scholarly journals AICAR Protects against High Palmitate/High Insulin-Induced Intramyocellular Lipid Accumulation and Insulin Resistance in HL-1 Cardiac Cells by Inducing PPAR-Target Gene Expression

PPAR Research ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Rodríguez-Calvo ◽  
Manuel Vázquez-Carrera ◽  
Luis Masana ◽  
Dietbert Neumann

Here we studied the impact of 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside (AICAR), a well-known AMPK activator, on cardiac metabolic adaptation. AMPK activation by AICAR was confirmed by increased phospho-Thr172-AMPK and phospho-Ser79-ACC protein levels in HL-1 cardiomyocytes. Then, cells were exposed to AICAR stimulation for 24 h in the presence or absence of the AMPK inhibitor Compound C, and the mRNA levels of the three PPARs were analyzed by real-time RT-PCR. Treatment with AICAR induced gene expression of all three PPARs, but only thePparaandPpargregulation were dependent on AMPK. Next, we exposed HL-1 cells to high palmitate/high insulin (HP/HI) conditions either in presence or in absence of AICAR, and we evaluated the expression of selected PPAR-targets genes. HP/HI induced insulin resistance and lipid storage was accompanied by increasedCd36,Acot1, andUcp3mRNA levels. AICAR treatment induced the expression ofAcadvlandGlut4, which correlated to prevention of the HP/HI-induced intramyocellular lipid build-up, and attenuation of the HP/HI-induced impairment of glucose uptake. These data support the hypothesis that AICAR contributes to cardiac metabolic adaptationviaregulation of transcriptional mechanisms.

2012 ◽  
Vol 120 (02) ◽  
pp. 84-88 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Chen ◽  
X. Zhuang ◽  
Y. Liu ◽  
A. Sun ◽  
C. Chen

AbstractLipin1, a lately indentified adipokine, may link obesity with insulin resistance and diabetes. The present study aimed to investigate the changes and significance of lipin1 expression and lipin1-AMPK signaling in diet-induced hepatic insulin resistance.24 4-week-old Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: (1) control group (CO), (2) high-fat diet group (HF). Insulin sensitivity was evaluated by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp technique. The mRNA levels of α1 and α2 subunit of AMPKα as well as Lipin1 were measured using Real-time RT-PCR. The activities of AMPKα and Akt were evaluated by detection of p-AMPKα (Thr-172) and p-Akt (ser473) by Western blot.After treatment of 4 months, HF group showed significantly increased levels of body weight, fasting plasma glucose and insulin levels; Plasma and liver total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) levels were also markedly elevated; Lipin1 expression at both mRNA and protein levels were significantly deceased. Compared with CO group, the mRNA and protein levels of AMPKα1 and AMPKα2 were not changed, whereas the p-AMPK (Thr-172) and p-AKT (ser473) levels in liver were significantly decreased in HF group.These findings indicated that the decrease in lipin1 expression and AMPKα activation may contribute to hepatic insulin resistance in diet-induced obese rats.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Surendra Kumar Anand ◽  
Manas Ranjan Sahu ◽  
Amal Chandra Mondal

Abstract In the recent years, zebrafish, owing to its tremendous adult neurogenic capacity, has emerged as a useful vertebrate model to study brain regeneration. Recent findings suggest a significant role of the BDNF/TrkB signaling as a mediator of brain regeneration following a stab injury in the adult zebrafish brain. Since BDNF has been implicated in a plethora of physiological processes, we hypothesized that these processes are affected in the injured zebrafish brain. In this small study, we examined the indicators of oxidative stress and of apoptosis using biochemical assays, RT-PCR and IHC to reflect upon the impact of stab injury on oxidative stress levels and apoptosis in the injured adult zebafish brain. Our results indicate induction of oxidative stress in the injured adult zebrafish brain. Also, apoptosis was induced in the injured brain as indicated by increased protein levels of cleaved caspase3 as well as enhanced mRNA levels of both pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic genes. This knowledge contributes to the overall understanding of adult neurogenesis in the zebrafish model and raises new questions pertaining to the compensatory physiological mechanisms in response to traumatic brain injury in the adult zebrafish brain.


