scholarly journals Gene expression of lipid storage-related enzymes in adipose tissue of the genetically obese Zucker rat. Co-ordinated increase in transcriptional activity and potentiation by hyperinsulinaemia

1992 ◽  
Vol 281 (3) ◽  
pp. 607-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Dugail ◽  
A Quignard-Boulangé ◽  
X Le Liepvre ◽  
B Ardouin ◽  
M Lavau

The genetically obese Zucker rat displays excessive fat storage capacity which is due to a tissue-specific increase in the activities of a number of lipid storage-related enzymes in adipose tissue. The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular mechanism responsible for this phenomenon. Lean (Fa/fa) and obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats were studied during the early stages of adipose tissue overdevelopment, both before (at 16 days of age) and after (at 30 days of age) the emergence of hyperinsulinaemia, in order to delineate the effects of the fatty genotype independently of those of hyperinsulinaemia. Lipoprotein lipase (LPL), glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and malic enzyme (ME) mRNA levels in the adipose tissue of lean and obese rats were assessed by Northern blot analysis, and the relative transcription rates of the corresponding genes were compared in the two genotypes by a nuclear run-on assay. In normoinsulinaemic 16-day-old pre-obese rats, mRNA levels were increased over control values (LPL, 5-fold; ME, 2-fold; GAPDH, 3-fold), in close correlation with genotype-mediated differences in enzyme activities. Stimulation of the transcription rates of the ME and GAPDH genes was observed in obese rats, which could fully account for differences in steady-state mRNA levels. At this age, GPDH activity, mRNA level and transcription rate were similar in the two genotypes. In hyperinsulinaemic 30-day-old obese rats, a 6-7-fold increase in both mRNA and the transcription rate of GPDH emerged, together with an amplification of the genotype-mediated differences observed in younger animals (GAPDH, 6-fold; ME, 7.9-fold; LPL, 10-fold). These results demonstrate that the obese genotype exerts a co-ordinated control on the expression of these genes in adipose tissue, mainly at the transcriptional level. This genotype effect is greatly amplified by the development of hyperinsulinaemia.

1990 ◽  
Vol 122 (3) ◽  
pp. 379-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
Halima Lebrazi ◽  
Philippe Chomard ◽  
Paul Dumas ◽  
Nicole Autissier

Abstract. Glycerol released by isolated epididymal adipocytes was measured in 6-8 weeks old genetically obese (fa/fa) and lean (C.c.a/-) male Zucker rats, ip treated or not treated with T3 (0.46, 2.3 and 4.6 nmol/100 g in a single injection or 4.6 nmol · (100 g)−1 · day−1 for 5 days). In the non-treated rats, lipolysis was less stimulated by adrenalin or isoproterenol in obese than in lean rats, whereas it was stimulated by theophylline up to the same level in both kinds of rats. A single injection of the T3 (highest dose) increased isoproterenol-induced lipolysis in the lean but not in the obese rats. The 5-day T3 treatment caused a stimulation of the adrenalin- or isoproterenol-induced lipolysis in both kinds of rats. However, the stimulation was lower in the obese than in the lean rats. This treatment increased theophylline-induced lipolysis in the lean but not in the obese rats. It did not affect significantly the theophylline-induced lipolysis stimulated by adrenalin or isoproterenol in either obese or lean rats. These findings show that mild hypothyroidism of obese rat is partly responsible for the impaired sensitivity of its adipose tissue to lipolytic drugs. The apparently low T3 sensitivity of obese rat adipose tissue is discussed.


1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
N J Laping ◽  
B A Olson ◽  
J R Day ◽  
B M Brickson ◽  
L C Contino ◽  
...  

Clusterin is a multifunctional glycoprotein associated with development and tissue injury. Because renal function decreases with advancing age in the obese Zucker rat, clusterin mRNA expression was examined in the kidney of young adult Zucker rats and compared with age-related changes in renal clusterin mRNA expression in Fischer 344 (F344) rats. Renal clusterin mRNA levels in the obese Zucker rat were 2.5-fold higher by 3 mo of age and fourfold higher at 5 mo of age compared with the lean strain. In comparison, renal clusterin mRNA in 12-mo-old F344 rats was twofold higher than in 3-mo-old animals and was tenfold higher at 24 mo of age. Clusterin mRNA was positively correlated with urinary protein excretion and negatively correlated with creatinine clearance in Zucker rats. Clusterin was increased in select nephrons of the obese Zucker rat kidney and in 24-mo-old F344 rat kidney as assessed by in situ hybridization. Increased expression of clusterin mRNA occurred mostly in the tubular epithelium of dilated, convoluted proximal tubules. These data indicate that renal clusterin mRNA levels increase as a function of age and that age-related increases in renal clusterin and the associated tubular abnormalities are accelerated in obese Zucker rats.


