Alterations in mRNA levels, expression, and function of GTP-binding regulatory proteins in adipocytes from obese mice (C57BL/6J-ob/ob)

Schisandrin B regulates lipid metabolism in subcutaneous adipocytes

Subcutaneous adipocytes in obese subjects have a lower sensitivity to catecholamine-induced lipolysis and a higher sensitivity to insulin anti-lipolytic effects compared to adipocytes in other adipose depots. Therefore, increasing lipolysis in subcutaneous adipocytes coupled with enhanced fatty acid oxidation may be an anti-obesity strategy. Schisandrin B (Sch B) is one of the most abundant active dibenzocyclooctadiene derivatives found in the fruit of Schisandra chinensis which is a commonly prescribed Chinese medicinal herb. We found that Sch B reduced glycerolipid contents in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and subcutaneous adipocytes dissected from DIO mice. Sch B also activated hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) and increased lipolysis in these adipocyte in a protein kinase A-dependent manner. Interestingly, Sch B increased fatty acid oxidation gene expressions in these adipocytes, implying an increase in fatty acid oxidation after treatment. In in vivo model, we found that Sch B increased HSL phosphorylation, reduced glycerolipid levels and increased fatty acid oxidation gene expressions in the subcutaneous adipocytes in the DIO mice. More importantly, Sch B significantly reduced the subcutaneous adipocyte sizes, subcutaneous adipose tissue mass and body weight of the mice. Our study provides scientific evidence to suggest a potential therapeutic function of Sch B or Schisandra chinensis seed containing Sch B in reducing obesity.

Compromised responses to dietary methionine restriction in adipose tissue but not liver of ob/ob mice

OBJECTIVE

Dietary methionine restriction (MR) reduces adiposity and hepatic lipids and increases overall insulin sensitivity in part by reducing lipogenic gene expression in liver, inducing browning of white adipose tissue (WAT), and enhancing the lipogenic and oxidative capacity of the remodeled WAT.

METHODS

Ob/ob mice have compromised β-adrenergic receptor expression in adipose tissue and were used to test whether MR could ameliorate obesity, insulin resistance, and disordered lipid metabolism.

RESULTS

In contrast to responses in wild-type mice, MR failed to slow accumulation of adiposity, increase lipogenic and thermogenic gene expression in adipose tissue, reduce serum insulin, or increase serum adiponectin in ob/ob mice. However, MR produced comparable reductions in hepatic lipids and lipogenic gene expression in both genotypes. In addition, MR was fully effective in increasing insulin sensitivity in adiponectin(-/-) mice.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings show that diet-induced changes in hepatic lipid metabolism are independent of weight loss and remodeling of WAT and are not required for insulin sensitization. In contrast, the failure of ob/ob mice to mount a normal thermogenic response to MR suggests that the compromised responsiveness of adipose tissue to SNS input is an important component of the inability of the diet to correct their obesity and insulin resistance.

The impact of dietary methionine restriction on biomarkers of metabolic health

Calorie restriction without malnutrition, commonly referred to as dietary restriction (DR), results in a well-documented extension of life span. DR also produces significant, long-lasting improvements in biomarkers of metabolic health that begin to accrue soon after its introduction. The improvements are attributable in part to the effects of DR on energy balance, which limit fat accumulation through reduction in energy intake. Accumulation of excess body fat occurs when energy intake chronically exceeds the energy costs for growth and maintenance of existing tissue. The resulting obesity promotes the development of insulin resistance, disordered lipid metabolism, and increased expression of inflammatory markers in peripheral tissues. The link between the life-extending effects of DR and adiposity is the subject of an ongoing debate, but it is clear that decreased fat accumulation improves insulin sensitivity and produces beneficial effects on overall metabolic health. Over the last 20 years, dietary methionine restriction (MR) has emerged as a promising DR mimetic because it produces a comparable extension in life span, but surprisingly, does not require food restriction. Dietary MR also reduces adiposity but does so through a paradoxical increase in both energy intake and expenditure. The increase in energy expenditure fully compensates for increased energy intake and effectively limits fat deposition. Perhaps more importantly, the diet increases metabolic flexibility and overall insulin sensitivity and improves lipid metabolism while decreasing systemic inflammation. In this chapter, we describe recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms and effects of dietary MR and discuss the remaining obstacles to implementing MR as a treatment for metabolic disease.

Studies on the antiobesity effect of zinc-α2-glycoprotein in the ob/ob mouse

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the mechanism of the lipid depletion by zinc-α(2)-glycoprotein (ZAG).

DESIGN

Studies were conducted in the ob/ob mouse, or on isolated adipocytes from these animals or their lean counterparts.

RESULTS

Treatment of these animals for 15 days with ZAG (100  μg, intravenously, daily) resulted in a reduction of body weight of 6.55  g compared with phosphate-buffered saline-treated controls, without a change in food or water intake, but with a 0.4 °C rise in rectal temperature. ZAG-treated mice had a 30% reduction in carcass fat mass and a twofold increase in weight of brown adipose tissue. Epididymal adipocytes from ZAG-treated mice showed an increased expression of ZAG and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), and this was maintained for a further 3 days in the absence of ZAG. There was an increased lipolytic response to isoproterenol, which was retained for 3 days in vitro in the absence of ZAG. Expression of HSL was also increased in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue, as was also adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL). There was a rapid loss of labelled lipid from epididymal adipose tissue of ZAG-treated mice, but not from the other depots, reflecting the difference in sensitivity to lipolytic stimuli. The increased expression of HSL and ATGL may involve the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway, as the active (phospho) form was upregulated in all adipose depots after ZAG administration, whereas in vitro studies showed induction of HSL and ATGL by ZAG to be attenuated by PD98059, an inhibitor of the ERK pathway.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that ZAG not only induces direct lipolysis, but also sensitizes adipose tissue to other lipolytic stimuli.

Failure of dietary quercetin to alter the temporal progression of insulin resistance among tissues of C57BL/6J mice during the development of diet-induced obesity

AIMS/HYPOTHESES

High-fat diets produce obesity and glucose intolerance by promoting the development of insulin resistance in peripheral tissues and liver. The present studies sought to identify the initial site(s) where insulin resistance develops using a moderately high-fat diet and to assess whether the bioflavonoid, quercetin, ameliorates progression of this sequence.

METHODS

Four cohorts of male C57BL/6J mice were placed on diets formulated to be low-fat (10% of energy from fat), high-fat (45% of energy from fat) or high-fat plus 1.2% quercetin (wt/wt). After 3 and 8 weeks, cohorts were evaluated using euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic clamps, metabolomic analysis of fatty acylcarnitines and acute in vitro assessments of insulin signalling among tissues.

RESULTS

After 3 and 8 weeks, the high-fat diet produced whole-body insulin resistance without altering insulin-dependent glucose uptake in peripheral tissues. The primary defect was impaired suppression of hepatic glucose production by insulin at both times. Quercetin initially exacerbated the effect of high-fat diet by further increasing hepatic insulin resistance, but by 8 weeks insulin resistance and hepatic responsiveness to insulin were similarly compromised in both high-fat groups. The high-fat diet, irrespective of quercetin, increased short-chain fatty acylcarnitines in liver but not in muscle, while reciprocally reducing hepatic long-chain fatty acylcarnitines and increasing them in muscle.

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Failure of insulin to suppress hepatic glucose output is the initial defect that accounts for the insulin resistance that develops after short-term consumption of a high-fat (45% of energy) diet. Hepatic insulin resistance is associated with accumulation of short- and medium-, but not long-chain fatty acylcarnitines. Dietary quercetin does not ameliorate the progression of this sequence.