2007 ◽  
Vol 282 (46) ◽  
pp. 33466-33474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Chouinard ◽  
Olivier Barbier ◽  
Alain Bélanger

Uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase 2 (UGT2)B15 and B17 enzymes conjugate dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and its metabolites androstane-3α, 17β-diol (3α-DIOL) and androsterone (ADT). The presence of UGT2B15/B17 in the epithelial cells of the human prostate has been clearly demonstrated, and significant 3α-DIOL glucuronide and ADT-glucuronide concentrations have been detected in this tissue. The human androgen-dependent cancer cell line, LNCaP, expresses UGT2B15 and -B17 and is also capable of conjugating androgens. To assess the impact of these two genes in the inactivation of androgens in LNCaP cells, their expression was inhibited using RNA interference. The efficient inhibitory effects of a UGT2B15/B17 small interfering RNA (siRNA) probe was established by the 70% reduction of these UGT mRNA levels, which was further confirmed at the protein levels. The glucuronidation of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), 3α-DIOL, and ADT by LNCaP cell homogenates was reduced by more than 75% in UGT2B15/B17 siRNA-transfected LNCaP cells when compared with cells transfected with a non-target probe. In UGT2B15/B17-deficient LNCaP cells, we observe a stronger response to DHT than in control cells, as determined by cell proliferation and expression of eight known androgen-sensitive genes. As expected, the amounts of DHT in cell culture media from control cells were significantly lower than that from UGT2B15/B17 siRNA-treated cells, which was caused by a higher conversion to its corresponding glucuronide derivative. Taken together these data support the idea that UGT2B15 and -B17 are critical enzymes for the local inactivation of androgens and that glucuronidation is a major determinant of androgen action in prostate cells.


2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (41) ◽  
pp. E6117-E6125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhipeng Zhou ◽  
Yunkun Dang ◽  
Mian Zhou ◽  
Lin Li ◽  
Chien-hung Yu ◽  
...  

Codon usage biases are found in all eukaryotic and prokaryotic genomes, and preferred codons are more frequently used in highly expressed genes. The effects of codon usage on gene expression were previously thought to be mainly mediated by its impacts on translation. Here, we show that codon usage strongly correlates with both protein and mRNA levels genome-wide in the filamentous fungus Neurospora. Gene codon optimization also results in strong up-regulation of protein and RNA levels, suggesting that codon usage is an important determinant of gene expression. Surprisingly, we found that the impact of codon usage on gene expression results mainly from effects on transcription and is largely independent of mRNA translation and mRNA stability. Furthermore, we show that histone H3 lysine 9 trimethylation is one of the mechanisms responsible for the codon usage-mediated transcriptional silencing of some genes with nonoptimal codons. Together, these results uncovered an unexpected important role of codon usage in ORF sequences in determining transcription levels and suggest that codon biases are an adaptation of protein coding sequences to both transcription and translation machineries. Therefore, synonymous codons not only specify protein sequences and translation dynamics, but also help determine gene expression levels.


2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 508-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig G. Simpson ◽  
Dominika Lewandowska ◽  
John Fuller ◽  
Monika Maronova ◽  
Maria Kalyna ◽  
...  

The impact of AS (alternative splicing) is well-recognized in animal systems as a key regulator of gene expression and proteome complexity. In plants, AS is of growing importance as more genes are found to undergo AS, but relatively little is known about the factors regulating AS or the consequences of AS on mRNA levels and protein function. We have established an accurate and reproducible RT (reverse transcription)–PCR system to analyse AS in multiple genes. Initial studies have identified new AS events confirming that current values for the frequency of AS in plants are likely to be underestimates.


2011 ◽  
Vol 43 (20) ◽  
pp. 1160-1169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingrao Ke ◽  
Robert A. McKnight ◽  
Diana Caprau ◽  
Shannon O'Grady ◽  
Qi Fu ◽  
...  

Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) predisposes humans toward hippocampal morbidities, such as impaired learning and memory. Hippocampal dual specificity phosphatase 5 (DUSP5) may be involved in these morbidities because DUSP5 regulates extracellular signal-regulated kinase phosphorylation (Erk). In the rat, IUGR causes postnatal changes in hippocampal gene expression and epigenetic characteristics. However, the impact of IUGR upon hippocampal DUSP5 expression and epigenetic characteristics is not known. We therefore hypothesized that IUGR affects hippocampal 1) DUSP5 expression, DNA CpG methylation, and histone code, and 2) erk1/2 phosphorylation in a well-characterized rat model of IUGR. We found that IUGR significantly decreased DUSP5 expression in the day of life (DOL) 0 and 21 male rat, while decreasing only DUSP5 protein levels in the DOL21 female rat. Fluorescent in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry analyses localized the changes in DUSP5 mRNA and protein, many of which occurred in the dentate gyrus. IUGR also caused sex-specific differences in DNA CpG methylation and histone code in two sites of the hippocampal DUSP5 gene, a 5′-flanking specificity protein-1 (SP1) site and exon 2. Finally, when IUGR decreased DUSP5 protein levels, Erk phosphorylation increased. We conclude that IUGR affects hippocampal DUSP5 expression and epigenetic characteristics in a sex-specific manner.


Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 1633-1633
Author(s):  
Tahereh Ghaziani ◽  
Ying Shan ◽  
Richard W. Lambrecht ◽  
Herbert L. Bonkovsky

Abstract Background: Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is an antioxidant defense enzyme that converts toxic heme into antioxidants. HO-1 is strongly up-regulated by its physiologic substrate, heme, which is currently the treatment of choice for acute attacks of porphyria and which may have other therapeutic uses, as well (e.g., for cytoprotection or amelioration of ischemia/reperfusion injury by increasing supply of carbon monoxide, biliverdin, or bilirubin). Up-regulation of HO-1 expression has been associated with increased resistance to tissue injury. Bach1 is a bZip protein which forms heterodimers with small Maf proteins. HO-1 is expressed at higher levels in tissues of Bach1-deficient mice, indicating that Bach1 acts as a negative regulator of the mouse HO-1 gene. The molecular mechanism that confers repression of HO-1 by Bach1, and whether there are similar effects in human cells, has remained elusive. The aim of this study was to assess whether modulation of human hepatic Bach1 expression by siRNA technology influences HO-1 gene expression and whether such gene silencing would enhance the inducing effects of heme on HO-1. Methods: siRNAs targeted 4 different positions of human Bach1 mRNA were designed and synthesized. We transfected Bach1-siRNA (25–200 nM) into Huh-7 cells using Lipofectamine for 24–72 h, after which, cells were treated with or without heme. We quantified HO-1 and Bach1 mRNA and protein levels by quantitative RT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. Effects and specificity of Bach1-siRNA were analyzed and compared with those of non-Bach1 related siRNAs (non-specific control-duplex (NSCD) and LaminB2-siRNA). Results: Bach1-siRNAs (25–200 nM) transfected into Huh-7 cells for 24–72 h significantly reduced Bach1 mRNA and protein levels approximately 80%, compared with non siRNA treated cells. In contrast, transfection with same amounts of NSCD or LaminB2 siRNA did not reduce Bach1 mRNA or protein levels, confirming the specificity of Bach1-siRNA in Huh-7 cells. A significant finding of these studies was the 7-fold up-regulation of the HO-1 gene in Bach1-siRNA transfected cells, compared to cells without Bach1-siRNA or those transfected with NSCD or LaminB2. Bach1, NSCD, and LaminB2 siRNAs had no effect on HO-2 or 5-aminolevulinate synthase-1 mRNA levels (two genes that are not induced by heme). The effects of increasing concentrations of heme (up to 10 μM) in the presence or absence of Bach1-siRNA on the levels of HO-1 mRNA expression are shown in the Figure. For all of the heme concentrations tested, the levels of HO-1 mRNA were greater when Bach1 siRNA was present. Conclusions: Bach1 has a specific and selective effect to repress expression of human hepatic HO-1. Silencing of the Bach1 gene by siRNAs may be a useful method for up-regulating HO-1 gene expression. The combination of intravenous heme and Bach1 silencing may be useful for therapy of acute porphyrias in relapse or other conditions in which up-regulation of HO-1 may be beneficial. (Supported by grants from NIH [DK38825] and Ovation Pharmaceuticals, Inc.) Figure Figure


