Regulation of adiponectin secretion by insulin and amino acids in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Adiponectin is a fat cell-derived hormone with insulin-sensitizing properties. Low plasma adiponectin levels are associated with insulin resistance as found in obesity. One of the mechanisms for this finding is hampered insulin signaling via phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) with concomitant decreased adiponectin secretion. Because insulin can also stimulate signaling at the level of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) by a mechanism that is dependent on the presence of amino acids, the role of mTOR signaling in adiponectin secretion was studied. In view of the vesicular nature of adiponectin secretion, the role of lysosomes was explored as well. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, both insulin and amino acids stimulated adiponectin secretion. The stimulation by insulin was PI3K dependent but mTOR independent. The stimulation by amino acids was independent of both PI3K and mTOR. Whereas the effect of insulin via PI3K was mainly on adiponectin secretion from adipocytes, the effect of amino acids was predominantly due to their role as substrates for adiponectin synthesis. The acidotropic agents ammonia and methylamine, but not the lysosomal protease inhibitor leupeptin and the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine, strongly inhibited adiponectin secretion and increased the intracellular adiponectin pool. In conclusion, adiponectin production is substrate driven. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and an acidic lysosomal pH, but not amino acid-mediated mTOR signaling or lysosomal breakdown, are involved in adiponectin secretion.     

Insulin down-regulates resistin mRNA through the synthesis of protein(s) that could accelerate the degradation of resistin mRNA in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: Resistin is a peptide secreted by adipocytes and recognized as a hormone that could link obesity to insulin resistance. This study was designed to examine the effect and mechanism(s) of insulin on resistin expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. METHODS: Differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes were stimulated with insulin and resistin mRNA expression was examined by Northern blot analysis. In some experiments, the insulin signal was blocked by several chemical inhibitors or overexpression of a dominant negative form (Deltap85) of the p85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase). RESULTS: Insulin treatment caused a reduction of resistin mRNA in time-dependent and dose-dependent manners in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Pre-treatment with PD98059, an inhibitor of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) pathway, or SB203580, an inhibitor of p38 mitogen-activated protein-kinase (p38 MAP-kinase) pathway, did not influence insulin-induced reduction of resistin mRNA. Inhibition of PI 3-kinase by LY294002 or Deltap85 also failed to block insulin-induced reduction of resistin mRNA. Cycloheximide, a protein synthesis inhibitor, completely blocked insulin-induced reduction of resistin mRNA. Actinomycin D, a RNA synthesis inhibitor, also blocked insulin-induced reduction of resistin mRNA, and the decreasing rate of resistin mRNA in cells treated with insulin alone was faster than that with actinomycin D. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: Insulin downregulates resistin mRNA via PI 3-kinase, ERK or p38 MAP-kinase independent pathways in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The downregulation mechanism of resistin mRNA by insulin would be an indirect event through the synthesis of novel protein(s) that could accelerate the degradation of resistin mRNA.     

Activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway acutely inhibits insulin signaling to Akt and glucose transport in 3T3-L1 and human adipocytes

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway has recently emerged as a chronic modulator of insulin-mediated glucose metabolism. In this study, we evaluated the involvement of this pathway in the acute regulation of insulin action in both 3T3-L1 and human adipocytes. Insulin rapidly (t(1/2) = 5 min) stimulated the mTOR pathway, as reflected by a 10-fold stimulation of 70-kDa ribosomal S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Inhibition of mTOR/S6K1 by rapamycin increased insulin-stimulated glucose transport by as much as 45% in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Activation of mTOR/S6K1 by insulin was associated with a rapamycin-sensitive increase in Ser636/639 phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 but, surprisingly, did not result in impaired IRS-1-associated phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase activity. However, insulin-induced activation of Akt was increased by rapamycin. Insulin also activated S6K1 and increased phosphorylation of IRS-1 on Ser636/639 in human adipocytes. As in murine cells, rapamycin treatment of human adipocytes inhibited S6K1, blunted Ser636/639 phosphorylation of IRS-1, leading to increased Akt activation and glucose uptake by insulin. Further studies in 3T3-L1 adipocytes revealed that rapamycin prevented the relocalization of IRS-1 from the low-density membranes to the cytosol in response to insulin. Furthermore, inhibition of mTOR markedly potentiated the ability of insulin to increase PI 3,4,5-triphosphate levels concomitantly with an increased phosphorylation of Akt at the plasma membrane, low-density membranes, and cytosol. However, neither GLUT4 nor GLUT1 translocation induced by insulin were increased by rapamycin treatment. Taken together, these results indicate that the mTOR pathway is an important modulator of the signals involved in the acute regulation of insulin-stimulated glucose transport in 3T3-L1 and human adipocytes.     

