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Updated: Jun 14, 2026

Hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic Clamps in Conscious, Unrestrained Mice
Published on: November 16, 2011
Pioglitazone improves superoxide dismutase mediated vascular reactivity in the obese Zucker rat
Amir H Dorafshar1, Kogie Moodley, Michelle Khoe
1Department of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, California, USA.
Objective:
To test the hypothesis that the thiazolidinedione agent, pioglitazone, mediates its chronic BP lowering action via improving vascular reactivity.
Methods And Results:
Lean (Fa/fa) and obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats were treated with or without pioglitazone (20 mg/ kg/day) for 4 weeks (n=8 animals per group). Pioglitazone treatment was associated with a significant improvement in oral glucose tolerance in the obese animals (p<0.05 compared with untreated obese). Pioglitazone prevented the development of hypertension seen in obese untreated rats (SBP 126+/-1 versus 138+/-1 mmHg; p<0.0001). Aortic ring preparations from pioglitazone-treated obese rats showed improved relaxation responsiveness (ED(50) 0.28 versus 1.15 U/ ml, p<0.001) to SOD, a NO potentiator, compared with untreated obese animals.
Conclusions:
SOD-mediated vasorelaxation may contribute to the chronic antihypertensive effect and/or the improvement in insulin sensitivity following pioglitazone treatment.
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