scholarly journals Dissociation of Fatty Liver and Insulin Resistance in I148M PNPLA3 Carriers: Differences in Diacylglycerol (DAG) FA18:1 Lipid Species as a Possible Explanation

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andras Franko ◽  
Dietrich Merkel ◽  
Marketa Kovarova ◽  
Miriam Hoene ◽  
Benjamin Jaghutriz ◽  
...  

Fatty liver is tightly associated with insulin resistance and the development of type 2 diabetes. I148M variant in patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein 3 (PNPLA3) gene is associated with high liver fat but normal insulin sensitivity. The underlying mechanism of the disassociation between high liver fat but normal insulin sensitivity remains obscure. We investigated the effect of I148M variant on hepatic lipidome of subjects with or without fatty liver, using the Lipidyzer method. Liver samples of four groups of subjects consisting of normal liver fat with wild-type PNPLA3 allele (group 1); normal liver fat with variant PNPLA3 allele (group 2); high liver fat with wild-type PNPLA3 allele (group 3); high liver fat with variant PNPLA3 allele (group 4); were analyzed. When high liver fat to normal liver fat groups were compared, wild-type carriers (group 3 vs. group 1) showed similar lipid changes compared to I148M PNPLA3 carriers (group 4 vs. group 2). On the other hand, in wild-type carriers, increased liver fat significantly elevated the proportion of specific DAGs (diacylglycerols), mostly DAG (FA18:1) which, however, remained unchanged in I148M PNPLA3 carriers. Since DAG (FA18:1) has been implicated in hepatic insulin resistance, the unaltered proportion of DAG (FA18:1) in I148M PNPLA3 carriers with fatty liver may explain the normal insulin sensitivity in these subjects.

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Zhu ◽  
Julia An ◽  
Sivaprakasam Chinnarasu ◽  
Thao Luu ◽  
Yasminye D. Pettway ◽  
...  

Mounting evidence has shown that CETP has important physiological roles in adapting to chronic nutrient excess, specifically, to protect against diet-induced insulin resistance. However, the underlying mechanisms for the protective roles of CETP in metabolism are not yet clear. Mice naturally lack CETP expression. We used transgenic mice with a human CETP minigene (huCETP) controlled by its natural flanking region to further understand CETP-related physiology in response to obesity. Female huCETP mice and their wild-type littermates were fed a high-fat diet for 6 months. Blood lipid profile and liver lipid metabolism were studied. Insulin sensitivity was analyzed with euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp studies combined with 3H-glucose tracer techniques. While high-fat diet feeding induced obesity for huCETP mice and their wild-type littermates lacking CETP expression, insulin sensitivity was higher for female huCETP mice than for their wild-type littermates. There was no difference in insulin sensitivity for male huCETP mice vs. littermates. The increased insulin sensitivity in females was largely caused by the better insulin-mediated suppression of hepatic glucose production. In huCETP females, CETP in the circulation decreased HDL-cholesterol content and increased liver cholesterol uptake and liver cholesterol and oxysterol contents, which was associated with the upregulation of LXR target genes in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis and PPARα target genes in fatty acid β-oxidation in the liver. The upregulated fatty acid β-oxidation may account for the improved fatty liver and liver insulin action in female huCETP mice. This study provides further evidence that CETP has beneficial physiological roles in the metabolic adaptation to nutrient excess by promoting liver fatty acid oxidation and hepatic insulin sensitivity, particularly for females.


2009 ◽  
Vol 116 (6) ◽  
pp. 531-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Kantartzis ◽  
Fausto Machicao ◽  
Jürgen Machann ◽  
Fritz Schick ◽  
Andreas Fritsche ◽  
...  