Orexin A stimulates glucose uptake, lipid accumulation and adiponectin secretion from 3T3-L1 adipocytes and isolated primary rat adipocytes

Aims/hypothesis

Orexin A (OXA) modulates body weight, food intake and energy expenditure. In vitro, OXA increases PPAR?? (also known as PPARG) expression and inhibits lipolysis, suggesting direct regulation of lipid metabolism. Here, we characterise the metabolic effects and mechanisms of OXA action in adipocytes.

Methods

Isolated rat adipocytes and differentiated murine 3T3-L1 adipocytes were exposed to OXA in the presence or absence of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitors. Ppar?? expression was silenced using small interfering RNA. Glucose uptake, GLUT4 translocation, phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate production, lipogenesis, lipolysis, and adiponectin secretion were measured. Adiponectin plasma levels were determined in rats treated with OXA for 4?weeks.

Results

OXA PI3K-dependently stimulated active glucose uptake by translocating the glucose transporter GLUT4 from cytoplasm into the plasma membrane. OXA increased cellular triacylglycerol content via PI3K. Cellular triacylglycerol accumulation resulted from increased lipogenesis as well as from a decrease of lipolysis. Adiponectin levels in chow- and high-fat diet-fed rats treated chronically with OXA were increased. OXA stimulated adiponectin expression and secretion in adipocytes. Both pharmacological blockade of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor ?? (PPAR??) activity or silencing Ppar?? expression prevented OXA from stimulating triacylglycerol accumulation and adiponectin production.

Conclusions/interpretation

Our study demonstrates that OXA stimulates glucose uptake in adipocytes and that the evolved energy is stored as lipids. OXA increases lipogenesis, inhibits lipolysis and stimulates the secretion of adiponectin. These effects are conferred via PI3K and PPAR??2. Overall, OXA??s effects on lipids and adiponectin secretion resemble that of insulin sensitisers, suggesting a potential relevance of this peptide in metabolic disorders.     

C-reactive protein inhibits adiponectin gene expression and secretion in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

C-reactive protein (CRP) is considered as one of the most sensitive markers of inflammation. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of CRP on the production of adiponectin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Northern and western blot analysis revealed that CRP treatment inhibited adiponectin mRNA expression and secretion in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Co-incubation of adipocytes with rosiglitazone and CRP decreased induction of adiponectin gene expression by rosiglitazone. However, luciferase reporter assays did not show that CRP affected the activity of approximately 2.1 kb adiponectin gene promoter, which was increased by rosiglitazone alone. Pharmacological inhibition of phosphatidylinositol (PI)-3 kinase by LY294002 partially reversed inhibition of adiponectin gene expression by CRP. These results collectively suggest that CRP suppresses adiponectin gene expression partially through the PI-3 kinase pathway, and that decreased production of adiponectin might represent a mechanism by which CRP regulates insulin sensitivity.     

Impaired activation of protein kinase C-zeta by insulin and phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-(PO4)3 in cultured preadipocyte-derived adipocytes and myotubes of obese subjects

Insulin resistance in obesity is partly due to diminished glucose transport in myocytes and adipocytes, but underlying mechanisms are uncertain. Insulin-stimulated glucose transport requires activation of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase (3K), operating downstream of insulin receptor substrate-1. PI3K stimulates glucose transport through increases in PI-3,4,5-(PO(4))(3) (PIP(3)), which activates atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) and protein kinase B (PKB/Akt). However, previous studies suggest that activation of aPKC, but not PKB, is impaired in intact muscles and cultured myocytes of obese subjects. Presently, we examined insulin activation of glucose transport and signaling factors in cultured adipocytes derived from preadipocytes harvested during elective liposuction in lean and obese women. Relative to adipocytes of lean women, insulin-stimulated [(3)H]2-deoxyglucose uptake and activation of insulin receptor substrate-1/PI3K and aPKCs, but not PKB, were diminished in adipocytes of obese women. Additionally, the direct activation of aPKCs by PIP(3) in vitro was diminished in aPKCs isolated from adipocytes of obese women. Similar impairment in aPKC activation by PIP(3) was observed in cultured myocytes of obese glucose-intolerant subjects. These findings suggest the presence of defects in PI3K and aPKC activation that persist in cultured cells and limit insulin-stimulated glucose transport in adipocytes and myocytes of obese subjects.     