Inhibition of adipocyte differentiation by Nur77, Nurr1, and Nor1

Members of the nuclear receptor 4A (NR4A) subgroup of nuclear receptors have been implicated in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism in insulin-sensitive tissues such as liver and skeletal muscle. However, their function in adipocytes is not well defined. Previous studies have reported that these receptors are rapidly up-regulated after treatment of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes with an adipogenic cocktail. We show here that although Nur77 expression is acutely induced by cAMP agonists in 3T3-L1 cells, it is not induced by other adipogenic stimuli, such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma ligands, nor is it induced during the differentiation of 3T3-F442A preadipocytes, suggesting that Nur77 induction is not an obligatory feature of preadipocyte differentiation. We further demonstrate that inflammatory signals that antagonize differentiation, such as TNFalpha and lipopolysaccharide, acutely induce Nur77 expression both in vitro and in vivo. We also show that NR4A expression in adipose tissue is responsive to fasting/refeeding. Retroviral transduction of each of the NR4A receptors (Nur77, Nurr1, and NOR1) into either 3T3-L1 or 3T3-F442A preadipocytes potently inhibits adipogenesis. Interestingly, NR4A-mediated inhibition of adipogenesis cannot be rescued by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma overexpression or activation. Transcriptional profiling of Nur77-expressing preadipocytes led to the identification of gap-junction protein alpha1 (Gja1) and tolloid-like 1 (Tll1) as Nur77-responsive genes. Remarkably, retroviral expression of either Gja1 or Tll1 in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes also inhibited adipocyte differentiation, implicating these genes as potential mediators of Nur77's effects on adipogenesis. Finally, we show that Nur77 expression inhibits mitotic clonal expansion of preadipocytes, providing an additional mechanism by which Nur77 may inhibit adipogenesis.

Activator of G protein signaling 3 null mice: I. Unexpected alterations in metabolic and cardiovascular function

Activator of G protein signaling (AGS)-3 plays functional roles in cell division, synaptic plasticity, addictive behavior, and neuronal development. As part of a broad effort to define the extent of functional diversity of AGS3-regulated-events in vivo, we generated AGS3 null mice. Surprisingly, AGS3 null adult mice exhibited unexpected alterations in cardiovascular and metabolic functions without any obvious changes in motor skills, basic behavioral traits, and brain morphology. AGS3 null mice exhibited a lean phenotype, reduced fat mass, and increased nocturnal energy expenditure. AGS3 null mice also exhibited altered blood pressure control mechanisms. These studies expand the functional repertoire for AGS3 and other G protein regulatory proteins providing unexpected mechanisms by which G protein systems may be targeted to influence obesity and cardiovascular function.

Regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes

Lipolysis of white adipose tissue triacylglycerol stores results in the liberation of glycerol and nonesterified fatty acids that are released into the vasculature for use by other organs as energy substrates. In response to changes in nutritional state, lipolysis rates are precisely regulated through hormonal and biochemical signals. These signals modulate the activity of lipolytic enzymes and accessory proteins, allowing for maximal responsiveness of adipose tissue to changes in energy requirements and availability. Recently, a number of novel adipocyte triacylglyceride lipases have been identified, including desnutrin/ATGL, greatly expanding our understanding of adipocyte lipolysis. We have also begun to better appreciate the role of a number of nonenzymatic proteins that are critical to triacylglyceride breakdown. This review provides an overview of key mediators of lipolysis and the regulation of this process by changes in nutritional status and nutrient intakes.

Vagal afferent control of opioidergic effects in rat brainstem circuits

We demonstrated recently that increasing the levels of cAMP allows opioids to modulate GABAergic synaptic transmission between the nucleus of the tractus solitarius (NTS) and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV). Using a combination of electrophysiological, immunohistochemical and biochemical approaches, we provide evidence that vagal afferent fibres dampen cAMP levels within the vagal brainstem circuits via tonic activation of group II metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs). Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were made from identified neurons of the rat DMV. Following chronic vagal deafferentation, the opioid agonist methionine-enkephalin (ME) inhibited the amplitude of evoked IPSC (eIPSC) in 32 of 33 neurons, without exogenous enhancement of cAMP levels. The ME-induced inhibition was prevented by the group II mGluR-selective agonist APDC. Following perfusion with the group II mGluR-selective antagonist EGLU, ME inhibited eIPSC amplitude in brainstem slices of control rats. Immunohistochemical experiments revealed that, following vagal deafferentation, mu-opioid receptors were colocalized on GABAergic profiles apposing DMV neurons; the number of colocalized profiles was significantly decreased by pretreatment with APDC. Radioimmunoassay and Western blot analysis showed that cAMP and phosphorylated cyclic AMP response element binding protein (pCREB) levels in the dorsal vagal complex were increased following vagal deafferentation. Our data show that by tonically dampening the levels of cAMP within the GABAergic synaptic contacts, activated group II mGluRs prevent the modulation of this synapse by endogenous opioids. These data suggest that the plasticity, hence the response, of central circuits controlling the vagal motor outflow to visceral organs is modulated and finely tuned by vagal afferent fibres.

Changes in integrin expression during adipocyte differentiation

3T3-L1 preadipocytes require cAMP for maximal differentiation. Microarray analysis reveals that the integrins alpha5 and alpha6 are coordinately regulated by cAMP. alpha5 expression is gradually diminished during adipogenesis, whereas alpha6 is increased. Overexpression of alpha5 in preadipocytes results in enhanced proliferation and attenuated differentiation. Conversely, alpha6 overexpression is without effect. The GTPase Rac is normally inhibited during differentiation. However, overexpression of integrin alpha5 increases Rac activity. Constitutively active but not dominant-negative Rac inhibits differentiation when overexpressed in preadipocytes, implying its role downstream of alpha5 integrin in maintaining preadipocytes in an undifferentiated state. Moreover, alpha6 integrin is critically involved in clustering growth-arrested preadipocytes on basement membrane Matrigel. Perturbation of such clustering enhances Rho activity and promotes growth-arrested preadipocytes to reenter the cell cycle. These findings demonstrate a role for integrin alpha6 in connecting morphogenesis with signaling processes leading to terminal differentiation.

Short photoperiod exposure increases adipocyte sensitivity to noradrenergic stimulation in Siberian hamsters

Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) exhibit a naturally occurring, reversible seasonal obesity with body fat peaking in long "summerlike" days (LDs) and reaching a nadir in short "winterlike" days (SDs). These SD-induced decreases in adiposity are mediated largely via sympathetic nervous system (SNS) innervation of white adipose tissue (WAT), as indicated by increased WAT norepinephrine (NE) turnover. We examined whether SDs also increase sensitivity to NE-stimulated lipolysis. This was accomplished by measuring NE- and beta3-adrenoceptor (beta3-AR) agonist (BRL-37344)-induced lipolysis (glycerol release) as well as NE-induced cAMP accumulation by inguinal, epididymal, and retroperitoneal WAT (IWAT, EWAT, and RWAT) in isolated adipocytes of LD- and SD-housed hamsters. SDs increased potency/efficacy of NE-triggered lipolysis in a temporally and fat pad-specific manner. Thus when WAT pad mass decreased most rapidly (5 wk of SDs), potency (sensitivity/EC50) and efficacy (maximal response asymptote) of NE-stimulated lipolysis were increased for all WAT pads and also at 10 wk for IWAT compared with their LD counterparts. SD enhancement of lipolysis was similar for NE and BRL-37344 in IWAT adipocytes. These results, coupled with our previous demonstration that SDs upregulate WAT beta3-AR mRNA expression, suggest that increased beta3-ARs mediated the SD-induced increased NE sensitivity. NE-stimulated adipocyte accumulation of cAMP was greater after 5 wk of SDs for IWAT and EWAT and after 10 wk of SDs for IWAT compared with LDs, with no photoperiod effect for RWAT. Therefore, the SD-induced increase in SNS drive to WAT and increased sensitivity to this drive may work together to increase lipolysis in SDs.

