Coffee Improves Insulin-Stimulated Akt Phosphorylation in Liver and Skeletal Muscle in Diabetic KK-Ay Mice

Coffee has an anti-diabetic effect, specifically the amelioration of both hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, in KK-A(y) mice, a type 2 diabetes animal model. To investigate coffee's effect on insulin signaling in liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue (epididymal fat), we assayed the tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor (IR) and serine phosphorylation of Akt. In Expt. 1, we assayed insulin signaling under nonfasting conditions in KK-A(y) mice that ingested water or coffee for 4 wk. Coffee ingestion ameliorated the development of hyperglycemia but did not affect insulin signaling in liver or skeletal muscle under such conditions. In Expt. 2, we assayed insulin signaling under basal and insulin-stimulated conditions in KK-A(y) mice that ingested water or coffee for 3 wk. The levels of tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor in response to insulin injection in insulin-sensitive tissues were not different between mice that drank water and those that drank coffee. Coffee ingestion significantly increased the insulin-induced serine phosphorylation of Akt in liver and skeletal muscle, but not in epididymal fat, of KK-A(y) mice. Our results also indicated that coffee ingestion may contribute to the improvement of insulin resistance and hyperglycemia in KK-A(y) mice via the activation of Akt in insulin signaling in liver and skeletal muscle.