Lipolytic action of corticotropin on rat adipose tissue in vitro

A compendium of G-protein-coupled receptors and cyclic nucleotide regulation of adipose tissue metabolism and energy expenditure

With the ever-increasing burden of obesity and Type 2 diabetes, it is generally acknowledged that there remains a need for developing new therapeutics. One potential mechanism to combat obesity is to raise energy expenditure via increasing the amount of uncoupled respiration from the mitochondria-rich brown and beige adipocytes. With the recent appreciation of thermogenic adipocytes in humans, much effort is being made to elucidate the signaling pathways that regulate the browning of adipose tissue. In this review, we focus on the ligand-receptor signaling pathways that influence the cyclic nucleotides, cAMP and cGMP, in adipocytes. We chose to focus on G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), guanylyl cyclase and phosphodiesterase regulation of adipocytes because they are the targets of a large proportion of all currently available therapeutics. Furthermore, there is a large overlap in their signaling pathways, as signaling events that raise cAMP or cGMP generally increase adipocyte lipolysis and cause changes that are commonly referred to as browning: increasing mitochondrial biogenesis, uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression and respiration.

Role of the cAMP Pathway in Glucose and Lipid Metabolism

3'-5'-Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cyclic AMP or cAMP) was first described in 1957 as an intracellular second messenger mediating the effects of glucagon and epinephrine on hepatic glycogenolysis (Berthet et al., J Biol Chem 224(1):463-475, 1957). Since this initial characterization, cAMP has been firmly established as a versatile molecular signal involved in both central and peripheral regulation of energy homeostasis and nutrient partitioning. Many of these effects appear to be mediated at the transcriptional level, in part through the activation of the transcription factor CREB and its coactivators. Here we review current understanding of the mechanisms by which the cAMP signaling pathway triggers metabolic programs in insulin-responsive tissues.

Relationships between Rodent White Adipose Fat Pads and Human White Adipose Fat Depots

The objective of this review was to compare and contrast the physiological and metabolic profiles of rodent white adipose fat pads with white adipose fat depots in humans. Human fat distribution and its metabolic consequences have received extensive attention, but much of what has been tested in translational research has relied heavily on rodents. Unfortunately, the validity of using rodent fat pads as a model of human adiposity has received less attention. There is a surprisingly lack of studies demonstrating an analogous relationship between rodent and human adiposity on obesity-related comorbidities. Therefore, we aimed to compare known similarities and disparities in terms of white adipose tissue (WAT) development and distribution, sexual dimorphism, weight loss, adipokine secretion, and aging. While the literature supports the notion that many similarities exist between rodents and humans, notable differences emerge related to fat deposition and function of WAT. Thus, further research is warranted to more carefully define the strengths and limitations of rodent WAT as a model for humans, with a particular emphasis on comparable fat depots, such as mesenteric fat.

TSH/TSHR Signaling Suppresses Fatty Acid Synthase (FASN) Expression in Adipocytes

TSH/TSHR signaling plays a role in the regulation of lipid metabolism in adipocytes. However, the precise mechanisms are not known. In the present study, we determined the effect of TSH on fatty acid synthase (FASN) expression, and explored the underlying mechanisms. In vitro, TSH reduced FASN expression in both mRNA and protein levels in mature adipocytes and was accompanied by protein kinase A (PKA) activation, cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) phosphorylation, as well as extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) and c-Jun NH2 -terminal kinase (JNK) activation. TSH-induced downregulation of FASN was partially abolished by inhibition of PKA and ERK, but not JNK. TSHR and FASN expression in visceral tissue was significantly increased in C57BL/6 mice with diet-induced obesity compared with control animals, whereas thyroid TSHR expression was normal. These findings suggest that activation of TSHR directly inhibits FASN expression in mature adipocytes, possibly mediated by PKA and ERK. In obese animals, this function of TSHR seems to be counteracted. The precise mechanisms need further investigation.

