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¹⁸F-FDG MicroPET Imaging in WT and Par-1b^-/- Mice

Performed in collaboration with Helen Piwnica-Worm's Lab.
Obesity is a major factor central to the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. The identification and characterization of genes involved in regulation of adiposity, insulin sensitivity, and glucose uptake are key to the design and development of new drug therapies for this disease. In this study, we show that the polarity kinase Par-1b/MARK2 is required for regulating glucose metabolism in vivo. Mice null for Par-1b were lean, insulin hypersensitive, resistant to high-fat diet-induced weight gain, and hypermetabolic. 18F-FDG microPET and hyperinsulinemic–euglycemic clamp analyses demonstrated increased glucose uptake into white and brown adipose tissue, but not into skeletal muscle of Par-1b null mice relative to wild-type controls. Taken together, these data indicate that Par-1b is a regulator of glucose metabolism and adiposity in the whole animal and may be a valuable drug target for the treatment of both type 2 diabetes and obesity.
MicroPET analysis of 18F-FDG uptake in Par-1b+/+ and Par-1b-/- mice. Representative coronal section image of Par-1b+/+ and Par-1b-/- mice 1 h after FDG injection. Par-1b-/- exhibit consistently elevated levels of uptake in intrascapular brown fat (BAT) pads.
Reference:	Hurov JB, Huang M, White LS, Lennerz J, Choi CS, Cho YR, Kim HJ, Prior JL, Piwnica-Worms D, Cantley LC, Kim JK, Shulman GI, Piwnica-Worms H. Loss of the Par-1b/MARK2 polarity kinase leads to increased metabolic rate, decreased adiposity, and insulin hypersensitivity in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2007; 104(13): 5680-5.	PubMed Link

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