Adrenomedullin gene delivery attenuates myocardial infarction and apoptosis after ischemia and reperfusion

Adrenomedullin (AM) has been shown to protect against cardiac remodeling. In this study, we investigated the potential role of AM in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury through adenovirus-mediated gene delivery. One week after AM gene delivery, rats were subjected to 30-min coronary occlusion, followed by 2-h reperfusion. AM gene transfer significantly reduced the ratio of infarct size to ischemic area at risk and the occurrence of sustained ventricular fibrillation compared with control rats. AM gene delivery also attenuated apoptosis, assessed by both terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay and DNA laddering. The effect of AM gene transfer on infarct size, arrhythmia, and apoptosis was abolished by an AM antagonist, calcitonin gene-related peptide [CGRP(8-37)]. Expression of human AM significantly increased cardiac cGMP levels and reduced superoxide production, superoxide density, NAD(P)H oxidase activity, p38 MAPK activation, and Bax levels. Moreover, AM increased Akt and Bad phosphorylation and Bcl-2 levels, but decreased caspase-3 activation. These results indicate that AM protects against myocardial infarction, arrhythmia, and apoptosis in I/R injury via suppression of oxidative stress-induced Bax and p38 MAPK phosphorylation and activation of the Akt-Bad-Bcl-2 signaling pathway. Successful application of this technology may have a protective effect in coronary artery diseases.

Pharmacology of a new cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase type 4 inhibitor, V11294

V11294 is a new cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4) inhibitor of the rolipram class. In this report we present the pharmacological profile of V11294. V11294 inhibited PDE4 isolated from human lung with IC(50) 405 nM, compared to 3700 nM for rolipram. In contrast, V11294 inhibition of human PDE3 and PDE5 occurred only at concentrations greater than 100,000 nM. Like rolipram, V11294 inhibited PDE4D more potently than other PDE4 subtypes. V11294, when incubated with human anticoagulated whole blood in vitro, or administered to mice, caused increased cAMP concentration, consistent with inhibition of PDE4. V11294 inhibited lectin-induced proliferation and lipopolysaccharide-induced TNFalpha synthesis by human adherent monocytes in vitro and inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced TNFalpha synthesis in mice. V11294 caused relaxation of guinea pig isolated trachea and inhibited allergen-induced bronchoconstriction and eosinophilia in guinea pigs at doses of 1 and 3 mg/kg, p.o. In ferrets, V11294 was not emetogenic at doses up to 30 mg/kg, p.o., despite plasma concentration reaching 10-fold the IC(50) for PDE4. In contrast, rolipram induced severe retching and vomiting at 10 mg/kg, p.o. In conclusion, V11294 is an orally active PDE4 inhibitor that exhibits antiinflammatory activity in vitro, and in vivo at doses that are not emetogenic.

Human endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene delivery promotes angiogenesis in a rat model of hindlimb ischemia

OBJECTIVE

Endothelium-derived NO has been shown to mediate the mitogenic effect of vascular endothelial growth factor on cultured microvascular endothelium. To evaluate the role of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) in angiogenesis in the ischemic hindlimb, we engineered an adenovirus containing human eNOS cDNA.

METHODS AND RESULTS

After gene transfer, expression of eNOS in cultured cells was detected by increased intracellular cGMP and nitrate/nitrite levels and NO synthase activity. Adenovirus containing either the eNOS or luciferase gene was injected into the adductor muscle of rat hindlimbs immediately after femoral artery removal. Human eNOS protein was detected throughout the course of the experiment by immunostaining. Significant increases in blood perfusion were monitored by laser Doppler imaging from 2 to 4 weeks after gene delivery in the ischemic hindlimb of rats receiving eNOS compared with control rats receiving the reporter gene. An increase in regional blood flow was also detected after eNOS gene transfer by a fluorescent microsphere assay. eNOS gene delivery in the ischemic hindlimb resulted in significant increases in intracellular cGMP levels and in capillary density identified by anti-CD-31 immunostaining. Angiogenesis was further confirmed in mice after eNOS gene transfer by increased hemoglobin content in Matrigel implants.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, these results indicate that eNOS enhances angiogenesis and raises the potential of eNOS gene transfer for modulation of vascular insufficiency.

Cell cycle regulation in a dinoflagellate, Amphidinium operculatum: identification of the diel entraining cue and a possible role for cyclic AMP

This research describes the diel phasing of the cell cycle in the dinoflagellate, Amphidinium operculatum Claparéde and Lachmann, and investigates the mechanisms that serve to link the cell cycle to the diel cycle. Unlike many dinoflagellates, A. operculatum has a naturally high division rate of approximately 1 division day(-1), which yields a nearly synchronous population, making it useful for population studies. When grown on a 16:8 h light/dark cycle, S-phase begins 10 h and mitosis 14-16 h after the onset of light, as determined by flow cytometry. Alterations in the timing of the dark/light and light/dark transitions showed that the cell cycle is entrained by the dark/light transition, with the light/dark cue being uninvolved. Cells in logarithmic phase growth also undergo diel changes in cell size (9-14 &mgr;m), reaching a maximum size late in the light phase, concurrent with mitosis. Stationary phase cells or cells blocked in G1 of the cell cycle with a cell cycle inhibitor, olomoucine, showed no size changes or reduced size changes over the diel cycle, suggesting a coupling of cell size to the cell division cycle. In Euglena, cAMP-dependent signaling appears to mediate diel phasing of the cell cycle. Therefore, the role of cAMP in cell cycle control in A. operculatum was investigated. Measurement of intracellular cAMP by radioimmunoassay (RIA) revealed that cAMP concentrations varied on a diel basis, but increases observed appeared to correlate with cell size increases, and did not correlate with light cues at the dark/light or light/dark transition. However, when cells were treated with the cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor, IBMX, cell cycle progression was inhibited at both the G1/S and the G2/M phase transitions. This supports a role for cAMP-dependent signaling in the dinoflagellate cell cycle and is in agreement with the documented role of cAMP in the cell cycle control of higher eukaryotes.

Leptin-induced lipolysis opposes the tonic inhibition of endogenous adenosine in white adipocytes

The aim of the present study was to gain insight into the signaling pathway used by leptin to stimulate lipolysis. The lipolytic rate of white adipocytes from sex- and age-matched lean (+/+) and fa/fa rats was determined in the absence or presence of leptin together with a number of agents acting at different levels of the signaling cascade. Leptin did not modify FSK-, dbcAMP-, and IBMX-stimulated lipolysis. Lipolysis can also be maximally stimulated by lowering media adenosine levels with adenosine deaminase (ADA), i.e., in the ligand-free state. Although ADA produced near maximal lipolysis in adipocytes of lean animals, only half of the maximal lipolytic rate (50.9+/-3.2%) was achieved in fat cells from fa/fa rats (P=0.0034). In adipocytes from lean animals preincubated with ADA, leptin caused a concentration-related stimulation of lipolysis (P=0.0001). However, leptin had no effect on the lipolytic activity of adipocytes in the ligand-free state from fa/fa rats. The adenosine A1 receptor agonist CPA effectively inhibited basal lipolysis in both lean and obese adipocytes (P=0.0001 and P=0.0090, respectively). Leptin had no effect on the lipolytic rate of adipocytes isolated from fa/fa rats and preincubated with CPA. When adipocytes were incubated with the A1 receptor antagonist DPCPX, a significant increase in glycerol release was observed in fa/fa fat cells (P=0.009), whereas cells isolated from lean rats showed no differences to ADA-stimulated lipolysis. After pretreatment with PTX, which inactivates receptor-mediated Gi function, adipocytes of obese rats became as responsive to the stimulatory actions of ISO as cells from lean rats (P=0.0090 vs. ISO in fa/fa rats; P=0.2416 vs. lean rats, respectively). PTX treatment of lean cells, however, did not alter their response to this lipolytic agent. It can be concluded that the lipolytic effect of leptin is located at the adenylate cyclase/Gi proteins level and that leptin-induced lipolysis opposes the tonic inhibition of endogenous adenosine in white adipocytes.

CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha is required for transcription of the beta 3-adrenergic receptor gene during adipogenesis

The beta(3)-adrenergic receptor (beta(3)AR) is expressed predominantly in adipocytes, and it plays a major role in regulating lipolysis and adaptive thermogenesis. Its expression in a variety of adipocyte cell models is preceded by the appearance of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha (C/EBP alpha), which has been shown to regulate a number of other adipocyte-specific genes. Importantly, it has been demonstrated that several adipocyte cell lines that fail to express C/EBP alpha exhibit reduced insulin sensitivity, despite an apparent adipogenic phenotype. Here we show that transcription and function of the beta(3)AR correlates with C/EBP alpha expression in these adipocyte models. A 5.13-kilobase pair fragment of the mouse beta(3)AR promoter was isolated and sequenced. This fragment conferred a 50-fold increase in luciferase reporter gene expression in adipocytes. Two putative C/EBP binding sites exist at -3306 to -3298 and at -1462 to -1454, but only the more distal site is functional. Oligonucleotides corresponding to both the wild-type and mutated -3306 element were inserted upstream of a thymidine kinase luciferase construct. When cotransfected in fibroblasts with a C/EBP alpha expression vector, reporter gene expression increased 3-fold only in the wild-type constructs. The same mutation, when placed into the intact 5.13-kilobase pair promoter, reduced promoter activity in adipocytes from 50-fold to <10-fold. Electrophoretic mobility shift analysis demonstrated that the site at -3306 generated a specific protein-oligonucleotide complex that was supershifted by C/EBP alpha antibody, while a probe corresponding to a putative site at -1462 did not. These results define C/EBP alpha as a key transcriptional regulator of the mouse beta(3)AR gene during adipogenesis.

Central leptin regulates the UCP1 and ob genes in brown and white adipose tissue via different beta-adrenoceptor subtypes

The three known subtypes of beta-adrenoreceptors (beta(1)-AR, beta(2)-AR, and beta(3)-AR) are differentially expressed in brown and white adipose tissue and mediate peripheral responses to central modulation of sympathetic outflow by leptin. To assess the relative roles of the beta-AR subtypes in mediating leptin's effects on adipocyte gene expression, mice with a targeted disruption of the beta(3)-adrenoreceptor gene (beta(3)-AR KO) were treated with vehicle or the beta(1)/beta(2)-AR selective antagonist, propranolol (20 microgram/g body weight/day) prior to intracerebroventricular (ICV) injections of leptin (0.1 microgram/g body weight/day). Leptin produced a 3-fold increase in UCP1 mRNA in brown adipose tissue of wild type (FVB/NJ) and beta(3)-AR KO mice. The response was unaltered by propranolol in wild type mice, but was completely blocked by this antagonist in beta(3)-AR KO mice. In contrast, ICV leptin had no effect on leptin mRNA in either epididymal or retroperitoneal white adipose tissue (WAT) from beta(3)-AR KOs. Moreover, propranolol did not block the ability of exogenous leptin to reduce leptin mRNA in either WAT depot site of wild type mice. These results demonstrate that the beta(3)-AR is required for leptin-mediated regulation of ob mRNA expression in WAT, but is interchangeable with the beta(1)/beta(2)-ARs in mediating leptin's effect on UCP1 mRNA expression in brown adipose tissue.

The beta3-adrenergic receptor activates mitogen-activated protein kinase in adipocytes through a Gi-dependent mechanism

Promiscuous coupling between G protein-coupled receptors and multiple species of heterotrimeric G proteins provides a potential mechanism for expanding the diversity of G protein-coupled receptor signaling. We have examined the mechanism and functional consequences of dual Gs/Gi protein coupling of the beta3-adrenergic receptor (beta3AR) in 3T3-F442A adipocytes. The beta3AR selective agonist disodium (R, R)-5-[2[[2-(3-chlorophenyl)-2-hydroxyethyl]-amino]propyl]-1, 3-benzodioxole-2,2-dicarboxylate (CL316,243) stimulated a dose-dependent increase in cAMP production in adipocyte plasma membrane preparations, and pretreatment of cells with pertussis toxin resulted in a further 2-fold increase in cAMP production by CL316,243. CL316,243 (5 microM) stimulated the incorporation of 8-azido-[32P]GTP into Galphas (1.57 +/- 0.12; n = 3) and Galphai (1. 68 +/- 0.13; n = 4) in adipocyte plasma membranes, directly demonstrating that beta3AR stimulation results in Gi-GTP exchange. The beta3AR-stimulated increase in 8-azido-[32P]GTP labeling of Galphai was equivalent to that obtained with the A1-adenosine receptor agonist N6-cyclopentyladenosine (1.56 +/- 0.07; n = 4), whereas inclusion of unlabeled GTP (100 microM) eliminated all binding. Stimulation of the beta3AR in 3T3-F442A adipocytes led to a 2-3-fold activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase, as measured by extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1 and -2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation. Pretreatment of cells with pertussis toxin (PTX) eliminated MAP kinase activation by beta3AR, demonstrating that this response required receptor coupling to Gi. Expression of the human beta3AR in HEK-293 cells reconstituted the PTX-sensitive stimulation of MAP kinase, demonstrating that this phenomenon is not exclusive to adipocytes or to the rodent beta3AR. ERK1/2 activation by the beta3AR was insensitive to the cAMP-dependent protein kinase inhibitor H-89 but was abolished by genistein and AG1478. These data indicate that constitutive beta3AR coupling to Gi proteins serves both to restrain Gs-mediated activation of adenylyl cyclase and to initiate additional signal transduction pathways, including the ERK1/2 MAP kinase cascade.

The inhibitory guanine nucleotide-binding protein Gi2alpha induces and potentiates adipocyte differentiation

The present study further elucidates the involvement of the alpha-subunit of the GTP-binding protein Gi2 in the differentiation of murine 3T3-L1 cells. Control and vector-transfected cells attained a fully differentiated adipocyte phenotype showing ample lipid droplets. Cells expressing wild type (WT)-Gi2alpha or the constitutively active R179E-Gi2alpha, however, became enlarged, less confluent, and produced large amounts of lipids. Differentiation consistently increased the triglyceride (TAG) content in control cells. In both WT-Gi2alpha and R179E-Gi2alpha clones, a marked increase in TAG could be detected even prior to insulin/dexamethasone/isobutyl methylxanthine exposure. The activity of palmitoyl-CoA synthetase (PCS) and glycerophosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) also increased upon differentiation. WT-Gi2alpha and R179E-Gi2alpha overexpression also enhanced PCS and GPAT activities even before differentiation medium was added. The total amount of phospholipids (PL) generally increased upon differentiation; however, pre- and postdifferentiation values were insignificantly different in cells expressing WT-Gi2alpha and R179E-Gi2alpha. Differentiation altered the PL profile with a relative shift from phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine to phosphatidylinositol (PI) in differentiated cells. Finally, differentiation yielded a general increase in the activity of basal PI-phospholipase-C activity. Again, cells expressing WT-Gi2alpha and R179E-Gi2alpha demonstrated elevated enzyme activity and enhanced second messenger accumulation subsequent to differentiation. In summary, cells with the R179E-mutants of Gi2alpha exhibited stimulated lipid turnover and accumulation in both undifferentiated and differentiated cells.

