scholarly journals Prenatal and Postnatal Pathways to Obesity: Different Underlying Mechanisms, Different Metabolic Outcomes

Endocrinology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 148 (5) ◽  
pp. 2345-2354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nichola M. Thompson ◽  
Amy M. Norman ◽  
Shawn S. Donkin ◽  
Ravi R. Shankar ◽  
Mark H. Vickers ◽  
...  

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are worldwide health issues. The present paper investigates prenatal and postnatal pathways to obesity, identifying different metabolic outcomes with different effects on insulin sensitivity and different underlying mechanisms involving key components of insulin receptor signaling pathways. Pregnant Wistar rats either were fed chow ad libitum or were undernourished throughout pregnancy, generating either control or intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) offspring. Male offspring were fed either standard chow or a high-fat diet from weaning. At 260 d of age, whole-body insulin sensitivity was assessed by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, and other metabolic parameters were measured. As expected, high-fat feeding caused diet-induced obesity (DIO) and insulin resistance. Importantly, the insulin sensitivity of IUGR offspring was similar to that of control offspring, despite fasting insulin hypersecretion and increased adiposity, irrespective of postnatal nutrition. Real-time PCR and Western blot analyses of key markers of insulin sensitivity and metabolic regulation showed that IUGR offspring had increased hepatic levels of atypical protein kinase C ζ (PKC ζ) and increased expression of fatty acid synthase mRNA. In contrast, DIO led to decreased expression of fatty acid synthase mRNA and hepatic steatosis. The decrease in hepatic PKC ζ with DIO may explain, at least in part, the insulin resistance. Our data suggest that the mechanisms of obesity induced by prenatal events are fundamentally different from those of obesity induced by postnatal high-fat nutrition. The origin of insulin hypersecretion in IUGR offspring may be independent of the mechanistic events that trigger the insulin resistance commonly observed in DIO.

Endocrinology ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 145 (7) ◽  
pp. 3158-3164 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bronwyn D. Hegarty ◽  
Stuart M. Furler ◽  
Nicholas D. Oakes ◽  
Edward W. Kraegen ◽  
Gregory J. Cooney

Abstract Agonists of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) have emerged as important pharmacological agents for improving insulin action. A major mechanism of action of PPAR agonists is thought to involve the alteration of the tissue distribution of nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) uptake and utilization. To test this hypothesis directly, we examined the effect of the novel PPARα/γ agonist tesaglitazar on whole-body insulin sensitivity and NEFA clearance into epididymal white adipose tissue (WAT), red gastrocnemius muscle, and liver in rats with dietary-induced insulin resistance. Wistar rats were fed a high-fat diet (59% of calories as fat) for 3 wk with or without treatment with tesaglitazar (1 μmol·kg−1·d−1, 7 d). NEFA clearance was measured using the partially metabolizable NEFA tracer, 3H-R-bromopalmitate, administered under conditions of basal or elevated NEFA availability. Tesaglitazar improved the insulin sensitivity of high-fat-fed rats, indicated by an increase in the glucose infusion rate during hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp (P < 0.01). This improvement in insulin action was associated with decreased diglyceride (P < 0.05) and long chain acyl coenzyme A (P < 0.05) in skeletal muscle. NEFA clearance into WAT of high-fat-fed rats was increased 52% by tesaglitazar under basal conditions (P < 0.001). In addition the PPARα/γ agonist moderately increased hepatic and muscle NEFA utilization and reduced hepatic triglyceride accumulation (P < 0.05). This study shows that tesaglitazar is an effective insulin-sensitizing agent in a mild dietary model of insulin resistance. Furthermore, we provide the first direct in vivo evidence that an agonist of both PPARα and PPARγ increases the ability of WAT, liver, and skeletal muscle to use fatty acids in association with its beneficial effects on insulin action in this model.


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 2810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria De Luca ◽  
Denise Vecchie’ ◽  
Baskaran Athmanathan ◽  
Sreejit Gopalkrishna ◽  
Jennifer A. Valcin ◽  
...  

