (HPLC) were measured in samples from ninety Parkatêjê Indians (90% of the adult population, without admixture). Insulin sensitivity (%S) was estimated by HOMA. A diabetic woman was excluded from the analysis involving glycaemia, insulin, proinsulin, HbA1c and %S. Hyperhomocysteinemia and fasting hyperinsulinemia were found in 26.7% and 25.8% […]