Molecular cloning, cell localization and binding affinity to DNA replication proteins of the p36/LACK protective antigen from Leishmania infantum

The p36/LACK antigen from Leishmania, an analogue of the receptor for activated protein kinase C (PKC), induces high levels of protection against parasite infection in the BALB/c mouse model. This protection is more than twice as high as that elicited by major parasite antigens such as soluble Leishmania antigen or the main surface protease gp63. We have cloned and purified p36/LACK from Leishmania infantum, the causative agent of visceral leishmaniasis in Europe. This protein belongs to the large family of WD 40 repeat proteins confined to eukaryotes and involved in numerous regulatory functions. Differential solubilization and immunofluorescence experiments indicate that p36/LACK is present close to the kinetoplast disc in the cell cytoplasm, probably bound to multiprotein complexes but not to membrane structures. These complexes probably also include cytoplasm PKC isoforms. The use of a genetically-encoded peptide library indicates that p36/LACK binds sequences present in several proteins involved in DNA replication and RNA synthesis. The recognition and binding sequences present in vacuolar proteins and at the beta-chain of major histocompatability complex (MHC) class II suggest the involvement of this regulatory protein in the early mechanisms triggering the protective immune response of the host against the parasite infection.

Effect of somatotropin, insulin, and glucocorticoid on lipolysis in chronic cultures of adipose tissue from lactating cows

In vitro effects of bovine somatotropin (bST) and insulin plus dexamethasone on lipolysis were evaluated using chronic cultures (48 h) of adipose tissue from lactating cows. Treatments were control (culture medium alone), bST (100 ng/ml), insulin (100 ng/ml) plus dexamethasome (10 nM), and insulin plus dexamethasone plus bST. Following the 48-h cultures, rates of lipolysis were measured in 3-h incubations with isoproterenol (10 microM), adenosine deaminase (0.75 U/ml), and various concentrations of a nonhydrolyzable adenosine analog. The addition of bST to cultures did not alter basal or isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis. However, the ability of adenosine to inhibit rates of lipolysis was reduced by bST. When measured in the presence of maximal concentrations of adenosine analog, isoproterenol caused an increase in lipolysis above basal, which was twofold greater for explants cultured with insulin plus dexamethasone plus bST than for explants cultured with insulin plus dexamethasone. Dose-response curves for adenosine inhibition of isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis demonstrated that chronic culture with bST decreased adipose tissue responsiveness and sensitivity to adenosine. Overall, results demonstrated that an in vitro chronic culture system can be used to examine factors that regulate lipolysis. The addition of insulin plus dexamethasone to chronic cultures better maintained the intracellular signaling system, including sensitivity and responsiveness to adenosine inhibition of lipolysis. Results also confirm that bST alters the antilipolytic response to adenosine. Thus, bST effects are in large part due to a relief in the tonic inhibition of lipolysis via changes in the inhibitory G-protein signaling system.

Increased prostacyclin and PGE2 stimulated cAMP production by macrophages from endotoxin-tolerant rats

Sublethal administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) renders rats tolerant to multiple lethal stimuli. Tolerant macrophages exhibit differential alterations in LPS-stimulated cytokine and inflammatory mediator release. Increased cAMP levels stimulated by PGE2 or prostacyclin (PGI2) result in differential effects on LPS-induced cytokine release and protect against the pathophysiological changes of endotoxemia. In the present studies, we sought to determine whether PGE2- and PGI2-stimulated cAMP levels are altered in tolerant macrophages. Incubation of macrophages with cicaprost or 11-deoxy-PGE1 in the presence of phosphodiesterase inhibitors resulted in significantly higher (2.5- to 6.5-fold) cAMP concentrations in tolerant macrophages compared with control. In contrast, isoproterenol-stimulated cAMP levels were not significantly different between control and tolerant cells. Also, incubation of tolerant macrophages with LPS did not result in significantly elevated cAMP levels. Prostacyclin (IP) receptor mRNA levels were significantly increased in tolerant cells compared with controls, whereas [3H]PGE2 binding and PGE2 EP4 receptor mRNA levels were not significantly changed. These studies suggest that LPS tolerance induces selective alterations in eicosanoid regulation of cAMP formation.

Selective effects of long-term lithium and carbamazepine administration on G-protein subunit expression in rat brain

The efficacy of lithium and carbamazepine in treatment of bipolar affective disorder is well established. Although a number of biochemical effects have been found the exact molecular mechanisms underlying their therapeutic actions have not been elucidated. Nor have the target regions in the brain been located. The objectives of the present investigation were to identify the selective effects and target regions of long-term treatment, with either lithium or carbamazepine, on G-protein subunit expression in rat brain. Effects were measured in hippocampus, hypothalamus, amygdala, frontal cortex, neostriatum, thalamus, raphe nuclei and cerebellum. At the protein level amounts of Galphao decreased significantly (P < 0.01) in neostriatum and Gbeta increased in frontal cortex in response to both drug treatments. At the mRNA level amounts of Galphai1 increased significantly (P < 0.01) in neostriatum. Galphas messenger amounts decreased in frontal cortex and increased in thalamus. These effects were common for both drugs, however, in addition also some differential effects, specific for either of the two drugs, were observed. We conclude frontal cortex and neostriatum are important target regions of long-term treatment with either lithium or carbamazepine and suggest Galphao, Galphas, Galphai1 and Gbeta to be selective target molecules.

Gene therapy in hypertension: adenovirus-mediated kallikrein gene delivery in hypertensive rats

Tissue kallikrein has been shown to play a role in blood pressure regulation, and abnormalities in the kallikreinkinin system are considered to be a factor in the pathogenesis of hypertension. To elucidate the potential therapeutic effects of kallikrein gene delivery in hypertension, an adenoviral vector containing the human tissue kallikrein gene under the control of a cytomegalovirus promoter, Ad.CMV-cHK, was intravenously injected into spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). A single injection of Ad.CMV-cHK into SHR caused a sustained delay in the increase in blood pressure from day 2 to day 41 post injection, as compared to control rats receiving Ad.CMV-LacZ adenovirus. Adenovirus-mediated kallikrein gene delivery had no effect on the blood pressure of normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats. Human tissue kallikrein mRNA was detected in the liver, kidney, spleen, adrenal gland, and aorta. Immunoreactive human tissue kallikrein can be detected in sera and urine of rats receiving kallikrein gene delivery. Human tissue kallikrein in rat serum was at the highest level 5 days post injection, and the level declined gradually. Urinary kinin and cGMP levels were significantly increased in rats receiving kallikrein gene delivery compared to Ad.CMV-LacZ control rats. These results show that adenovirus-mediated delivery of human tissue kallikrein results in high-efficiency expression and blood pressure reduction in SHR. Application of adenovirus-mediated systemic expression of the tissue kallikrein gene may provide a unique way of delivering the gene product into the vasculature and could have important therapeutic implications in treating hypertension.