Syndecans are transmembrane proteoglycans that, like integrins, bind to components of the extracellular matrix. Previously, we showed significant associations of genetic variants in the Syndecan-4 (SDC4) gene with intra-abdominal fat, fasting plasma glucose levels, and insulin sensitivity index in children, and with fasting serum triglyceride levels in healthy elderly subjects. An independent study also reported a correlation between SDC4 and the risk of coronary artery disease in middle-aged patients. Here, we investigated whether deletion of Sdc4 promotes metabolic derangements associated with diet-induced obesity by feeding homozygous male and female Sdc4-deficient (Sdc4-/-) mice and their age-matched wild-type (WT) mice a high-fat diet (HFD). We found that WT and Sdc4-/- mice gained similar weight. However, while no differences were observed in males, HFD-fed female Sdc4-/- mice exhibited a higher percentage of body fat mass than controls and displayed increased levels of plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, and glucose, as well as reduced whole-body insulin sensitivity. Additionally, they had an increased adipocyte size and macrophage infiltration in the visceral adipose tissue, and higher triglyceride and fatty acid synthase levels in the liver. Together with our previous human genetic findings, these results provide evidence of an evolutionarily conserved role of SDC4 in adiposity and its complications.


Hypertension ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 78 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Darren Mehay ◽  
Sarah Bingaman ◽  
Yuval Silberman ◽  
Amy Arnold

Angiotensin (Ang)-(1-7) is a protective hormone of the renin-angiotensin system that improves insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, and energy balance in obese rodents. Our recent findings suggest that Ang-(1-7) activates mas receptors (MasR) in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC), a brain region critical to control of energy balance and glucose homeostasis, to induce these positive metabolic effects. The distribution of MasR in the ARC and their role in metabolic regulation, however, is unknown. We hypothesized: (1) MasR are expressed in the ARC; and (2) deletion of ARC MasR leads to worsened metabolic outcomes following high fat diet (HFD). To test this, male and female C57Bl/6J mice were fed a 60% HFD or matched control diet ad libitum for 12 weeks. RNAscope in situ hybridization was performed on coronal ARC sections in rostral-middle-caudal regions to determine percentage of MasR positive neurons (n=5/group). In a second experiment, we assessed body composition and insulin and glucose tolerance in transgenic mice with deletion of MasR in ARC neurons (MasR-flox with AAV5-hsyn-GFP-Cre). RNAscope revealed a wide distribution on MasR-positive cells throughout the rostral to caudal extent of the ARC. The average percentage of MasR positive neurons was increased in females versus males, with HFD tending to increase MasR expression in both sexes (control diet male: 11±2; control diet female: 17±3; HFD male: 15±5; HFD female: 24±2; p sex : 0.030; p diet : 0.066; p int : 0.615; two-way ANOVA). Deletion of MasR in ARC neurons worsened insulin sensitivity in HFD but not control diet females (area under the curve for change in glucose from baseline: -1989±1359 HFD control virus vs. 2530±1762 HFD Cre virus; p=0.016), while fasting glucose, glucose tolerance, and body composition did not change. There was no effect of ARC MasR deletion on metabolic outcomes in control diet or HFD male mice. These findings suggest females have more MasR positive neurons in the ARC compared to males, which may be a sex-specific protective mechanism for glucose homeostasis. While further studies are needed to explore the role of ARC MasR in metabolic regulation, these findings support targeting Ang-(1-7) as an innovative strategy in obesity.