The enzyme DGAT (acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase) catalyses the final step of triacylglycerol (triglyceride) synthesis. Mice overexpressing hepatic DGAT2 fed a high-fat diet develop fatty liver, but not insulin resistance, suggesting that DGAT2 induces a dissociation between fatty liver and insulin resistance. In the present study, we investigated whether such a phenotype also exists in humans. For this purpose, we determined the relationships between genetic variability in the DGAT2 gene with changes in liver fat and insulin sensitivity in 187 extensively phenotyped subjects during a lifestyle intervention programme with diet modification and an increase in physical activity. Changes in body fat composition [MR (magnetic resonance) tomography], liver fat and intramyocellular fat (1H-MR spectroscopy) and insulin sensitivity [OGTT (oral glucose tolerance test) and euglycaemic–hyperinsulinaemic clamp] were determined after 9 months of intervention. A change in insulin sensitivity correlated inversely with changes in total body fat, visceral fat, intramyocellular fat and liver fat (OGTT, all P<0.05; clamp, all P≤0.03). Changes in total body fat, visceral fat and intramyocellular fat were not different between the genotypes of the SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) rs10899116 C>T and rs1944438 C>T (all P≥0.39) of the DGAT2 gene. However, individuals carrying two or one copies of the minor T allele of SNP rs1944438 had a smaller decrease in liver fat (−17±10 and −24±5%; values are means±S.E.M.) compared with subjects homozygous for the C allele (−39±7%; P=0.008). In contrast, changes in insulin sensitivity were not different among the genotypes (OGTT, P=0.76; clamp, P=0.53). In conclusion, our findings suggest that DGAT2 mediates the dissociation between fatty liver and insulin resistance in humans. This finding may be important in the prevention and treatment of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes in subjects with fatty liver.


2006 ◽  
Vol 291 (2) ◽  
pp. E282-E290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riikka Lautamäki ◽  
Ronald Borra ◽  
Patricia Iozzo ◽  
Markku Komu ◽  
Terho Lehtimäki ◽  
...  

Nonalcoholic fatty liver (NAFL) is a common comorbidity in patients with type 2 diabetes and links to the risk of coronary syndromes. The aim was to determine the manifestations of metabolic syndrome in different organs in patients with liver steatosis. We studied 55 type 2 diabetic patients with coronary artery disease using positron emission tomography. Myocardial perfusion was measured with [15O]H2O and myocardial and skeletal muscle glucose uptake with 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose during hyperinsulinemic euglycemia. Liver fat content was determined by magnetic resonance proton spectroscopy. Patients were divided on the basis of their median (8%) into two groups with low (4.6 ± 2.0%) and high (17.4 ± 8.0%) liver fat content. The groups were well matched for age, BMI, and fasting plasma glucose. In addition to insulin resistance at the whole body level ( P = 0.012) and muscle ( P = 0.002), the high liver fat group had lower insulin-stimulated myocardial glucose uptake ( P = 0.040) and glucose extraction rate ( P = 0.0006) compared with the low liver fat group. In multiple regression analysis, liver fat content was the most significant explanatory variable for myocardial insulin resistance. In addition, the high liver fat group had increased concentrations of high sensitivity C-reactive protein, soluble forms of E-selectin, vascular adhesion protein-1, and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 ( P < 0.05) and lower coronary flow reserve ( P = 0.02) compared with the low liver fat group. In conclusion, in patients with type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease, liver fat content is a novel independent indicator of myocardial insulin resistance and reduced coronary functional capacity. Further studies will reveal the effect of hepatic fat reduction on myocardial metabolism and coronary function.


Circulation ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 118 (suppl_18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandr E Vendrov ◽  
Igor Tchivilev ◽  
Xi-Lin Niu ◽  
Juxiang Li ◽  
Marschall S Runge ◽  
...  