Prolonged reduction of high blood pressure with human nitric oxide synthase gene delivery

Endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) in peripheral vessels has been shown to modulate vascular resistance and blood pressure. We explored the effect of a continuous supply of human endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) on the blood pressure of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) by somatic gene delivery. A DNA construct containing the human eNOS gene fused to the cytomegalovirus promoter/enhancer was injected into SHR through the tail vein. A single injection of the naked eNOS plasmid DNA caused a significant reduction of systemic blood pressure for 5 to 6 weeks in SHR, and the effect continued for up to 10 to 12 weeks after a second injection. The differences were significant from 2 to 12 weeks postinjections (n=6, P<.01). In a separate experiment, L-arginine, the substrate of eNOS, was supplied in drinking water at a concentration of 7.5 g/L for 11 weeks after eNOS gene delivery. A maximal blood pressure reduction of 21 mm Hg in SHR was observed with eNOS DNA compared with that of control SHR injected with vector DNA (181.9+/-1.46 versus 202.7+/-2.79 mm Hg, mean+/-SEM, n=6, P<.01). Human eNOS gene delivery induces significant increases in urinary and aortic cGMP levels and urinary and serum nitrite/nitrate content (P<.05), while no significant differences in body weight, heart rate, water intake, food consumption, or urine excretion were observed. These results indicate that somatic delivery of the human eNOS gene induces a prolonged reduction of high blood pressure and raises the potential of using eNOS gene therapy for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.

Adrenalectomy after weaning restores beta3-adrenergic receptor expression in white adipocytes from C57BL/6J-ob/ob mice

The role of hypercorticism in the development of compromised beta-adrenergic signaling in adipose tissue was assessed in ob/ob mice adrenalectomized at 4 weeks of age and studied 1 and 3 weeks thereafter. Adrenalectomy prevented the rapid increase in body weight and fat deposition between 4 and 5 weeks of age in ob/ob mice and produced a phenotype indistinguishable from that of lean mice. However, adrenalectomized ob/ob mice became intermediate between lean and ob/ob mice by 7 weeks of age. Adipocyte beta3-adrenergic receptor (AR) messenger RNA levels were similar between lean and adrenalectomized ob/ob mice at both time points and were 4- to 8-fold higher than messenger RNA levels in ob/ob mice. As judged by maximal activation of adenylyl cyclase by a beta3-AR-selective agonist, adrenalectomy also restored functional activity of the beta3-AR to levels above or equivalent to those seen in lean mice at both time points. The present results suggest that development of hypercorticism at or before weaning in ob/ob mice represses expression of the beta3-AR and prevents the normal postweaning development of this signaling system in the adipocyte.

Subcellular localization of G-proteins in primary-cultured mouse preadipocytes and adipocytes

The subcellular localization of G5 alpha, Gi alpha 1&2, Gi alpha 3, and G beta was studied in primary-cultured undifferentiated and differentiated, lipid replete, adipose cells. The results show a distinct distribution for each of these G-proteins and differences between differentiated and undifferentiated cells. All the G-proteins examined had a cytoplasmic localization; only Gi alpha 1 and 2 showed a significant colocalization with the plasma membrane and this only in differentiated cells. Most studies using cells in culture have reported an intracellular localization for G-proteins, whereas in tissue sections the localization has been reported to be largely with the plasma membrane, with some intracellular localization. The results suggest that the cell-cell interactions or the specific geometry imposed by culture conditions favor the intracellular compared to peripheral localization of G-proteins. Alternately, the posttranslational modifications necessary for G-protein insertion in the plasma membrane may be deficient in cultured cells.

alpha-Thrombin upregulates G alpha i3 in human vascular endothelial cells

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

During thrombosis, alpha-thrombin becomes sequestered by fibrin and the subendothelial basement membrane, and it is available to interact with the vasculature over prolonged periods. In this study, we investigated the long-term effect of alpha-thrombin on G alpha i3 and G alpha s levels in human vascular endothelial cells (EC). Because obesity is associated with changes in receptor signaling in many animal models, we also explored the influence of this clinical risk factor.

METHODS

Primary cultures of human EC were exposed to alpha-thrombin for 16 hours, and immunologically detectable G alpha i3 and G alpha s levels were measured.

RESULTS

alpha-Thrombin (100 nmol/L) increased G alpha i3 levels in EC derived from the cerebral microvasculature and superficial temporal artery (4.2 +/- 1.2-fold and 2.8 +/- 0.32-fold, respectively) but had no significant effect on EC derived from omental artery (P > .6) or from the superficial temporal artery of obese (body mass index > or = 28 kg/m2) patients (P > .4). The expression of G alpha s was unchanged in all cell types (P > or = .1). Two other circulating peptides, vasoactive intestinal peptide and endothelin-1, failed to alter the expression of either G protein in EC from the cerebral microvasculature, further demonstrating the specificity of the alpha-thrombin effect. However, thrombin receptor activating protein-14 mimicked the alpha-thrombin response and increased G alpha i3 in EC derived from the cerebral microvasculature and superficial temporal artery.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that alpha-thrombin increases G alpha i3 expression in some EC through activation of its tethered liganded receptor. Obesity appears to suppress this action of alpha-thrombin.

Overexpression of Ha-ras selectively in adipose tissue of transgenic mice. Evidence for enhanced sensitivity to insulin

To determine the role of Ras-dependent signaling pathways in adipocyte function, we created transgenic mice that overexpress Ha-ras in adipocytes using the aP2 fatty acid-binding protein promoter/enhancer ligated to the human genomic ras sequence. ras mRNA was increased 8-17-fold and Ras protein 4-5-fold in white and brown fat, with no overexpression in other tissues. The subcellular distribution of overexpressed Ras paralleled that of endogenous Ras. [U-14C]Glucose uptake into isolated adipocytes was increased approximately 2-fold in the absence of insulin, and the ED50 for insulin was reduced 70%, with minimal effect on maximally stimulated glucose transport. Expression of Glut4 protein was unaltered in transgenic adipocytes, but photoaffinity labeling of transporters in intact cells with [3H]2-N-[4-(1-azi-Z,Z,Z-trifluoroethyl)benzoyl]-1,3-bis-(D-mann os-4- yloxy)-2-propylamine revealed 1.7-2.6-fold more cell-surface Glut 4 in the absence of insulin and at half-maximal insulin concentration (0.3 nM) compared with nontransgenic adipocytes. With maximal insulin concentration (80 nM), cell-surface Glut4 in nontransgenic and transgenic adipocytes was similar. Glut1 expression and basal cell-surface Glut1 were increased 2-2.9-fold in adipocytes of transgenic mice. However, Glut1 was much less abundant than Glut4, making its contribution to transport negligible. These in vitro changes were accompanied by in vivo alterations including increased glucose tolerance, decreased plasma insulin levels, and decreased adipose mass. We conclude that ras overexpression in adipocytes leads to a partial translocation of Glut4 in the absence of insulin and enhanced Glut4 translocation at physiological insulin concentration, but no effect with maximally stimulating insulin concentrations.

Of mice and women: the beta 3-adrenergic receptor leptin and obesity

The metabolic response of adipose tissue to stimuli leading to lipid mobilization is important in determining the direction of metabolism and the degree to which adipose tissue can store lipids and release fatty acids in times of need. The lipolytic machinery is controlled by the activity of hormone-sensitive lipase, which in turn is controlled by the cellular levels of cAMP. The production of cAMP is abnormal in the adipose tissue of some animal models of obesity. In the ob/ob mouse, the defective cAMP production has been associated with deficient levels of some of the isoforms of the guanine nucleotide transducing G-proteins and also with the low expression and functionality of the beta 3-adrenergic receptor (beta 3-AR). The recent discovery of the ob gene product leptin calls into question the role of the ob gene in the regulation of the cAMP cascade in adipose tissue. The importance of the beta 3-AR and leptin in regulating human adipose tissue metabolism remains to be clarified.