2014 ◽  
Vol 307 (3) ◽  
pp. R332-R339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jieyun Yin ◽  
Jian Kuang ◽  
Manisha Chandalia ◽  
Demidmaa Tuvdendorj ◽  
Batbayar Tumurbaatar ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to investigate effects and mechanisms of electroacupuncture (EA) on blood glucose and insulin sensitivity in mice fed a high-fat diet. Both wild-type (WT) and adipose ectonucleotide pyrophosphate phosphodiesterase (ENPP1) transgenic (TG) mice were fed a high-fat diet for 12 wk; for each mouse, an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (IPGTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT) were performed with or without EA at abdomen or auricular areas. A high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance in both WT and TG mice. In the WT mice, EA at 3 Hz and 15 Hz, but not at 1 Hz or 100 Hz, via CV4+CV12 significantly reduced postprandial glucose levels; EA at 3 Hz was most potent. The glucose level was reduced by 61.7% at 60 min and 74.5% at 120 min with EA at 3 Hz (all P < 0.001 vs. control). Similar hypoglycemic effect was noted in the TG mice. On the contrary, EA at auricular points increased postprandial glucose level ( P < 0.03). 4). EA at 3 Hz via CV4+CV12 significantly enhanced the decrease of blood glucose after insulin injection, suggesting improvement of insulin sensitivity. Plasma free fatty acid was significantly suppressed by 42.5% at 15 min and 50.8% at 30 min with EA ( P < 0.01) in both WT and TG mice. EA improves glucose tolerance in both WT and TG mice fed a high-fat diet, and the effect is associated with stimulation parameters and acupoints and is probably attributed to the reduction of free fatty acid.


Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lepore ◽  
Maggisano ◽  
Bulotta ◽  
Mignogna ◽  
Arcidiacono ◽  
...  

Oleacein is one of the most abundant polyphenolic compounds of olive oil, which has been shown to play a protective role against several metabolic abnormalities, including dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, and glucose intolerance. Herein, we investigated the effects of oleacein on certain markers of adipogenesis and insulin-resistance in vitro, in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, and in vivo in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. During the differentiation process of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes into adipocytes, oleacein strongly inhibited lipid accumulation, and decreased protein levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and fatty acid synthase (FAS), while increasing Adiponectin levels. In vivo, treatment with oleacein of C57BL/6JOlaHsd mice fed with HFD for 5 and 13 weeks prevented the increase in adipocyte size and reduced the inflammatory infiltration of macrophages and lymphocytes in adipose tissue. These effects were accompanied by changes in the expression of adipose tissue-specific regulatory elements such as PPARγ, FAS, sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor-1 (SREBP-1), and Adiponectin, while the expression of insulin-sensitive muscle/fat glucose transporter Glut-4 was restored in HFD-fed mice treated with oleacein. Collectively, our findings indicate that protection against HFD-induced adiposity by oleacein in mice is mediated by the modulation of regulators of adipogenesis. Protection against HFD-induced obesity is effective in improving peripheral insulin sensitivity.


2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 485-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
R Buettner ◽  
K G Parhofer ◽  
M Woenckhaus ◽  
C E Wrede ◽  
L A Kunz-Schughart ◽  
...  

High-fat (HF)-diet rodent models have contributed significantly to the analysis of the pathophysiology of the insulin resistance syndrome, but their phenotype varies distinctly between different studies. Here, we have systematically compared the metabolic and molecular effects of different HF with varying fatty acid compositions. Male Wistar rats were fed HF diets (42% energy; fat sources: HF-L – lard; HF-O – olive oil; HF-C – coconut fat; HF-F – fish oil). Weight, food intake, whole-body insulin tolerance and plasma parameters of glucose and lipid metabolism were measured during a 12-week diet course. Liver histologies and hepatic gene expression profiles, using Affymetrix GeneChips, were obtained. HF-L and HF-O fed rats showed the most pronounced obesity and insulin resistance; insulin sensitivity in HF-C and HF-F was close to normal. Plasma ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (ω-3-PUFA) and saturated fatty acid (C12-C14, SFA) levels were elevated in HF-F and HF-C animals respectively. The liver histologies showed hepatic steatosis in HF-L, HF-O and HF-C without major inflammation. Hepatic SREBP1c-dependent genes were upregulated in these diets, whereas PPARα-dependent genes were predominantly upregulated in HF-F fed rats. We detected classical HF effects only in diets based on lard and olive oil (mainly long-chain, saturated (LC-SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA)). PUFA- or MC-SFA-rich diets did not induce insulin resistance. Diets based on LC-SFA and MUFA induced hepatic steatosis with SREBP1c activation. This points to an intact transcriptional hepatic insulin effect despite resistance to insulin’s metabolic actions.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lakshmi Arivazhagan ◽  
Henry Ruiz ◽  
Robin Wilson ◽  
Laura Frye ◽  
Ravichandran Ramasamy ◽  
...  

