scholarly journals Agrp-Specific Ablation of Scly Protects against Diet-Induced Obesity and Leptin Resistance

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Torres ◽  
Matthew W. Pitts ◽  
Ann C. Hashimoto ◽  
Marla J. Berry

Selenium, an essential trace element known mainly for its antioxidant properties, is critical for proper brain function and regulation of energy metabolism. Whole-body knockout of the selenium recycling enzyme, selenocysteine lyase (Scly), increases susceptibility to metabolic syndrome and diet-induced obesity in mice. Scly knockout mice also have decreased selenoprotein expression levels in the hypothalamus, a key regulator of energy homeostasis. This study investigated the role of selenium in whole-body metabolism regulation using a mouse model with hypothalamic knockout of Scly. Agouti-related peptide (Agrp) promoter-driven Scly knockout resulted in reduced weight gain and adiposity while on a high-fat diet (HFD). Scly-Agrp knockout mice had reduced Agrp expression in the hypothalamus, as measured by Western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC). IHC also revealed that while control mice developed HFD-induced leptin resistance in the arcuate nucleus, Scly-Agrp knockout mice maintained leptin sensitivity. Brown adipose tissue from Scly-Agrp knockout mice had reduced lipid deposition and increased expression of the thermogenic marker uncoupled protein-1. This study sheds light on the important role of selenium utilization in energy homeostasis, provides new information on the interplay between the central nervous system and whole-body metabolism, and may help identify key targets of interest for therapeutic treatment of metabolic disorders.

Open Biology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (8) ◽  
pp. 160131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuzhong Xiao ◽  
Tingting Xia ◽  
Junjie Yu ◽  
Yalan Deng ◽  
Hao Liu ◽  
...  

Although numerous functions of inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α) have been identified, a role of IRE1α in pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus is largely unknown. Here, we showed that mice lacking IRE1α specifically in POMC neurons (PIKO) are lean and resistant to high-fat diet-induced obesity and obesity-related insulin resistance, liver steatosis and leptin resistance. Furthermore, PIKO mice had higher energy expenditure, probably due to increased thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue. Additionally, α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone production was increased in the hypothalamus of PIKO mice. These results demonstrate that IRE1α in POMC neurons plays a critical role in the regulation of obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders. Our results also suggest that IRE1α is not only an endoplasmic reticulum stress sensor, but also a new potential therapeutic target for obesity and obesity-related metabolic diseases.


2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1793) ◽  
pp. 20190135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naresh C. Bal ◽  
Muthu Periasamy

Thermogenesis in endotherms relies on both shivering and non-shivering thermogenesis (NST). The role of brown adipose tissue (BAT) in NST is well recognized, but the role of muscle-based NST has been contested. However, recent studies have provided substantial evidence for the importance of muscle-based NST in mammals. This review focuses primarily on the role of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca 2+ -cycling in muscle NST; specifically, it will discuss recent data showing how uncoupling of sarcoendoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase (SERCA) (inhibition of Ca 2+ transport but not ATP hydrolysis) by sarcolipin (SLN) results in futile SERCA pump activity, increased ATP hydrolysis and heat production contributing to muscle NST. It will also critically examine how activation of muscle NST can be an important factor in regulating metabolic rate and whole-body energy homeostasis. In this regard, SLN has emerged as a powerful signalling molecule to promote mitochondrial biogenesis and oxidative metabolism in muscle. Furthermore, we will discuss the functional interplay between BAT and muscle, especially with respect to how reduced BAT function in mammals could be compensated by muscle-based NST. Based on the existing data, we argue that SLN-mediated thermogenesis is an integral part of muscle NST and that muscle NST potentially contributed to the evolution of endothermy within the vertebrate clade. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Vertebrate palaeophysiology’.


Endocrinology ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 153 (4) ◽  
pp. 1817-1826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenying Quan ◽  
Hyun-Kyong Kim ◽  
Eun-Yi Moon ◽  
Su Sung Kim ◽  
Cheol Soo Choi ◽  
...  

Autophagy is a catabolic cellular process involving the degradation of the cell's own components. Although the role of autophagy of diverse tissues in body metabolism has been investigated, the importance of autophagy in hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons, key regulators of energy balance, has not been addressed. The role of autophagy in leptin sensitivity that is critical for the control of body weight and appetite has also not been investigated. We produced mice with specific deletion of autophagy-related 7 (Atg7), an essential autophagy gene, in hypothalamic POMC neurons (Atg7ΔPOMC mice). Atg7 expression was deficient in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus of Atg7ΔPOMC mice. p62, a specific substrate of autophagy, accumulated in the hypothalamus of Atg7ΔPOMC mice, which colocalized with ubiquitin. Atg7ΔPOMC mice had increased body weight due to increased food intake and decreased energy expenditure. Atg7ΔPOMC mice were not more prone to diet-induced obesity compared with control mice but more susceptible to hyperglycemia after high-fat diet. The ability of leptin to suppress fasting-elicited hyperphagia and weight gain during refeeding was attenuated in Atg7ΔPOMC mice. Deficient autophagy did not significantly affect POMC neuron number but impaired leptin-induced signal transducer and activation of transcription 3 activation. Our findings indicate a critical role for autophagy of POMC neurons in the control of energy homeostasis and leptin signaling.