Several protein tyrosine phosphatases including leukocyte antigen-related (LAR) phosphatase have been implicated in insulin resistance, which is a risk factor for atherosclerosis. We showed previously that LAR negatively regulates insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) signaling in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) leading to increased proliferation and migration. Absence of LAR also enhanced neointima formation in response to arterial injury in mice. However, the role of LAR-modulated signaling in the development of insulin resistance has not been elucidated. Here, we investigated the function of LAR in regulating glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity. We identified snapin, a SNARE-associated protein involved in glucose transporter Glut4 vesicle fusion with plasma membrane, as a LAR-interacting protein using a yeast two-hybrid screen. IGF1-induced serine phosphorylation of snapin, its translocation to membrane and association with SNARE complex were enhanced in VSMC lacking LAR. Similarly, PI3K-PDK1-PKCζ signaling pathway was more active in LAR-/- cells after IGF1 treatment. This resulted in enhanced Glut4 activation, its membrane translocation and association with snapin. Glut4 membrane translocation and association with snapin after IGF1 treatment were impaired in snapin+/− VSMC. IGF1 treatment also increased serine phosphorylation of GSK3 β in LAR−/− VSMC leading to increased activation of glycogen synthase. Consistent with this, enhanced glucose uptake was observed in LAR−/− VSMC compared to wild-type cells after IGF1 treatment. Basal and IGF1-induced glucose uptake were significantly lower in snapin+/− VSMC than in wild-type cells. Snapin+/− mice had higher levels of blood glucose, lower quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI) and impaired response to insulin in insulin tolerance test (ITT) compared to wild-type mice. Decrease of QUICKI and impairment of IIT were more pronounced in snapin+/− mice fed a high-fat diet. In addition, Doppler ultrasonography indicated increased arterial stiffness in snapin+/− mice. Together, these data indicate that LAR negatively regulates snapin phosphorylation which in turn affects glucose uptake leading to the development of insulin resistance and vascular pathology.


2008 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 352-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne Katterle ◽  
Susanne Keipert ◽  
Jana Hof ◽  
Susanne Klaus

We evaluated the effect of skeletal muscle mitochondrial uncoupling on energy and glucose metabolism under different diets. For 3 mo, transgenic HSA-mUCP1 mice with ectopic expression of uncoupling protein 1 in skeletal muscle and wild-type littermates were fed semisynthetic diets with varying macronutrient ratios (energy % carbohydrate-protein-fat): HCLF (41:42:17), HCHF (41:16:43); LCHF (11:45:44). Body composition, energy metabolism, and insulin resistance were assessed by NMR, indirect calorimetry, and insulin tolerance test, respectively. Gene expression in different organs was determined by real-time PCR. In wild type, both high-fat diets led to an increase in body weight and fat. HSA-mUCP1 mice considerably increased body fat on HCHF but stayed lean on the other diets. Irrespective of differences in body fat content, HSA-mUCP1 mice showed higher insulin sensitivity and decreased plasma insulin and liver triglycerides. Respiratory quotient and gene expression indicated overall increased carbohydrate oxidation of HSA-mUCP1 but a preferential channeling of fatty acids into muscle rather than liver with high-fat diets. Evidence for increased lipogenesis in white fat of HSA-mUCP1 mice suggests increased energy dissipating substrate cycling. Retinol binding protein 4 expression in white fat was increased in HSA-mUCP1 mice despite increased insulin sensitivity, excluding a causal role in the development of insulin resistance. We conclude that skeletal muscle mitochondrial uncoupling does not protect from the development of obesity in all circumstances. Rather it can lead to a “healthy” obese phenotype by preserving insulin sensitivity and a high metabolic flexibility, thus protecting from the development of obesity associated disturbances of glucose homeostasis.


2007 ◽  
Vol 293 (6) ◽  
pp. E1709-E1715 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Kotronen ◽  
Satu Vehkavaara ◽  
Anneli Seppälä-Lindroos ◽  
Robert Bergholm ◽  
Hannele Yki-Järvinen

A fatty liver is associated with fasting hyperinsulinemia, which could reflect either impaired insulin clearance or hepatic insulin action. We determined the effect of liver fat on insulin clearance and hepatic insulin sensitivity in 80 nondiabetic subjects [age 43 ± 1 yr, body mass index (BMI) 26.3 ± 0.5 kg/m2]. Insulin clearance and hepatic insulin resistance were measured by the euglycemic hyperinsulinemic (insulin infusion rate 0.3 mU·kg−1·min−1for 240 min) clamp technique combined with the infusion of [3-3H]glucose and liver fat by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. During hyperinsulinemia, both serum insulin concentrations and increments above basal remained ∼40% higher ( P < 0.0001) in the high (15.0 ± 1.5%) compared with the low (1.8 ± 0.2%) liver fat group, independent of age, sex, and BMI. Insulin clearance (ml·kg fat free mass−1·min−1) was inversely related to liver fat content ( r = −0.52, P < 0.0001), independent of age, sex, and BMI ( r = −0.37, P = 0.001). The variation in insulin clearance due to that in liver fat (range 0–41%) explained on the average 27% of the variation in fasting serum (fS)-insulin concentrations. The contribution of impaired insulin clearance to fS-insulin concentrations increased as a function of liver fat. This implies that indirect indexes of insulin sensitivity, such as homeostatic model assessment, overestimate insulin resistance in subjects with high liver fat content. Liver fat content correlated significantly with fS-insulin concentrations adjusted for insulin clearance ( r = 0.43, P < 0.0001) and with directly measured hepatic insulin sensitivity ( r = −0.40, P = 0.0002). We conclude that increased liver fat is associated with both impaired insulin clearance and hepatic insulin resistance. Hepatic insulin sensitivity associates with liver fat content, independent of insulin clearance.