Blood ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 114 (22) ◽  
pp. 1532-1532
Author(s):  
Carolina Lanaro ◽  
Carla Fernanda Franco-Penteado ◽  
Mariana R. B. Mello ◽  
Kleber Yotsumoto Fertrin ◽  
Marcos André C Bezerra ◽  
...  

Abstract Abstract 1532 Poster Board I-555 Survivin (BIRC5) is a member of the inhibitors of apoptosis family implicated in both prevention of cell death and control of mitosis. Although the actions of survivin in control of cancer cell division and apoptosis have been studied, its role in nonneoplastic diseases is not elucidated. Chronic inflammation is associated with STAT-3 upregulation, which can induce survivin production. Sickle cell anemia (SCA) has been characterized as a chronic inflammatory state and growing evidence indicates that inflammatory stress within the microvasculature may play a significant role in the vasoocclusion that is characteristic of SCA. Long-term treatment with hydroxyurea (HU) has been shown to reduce the production of inflammatory cytokines in SCA patients and leukocyte number. Since enhanced survivin expression has been reported in leukocytes under inflammatory conditions, and during hematopoietic cell survival and proliferation, the aim of this study was to investigate changes in survivin levels during erythroid differentiation, and determine expression in neutrophils (NS), mononuclear cells (MC) and red blood cell (RBC) in steady-state SCA patients (n≥10), SCA patients on HU therapy (n≥16), and healthy controls (HC, n≥5). Survivin and STAT-3 gene expression were determined by qRT-PCR analysis in primary human erythroblasts cultures for 7, 10 and 13 days and leukocytes separated from peripheral blood samples. Survivin protein expression was determined by flow cytometry with survivin-specific antibodies. Survivin gene expression was significantly increased during erythroid differentiation, but survivin mRNA levels showed similar patterns between SCA and HC (7d: 0.8±0.1 × 0.7±0.08; 10d: 1.7±0.3 × 1.6±0.2; 13d: 2.2± 0.27 × 1.8±0.19,U.A.,P>0.05,respectively). However, protein levels of survivin in mature RBC (glicophorin A +) was significantly higher in SCA patients compared to HC (41.90± 2.9 × 25.76±1.9, P=0.0006, respectively). BIRC-5 gene expression in MC was significantly higher in SCA patients compared to HC (0.9±0.1 × 0.5±0.2, P=0.04, respectively). Survivin protein levels in MC from SCA was significantly increased to compared to HC (51.7±3.2 × 39.7±1.7, MFI, P=0.01,respectively). Survivin protein levels are elevated in NS of SCA patients compared to HC (28.4±1.6 × 21.9±1.5, MFI, P=0.02,respectively). No significant alterations in the mRNA levels of the gene encoding STAT-3 were found during erythroid differentiation (7d: 1.1±0.04 × 1.1±0.08; 10d: 0.6±0.07 × 0.8±0.08; 13d: 0.6±0.07 × 0.9±0.1, P>0.05,respectively) or MC cells (1.2±0.1 × 1.1± 0.1, P>0.05,respectively) in SCA patients compared to HC. Patients on HU therapy demonstrated lower survivin MC gene expressions and protein levels compared to non-treated patients (0.6±0.3 × 0.9±0.1; 37.9±1.5 × 51.7±3.3, P=0.02; P<0.0001,respectively), but no difference was shown in STAT-3 gene expressions (1.1±0.04 × 1.2 ±0.1, respectively). Survivin protein levels were not significantly different in NS and RBC in patients on HU therapy compared to SCA (27.1±1.8 × 28.4± 1.6; 45.9± 3.2× 41.9± 2.9, MFI, P>0.05, respectively). Our data showed that survivin gene and protein expression are upregulated in MC in SCA patients, independently of STAT-3 expression. In addition, a high protein expression was observed in NS and RBC in these patients. HU therapy was associated with lower survivin expression in MC, but not NS and RBC, indicating that the beneficial effect that HU has on the inflammatory state, may participate in the reduced levels of survivin. In conclusion, the exact importance of survivin in SCA vasooclusion is not clear, but data indicates a high expression of this protein in leukocytes and RBC of SCA patients and may imply a role for this protein in leukocytosis and RBC proliferation in SCA. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