1998 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 253-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Megirian ◽  
Jacek Dmochowski ◽  
Gaspar A. Farkas

Megirian, David, Jacek Dmochowski, and Gaspar A. Farkas. Mechanism controlling sleep organization of the obese Zucker rat. J. Appl. Physiol. 84(1): 253–256, 1998.—We tested the hypothesis that the obese ( fa/fa) Zucker rat has a sleep organization that differs from that of lean Zucker rats. We used the polygraphic technique to identify and to quantify the distribution of the three main states of the rat: wakefulness (W), non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM), and rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep states. Assessment of states was made with light present (1000–1600), at the rats thermoneutral temperature of 29°C. Obese rats, compared with lean ones, did not show significant differences in the total time spent in the three main states. Whereas the mean durations of W and REM states did not differ statistically, that of NREM did ( P = 0.046). However, in the obese rats, the frequencies of switching from NREM sleep to W, which increased, and from NREM to REM sleep, which decreased, were statistically significantly different ( P = 0.019). Frequency of switching from either REM or W state was not significantly different. We conclude that sleep organization differs between lean and obese Zucker rats and that it is due to a disparity in switching from NREM sleep to either W or REM sleep and the mean duration of NREM sleep.


1991 ◽  
Vol 261 (2) ◽  
pp. E246-E251 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. Bessesen ◽  
A. D. Robertson ◽  
R. H. Eckel

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity and mRNA levels were measured in cardiac muscle and adipose tissue from lean, obese, and weight-stable reduced-obese Zucker rats, both fasted and 2 h after feeding. Fasting epididymal fat LPL activity was substantially higher in obese rats relative to lean rats [6.9 vs. 0.2 nmol free fatty acid (FFA).10(6) cells-1.min-1; P = 0.0001], and was higher still in reduced-obese rats (15.7 nmol FFA.10(6) cells-1.min-1; P = 0.002). Adipose tissue LPL increased with feeding in all three groups. In marked contrast, fasting cardiac muscle LPL was lower in obese rats relative to lean (28.8 vs. 38.5 nmol FFA.g-1.min-1; P = 0.0064) and was lower still in reduced-obese rats (14.5 nmol FFA.g-1.min-1; P = 0.0001). LPL mRNA levels increased in adipose tissue along with enzyme activity; however, the magnitude of the changes were relatively small, suggesting that the primary regulatory steps are posttranslational. Weight reduction studies were also carried out in Sprague-Dawley rats with similar results. These studies show that sustained weight reduction results in coordinate changes in tissue-specific LPL, favoring delivery of lipoprotein triglyceride fatty acids to adipose tissue relative to cardiac muscle and the restoration of energy stores.


1989 ◽  
Vol 257 (3) ◽  
pp. 917-919 ◽  
Author(s):  
I Dugail ◽  
X Le Liepvre ◽  
A Quignard-Boulangé ◽  
J Pairault ◽  
M Lavau

Adipsin gene expression as assessed by mRNA amounts was examined in adipose tissue of genetically obese rats at the onset (16 days of age) or at later stages (30 and 60 days of age) of obesity. Amounts of mRNA were equivalent in obese and lean rats at 16 days of age. In adult rats, we observed a 2-fold decrease in adipsin mRNA in the obese rats compared with control lean rats, which was abolished by weaning the animals on a high-fat diet. Our data show that, in sharp contrast with genetically obese mice, adipsin mRNA is not suppressed in genetically obese Zucker rats.


1997 ◽  
Vol 272 (4) ◽  
pp. E656-E660 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Lopez-Soriano ◽  
F. J. Lopez-Soriano ◽  
G. J. Bagby ◽  
D. H. Williamson ◽  
J. M. Argiles

Because obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperlipidemia are often associated, and recent evidence suggests that the cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) may influence the activity of insulin in various target tissues, the present study was designed to see whether TNF was also associated with the changes in lipid metabolism that lead to hyperlipidemia in the obese model of the Zucker rat. A polyclonal goat anti-rat TNF antibody was subcutaneously administered to Zucker rats for 4 days to block TNF actions. The results indicate that none of the alterations in lipid metabolism seen in the obese animals were reversed by the anti-TNF treatment. This was the case for the lipogenic rate in liver and adipose tissue, the disposal of an exogenous [14C]triolein load, adipose tissue lipoprotein lipase activity, and the hypertriglyceridemia. Measurements of lipolysis in adipose tissue slices from the anti-TNF-treated animals also did not show any significant effect of the treatment. In conclusion, TNF does not seem to be involved in the abnormalities of lipid metabolism observed in the obese Zucker rat.


1981 ◽  
Vol 241 (1) ◽  
pp. E76-E83 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. K. Gruen ◽  
M. R. Greenwood

Fat cell hypertrophy occurs in most forms of obesity. In the obese Zucker rat, fat cell hypertrophy and increased lipoprotein lipase activity (LPL) are the earliest known signs of obesity. We studied the regulation of fat cell size in the obese Zucker rat by measuring changes in fat cell LPL activity and lipolysis in response to an overnight fast in 6- and 14-wk-old lean and obese rats. At both ages, fed obese rats had significantly increased fat cell size, LPL activity, and basal glycerol release in three adipose tissue depots compared to fed lean rats. Obese rats decreased LPL activity in response to fasting, but levels always remained equal to or greater than those in fed lean rats. Obese rats also showed a reduced lipolytic response to fasting. Thus, the obese rat after an overnight fast could not produce a coordinated response to fasting similar to the lean rat, and its homeostatic adjustments to this mild stimulus favored preservation of its enlarged fat cell size.


