Analysis of Thermal Injury-induced Insulin Resistance in Rodents

Burn injury is associated with insulin resistance. The molecular basis of this resistance was investigated by examining insulin receptor signaling in rats after thermal injury. The impaired insulin-stimulated transport of [3H]2-deoxyglucose into soleus muscle strips confirmed the insulin resistance following burns. In vivoinsulin-stimulated phosphoinositide 3-kinase activity, pivotal in translocation of GLUT4, was decreased in burns when assessed by its insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1)-associated activity. Insulin-induced tyrosine kinase activity of insulin receptor (IR) and tyrosine phosphorylation of IRS-1 were also attenuated. Immunoprecipitated IR, however, appeared to have normal insulin-responsive kinase activity. Finally, immunoprecipitated IRS-1 was tested for its effect on partially purified recombinant IR and was found to inhibit its kinase activity. This inhibitory effect of IRS-1 was abolished by prior treatment of IRS-1 with alkaline phosphatase, indicating that burn injury-related hyperphosphorylation of IRS-1 is similar to that observed in TNFα-induced inhibition of IR signaling. All of these changes were observed in the absence of quantitative changes in IR, IRS-1, and phosphoinositide 3-kinase. Alterations in postreceptor insulin signaling, therefore, may be responsible for the insulin resistance after thermal injury.