Obesity, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome: a study in WNIN/Ob rats from a pancreatic perspective
Authors: Ramesh R Bhonde
Vasudevan Seshadri
Venkaiah Kodavalla
Sarfaraz N Shaik
Venkata M Malakapalli
Giridharan Nappanveettil
Vijayalakshmi Venkatesan
Maniprabha Chalasani
Soundarya L Madhira
Journal: BioMed Research International (2013)
Discipline: BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY
Keywords: pancreatic milieu; obesity; metabolic syndrome; insulin resistance; WNIN/Ob strain
Affiliations: Department of Biochemistry/Stem Cell Research, National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Jamai-Osmania (P.O), Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500007, India., Laboratory 12, National Center for Cell Sciences, NCCS Complex, Pune University Campus, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra 411007, India., Division of Community Studies, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500007, India., Manipal Institute of Regenerative Medicine, GKVK Post, Bellary Road, Allalasandra, Yelahanka, Bangalore, Karnataka 560065, India., National Center for Laboratory Animal Sciences, National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 500007, India.

Abstract:  Alterations in pancreatic milieu to adapt to physiological shifts occurring in conditions of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MS) have been documented, though mechanisms leading to such a state have remained elusive so far. The data presented here tries to look at the gravity of metabolic insult during the early and prolonged phases of obesity/insulin resistance (IR) depicted in WNIN/Ob strain of rats-an obese euglycemic mutant rat model developed indigenously at our institute which is highly vulnerable for a variety of degenerative diseases. The present results in situ show the participation of several confounding factors in the pancreatic milieu that collectively coprecipitates for a state of profound inflammation in the pancreas (among Mutant compared to Lean/Control) which gets worsened with age. These include hypertrophy, macrophage infiltration (CD11b/TNFα/IL6), apoptosis, β-cell vacuolation, hyperinsulinemia (HI), and stress markers (RL-77/HSP104/TBARS) all of which correlated well with indices for obesity (2-3 fold), IR (1.5-3 fold), and HI (2-3 fold). Further, supportive data was also obtained from in vitro studies using islet cell cultures amongst phenotypes. Taken together, these results advocate that inflammation was the major precipitating factor to cause islet cell dysfunctions (in situ and in vitro) in these Mutant rats compared to their Lean littermates and parental Control. 

Retracted: No

PubPeer comments:
 This article has been retracted in November 2017. The Retraction notice reads:  The article was found to contain images with the following concerns: The tubulin bands in Figures 2(a) and 2(c) are the same; in Figure 3(a), in the top row there is a vertical line, the first row has a uniform background in the first six lanes, the second row is highly similar to the third row though with increased contrast and the height reduced, and the tubulin and HGF lanes do not align; in Figure 3(b), the top row has no background noise in the first three lanes, the background has irregularities in the fifth lane from the right, and the tubulin lanes do not align with the rest; in Figure 3(c), the fourth row has irregularities in the background in the first six lanes, and the tubulin lanes do not align with the rest; in Figure 5(a), the top row has a horizontal line across the band, there are two vertical lines in the tubulin row between the first and second lanes and between the fourth and fifth lanes. The authors provided corrected figures, which are available as Supplementary Materials, but could not provide the underlying blots. * Red boxes illustrate the duplicated Tubulin panels from Figures 2(a) and 2(c): ![file] * Blue boxes illustrate the similarities in the 2nd and 3rd panels in Figure 3. ![file] , 
 1. Figures 2(a) and 2(c): Reviewers want me to make this change, and then editors no want for several months but have published. 2. Blue boxes illustrate the similarities in the 2nd and 3rd panels in Figure 3. On western blot analysis, two results can not make it. empty sham (HGF (24h) can not make the show (HGF 72). empty ..... empty ...... empty ...... , 
 I am not sure I fully understand the author comment in #2, however there appear to be image reuse between Figure 4 (top) and Figure 5c (bottom) that seem to be differently described and sometimes at different brightness. This does not appear to have been mentioned in the retraction notice. *** ![file] , 
 This is how the fluorescent microscope was originally taken. You adjust to my light and dark contrast as cheating. This is done by people who donu2019t know how to experiment. Is this the same at first glance? No other hands and feet ,