2009 ◽  
Vol 296 (2) ◽  
pp. E291-E299 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christy L. White ◽  
Amy Whittington ◽  
Maria J. Barnes ◽  
Zhong Wang ◽  
George A. Bray ◽  
...  

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) contributes to leptin resistance by inhibiting intracellular leptin receptor signaling. Mice with whole body or neuron-specific deletion of PTP1B are hypersensitive to leptin and resistant to diet-induced obesity. Here we report a significant increase in PTP1B protein levels in the mediobasal hypothalamus ( P = 0.003) and a concomitant reduction in leptin sensitivity following 28 days of high-fat (HF) feeding in rats. A significant increase in PTP1B mRNA levels was also observed in rats chronically infused with leptin (3 μg/day icv) for 14 days ( P = 0.01) and in leptin-deficient ob/ ob mice infused with leptin (5 μg/day sc for 14 days; P = 0.003). When saline-infused ob/ ob mice were placed on a HF diet for 14 days, an increase in hypothalamic PTP1B mRNA expression was detected ( P = 0.001) despite the absence of circulating leptin. In addition, although ob/ ob mice were much more sensitive to leptin on a low-fat (LF) diet, a reduction in this sensitivity was still observed following exposure to a HF diet. Taken together, these data indicate that hypothalamic PTP1B is specifically increased during HF diet-induced leptin resistance. This increase in PTP1B is due in part to chronic hyperleptinemia, suggesting that hyperleptinemia is one mechanism contributing to the development of leptin resistance. However, these data also indicate that leptin is not required for the increase in hypothalamic PTP1B or the development of leptin resistance. Therefore, additional, leptin-independent mechanisms must exist that increase hypothalamic PTP1B and contribute to leptin resistance.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chuanhai Zhang ◽  
Xiaoyun He ◽  
Yao Sheng ◽  
Jia Xu ◽  
Cui Yang ◽  
...  

AbstractBackground/objectives:Disorder of energy homeostasis can lead to a variety of metabolic diseases, especially obesity. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a promising potential therapeutic target for the treatment of obesity and related metabolic diseases. Allicin, a main bioactive ingredient in garlic, has multiple biology and pharmacological function. However, the role of Allicin, in the regulation of metabolic organ, especially the role of activation of BAT, has not been well studied. Here, we analyzed the role of Allicin in whole-body metabolism and the activation of BAT.Results:Allicin had a significant effect in inhibiting body weight gain, decreasing adiposity, maintaining glucose homeostasis, improving insulin resistance, and ameliorating hepatic steatosis in diet-introduced obesity (DIO) mice. Then we find that Allicin can strongly activate brown adipose tissue (BAT). The activation of brown adipocyte treated with Allicin was also confirmed in mouse primary brown adipocytes.Conclusion:Allicin can ameliorate obesity through activating brown adipose tissue. Our findings provide a promising therapeutic approach for the treatment of obesity and metabolic disorders.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haiyan Zhou ◽  
Xinyi Peng ◽  
Jie Hu ◽  
Liwen Wang ◽  
Hairong Luo ◽  
...  

AbstractAdipose tissue-resident T cells have been recognized as a critical regulator of thermogenesis and energy expenditure, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we show that high-fat diet (HFD) feeding greatly suppresses the expression of disulfide-bond A oxidoreductase-like protein (DsbA-L), a mitochondria-localized chaperone protein, in adipose-resident T cells, which correlates with reduced T cell mitochondrial function. T cell-specific knockout of DsbA-L enhances diet-induced thermogenesis in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and protects mice from HFD-induced obesity, hepatosteatosis, and insulin resistance. Mechanistically, DsbA-L deficiency in T cells reduces IFN-γ production and activates protein kinase A by reducing phosphodiesterase-4D expression, leading to increased BAT thermogenesis. Taken together, our study uncovers a mechanism by which T cells communicate with brown adipocytes to regulate BAT thermogenesis and whole-body energy homeostasis. Our findings highlight a therapeutic potential of targeting T cells for the treatment of over nutrition-induced obesity and its associated metabolic diseases.


Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 499
Author(s):  
Kalpana D. Acharya ◽  
Hye L. Noh ◽  
Madeline E. Graham ◽  
Sujin Suk ◽  
Randall H. Friedline ◽  
...  

