scholarly journals Control of hyperglycemia in male mice by leflunomide: mechanisms of action

2018 ◽  
Vol 237 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Junhong Chen ◽  
Jing Sun ◽  
Michelle E Doscas ◽  
Jin Ye ◽  
Ashley J Williamson ◽  
...  

p70 S6 kinase (S6K1) is a serine/threonine kinase that phosphorylates the insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) at serine 1101 and desensitizes insulin receptor signaling. S6K1 hyperactivation due to overnutrition leads to hyperglycemia and type 2 diabetes. Our recent study showed that A77 1726, the active metabolite of the anti-rheumatoid arthritis (RA) drug leflunomide, is an inhibitor of S6K1. Whether leflunomide can control hyperglycemia and sensitize the insulin receptor has not been tested. Here we report that A77 1726 increased AKTS473/T308 and S6K1T389 phosphorylation but decreased S6S235/236 and IRS-1S1101 phosphorylation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes, C2C12 and L6 myotubes. A77 1726 increased insulin receptor tyrosine phosphorylation and binding of the p85 subunit of the PI-3 kinase to IRS-1. A77 1726 enhanced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in L6 myotubes and 3T3-L1 adipocytes, and enhanced insulin-stimulated glucose transporter type 4 (GLUT4) translocation to the plasma membrane of L6 cells. Finally, we investigated the anti-hyperglycemic effect of leflunomide on ob/ob and high-fat diet (HFD)-induced diabetes mouse models. Leflunomide treatment normalized blood glucose levels and overcame insulin resistance in glucose and insulin tolerance tests in ob/ob and HFD-fed mice but had no effect on mice fed a normal chow diet (NCD). Leflunomide treatment increased AKTS473/T308 phosphorylation in the fat and muscle of ob/ob mice but not in normal mice. Our results suggest that leflunomide sensitizes the insulin receptor by inhibiting S6K1 activity in vitro, and that leflunomide could be potentially useful for treating patients with both RA and diabetes.

Marine Drugs ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 495
Author(s):  
Chunmei Li ◽  
Bixia Ma ◽  
Junhong Chen ◽  
Yoonhwa Jeong ◽  
Xiulong Xu

Astaxanthin (AST) is a carotenoid with therapeutic values on hyperglycemia and diabetic complications. The mechanisms of action of AST remain incompletely understood. p70 S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) is a serine/threonine kinase that phosphorylates insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1)S1101 and desensitizes the insulin receptor (IR). Our present study aims to determine if AST improves glucose metabolisms by targeting S6K1. Western blot analysis revealed that AST inhibited the phosphorylation of two S6K1 substrates, S6S235/236 and IRS-1S1101, but enhanced the phosphorylation of AKTT308, AKTS473, and S6K1T389 by feedback activation of the phosphatidylinositol-3 (PI-3) kinase in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and L6 myotubes. In vitro kinase assays revealed that AST inhibited S6K1 activity with an IC50 value of approximately 13.8 μM. AST increased insulin-induced IR tyrosine phosphorylation and IRS-1 binding to the p85 subunit of PI-3 kinase. Confocal microscopy revealed that AST increased the translocation of the glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) to the plasma membrane in L6 cells. Glucose uptake assays using a fluorescent dye, 2-NBDG (2-N-(Nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-yl)amino)-2-deoxyglucose), revealed that AST increased glucose uptake in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and L6 myotubes under insulin resistance conditions. Our study identifies S6K1 as a previously unrecognized molecular target of AST and provides novel insights into the mechanisms of action of AST on IR sensitization.


2019 ◽  
Vol 51 (8) ◽  
pp. 333-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Kwon Jeong ◽  
Julie A. Horwath ◽  
Hayk Simonyan ◽  
Katherine A. Blackmore ◽  
Scott D. Butler ◽  
...  

