Effects of puerarin on protein expression of protein kinase B in adipose tissue of rats fed by high-fat-diet

AIM: To study the effects of puerarin on protein expression of protein kinase B (PKB) in adipose tissue of rats fed by high-fat-diet. METHODS: 30 male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the control group (n=10) given basic diet, and the model group (n=20) given fat-rich-diet. After 4 weeks, the model group was randomly divided into 2 subgroups: (1) insulin resistant group was continually given high fat-rich-diet; (2) puerarin-treated group accepted high-fat diet and abdominal injection with puerarin injection (100 mg·kg -1·d -1). After 6 week- treatment, the protein expression of PKB stimulated by insulin in adipose tissue was determined with Western blotting at the end of the experiment. RESULTS: The model group showed hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinism, hypertriglyceride, hypercholesterolemia and elevated HOMA insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), while the insulin resistance index (ISI) was obviously reduced compared to the control group, indicating that the insulin resistant model was induced in this way. Puerarin treatment decreased fasting blood glucose and insulin, which was accompanied by lower HOMA-IR and elevated ISI. Because of long term high fat diet, expression of PKB decreased 23.5% in adipose tissue of the insulin resistant group(P 0.01)compare with the control group. There was an increase of 18.7%(P 0.01)in PKB expression of the puerarin-treated group compared to the insulin resistant group. CONCLUSION: Puerarin treatment can significantly elevate expression of PKB and ameliorated the stated of insulin resistance.