AQP7 and Insulin resistance: In addition, the increased insulin level in parallel with the increased AQP-7 expression level in rats receiving HFFD for 12 weeks might point to the trial of the β-cell of the pancreas to compensate for the hyperglycemia and increased insulin resistance in the HFFD rat group by producing elevated levels of insulin, which can be caused by increased intracytoplasmic content of glycerol followed by rapid β-cell re-swelling, activation of anion channels that are volume-regulated, and subsequent secretion of insulin (Best et al. 2009).