Beta-adrenergic responsiveness of adenylate cyclase in human adipocyte plasma membranes in obesity and after massive weight reduction

The aim of this study was to find out how beta-adrenergic responsiveness of adipocytes is altered in obesity and by weight loss and to investigate what mechanisms lead to potential alterations in responsiveness. Crude plasma membranes were prepared from adipocytes of massively obese and normal-weight individuals, as well as previously obese patients that had lost an average of 38% of their initial weight after bariatric surgery. Stimulation of adenylate cyclase by isoproterenol varied considerably in fat cell plasma membranes from different individuals. Crude fat cell plasma membranes from obese patients were less responsive to isoproterenol than those from normal-weight subjects, whereas those from postgastroplasty patients were hyperresponsive. The response was correlated negatively with cell size and positively with beta-adrenergic receptor density and with the ratio of beta-receptors and stimulatory G-proteins (Gs). There was no correlation with Gs content. However, differences in receptor density between small and large cells or normal-weight, obese, and post-bypass patients could not explain the observed differences in responsiveness to isoproterenol between the different groups.

Effect of somatotropin treatment on lipogenesis, lipolysis, and related cellular mechanisms in adipose tissue of lactating cows

The effect of bST on the metabolism of lipid in adipose tissue was studied using tissue biopsies from lactating cows treated with bST for 8 d. Cows responded to treatment by increasing daily milk yield by 10.9 kg, although net energy intake was not changed. Thus, net energy balance was changed from highly positive to slightly negative (+7.7 to -1.1 Mcal/d). Consistent with these changes in net energy balance, lipogenesis rates were dramatically reduced (97%) in adipose tissue from bST-treated cows. Activities of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (initial and total) and fatty acid synthase were also dramatically decreased. Therefore, for cows in positive energy balance, reduced lipid synthesis in adipose tissue represents a major mechanism whereby bST alters nutrient partitioning to support greater milk synthesis. Treatment with bST had no effect on beta-adrenergic-stimulated lipolysis in adipose tissue explants incubated in vitro with adenosine deaminase. However, bST treatment reduced the ability of adenosine to inhibit lipolysis in adipose tissue, which involved changes in both sensitivity and responsiveness to adenosine. Therefore, the enhanced lipolytic response to catecholamine in vivo with bST treatment relates to relief in the adenosine inhibitory signaling cascade rather than to a direct effect on the stimulatory signaling pathway.

Tissue-specific alterations in G protein expression in genetic versus diet-induced models of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in the mouse

Various tissues were obtained from the well-characterized genetic model (C57BL/6J-ob/ob) of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and from a diet-induced model of NIDDM produced in the same genetic background (C57BL/6J). The objectives were to determine whether the previously observed changes in guanine nucleotide-binding regulatory protein (G protein) expression in adipose tissue from ob/ob mice were mirrored by concomitant changes in other tissues, and whether NIDDM of a different etiology would share similar alterations in G protein expression. Plasma membranes from adipocytes, brain, heart, liver, and testes were probed with alpha-subunit-specific antisera, and the level of G protein expression in each model was compared with that in its lean littermate control. Adipose, heart, and liver cell membranes from ob/ob mice contained significantly less alpha-subunit of stimulatory G protein (Gs alpha) than those from their lean littermates. As compared with the lean littermates, heart alpha-subunit-2 of inhibitory G protein (Gi alpha-2), liver Gi alpha-3, and adipocyte G1 alpha-1 and Gi alpha-3 were also reduced in ob/ob mice. In contrast, Gi alpha-2 and Go alpha were increased over lean-control levels in brain tissue from ob/ob mice, whereas Gs alpha was unchanged. G protein expression in the testes did not differ between lean and ob/ob mice. In the diet-induced model of NIDDM, Gs alpha expression in the liver was twofold greater in obese/diabetic mice as compared with lean controls. However, G protein expression in all other tissues examined did not differ between obese/diabetic animals and lean littermates.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Regulation of the uncoupling protein gene (Ucp) by beta 1, beta 2, and beta 3-adrenergic receptor subtypes in immortalized brown adipose cell lines

Immortalized brown adipocyte cell lines derived from a mouse hibernoma express all three beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes, including beta 3-adrenergic receptor (AR). In response to norepinephrine, cAMP production by plasma membranes from four clonal cell lines was stimulated to levels comparable with brown adipocytes isolated from interscapular brown adipose tissue (72.8-89.6 versus 97.8 pmol cAMP/min/mg of protein, respectively). All cell lines responded to the highly selective beta 3-adrenergic receptor agonist CL316,243 by stimulating adenylyl cyclase activity (3-10-fold over basal). beta 1-, beta 2-, and beta 3-adrenergic receptor mRNA was detected by Northern blotting and/or reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Competition binding assays with the antagonists CGP20712A and 125I-cyanopindolol showed the proportions of beta 1AR and beta 2AR in immortalized cells to be similar to brown adipocytes from tissue (cells: 35% beta 1AR, 65% beta 2AR; brown adipocytes from tissue: beta 1AR 41%, 59% beta 2AR). Expression of brown fat-specific mitochondrial uncoupling protein (Ucp) was stimulated by beta-adrenergic agonists in two of the four cell lines. The ability of individual beta AR subtypes to regulate Ucp expression was examined with combinations of selective beta-adrenergic agonists and antagonists. Expression of Ucp could be induced by any of the beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes. However, the greatest response was obtained by stimulating all three beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes simultaneously (100 microM isoproterenol). Incubation of membranes from cultured cells or brown adipocytes from tissue with CL316,243 at an optimal concentration (5 microM) did not prevent norepinephrine from further stimulating adenylyl cyclase activity, suggesting that the combined activation of beta 1AR/beta 2AR, plus beta 3AR, together produced an additive cAMP response. Multiple forms of adenylyl cyclase were identified in brown and white adipocyte cell lines and tissues. Northern blot analysis detected adenylyl cyclase types 5, 6, and 10. Screening of reverse transcriptase-PCR products by DNA sequencing confirmed the identities of these forms and lower levels of additional isoforms, raising the possibility that beta-adrenergic receptor subtypes in adipocytes couple to distinct adenylyl cyclases. Because these cell lines display functional and phenotypic similarities to interscapular brown adipocytes, they will be a useful model to study the regulation of beta-adrenergic receptor expression and function, and the control of Ucp expression and activity.

Liver beta-adrenergic receptors, G proteins, and adenylyl cyclase activity in obesity-diabetes syndromes

The ob and db genes produce similar hormonal anomalies in mice. Although the expression of the syndromes diverges with age, at 8-12 wk both ob/ob and db/db mice are hyperglycemic and hyperinsulinemic and show evidence of hypercorticoidism. Nevertheless, membranes isolated from livers of ob/ob and db/db mice behave differently in terms of adenylyl cyclase activity and beta-adrenergic receptor function. There are three times as many beta 2-adrenergic receptor binding sites and a threefold increase in the response to catecholamines in ob/ob mouse liver membranes than in comparable preparations from normal controls or db/db mice. By contrast, the two main G proteins of liver membranes (Gs alpha and Gi alpha 2) are less abundant in the mutants, ob/ob and db/db, than in their respective lean controls. Adrenalectomy normalizes the exaggerated response to beta-adrenergic agonists and the number of beta-adrenergic binding sites in the ob/ob mouse. This shows that the enhanced beta-adrenergic receptor response is linked to hypercorticoidism. Cellular maturation and differentiation (D. C. Watkins, J. K. Northrup, and C. C. Malbon, J. Biol. Chem. 262: 10651-10657, 1987) and diseases such as obesity and diabetes (cf. N. McFarlane-Anderson, J. Bailly, and N. Bégin-Heick, Biochem. J. 282: 15-23, 1992) have been associated with modifications in the complement of G proteins detected in cells. However, the relationship among levels, types, and intracellular localization of G proteins in tissues and their influence on the transduction of the message to an effector system, such as adenylyl cyclase, are not yet well understood.

