Silencing of FGF ‐21 expression promotes hepatic gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis by regulation of the STAT 3– SOCS 3 signal

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/106851/1/febs12767.pd

Induction of heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1) does not enhance adiponectin production in human adipocytes: evidence against a direct HO-1 - Adiponectin axis

Adiponectin is a salutary adipokine and hypoadiponectinemia is implicated in the aetiology of obesity-related inflammation and cardiometabolic disease making therapeutic strategies to increase adiponectin attractive. Emerging evidence, predominantly from preclinical studies, suggests induction of heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1) increases adiponectin production and reduces inflammatory tone. Here, we aimed to test whether induction of HO-1 enhanced adiponectin production from mature adipocytes. Treatment of human adipocytes with cobalt protoporphyrin (CoPP) or hemin for 24-48 h increased HO-1 expression and activity without affecting adiponectin expression and secretion. Treatment of adipocytes with TNFα reduced adiponectin secretion and increased expression and secretion of additional pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-6 and MCP-1, as well as expression of sXBP-1, a marker of ER stress. HO-1 induction failed to reverse these effects. These results demonstrate that induction of HO-1 does not directly enhance adiponectin production or ameliorate the pro-inflammatory effects of TNFα and argue against a direct HO-1 - adiponectin axis. © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd

Vitamin C protects against hypoxia, inflammation, and ER stress in primary human preadipocytes and adipocytes

Dysregulation of adipose tissue involves increased cellular hypoxia, ER stress, and inflammation and altered adipokine production, contributing to the aetiology of obesity-related diseases including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to investigate the effects of Vitamin C supplementation on these processes in primary human preadipocytes and adipocytes. Treatment of preadipocytes and adipocytes with the proinflammatory cytokine TNFalpha and palmitic acid (PA), to mimic the obesogenic milieu, significantly increased markers of hypoxia, ER stress and inflammation and reduced secretion of high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin. Importantly, Vitamin C abolished TNFalpha+PA induced hypoxia and significantly reduced the increases in ER stress and inflammation in both cell types. Vitamin C also significantly increased the secretion of HMW adiponectin from adipocytes. These findings indicate that Vitamin C can reduce obesity-associated cellular stress and thus provide a rationale for future investigations

Effects of Short-Term Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion on Fasting Plasma Fibroblast Growth Factor-21 Levels in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

To investigate the effects of short-term continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) on plasma fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) levels in patients with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes mellitus (nT2DM).Sixty-eight patients with nT2DM (nT2DM group), and 52 gender-, age- and body mass index (BMI) -matched normal glucose tolerance (NGT group) controls participated in the study. 30 nT2DM patients with FBG≥14.0 mmol/L were treated with CSII for 2 weeks, and were underwent a euglycemic–hyperinsulinemic clamp pre- and post-treatment. Plasma FGF-21 concentrations were measured with a commercial ELISA kit. The relationship between plasma FGF-21 levels and metabolic parameters was also analyzed.<0.05), accompanied by a significant increase in the whole body glucose uptake (M value) and blood glucose control. The changes in plasma FGF-21 levels (ΔFGF-21) were positively associated with the amelioration of insulin resistance shown by the changes in M value.Plasma FGF-21 level is associated with whole body insulin sensitivity and significantly reduced following short-term CSII treatment

Plasma FGF-21 levels pre- and post-treatment with CSII in 30 nT2DM patients with FBG≥14.0 mmol/L.

<p>* <i>P</i><0.05 vs. pre-treatment.</p

TERT and Akt Are Involved in the Par-4-Dependent Apoptosis of Islet β Cells in Type 2 Diabetes

Islet β cell apoptosis plays an important role in type 2 diabetes. We previously reported that Par-4-mediated islet β cell apoptosis is induced by high-glucose/fatty acid levels. In the present study, we show that Par-4, which is induced by high-glucose/fatty acid levels, interacts with and inhibits TERT in the cytoplasm and then translocates to the nucleus. Par-4 also inhibited Akt phosphorylation, leading to islet β cell apoptosis. We inhibited Par-4 in islet β cells under high-glucose/fatty acid conditions and knocked out Par-4 in diabetic mice, which led to the up-regulation of TERT and an improvement in the apoptosis rate. We inhibited Akt phosphorylation in islet β cells and diabetic mice, which led to aggressive apoptosis. In addition, the biological film interference technique revealed that Par-4 bound to TERT via its NLS and leucine zipper domains. Our research suggests that Par-4 activation and binding to TERT are key steps required for inducing the apoptosis of islet β cells under high-glucose/fatty acid conditions. Inhibiting Akt phosphorylation aggravated apoptosis by activating Par-4 and inhibiting TERT, and Par-4 inhibition may be an attractive target for the treatment of islet β cell apoptosis