PPAR Research ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lijun Zhang ◽  
Chunyan Li ◽  
Fang Wang ◽  
Shenghua Zhou ◽  
Mingjun Shangguan ◽  
...  

PPARαagonist clofibrate reduces cholesterol and fatty acid concentrations in rodent liver by an inhibition of SREBP-dependent gene expression. In present study we investigated the regulation mechanisms of the triglyceride- and cholesterol-lowering effect of the PPARαagonist clofibrate in broiler chickens. We observed that PPARαagonist clofibrate decreases the mRNA and protein levels of LXRαand the mRNA and both precursor and nuclear protein levels of SREBP1 and SREBP2 as well as the mRNA levels of the SREBP1 (FASNandGPAM) and SREBP2 (HMGCRandLDLR) target genes in the liver of treated broiler chickens compared to control group, whereas the mRNA level ofINSIG2, which inhibits SREBP activation, was increased in the liver of treated broiler chickens compared to control group. Taken together, the effects of PPARαagonist clofibrate on lipid metabolism in liver of broiler chickens involve inhibiting transcription and activation of SREBPs and SREBP-dependent lipogenic and cholesterologenic gene expression, thereby resulting in a reduction of the triglyceride and cholesterol levels in liver of broiler chickens.


2004 ◽  
Vol 186 (24) ◽  
pp. 8309-8316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy A. Beck ◽  
Eric S. Krukonis ◽  
Victor J. DiRita

ABSTRACT Expression of toxT, the transcription activator of cholera toxin and pilus production in Vibrio cholerae, is the consequence of a complex cascade of regulatory events that culminates in activation of the toxT promoter by TcpP and ToxR, two membrane-localized transcription factors. Both are encoded in operons with genes whose products, TcpH and ToxS, which are also membrane localized, are hypothesized to control their activity. In this study we analyzed the role of TcpH in controlling TcpP function. We show that a mutant of V. cholerae lacking TcpH expressed virtually undetectable levels of TcpP, although tcpP mRNA levels remain unaffected. A time course experiment showed that levels of TcpP, expressed from a plasmid, are dramatically reduced over time without co-overexpression of TcpH. By contrast, deletion of toxS did not affect ToxR protein levels. A fusion protein in which the TcpP periplasmic domain is replaced with that of ToxR remains stable, suggesting that the periplasmic domain of TcpP is the target for degradation of the protein. Placement of the periplasmic domain of TcpP on ToxR, an otherwise stable protein, results in instability, providing further evidence for the hypothesis that the periplasmic domain of TcpP is a target for degradation. Consistent with this interpretation is our finding that derivatives of TcpP lacking a periplasmic domain are more stable in V. cholerae than are derivatives in which the periplasmic domain has been truncated. This work identifies at least one role for the periplasmic domain of TcpP, i.e., to act as a target for a protein degradation pathway that regulates TcpP levels. It also provides a rationale for why the V. cholerae tcpH mutant strain is avirulent. We hypothesize that regulator degradation may be an important mechanism for regulating virulence gene expression in V. cholerae.


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