Neuropeptides, Including Neuropeptide Y and Melanocortins, Mediate Lipolysis in Murine Adipocytes

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether key appetite-regulating neuropeptides such as melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH), which are known to mediate energy balance through centrally mediated pathways, also have direct acute effects on the lipolytic activity of murine adipocytes.

RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES

Fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes serum starved overnight in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium containing 2% bovine serum albumin or freshly isolated mouse adipocytes were incubated for up to 2 hours in the absence and presence of 100 nM each of NPY, MCH, alpha-MSH, the melanocortin receptor agonist MTII, or isoproterenol as a control. Free fatty acids secreted into the incubation medium were measured using a commercially available nonesterified fatty acid C test kit.

RESULTS

Treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with 100 nM NPY decreased basal free fatty acid secretion (basal, 0.006 +/- 0.001 vs. NPY, 0.001 +/- 0.0003 nM at 90 minutes; p < 0.05), whereas both alpha-MSH and MTII stimulated up to a 7-fold increase in free fatty acid release (MTII, 0.238 +/- 0.004 vs. basal, 0.024 +/- 0.002 nM at 2 hours; p < 0.05; and alpha-MSH, 0.22 +/- 0.005 vs. basal, 0.04 +/- 0.003 nM at 2 hours; p < 0.05). Treatment with 100 nM MCH had no effect on basal free fatty acid release or on alpha-MSH-induced lipolysis during concurrent treatment. Conversely, concurrent treatment with 100 nM NPY dramatically inhibited (by approximately 90%) alpha-MSH-induced lipolysis. Similar treatment of freshly isolated mouse adipocytes showed virtually identical results.

DISCUSSION

In addition to their centrally mediated actions, appetite-regulating neuropeptides modulate adipose tissue mass through direct peripheral effects. Systemic administration of pharmacological agents altering the effects of these neuropeptides may form the basis of future obesity therapies. Thus, some of these agents will likely have direct effects on adipocytes that may serve to alter their therapeutic effectiveness.

Historical perspectives in fat cell biology: the fat cell as a model for the investigation of hormonal and metabolic pathways

For many years, there was little interest in the biochemistry or physiology of adipose tissue. It is now well recognized that adipocytes play an important dynamic role in metabolic regulation. They are able to sense metabolic states via their ability to perceive a large number of nervous and hormonal signals. They are also able to produce hormones, called adipokines, that affect nutrient intake, metabolism and energy expenditure. The report by Rodbell in 1964 that intact fat cells can be obtained by collagenase digestion of adipose tissue revolutionized studies on the hormonal regulation and metabolism of the fat cell. In the context of the advent of systems biology in the field of cell biology, the present seems an appropriate time to look back at the global contribution of the fat cell to cell biology knowledge. This review focuses on the very early approaches that used the fat cell as a tool to discover and understand various cellular mechanisms. Attention essentially focuses on the early investigations revealing the major contribution of mature fat cells and also fat cells originating from adipose cell lines to the discovery of major events related to hormone action (hormone receptors and transduction pathways involved in hormonal signaling) and mechanisms involved in metabolite processing (hexose uptake and uptake, storage, and efflux of fatty acids). Dormant preadipocytes exist in the stroma-vascular fraction of the adipose tissue of rodents and humans; cell culture systems have proven to be valuable models for the study of the processes involved in the formation of new fat cells. Finally, more recent insights into adipocyte secretion, a completely new role with major metabolic impact, are also briefly summarized.

Studies in the ketosis of fasting

A series of experiments was performed during the induction of starvation ketosis and in the acute reversal of the ketotic state. In contrast to the predictions of two widely held theories of ketogenesis, control of acetoacetate production by the liver appeared to be unrelated to changes in fatty acid mobilization from the periphery, fatty acid oxidation, fatty acid synthesis, or the acetyl coenzyme A concentration in the liver.Ketosis of fasting was shown to be reversible within 5 minutes by the injection of glucose or insulin. This effect was due to a prompt cessation of acetoacetate production by the liver. The possibility is raised that the ketosis of fasting is due to a direct activation of acetoacetate-synthesizing enzymes secondary to a starvation-induced depression of insulin secretion by the pancreas.