1994 ◽  
Vol 267 (1) ◽  
pp. R236-R243 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. T. Brozinick ◽  
G. J. Etgen ◽  
B. B. Yaspelkis ◽  
J. L. Ivy

The rates of muscle glucose uptake of lean and obese Zucker rats were assessed by hindlimb perfusion under basal conditions (no insulin), in the presence of a maximally stimulating concentration of insulin (10 mU/ml), and after muscle contraction elicited by electrical stimulation of the sciatic nerve. After perfusion, plasma and microsomal membranes were isolated from selected hindlimb muscles for determination of GLUT-4 protein distribution. Under basal conditions, rates of glucose uptake were similar for lean and obese rats despite plasma membranes from lean rats containing 82% more GLUT-4 protein than obese rats. Insulin stimulation resulted in significant increases in plasma membrane GLUT-4 protein concentration in lean but not obese rats. Glucose uptake of lean rats (35.3 +/- 4.7 mumol.h-1.g-1) in the presence of insulin was approximately fourfold greater than that of obese rats (8.8 +/- 1.3 mumol.h-1.g-1), but this difference in glucose uptake could not be completely accounted for by the difference in plasma membrane GLUT-4 protein concentration. Stimulation by contraction resulted in significant increases in plasma membrane GLUT-4 protein concentration in both lean and obese rats and similar rates of glucose uptake. These results suggest that the muscle insulin resistance of the obese Zucker rat is due to 1) a reduced plasma membrane GLUT-4 protein concentration, which results in part from an impairment in the insulin-stimulated GLUT-4 protein translocation process, and 2) a defect in the insulin-stimulated activation of this protein. However, contraction-stimulated glucose uptake, GLUT-4 protein translocation, and activation are normal in the obese Zucker rat.


1984 ◽  
Vol 219 (1) ◽  
pp. 333-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Bruzzone ◽  
E R Trimble ◽  
A Gjinovci ◽  
A E Renold

The contents of three major digestive enzymes (amylase, lipase and chymotrypsinogen) were measured in the obese Zucker rat. Only minimal changes were found in 7-week-old rats, but in adult obese rats (14-16 weeks) the amylase content was decreased by 50%, whereas the lipase and chymotrypsinogen contents were increased by 45% and 20%, respectively, compared with lean controls. Abnormalities of enzyme secretion were also found. Since the changes observed in enzyme proportions in adult obese Zucker rats are qualitatively similar to those observed in insulinopenic diabetes and other states associated with decreased glucose metabolism, it is speculated that the abnormalities found in the obese Zucker rat may be due to decreased glucose metabolism in the exocrine tissue consequent to insulin resistance.


1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (2) ◽  
pp. E294-E301 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. Etgen ◽  
C. M. Wilson ◽  
J. Jensen ◽  
S. W. Cushman ◽  
J. L. Ivy

The relationship between 3-O-methyl-D-glucose transport and 2-N-4-(1-azi-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)-benzoyl-1, 3-bis-(D-mannos-4-yloxy)-2-propylamine (ATB-BMPA)-labeled cell surface GLUT-4 protein was assessed in fast-twitch (epitrochlearis) and slow-twitch (soleus) muscles of lean and obese (fa/fa) Zucker rats. In the absence of insulin, glucose transport as well as cell surface GLUT-4 protein was similar in both epitrochlearis and soleus muscles of lean and obese rats. In contrast, insulin-stimulated glucose transport rates were significantly higher for lean than obese rats in both soleus (0.74 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.40 +/- 0.02 mumol.g-1.10 min-1) and epitrochlearis (0.51 +/- 0.05 vs. 0.17 +/- 0.02 mumol.g-1.10 min-1) muscles. The ability of insulin to enhance glucose transport in fast- and slow-twitch muscles from both lean and obese rats corresponded directly with changes in cell surface GLUT-4 protein. Muscle contraction elicited similar increases in glucose transport in lean and obese rats, with the effect being more pronounced in fast-twitch (0.70 +/- 0.07 and 0.77 +/- 0.04 mumol.g-1.10 min-1 for obese and lean, respectively) than in slow-twitch muscle (0.36 +/- 0.03 and 0.40 +/- 0.02 mumol.g-1.10 min-1 for obese and lean, respectively). The contraction-induced changes in glucose transport directly corresponded with the observed changes in cell surface GLUT-4 protein. Thus the reduced glucose transport response to insulin in skeletal muscle of the obese Zucker rat appears to result directly from an inability to effectively enhance cell surface GLUT-4 protein.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document