Selective activation of inhibitory G-protein alpha-subunits by partial agonists of the human 5-HT1A receptor

Plasma membranes from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells transfected with the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor have been incubated with full or partial receptor agonists and the photoreactive GTP analog, 4-azidoanilido-[alpha-32P]-GTP ([32P]-AA-GTP), to characterize the resulting receptor-G-protein interactions. Subsequent solubilization and immunoprecipitation of the membranes with anti-G(i)alpha-2 or anti-G(i)alpha-3 immunoglobulins revealed that full and partial agonists produce concentration-dependent labeling of the respective G-proteins with [32P]-AA-GTP. Full agonists of the 5-HT1A receptor [serotonin 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetraline (8-OH-DPAT)] produced a 7-12-fold increase in the labeling of G(i)alpha-2 and G(i)alpha-3, whereas partial agonists (rauwolscine and ipsapirone) produced a smaller incorporation (2-5-fold) of [32P]-AA-GTP by the same G-proteins. The concentration of agonist producing half-maximal binding of [32P]-AA-GTP by G(i)alpha-3 [5-HT, 48 +/- 1 nM; 8-OH-DPAT, 28 +/- 1 nM; ipsapirone, 22 +/- 6 nM] compared to G(i)alpha-2 [5-HT, 124 +/- 38 nM; 8-OH-DPAT, 40 +/- 1 nM, ipsapirone, 82 +/- 7 nM] was lower with all agonists except rauwolscine, where the EC50's were similar (G(i)alpha-2, 604 +/- 145 nM; Gi alpha-3, 708 +/- 130 nM).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Cell-specific physical and functional coupling of human 5-HT1A receptors to inhibitory G protein alpha-subunits and lack of coupling to Gs alpha

We have studied the physical and functional linkages of heterologously expressed human 5-HT1A receptors to G protein alpha-subunits in HeLa and CHO-K1 cells. HeLa cells expressed immunoreactivity to G(i) proteins with an apparent rank order of G(i) alpha 3 (approximately 1 pmol/mg of protein) >> G(i) alpha 1 (approximately 0.1 pmol/mg) >> G(i) alpha 2 (< 0.02 pmol/mg), whereas CHO-K1 cells expressed immunoreactivity to G(i) alpha 2 (approximately 5 pmol/mg) >> G(i) alpha 3 (approximately 0.7 pmol/mg), but not to G(i) alpha 1. Both cell lines expressed large and small forms of Gs alpha, but neither expressed detectable G(o) alpha. Agonist-promotable physical coupling of the 5-HT1A receptor to G proteins was examined with high-affinity agonist binding and with co-immunoprecipitation using rabbit anti-receptor IgG fractions. Agonist treatment induced coupling of the 5-HT1A receptors to G proteins with an apparent rank order of G(i) alpha 3 > G(i) alpha 1, G(i) alpha 2 in HeLa cells and G(i) alpha 3 > G(i) alpha 2 in CHO-K1 cells. Agonist-promotable functional coupling of the 5-HT1A receptors to inhibition of adenylylcyclase was measured in membranes derived from HeLa and CHO-K1 cells expressing approximately 2.5-3 pmol of receptors/mg of protein by preincubation with antisera raised against the carboxyl termini of the G(i) protein alpha-subunits. A noteworthy difference between the two cell types was that antisera against the predominant G protein (G(i) alpha 2) were substantially more efficacious than G(i) alpha 3 antisera at blocking functional coupling to adenylylcyclase inhibition in CHO-K1 cells, whereas in HeLa cells, antisera against nonpredominant G proteins (G(i) alpha 1/G(i) alpha 2) were equally as effective as those against the predominant G protein (G(i) alpha 3). No physical or functional coupling of the 5-HT1A receptor to Gs alpha isoforms was detected in either cell line. These findings suggest that the 5-HT1A receptor can physically couple to multiple distinct G(i) proteins in mammalian cell membranes and that functional coupling to adenylylcyclase inhibition may be mediated by G(i) alpha 1, G(i) alpha 2, and G(i) alpha 3. One factor influencing the relative importance of those G proteins for 5-HT1A receptor-inhibited adenylylcyclase activity appears to be their-relative levels of expression.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effects of chronic lithium and carbamazepine treatment on G-protein subunit expression in rat cerebral cortex

Although lithium and carbamazepine (CBZ) are effective in the treatment of bipolar affective disorder, their mechanism of action is still unknown. Recent evidence suggests that lithium and CBZ might exert their therapeutic effects by modulating the function of guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-regulatory (G) proteins associated with central nervous system second messenger systems. In the present study, we showed that chronic lithium administration decreases G alpha s, G alpha i1, and G alpha i2 messenger RNA (mRNA) abundance by 25%-30% in rat cerebral cortex. However, the levels of G alpha s, G alpha i1, and G alpha i2 mRNA were unaffected by chronic CBZ treatment. The effects of lithium on G alpha s, G alpha i1, and G alpha i2 mRNA levels appear to be selective, as the mRNA levels of G alpha o, G alpha x, G beta 1, G beta 2, and G beta 3 subunits remained unchanged. Two days after terminating chronic lithium treatment, changes in G alpha s, G alpha i1, and G alpha i2 mRNA levels were not demonstrable. Short-term administration of lithium (2 days), however, reduced only the G alpha i2 mRNA levels. Surprisingly, there was no significant difference in the amount of immunologically detectable G alpha s-s, G alpha s-1, G alpha i(1 + 2), G alpha 0, and G beta (1 + 2) in the cortex of rats chronically treated with lithium or CBZ, compared with controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Identification and localization of G-proteins in the clonal adipocyte cell lines HGFu and Ob17

HGFu and Ob17 are cell lines derived from adipose tissue of lean (+/?) and ob/ob mice, respectively. Neither adenylyl cyclase activity nor G protein abundance and subcellular distribution have been assessed previously in these cells. Cyclase activity was low and resistant to catecholamine stimulation in both cell lines. However, the enzyme could be stimulated to high levels by forskolin and Mn2+. Gs alpha (largely the long isoform), Gi alpha 2, and G beta were the major G protein subunits identified. The levels of G protein mRNA expression were similar in both cell lines and, unlike actin expression, did not change as a result of differentiation. Immunoblotting and ADP-ribosylation of the G peptides corroborated these results. Assessment of the subcellular localization of the subunits by indirect epifluorescence and scanning confocal microscopy showed that each of the subunits had a characteristic subcellular pattern. Gs alpha showed vesicular cytoplasmic and nuclear staining; Gi alpha 2 colocalized with actin stress fibers and disruption of these structures altered the distribution of Gi alpha 2; beta subunits showed some colocalization with the stress fibers as well as a cytoplasmic vesicular and nuclear pattern. As a result of differentiation, there was reorganization of the actin, together with the Gi alpha 2 and beta fibrous patterns. Both cell lines showed similar modifications. The induction of differentiation in these cells is therefore not associated with changes in adenylyl cyclase activity nor of the abundance of G-protein subunits, although reorganization of some of these subunits does accompany actin reorganization.