Adiponectin decreases plasma glucose and improves insulin sensitivity in diabetic Swine

To investigate the effects of recombinant human adiponectin on the metabolism of diabetic swine induced by feeding a high-fat/high-sucrose diet (HFSD),diabetic animal models were constructed by feeding swine with HFSD for 6 months.The effects of recombinant adiponectin were assessed by detecting the change of plasma glucose levels by commercially available enzymatic method test kits and evaluating the insulin sensitivity by oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). About 1.5 g purified recombinant adiponectin was produced using a 15-liter fermenter.A single injection of purified recombinant human adiponectin to diabetic swine led to a 2- to 3-fold elevation in circulating adiponectin,which triggered a transient decrease in basal glucose level (P<0.05).This effect on glucose was not associated with an increase in insulin level.Moreover,after adiponectin injection,swine also showed improved insulin sensitivity compared with the control (P<0.05).Adiponectin might have the potential to be a glucose-lowering agent for metabolic disease.Adiponectin as a potent insulin enhancer linking adipose tissue and glucose metabolism could be useful to treat insulin resistance.