Introduction: Obesity is a major global health problem, with over one third of adults in the US classified as obese. Obesity often leads to a state of insulin resistance (IR), type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its complications. We previously showed that the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and its ligands contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity and IR, as whole body and adipocyte-specific Ager (gene encoding RAGE) deleted mice fed a high fat diet (HFD) were significantly protected from weight gain and IR. Here, we hypothesize that myeloid RAGE contributed to IR upon HFD feeding. Methods: We generated mice with myeloid-specific (MDR) LyzMCre(+/+).Ager flox/flox and adipocyte and myeloid-specific (Double Knockouts) AdipoQCre(-/+)LyzMCre(+/+).Ager flox/flox deletion of Ager and LysMCre mice were used as control. Mice were fed either standard chow (LFD) or HFD (60% kcal/fat) for 3 months starting at age 6 weeks. Mice were assessed for body mass and composition, glucose and insulin sensitivity and whole body glucose metabolism by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp studies. Results: After 3 months HFD, there were no significant differences in body mass, body composition, food intake, energy expenditure and physical activity of the MDR mice vs. controls. Similar findings were observed in mice fed LFD. However, surprisingly, in HFD-fed mice, insulin tolerance tests and hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp studies showed decreased insulin sensitivity and insulin action in the MDR vs. control mice, indicating that the MDR mice were more insulin resistant. The Double Knockout (myeloid/adipocyte) Cre (+) mice were more glucose tolerant and insulin sensitive compared to MDR mice, showing that deletion of Ager in the adipocytes rescued the adverse effects of Ager deletion in myeloid cells. Conclusions: Myeloid Ager protects from IR in mice fed HFD. Furthermore, in MDR mice, concomitant adipocyte-specific deletion of Ager rescues these mice from IR and, at the same time, reduces HFD-induced adiposity. The mechanisms underlying these findings are under active investigation.


2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 425-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier A Menendez ◽  
Alejandro Vazquez-Martin ◽  
Francisco Jose Ortega ◽  
Jose Manuel Fernandez-Real

Abstract Background: An emerging paradigm supports the notion that deregulation of fatty acid synthase (FASN)-catalyzed de novo FA biogenesis could play a central role in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases sharing the hallmark of insulin-resistance. Content: We reviewed pharmacological and genetic alterations of FASN activity that have been shown to significantly influence energy expenditure rates, fat mass, insulin sensitivity, and cancer risk. This new paradigm proposes that insulin-resistant conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cancer arise from a common FASN-driven “lipogenic state”. An important question then is whether the development or the progression of insulin-related metabolic disorders can be prevented or reversed by the modulation of FASN status. If we accept the paradigm of FASN dysfunction as a previously unrecognized link between insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cancer, the use of insulin sensitizers in parallel with forthcoming FASN inhibitors should be a valuable therapeutic approach that, in association with lifestyle interventions, would concurrently improve energy-flux status, ameliorate insulin sensitivity, and alleviate the risk of lipogenic carcinomas. Conclusions: Although the picture is currently incomplete and researchers in the field have plenty of work ahead, the latest clinical and experimental evidence that we discuss illuminates a functional and drug-modifiable link that connects FASN-driven endogenous FA biosynthesis, insulin action, and glucose homeostasis in the natural history of insulin-resistant pathologies.


