Project description:Abnormalities in hepatic lipid metabolism are believed to play a critical role in the etiology of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Monoacylglycerol acyltransferase (MGAT) enzymes convert monoacylglycerol to diacylglycerol, which is the penultimate step in one pathway for triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis. Hepatic expression of Mogat1, which encodes an MGAT enzyme, is increased in the livers of mice with hepatic steatosis and knocking down Mogat1 improves insulin sensitivity, but whether increased MGAT activity plays a role in the etiology of NASH is unclear. To examine the effects of knocking down Mogat1 in the liver on the development of NASH, C57BL/6 mice were placed on a diet containing high levels of trans fatty acids, fructose, and cholesterol (HTF-C diet) or a low fat control diet for 4 weeks. Mice were then injected with antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) to knockdown Mogat1 or a scrambled ASO control for 12 weeks while remaining on diet. HTF-C diet caused glucose intolerance, hepatic steatosis, and induced hepatic gene expression markers of inflammation, macrophage infiltration, and stellate cell activation. Mogat1 ASO treatment, which suppressed Mogat1 expression in liver, attenuated weight gain, improved glucose tolerance, and decreased hepatic TAG content compared to control ASO-treated mice on HTF-C chow. However, Mogat1 ASO treatment did not reduce hepatic DAG, cholesterol, or free fatty acid content, improve histologic measures of liver injury, or reduce expression of markers of stellate cell activation, liver inflammation, and injury. In conclusion, inhibition of hepatic Mogat1 in HTF-C diet-fed mice improves glucose tolerance and hepatic TAG accumulation without attenuating liver inflammation and injury. Total RNA obtained from liver of 4 control vs. 4 Mogat1 ASO treated higf-fat diet (HFD) fed mice.
Project description:Abnormalities in hepatic lipid metabolism are believed to play a critical role in the etiology of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Monoacylglycerol acyltransferase (MGAT) enzymes convert monoacylglycerol to diacylglycerol, which is the penultimate step in one pathway for triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis. Hepatic expression of Mogat1, which encodes an MGAT enzyme, is increased in the livers of mice with hepatic steatosis and knocking down Mogat1 improves insulin sensitivity, but whether increased MGAT activity plays a role in the etiology of NASH is unclear. To examine the effects of knocking down Mogat1 in the liver on the development of NASH, C57BL/6 mice were placed on a diet containing high levels of trans fatty acids, fructose, and cholesterol (HTF-C diet) or a low fat control diet for 4 weeks. Mice were then injected with antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) to knockdown Mogat1 or a scrambled ASO control for 12 weeks while remaining on diet. HTF-C diet caused glucose intolerance, hepatic steatosis, and induced hepatic gene expression markers of inflammation, macrophage infiltration, and stellate cell activation. Mogat1 ASO treatment, which suppressed Mogat1 expression in liver, attenuated weight gain, improved glucose tolerance, and decreased hepatic TAG content compared to control ASO-treated mice on HTF-C chow. However, Mogat1 ASO treatment did not reduce hepatic DAG, cholesterol, or free fatty acid content, improve histologic measures of liver injury, or reduce expression of markers of stellate cell activation, liver inflammation, and injury. In conclusion, inhibition of hepatic Mogat1 in HTF-C diet-fed mice improves glucose tolerance and hepatic TAG accumulation without attenuating liver inflammation and injury.
Project description:We assessed the change in hepatic transciptional pattern after treatment with SGLT-2 inhibitors canagliflozin in a mice model of diet-induced obesity. Pharmacologic inhibition of the renal sodium/glucose cotransporter-2 induces glycosuria and reduces glycemia. Given that SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) reduce mortality and CV risk in T2D, improved understanding of molecular mechanisms mediating these metabolic effects is required. Treatment of obese but nondiabetic mice with the SGLT2i canagliflozin (CANA) reduces adiposity, improves glucose tolerance despite reduced plasma insulin, increases plasma ketones, and improves plasma lipid profiles. We utilized an integrated transcriptomic-metabolomics approach to demonstrate that CANA modulates key nutrient-sensing pathways, with activation of AMPK and inhibition of mTOR, independent of insulin or glucagon sensitivity or signaling. Moreover, CANA induces transcriptional reprogramming to activate catabolic pathways, increase fatty acid oxidation, reduce hepatic steatosis and diacylglycerol content, and increase hepatic and plasma levels of FGF21. Taken together, these data demonstrate that SGLT-2 inhibition triggers a fasting-like transcriptional and metabolic paradigm.
Project description:Insulin resistance represents a hallmark during the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and in the pathogenesis of obesity-associated disturbances of glucose and lipid metabolism 1,2,3. MicroRNA (miR)-dependent posttranscriptional gene silencing has recently been recognized to control gene expression in disease development and progression including that of insulin-resistant T2D. MiRs, whose deregulation alters hepatic insulin sensitivity include miR-143, miR-181 and miR-103/107. Here we report that expression of miR-802 is increased in liver of two obese mouse models and of obese human subjects. Inducible transgenic overexpression of miR-802 in mice causes impaired glucose tolerance and attenuates insulin sensitivity, while reduction of miR-802 expression improves glucose tolerance and insulin action. We identify Hnf1b as a target of miR-802-dependent silencing and shRNA-mediated reduction of Hnf1b in liver causes glucose intolerance, impairs insulin signaling and promotes hepatic gluconeogenesis. In turn, hepatic overexpression of Hnf1b improves insulin sensitivity in db/db mice. Thus, the present study defines a critical role for deregulated expression of miR-802 in the development of obesity-associated impairment of glucose metabolism via targeting Hnf1b and assigns Hnf1b an unexpected role in the control of hepatic insulin sensitivity.