Thyroid-stimulating hormone stimulates lipolysis in adipocytes in culture and raises serum free fatty acid levels in vivo

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) stimulates adipocyte lipolysis, but signal transduction pathways activated by TSH for this response have not been directly studied. Using differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes as well as primary human adipocytes, we characterized the lipolytic action of TSH with dose-response and time-course studies, and compared it with isoproterenol. Thyroid-stimulating hormone stimulated phosphorylation of perilipin and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL). Inhibition of protein kinase A with H89 blocked TSH-stimulated lipolysis as well as phosphorylation of perilipin and HSL. Thyroid-stimulating hormone stimulated lipolysis in vivo, as indicated by an elevation in serum free fatty acid (FFA) levels after recombinant human TSH administration to thyroidectomized patients (42% increase, n = 19, P < .05). For patients with a body mass index less than 30 kg/m(2), the TSH-induced increase in serum FFA levels was 53% (n = 11, P < .05), whereas levels in patients with a body mass index of at least 30 kg/m(2) (n = 8) did not change after TSH treatment. In summary, TSH stimulates lipolysis and phosphorylation of perilipin and HSL in a protein kinase A-dependent manner in differentiated adipocytes in culture and raises serum FFA levels in vivo.

Lys-gamma3-MSH: a global regulator of hormone sensitive lipase activity?

Gamma-melanocyte stimulating hormone (gamma-MSH) is a peptide derived from the ACTH precursor, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), and belongs to a family of peptides called the melanocortins that also comprises alpha- and beta-MSH. Although conserved in tetrapods, the biological role of gamma-MSH remains largely undefined. It has been demonstrated previously that gamma-MSH is involved in the regulating the activity of hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) activity in the adrenal and more recently, in the adipocyte. It has been shown also to have effects on the cardiovascular and renal systems. This short review will provide a brief overview of the role of gamma-MSH in the adrenal and the more recent report that it can also regulate HSL function in the adipocyte. We also present some preliminary data purporting a direct role for Lys-gamma(3)-MSH in the regulation of HSL phosphorylation in the heart. Taken together these data suggest that gamma-MSH peptides might play a more widespread role in lipid and cholesterol utilization.

Evidence of a possible role for Lys-gamma3-MSH in the regulation of adipocyte function

Lys-gamma3-MSH is a melanocortin peptide derived from the C-terminal of the 16 kDa fragment of POMC. The physiological role of Lys-gamma3-MSH is unclear, although it has previously been shown that, although not directly steroidogenic, it can act to potentiate the steroidogenic response of adrenal cortical cells to ACTH. This synergistic effect appears to be correlated with an ability to increase the activity of hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) and therefore the rate of cholesterol ester hydrolysis. Ligand binding studies have suggested that high-affinity binding sites for Lys-gamma3-MSH exist in the adrenal gland and a number of other rat tissues that express HSL, including adipose, skeletal muscle and testes. To investigate the hypothesis that Lys-gamma3-MSH may play a wider role in cholesterol and lipid metabolism, we tested the effect of Lys-gamma3-MSH on lipolysis, an HSL-mediated process, in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. In comparison with other melanocortin peptides, Lys-gamma3-MSH was found to be a potent stimulator of lipolysis. It was also able to phosphorylate HSL at key serine residues and stimulate the hyperphosphorylation of perilipin A. The receptor through which the lipolytic actions of Lys-gamma3-MSH are being mediated is not clear. Attempts to characterise this receptor suggest that either the pharmacology of the melanocortin receptor 5 in 3T3-L1 adipocytes is different from that described when expressed in heterologous systems or the possibility that a further, as yet uncharacterised, receptor exists.