Endocrinology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 154 (3) ◽  
pp. 1021-1028 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Paulo G. Camporez ◽  
François R. Jornayvaz ◽  
Hui-Young Lee ◽  
Shoichi Kanda ◽  
Blas A. Guigni ◽  
...  

Abstract Estrogen replacement therapy reduces the incidence of type 2 diabetes in postmenopausal women; however, the mechanism is unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the metabolic effects of estrogen replacement therapy in an experimental model of menopause. At 8 weeks of age, female mice were ovariectomized (OVX) or sham (SHAM) operated, and OVX mice were treated with vehicle (OVX) or estradiol (E2) (OVX+E2). After 4 weeks of high-fat diet feeding, OVX mice had increased body weight and fat mass compared with SHAM and OVX+E2 mice. OVX mice displayed reduced whole-body energy expenditure, as well as impaired glucose tolerance and whole-body insulin resistance. Differences in whole-body insulin sensitivity in OVX compared with SHAM mice were accounted for by impaired muscle insulin sensitivity, whereas both hepatic and muscle insulin sensitivity were impaired in OVX compared with OVX+E2 mice. Muscle diacylglycerol (DAG), content in OVX mice was increased relative to SHAM and OVX+E2 mice. In contrast, E2 treatment prevented the increase in hepatic DAG content observed in both SHAM and OVX mice. Increases in tissue DAG content were associated with increased protein kinase Cϵ activation in liver of SHAM and OVX mice compared with OVX+E2 and protein kinase Cθ activation in skeletal muscle of OVX mice compared with SHAM and OVX+E2. Taken together, these data demonstrate that E2 plays a pivotal role in the regulation of whole-body energy homeostasis, increasing O2 consumption and energy expenditure in OVX mice, and in turn preventing diet-induced ectopic lipid (DAG) deposition and hepatic and muscle insulin resistance.


2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (6) ◽  
pp. G1671-G1682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Fen Liu ◽  
Aparna Purushotham ◽  
Angela A. Wendel ◽  
Martha A. Belury

Dysfunctional cross talk between adipose tissue and liver tissue results in metabolic and inflammatory disorders. As an insulin sensitizer, rosiglitazone (Rosi) improves insulin resistance yet causes increased adipose mass and weight gain in mice and humans. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) reduces adipose mass and body weight gain but induces hepatic steatosis in mice. We examined the combined effects of Rosi and CLA on adiposity, insulin sensitivity, and hepatic steatosis in high-fat-fed male C57Bl/6 mice. CLA alone suppressed weight gain and adipose mass but caused hepatic steatosis. Addition of Rosi attenuated CLA-induced insulin resistance and dysregulation of adipocytokines. In adipose, CLA significantly suppressed lipoprotein lipase and fatty acid translocase (FAT/CD36) mRNA, suggesting inhibition of fatty acid uptake into adipose; addition of Rosi completely rescued this effect. In addition, CLA alone increased markers of macrophage infiltration, F4/80, and CD68 mRNA levels, without inducing TNF-α in epididymal adipose tissue. The ratio of Bax to Bcl2, a marker of apoptosis, was significantly increased in adipose of the CLA-alone group and was partially prevented by treatment of Rosi. Immunohistochemistry of F4/80 demonstrates a proinflammatory response induced by CLA in epididymal adipose. In the liver, CLA alone induced microsteatotic liver but surprisingly increased the rate of very-low-density lipoprotein-triglyceride production without inducing inflammatory mediator-TNF-α and markers of macrophage infiltration. These changes were accompanied by significantly increased mRNA levels of stearoyl-CoA desaturase, FAT/CD36, and fatty acid synthase. The combined administration of CLA and Rosi reduced hepatic liver triglyceride content as well as lipogenic gene expression compared with CLA alone. In summary, dietary CLA prevented weight gain in Rosi-treated mice without attenuating the beneficial effects of Rosi on insulin sensitivity. Rosi ameliorated CLA-induced lipodystrophic disorders that occurred in parallel with rescued expression of adipocytokine and adipocytes-abundant genes.


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