A decrease in ovarian estrogens in postmenopausal women increases the risk of weight gain, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and chronic inflammation. While it is known that gut microbiota regulates energy homeostasis, it is unclear if gut microbiota is associated with estradiol regulation of metabolism. In this study, we tested if estradiol-mediated protection from high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity and metabolic changes are associated with longitudinal alterations in gut microbiota in female mice. Ovariectomized adult mice with vehicle or estradiol (E2) implants were fed chow for two weeks and HFD for four weeks. As reported previously, E2 increased energy expenditure, physical activity, insulin sensitivity, and whole-body glucose turnover. Interestingly, E2 decreased the tight junction protein occludin, suggesting E2 affects gut epithelial integrity. Moreover, E2 increased Akkermansia and decreased Erysipleotrichaceae and Streptococcaceae. Furthermore, Coprobacillus and Lactococcus were positively correlated, while Akkermansia was negatively correlated, with body weight and fat mass. These results suggest that changes in gut epithelial barrier and specific gut microbiota contribute to E2-mediated protection against diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysregulation. These findings provide support for the gut microbiota as a therapeutic target for treating estrogen-dependent metabolic disorders in women.


GeroScience ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haihui Zhuang ◽  
Sira Karvinen ◽  
Timo Törmäkangas ◽  
Xiaobo Zhang ◽  
Xiaowei Ojanen ◽  
...  

AbstractAerobic capacity is a strong predictor of longevity. With aging, aerobic capacity decreases concomitantly with changes in whole body metabolism leading to increased disease risk. To address the role of aerobic capacity, aging, and their interaction on metabolism, we utilized rat models selectively bred for low and high intrinsic aerobic capacity (LCRs/HCRs) and compared the metabolomics of serum, muscle, and white adipose tissue (WAT) at two time points: Young rats were sacrificed at 9 months of age, and old rats were sacrificed at 21 months of age. Targeted and semi-quantitative metabolomics analysis was performed on the ultra-pressure liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS) platform. The effects of aerobic capacity, aging, and their interaction were studied via regression analysis. Our results showed that high aerobic capacity is associated with an accumulation of isovalerylcarnitine in muscle and serum at rest, which is likely due to more efficient leucine catabolism in muscle. With aging, several amino acids were downregulated in muscle, indicating more efficient amino acid metabolism, whereas in WAT less efficient amino acid metabolism and decreased mitochondrial β-oxidation were observed. Our results further revealed that high aerobic capacity and aging interactively affect lipid metabolism in muscle and WAT, possibly combating unfavorable aging-related changes in whole body metabolism. Our results highlight the significant role of WAT metabolism for healthy aging.


Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1122
Author(s):  
Jamie I. van der van der Vaart ◽  
Mariëtte R. Boon ◽  
Riekelt H. Houtkooper

Obesity is becoming a pandemic, and its prevalence is still increasing. Considering that obesity increases the risk of developing cardiometabolic diseases, research efforts are focusing on new ways to combat obesity. Brown adipose tissue (BAT) has emerged as a possible target to achieve this for its functional role in energy expenditure by means of increasing thermogenesis. An important metabolic sensor and regulator of whole-body energy balance is AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and its role in energy metabolism is evident. This review highlights the mechanisms of BAT activation and investigates how AMPK can be used as a target for BAT activation. We review compounds and other factors that are able to activate AMPK and further discuss the therapeutic use of AMPK in BAT activation. Extensive research shows that AMPK can be activated by a number of different kinases, such as LKB1, CaMKK, but also small molecules, hormones, and metabolic stresses. AMPK is able to activate BAT by inducing adipogenesis, maintaining mitochondrial homeostasis and inducing browning in white adipose tissue. We conclude that, despite encouraging results, many uncertainties should be clarified before AMPK can be posed as a target for anti-obesity treatment via BAT activation.


Circulation ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 118 (suppl_18) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hwi Jin Ko ◽  
Dae Young Jung ◽  
Zhexi Ma ◽  
Jason K Kim

Increasing evidence implicates the role of inflammation in diabetes and complications. Macrophages are shown to infiltrate adipose tissue in obesity, and inflammatory cytokines alter glucose metabolism in peripheral organs. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed high-fat diet (HFD; 55% fat by calories) or chow diet for 6 weeks, and heart samples were taken for analysis (n = 5~7). Chronic HFD increased whole body fat mass, measured by 1 H-MRS, by 3-fold, and elevated plasma IL-6 and TNF-α levels by 40%. Diet-induced obesity caused inflammation in heart and increased macrophage-specific CD68 levels by 5-fold (Fig. 1) (* P < 0.05 vs Chow). Diet-induced cardiac inflammation was associated with significant increases in toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and MyD88 levels in heart (Fig. 2). HFD also increased cardiomyocyte SOCS3 levels by more than 3-fold (Fig. 3). Myocardial glucose metabolism was measured using intravenous injection of 2-[ 14 C]deoxyglucose in awake mice (n = 6). Chronic HFD reduced myocardial glucose uptake by 50%, and this was associated with significant reductions in total GLUT4 and GLUT1 protein levels. Further, Thr 172 phosphorylation of AMPK, a critical regulator of energy balance, was markedly reduced in heart following HFD (Fig. 4). These results demonstrate that diet-induced obesity causes macrophage infiltration and inflammation in heart by increasing TLR4 signaling in cardiomyocytes. Similar to the effects of inflammation on peripheral glucose metabolism, diet-induced cardiac inflammation reduced myocardial glucose metabolism by downregulating AMPK and GLUT protein levels. Thus, our findings underscore an important role of inflammation in diabetic heart.


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