The influence of sleep and sleep loss upon food intake and metabolism

The present review investigates the role of sleep and its alteration in triggering metabolic disorders. The reduction of the amount of time sleeping has become an endemic condition in modern society and the current literature has found important associations between sleep loss and alterations in nutritional and metabolic aspects. Studies suggest that individuals who sleep less have a higher probability of becoming obese. It can be related to the increase of ghrelin and decrease of leptin levels, generating an increase of appetite and hunger. Sleep loss has been closely associated with problems in glucose metabolism and a higher risk for the development of insulin resistance and diabetes, and this disturbance may reflect decreased efficacy of the negative-feedback regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis. The period of sleep is also associated with an increase of blood lipid concentrations, which can be intensified under conditions of reduced sleep time, leading to disorders in fat metabolism. Based on a review of the literature, we conclude that sleep loss represents an important risk factor for weight gain, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and dyslipidaemia. Therefore, an adequate sleep pattern is fundamental for the nutritional balance of the body and should be encouraged by professionals in the area.

Hormone multifunctionalities: a theory of endocrine signaling, command and control

A theory is presented outlining how organisms can function and benefit from multifunctionality of hormones in order to enhance greatly the information-carrying potential of endocrine signaling. Hormones are produced continuously as micropulses, and intermittently as larger pulses. It is generally believed that micropulses generate fluctuating basal hormone concentrations, which may consistently elicit particular responses among diverse variables. Evidence is discussed suggesting that in contrast to the hormone micropulses, the larger endogenous hormone pulses may elicit responses which may differ from one pulse to another and may therefore serve different physiological functions. In this paper we postulate that an endogenous hormone pulse is a specific form of a multisignal message that serves a certain physiological function. Different pulses of a hormone may be signals of diverse multisignal messages that serve different functions. A multisignal message may elicit congruous responses by selectively enhancing some actions and suppressing other actions of the component signals. Various roles of signals of multisignal messages are discussed, as well as processes that may be involved in the diversity and selectivity of actions of different pulses of a hormone. Hormones also are converted into other hormones; we analyze how precursor and derived hormones may function independently of each other, and how precursor hormones may give rise to permissive effects. Mechanisms involved in therapeutic and adverse effects of hormone administrations are analyzed, and a strategy is suggested for developing more selective hormonal therapies.

A peroxisome proliferator-response element in the murine mc2-r promoter regulates its transcriptional activation during differentiation of 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Adrenocorticotropic hormone can stimulate lipolysis and suppress leptin expression in murine adipocytes. These effects are mediated via the melanocortin 2 receptor (MC2-R), which is expressed when 3T3-L1 cells are induced to undergo adipogenesis. In this study, we have characterized the mc2-r promoter in the murine adipocyte, one of the few extra-adrenal sites of expression and a cell type that lacks steroidogenic factor 1 (SF-1), a transcription factor that is required for mc2-r expression in adrenal cells. Transcriptional regulation of the mc2-r in the absence of SF-1 was investigated by 5' deletion analysis of the murine mc2-r promoter in both undifferentiated and differentiated 3T3-L1 cells. The results revealed the presence of a 59-base pair regulatory region within the promoter containing an adipocyte-specific enhancer. The ability of this region to confer enhanced activity in the adipocyte was mapped to a peroxisome proliferator-response element (PPRE)-like sequence that bound to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) and its heterodimeric partner retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRalpha) in adipocyte nuclear extracts. Co-transfection of PPARgamma2/RXRalpha with the pMC2-R(-112/+105)GL3 reporter resulted in transcriptional activation in preadipocytes, and this response required an intact PPRE. Mutation of the PPRE to prevent PPARgamma/RXRalpha binding resulted in a complete abrogation of the pMC2-R(-112/+105)GL3 reporter activity in day 3 differentiated 3T3-L1 cells, demonstrating a key role played by this site in regulating MC2-R expression in the murine adipocyte. These data highlight a novel mechanism for mc2-r transcription, which may have significance in both adrenal and extra-adrenal sites of expression.