Insulin acts within the central nervous system through the insulin receptor to influence both metabolic and cardiovascular physiology. While a major focus has been placed on hypothalamic regions, participation of extrahypothalamic insulin receptors in cardiometabolic regulation remains largely unknown. We hypothesized that insulin receptors in the subfornical organ (SFO), a forebrain circumventricular region devoid of a blood-brain barrier, are involved in metabolic and cardiovascular regulation. Immunohistochemistry in mice revealed widespread insulin receptor-positive cells throughout the rostral to caudal extent of the SFO. SFO-targeted adenoviral delivery of Cre-recombinase in insulin receptorlox/lox mice resulted in sufficient ablation of insulin receptors in the SFO. Interestingly, when mice were maintained on a normal chow diet, deletion of SFO insulin receptors resulted in greater weight gain and adiposity, relative to controls, independently of changes in food intake. In line with this, ablation of insulin receptors in the SFO was associated with marked hepatic steatosis and hypertriglyceridemia. Selective removal of SFO insulin receptors also resulted in a lower mean arterial blood pressure, which was primarily due to a reduction in diastolic blood pressure, whereas systolic blood pressure remained unchanged. Cre-mediated targeting of SFO insulin receptors did not influence heart rate. These data demonstrate multidirectional roles for insulin receptor signaling in the SFO, with ablation of SFO insulin receptors resulting in an overall deleterious metabolic state while at the same time maintaining blood pressure at low levels. These novel findings further suggest that alterations in insulin receptor signaling in the SFO could contribute to metabolic syndrome phenotypes.


Author(s):  
Xiaobing Cui ◽  
Jia Fei ◽  
Sisi Chen ◽  
Gaylen L. Edwards ◽  
Shi-You Chen

Obesity is an important independent risk factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and many other chronic diseases. The objective of this study was to determine the role of adenosine deaminase acting on RNA 1 (ADAR1) in the development of obesity and insulin resistance. Wild-type (WT) and heterozygous ADAR1-deficient (Adar1+/-) mice were fed normal chow or high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. Adar1+/- mice fed with HFD exhibited a lean phenotype with reduced fat mass compared with WT controls, although no difference was found under chow diet conditions. Blood biochemical analysis and insulin tolerance test showed that Adar1+/- improved HFD-induced dyslipidemia and insulin resistance. Metabolic studies showed that food intake was decreased in Adar1+/- mice compared with the WT mice under HFD conditions. Paired feeding studies further demonstrated that Adar1+/- protected mice from HFD-induced obesity through decreased food intake. Furthermore, Adar1+/- restored the increased ghrelin expression in stomach and the decreased serum peptide YY levels under HFD conditions. These data indicate that ADAR1 may contribute to diet-induce obesity, at least partially, through modulating the ghrelin and peptide YY expression and secretion.


2013 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 685-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
P Rajesh ◽  
K Balasubramanian

Di(2-ethyl hexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) is an endocrine disrupter and is the most abundantly used phthalate derivative, which is suspected to be an inevitable environmental exposure contributing to the increasing incidence of type-2 diabetes in humans. Therefore, the present study was designed to address the dose-dependent effects of DEHP on insulin signaling molecules in L6 myotubes. L6 myotubes were exposed to different concentrations (25, 50, and 100 μM) of DEHP for 24 h. At the end of exposure, cells were utilized for assessing various parameters. Insulin receptor and glucose transporter4 (GLUT4) gene expression, insulin receptor protein concentration, glucose uptake and oxidation, and enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants were significantly reduced, but glutamine fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase, nitric oxide, lipid peroxidation, and reactive oxygen species levels were elevated in a dose-dependent manner in L6 myotubes exposed to DEHP. The present study in turn shows the direct adverse effect of DEHP on the expression of insulin receptor and GLUT4 gene, glucose uptake, and oxidation in L6 myotubes suggesting that DEHP exposure may have a negative influence on insulin signaling.


2015 ◽  
Vol 308 (4) ◽  
pp. E270-E282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Li ◽  
Xizhen Xu ◽  
Chen Chen ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
Artiom Gruzdev ◽  
...  

Epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) and arachidonic acid-derived cytochrome P450 (CYP) epoxygenase metabolites have diverse biological effects, including anti-inflammatory properties in the vasculature. Increasing evidence suggests that inflammation in type 2 diabetes is a key component in the development of insulin resistance. In this study, we investigated whether CYP epoxygenase expression and exogenous EETs can attenuate insulin resistance in diabetic db/db mice and in cultured hepatic cells (HepG2). In vivo, CYP2J2 expression and the accompanying increase in EETs attenuated insulin resistance, as determined by plasma glucose levels, glucose tolerance test, insulin tolerance test, and hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp studies. CYP2J2 expression reduced the production of proinflammatory cytokines in liver, including CRP, IL-6, IL-1β, and TNFα, and decreased the infiltration of macrophages in liver. CYP2J2 expression also decreased activation of proinflammatory signaling cascades by decreasing NF-κB and MAPK activation in hepatocytes. Interestingly, CYP2J2 expression and exogenous EET treatment increased glucose uptake and activated the insulin-signaling cascade both in vivo and in vitro, suggesting that CYP2J2 metabolites play a role in glucose homeostasis. Furthermore, CYP2J2 expression upregulated PPARγ, which has been shown to induce adipogenesis, which attenuates dyslipidemias observed in diabetes. All of the findings suggest that CYP2J2 expression attenuates the diabetic phenotype and insulin resistance via inhibition of NF-κB and MAPK signaling pathways and activation of PPARγ.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sang Soo Kim ◽  
Won Min Hwang ◽  
Won-Mo Yang ◽  
Hyon Lee ◽  
Kyong Soo Park ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTObjectiveMelanocortin action is essential for the maintenance of energy homeostasis. However, knowledge of the signaling mechanism(s) that mediates the effect of melanocortin remains incomplete.MethodsROCK1 is a key regulator of energy balance in the hypothalamus. To explore the role of ROCK1 in the anorexigenic action of melanocortin, we deleted ROCK1 in MC4R neurons in mice. Next, we studied the metabolic effects of MC4R neuron-specific ROCK1-deficiency and following treatment with α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH).ResultsHere we show that α-MSH increases Rho-kinase 1 (ROCK1) activity in the hypothalamus. Deficiency of ROCK1 in MC4R-expressing neurons results in increased body weight in mice fed normal chow diet. This is likely due to increased food intake and decreased energy expenditure. Importantly, we find that ROCK1 activation in MC4R expressing neurons is required for melanocortin action, as evidenced by the fact that α– MSH’s ability to suppress food intake is impaired in MC4R neuron-specific ROCK1-deficient mice. To elucidate the mechanism by which ROCK1 mediates melanocortin action, we performedin vitrostudies in hypothalamic cells expressing MC4R. We demonstrate that α–MSH promotes the physical interaction of ROCK1 and Gα12, and this results in suppression of AMPK activity.ConclusionsOur study identifies ROCK1 as a novel mediator of melanocortin’s anorexigenic action and uncover a new MC4R→Gα12→ROCK1→AMPK signaling pathway. Targeting Rho-kinase in MC4R-expressing neurons could provide a new strategy to combat obesity and its related complications.


Author(s):  
Novi Khila Firani ◽  
Bambang Prijadi

Retinol is one of the active forms of vitamin A. In the previous study, it was known that retinol level in serum of DM patient waslower than in healthy people, which correlated with an increase of the glucose levels in these patients. The importance of retinol in insulinsignaling mechanisms that play a role in the pathogenesis of DM is still unknown. One of the components that play a role in insulinsignaling on adipocytes is phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K), which encourages the translocation of glucose transporter-4 (GLUT4) tothe cell surface. The aim of this study was to know the importance of retinol therapy in the levels of PI3K enzyme on visceral adipocyteculture with high glucose exposure (25 mM) as a model of DM in vitro by determination method. Retinol therapy was given at a doseof 0.1 μM, 1 μM , and 10 μM. Measurement of PI3K level was done by ELISA method. The mean (SD) levels of PI3K enzyme were 1.91(0.27), 0.94 (0.15), 1.98 (0.22), 1.69 (0.81), 2.04 (0.16) ng/mL respectively, for adipocyte cultures exposed to 5mM glucose (as aphysiological condition), 25mM glucose, and 25mM glucose concentration with doses of retinol therapy 0.1 μM, 1 μM and10 μM. Theresults of this study indicated that high glucose exposure (25 mM) decreased the level of PI3K compared with adipocyte’s culture on5 mM glucose exposure. Retinol therapy with a dose of 0.1μM, 1μM and10 μM on adipocyte culture exposed with high glucose couldincrease the levels of PI3K.


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