Diabetes & Metabolism Journal

Original Article

Basic and Translational Research
Acute Hyperinsulinemia during Hyperinsulinemic- Euglycemic Clamp Influences DNA Methylation and Gene Expression in Peripheral Blood Cells of Adult Men: Minjae Joo, Dongseong Shin, Xuan Trong Truong, Seungyoon Nam, Dae Ho Lee; Diabetes Metab J. 2026;50(3):519-534. Published online September 5, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4093/dmj.2025.0072

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Abstract PDF Supplementary Material PubReader ePub: Background
Acute hyperinsulinemia may directly affect blood cells. In this study a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (HEC) and multiomics methods were used to explore the epigenetic regulation by hyperinsulinemia in blood cells.
Methods
To assess short-term changes in DNA methylation (within 2 hours), blood samples were collected from five non-diabetic adults before and after HEC. mRNA sequencing (mRNA-seq) and targeted bisulfite sequencing (methyl-seq) were performed. Using mRNA-seq, 697 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, and methyl-seq was used to select those with changes in promoter or gene body methylation. In vitro validation study was also performed in THP1 and 3T3–L1 cells after acute insulin treatment.
Results
Among the 697 DEGs, 119 (henceforth, ‘methyl-DEGs’) showed methylation changes. Of these 697 DEGs, 45 (‘publictrait- DEGs’) were associated with pathways such as oxidative stress, insulin signaling, inflammation, and carbohydrate metabolism. Interaction networks between methyl-DEGs and public-trait-DEGs revealed that six genes (B3GALNT1, ESR1, FGF4, PER1, PRKAR1B, and TNFSF4) were affected by DNA methylation and linked to insulin response or diabetes. In response to acute insulin treatment, ESR1, PRKAR1B, PER1, and B3GALNT1 expression decreased in THP1 cells. Similar trends were seen in 3T3–L1 cells, except B3GALNT1. PER1 displayed consistent and significant downregulation across the clamp study and the two cell lines, indicating it as a key circadian-responsive gene under acute hyperinsulinemia.
Conclusion
These results provide epigenetic evidence for the role of DNA methylation in CpG regions and gene bodies in hyperinsulinemia- mediated regulation of gene expression in blood cells, which warrants further studies in relation to diabetes-related pathophysiology.

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