Alternate promoter and 5'-untranslated exon usage of the mouse adrenocorticotropin receptor gene in adipose tissue

Mouse adrenocorticotropin receptor (ACTH-R/MC2R) messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) is expressed predominantly in the adrenal gland and, to a lesser extent, in adipose tissue. In this study, we found a novel 135-bp exon 1 (exon 1f) of the ACTH-R gene transcribed in mouse adipose tissue by RNA ligase-mediated rapid amplification of cDNA ends, which was located 1.4 kb downstream in the genome of previously-reported exon 1 (exon 1a) transcribed in the adrenal gland. The novel promoter region, 1.4 kb upstream of exon 1f contained three CCAAT boxes. RT-PCR analysis revealed that ACTH-R mRNA from adipose tissue and differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes exclusively contained exon 1f. Thus, the promoter region flanking to exon 1f is thought to be essential for adipose tissue, while that flanking to exon 1a is specific for the adrenal gland. A search for a similar sequence of mouse ACTH-R exon 1f and its flanking region in the human genome sequence database of GenBank Human Genome Resources did not reveal such a sequence in the region of the human ACTH-R gene. This may explain the absence of ACTH-R expression in human adipose tissue.

The role of melanocortins in adipocyte function

It has been demonstrated that adipocytes express high affinity ACTH and alpha-MSH binding sites, and that ACTH, alpha-MSH, and beta-LPH are potent lipolytic hormones. Considerable species variability exists in the lipolytic response to melanocortins, however. Recently, MC2 and MC5 receptor-mRNA was found in both murine adipocytes and in the 3T3-L1 murine embryonic fibroblast cell line, but only after the 3T3-L1 cells had differentiated into adipocytes. The 3T3-L1 cell line was used to characterize the pharmacological properties of both MC2 and MC5 receptors in situ. Both murine MC2 and MC5 receptors are functional in the adipocyte, although the MC5 receptor required high doses of alpha-MSH to activate cylase. ACTH potently stimulates cyclase with EC50 values that are consistent with the hypothesis that the murine MC2 receptor, not the MC5 receptor, mediates stress-induced lipolysis via release of ACTH from the pituitary.

Melanocortin receptors: perspectives for novel drugs

The cloning of five different subtypes of melanocortin receptor subtypes have recently opened up new possibilities for the development of drugs. The physiological roles of the five melanocortin receptors have started to become understood, and compounds with selective actions on some of the five subtypes have become available. Presently, most clinically promising application for drugs active on melanocortin receptors are for control of feeding homeostasis and body weight and for treatment of inflammatory diseases. I review here the cloning, localisation, function and structure of the melanocortin receptors, in relation to the possibilities to develop selective drugs for these receptors.

Combined effects of insulin treatment and adipose tissue-specific agouti expression on the development of obesity

The agouti gene product is a secreted protein that acts in a paracrine manner to regulate coat color in mammals. Several dominant mutations at the agouti locus in mice cause the ectopic, ubiquitous expression of agouti, resulting in a condition similar to adult-onset obesity and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The human agouti protein is 85% homologous to mouse agouti; however, unlike the mouse agouti gene, human agouti is normally expressed in adipose tissue. To address whether expression of agouti in human adipose tissue is physiologically relevant, transgenic mice were generated that express agouti in adipose tissue. Similar to most humans, these mice do not become obese or diabetic. However, we found that daily insulin injections significantly increased weight gain in the transgenic lines expressing agouti in adipose tissue, but not in nontransgenic mice. These results suggest that insulin triggers the onset of obesity and that agouti expression in adipose tissue potentiates this effect. Accordingly, the investigation of agouti's role in obesity and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in mice holds significant promise for understanding the pathophysiology of human obesity.