Project description:Identification of genes and functions regulated by DDIT3/GADD153/CHOP by transcriptional profiling of cell lines expressing high levels of tamoxifen induced DDIT3.
Project description:Insulin resistance represents a hallmark during the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) and in the pathogenesis of obesity-associated disturbances of glucose and lipid metabolism 1,2,3. MicroRNA (miR)-dependent posttranscriptional gene silencing has recently been recognized to control gene expression in disease development and progression including that of insulin-resistant T2D. MiRs, whose deregulation alters hepatic insulin sensitivity include miR-143, miR-181 and miR-103/107. Here we report that expression of miR-802 is increased in liver of two obese mouse models and of obese human subjects. Inducible transgenic overexpression of miR-802 in mice causes impaired glucose tolerance and attenuates insulin sensitivity, while reduction of miR-802 expression improves glucose tolerance and insulin action. We identify Tcf2 as a target of miR-802-dependent silencing and shRNA-mediated reduction of Tcf2 in liver causes glucose intolerance, impairs insulin signaling and promotes hepatic gluconeogenesis. In turn, hepatic overexpression of Tcf2 improves insulin sensitivity in db/db mice. Thus, the present study defines a critical role for deregulated expression of miR-802 in the development of obesity-associated impairment of glucose metabolism via targeting Tcf2 and assigns Tcf2 an unexpected role in the control of hepatic insulin sensitivity. Adenoviruses (Ad5) encoding either GFP (Ad-Ctrl 1-3) or shTcf2 (Ad-shTcf2 1-4) were injected into the tail vein of C57BL/6 mice at 1x10E10 viral particles (VP) per gram bodyweight. Biotin-labeled cDNA was synthesized using GeneChip Whole Transcript Sense Labeling Assay (Affymetrix) according to vendorM-bM-^@M-^Ys instructions. After fragmentation, cDNAs were hybridized for 17h at 45M-BM-0C on Affymetrix Mouse Gene 1.0 ST Arrays. The Arrays were washed and stained in the GeneChip Fluidics Station 450 and scanned on a GeneChip Scanner 3000 7G (Affymetrix). Data intensities were log transformed and normalized with a quantile normalization method using Affymetrix Power Tools. Differentially expressed genes were identified according to statistical evidence indicated by Student's t-test and fold change statistics
Project description:Skeletal muscle plays a central role in the control of metabolism and exercise tolerance. Analysis of muscle enhancers activated after exercise in mice revealed the orphan nuclear receptor NURR1/NR4A2 as a prominent component of exercise-responsive enhancers. We show that exercise enhances the expression of NURR1 and transgenic overexpression of NURR1 in skeletal muscle confers an endurance phenotype in mice. NURR1 expression in skeletal muscle is also sufficient to prevent hyperglycemia and hepatic steatosis by enhancing muscle glucose uptake and storage as glycogen. Furthermore, treatment of obese mice with putative NURR1 agonists increases energy expenditure, improves glucose tolerance, and confers a lean phenotype, mimicking the effects of exercise. These findings identify a key role for NURR1 in governance of skeletal muscle glucose metabolism and reveal a transcriptional link between exercise and metabolism. Our findings also identify NURR1 agonists as possible exercise mimetics with the potential to ameliorate obesity and other metabolic abnormalities.
Project description:Skeletal muscle plays a central role in the control of metabolism and exercise tolerance. Analysis of muscle enhancers activated after exercise in mice revealed the orphan nuclear receptor NURR1/NR4A2 as a prominent component of exercise-responsive enhancers. We show that exercise enhances the expression of NURR1 and transgenic overexpression of NURR1 in skeletal muscle confers an endurance phenotype in mice. NURR1 expression in skeletal muscle is also sufficient to prevent hyperglycemia and hepatic steatosis by enhancing muscle glucose uptake and storage as glycogen. Furthermore, treatment of obese mice with putative NURR1 agonists increases energy expenditure, improves glucose tolerance, and confers a lean phenotype, mimicking the effects of exercise. These findings identify a key role for NURR1 in governance of skeletal muscle glucose metabolism and reveal a transcriptional link between exercise and metabolism. Our findings also identify NURR1 agonists as possible exercise mimetics with the potential to ameliorate obesity and other metabolic abnormalities.
Project description:Insulin secretion from pancreatic β-cells is essential for glucose homeostasis. An insufficient response to the demand for insulin results in diabetes. We previously showed that β-cell-specific deletion of Zfp148 (β-Zfp148KO) improves glucose tolerance and insulin secretion in mice. These RNA sequencing data show pathways altered in the β-Zfp148KO consistent with altered PEP cycling and improved insulin secretion responses.