Role of Interleukin-4 in Myogenesis and Glucose Metabolism

• Main Authors: Tzu-Lin Chen, 陳姿伶
• Other Authors: Yih-Hsin Chang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/95902580413900084076

碩士 === 國立陽明大學 === 醫學生物技術暨檢驗學系 === 102 === Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder with hyperglycemia and insulin resistance as major characteristics. Insulin resistance is a physiological condition in which insulin-targeting cells such as the liver cells, adipocytes and skeletal muscle cells fail to respond to the normal actions of the hormone insulin. Our previous results show a significant association between polymorphisms of genes encoding Th2-derived cytokine interleukin-4 (IL-4) and IL-4 receptor with T2DM. In addition, overexpression of IL-4 may promote glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in mice. The above results demonstrate that IL-4 may affect insulin pathway. Therefore, it is tempting for us to further explore the regulatory mechanism of IL-4 to glucose metabolism. The major aim of this study is to investigate the effects of IL-4 on myogenesis and glucose metabolism in muscle cells, one of the major insulin-targeting cells. Our data indicated that IL-4 treatment up-regulated the expression of myogenic markers, myogenin. Additionally, the levels of phosphorylated Akt, a key enzyme in insulin signaling pathway, and GLUT4 translocation ability were also enhanced in myocyte by combined insulin and IL-4 treatment. The above results suggest that IL-4 may promote myogenesis and up-regulate glucose metabolism through boosting insulin signaling in muscle cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that the effect of IL-4 may provide a novel treatment for obesity and its related metabolic complications, including T2DM.