Diabetologia ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 48 (11) ◽  
pp. 2282-2291 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Stefan ◽  
F. Machicao ◽  
H. Staiger ◽  
J. Machann ◽  
F. Schick ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 307 (7) ◽  
pp. G760-G768 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. P. Macfarlane ◽  
P. J. Raubenheimer ◽  
T. Preston ◽  
C. D. Gray ◽  
M. E. Bastin ◽  
...  

To investigate the potential of therapies which reduce glucocorticoid action in patients with Type 2 diabetes we performed a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study of acute glucocorticoid blockade, using the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist RU38486 (mifepristone) and cortisol biosynthesis inhibitor (metyrapone), in 14 men with Type 2 diabetes. Stable isotope dilution methodologies were used to measure the rates of appearance of glucose, glycerol, and free fatty acids (FFAs), including during a low-dose (10 mU·m −2·min−1) hyperinsulinemic clamp, and subgroup analysis was conducted in patients with high or low liver fat content measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( n = 7/group). Glucocorticoid blockade lowered fasting glucose and insulin levels and improved insulin sensitivity of FFA and glycerol turnover and hepatic glucose production. Among this population with Type 2 diabetes high liver fat was associated with hyperinsulinemia, higher fasting glucose levels, peripheral and hepatic insulin resistance, and impaired suppression of FFA oxidation and FFA and glycerol turnover during hyperinsulinemia. Glucocorticoid blockade had similar effects in those with and without high liver fat. Longer term treatments targeting glucocorticoid action may be useful in Type 2 diabetes with and without fatty liver.


2005 ◽  
Vol 288 (4) ◽  
pp. E768-E774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsi Hannele Pietiläinen ◽  
Aila Rissanen ◽  
Jaakko Kaprio ◽  
Sari Mäkimattila ◽  
Anna-Maija Häkkinen ◽  
...  

We determined whether acquired obesity is associated with increases in liver or intra-abdominal fat or impaired insulin sensitivity by studying monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs discordant and concordant for obesity. We studied nineteen 24- to 27-yr-old MZ twin pairs, with intrapair differences in body weight ranging from 0.1 to 24.7 kg [body mass index (BMI) range 20.0–33.9 kg/m2], identified from a population-based FinnTwin16 sample. Fat distribution was determined by magnetic resonance imaging, percent body fat by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, liver fat by proton spectroscopy, insulin sensitivity by measuring the fasting insulin concentration, and whole body insulin sensitivity by the euglycemic insulin clamp technique. Intrapair differences in BMI were significantly correlated with those in intra-abdominal fat ( r = 0.82, P < 0.001) and liver fat ( r = 0.57, P = 0.010). Intrapair differences in fasting insulin correlated with those in subcutaneous abdominal ( r = 0.60, P = 0.008), intra-abdominal ( r = 0.75, P = 0.0001) and liver ( r = 0.49, P = 0.048) fat. Intrapair differences in whole body insulin sensitivity correlated with those in subcutaneous abdominal ( r = −0.72, P = 0.001) and intra-abdominal ( r = −0.55, P = 0.015) but not liver ( r = −0.20, P = 0.20) fat. We conclude that acquired obesity is associated with increases in intra-abdominal and liver fat and insulin resistance, independent of genetic factors.


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