Polycystic ovary syndrome is associated with tissue-specific differences in insulin resistance

OBJECTIVE: The potential differential contributions of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue to whole body insulin resistance were evaluated in subjects with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Research Design and METHODS: Forty-two PCOS subjects and 15 body mass index-matched control subjects were studied. Insulin action was evaluated by the hyperinsulinemic/euglycemic clamp procedure. Isolated adipocytes and cultured muscle cells were analyzed for glucose transport activity; adipocytes, muscle tissue, and myotubes were analyzed for the expression and phosphorylation of insulin-signaling proteins. RESULTS: Fifty-seven per cent of the PCOS subjects had impaired glucose tolerance and the lowest rate of maximal insulin-stimulated whole body glucose disposal compared to controls (P < 0.01). PCOS subjects with normal glucose tolerance had intermediate reduction in glucose disposal rate (P < 0.05 vs. both control and impaired glucose tolerance subjects). However, rates of maximal insulin-stimulated glucose transport (insulin responsiveness) into isolated adipocytes were comparable between all three groups, whereas PCOS subjects displayed impaired insulin sensitivity. In contrast, myotubes from PCOS subjects displayed reduced insulin responsiveness for glucose uptake and normal sensitivity. There were no differences between groups in the expression of glucose transporter 4 or insulin-signaling proteins or maximal insulin stimulation of phosphorylation of Akt in skeletal muscle, myotubes, or adipocytes. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with PCOS display impaired insulin responsiveness in skeletal muscle and myotubes, whereas isolated adipocytes display impaired insulin sensitivity but normal responsiveness. Skeletal muscle and adipose tissue contribute differently to insulin resistance in PCOS. Insulin resistance in PCOS cannot be accounted for by differences in the expression of selected signaling molecules or maximal phosphorylation of Akt.     

Endothelin-1 regulates adiponectin gene expression and secretion in 3T3-L1 adipocytes via distinct signaling pathways

Adiponectin, which is specifically and highly expressed in adipose tissue, has pleiotropic insulin-sensitizing effects. Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoconstrictive peptide mainly produced by endothelial cells. We previously showed that ET-1 can induce insulin resistance in vitro and in vivo and proposed that it might regulate adiponectin expression and secretion, thus affecting the homeostasis of whole-body energy metabolism. In the present study, we explored the regulatory effects of ET-1 on adiponectin expression and secretion and the underlying mechanisms in 3T3-L1 adipocytes using Northern blotting and ELISA. ET-1 was found to cause a significant time- and dose-dependent decrease in adiponectin expression, and this effect was inhibited by the ET type A receptor (ETAR) antagonist BQ-610 but not by the ETBR antagonist BQ-788. To explore the underlying mechanism, we examined the involvement of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A-, phospholipase A2-, protein kinase C-, and MAPK-mediated pathways using inhibitors and found that only PD98059 and U0126, inhibitors that blocked MAPK/ERK kinase's ability to activate the ERKs, prevented ET-1-induced down-regulation of adiponectin. Furthermore, acute ET-1 treatment significantly stimulated adiponectin secretion by 3T3-L1 adipocytes, and this effect was inhibited by the ETAR antagonist BQ-610, the inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate receptor blocker 2-APB, and phospholipase C inhibitor U73122, showing that the release of adiponectin stimulated by ET-1 was mediated through the ETAR and the inositol-1,4,5-triphosphate pathway. In conclusion, ET-1 regulates adiponectin expression and secretion by two different signaling pathways in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These findings suggested that the cardiovascular system affects adipocyte physiology by regulating the expression of adipocytokines and, consequently, energy homeostasis via vasoactive factors, such as ET-1.     

C反应蛋白对3T3-L1脂肪细胞脂联素表达和分泌的影响

目的 观察C反应蛋白(CRP)对313-L1脂肪细胞脂联素的表达和分泌的影响,并探讨其致胰岛素抵抗的作用机制.方法 分别用Northem印迹、Western印迹等方法观察CRP对脂联素表达及分泌的影响.结果 (1)Northern印迹显示25和50μg/ml CRP作用24 h分别使脂联素mRNA表达下降约31%和52%(均P<0.01),呈剂量依赖趋势;50 μg/ml CRP干预12和24 h分别使脂联素的表达下降约42%和52%(均P<0.01),呈时间依赖趋势.(2)Western印迹显示25和50μg/ml CRP作用24 h分别使脂联素的分泌下降约19%和41%(均P<0.01),呈剂量依赖趋势;50μs/ml CRP干预12和24 h分别使脂联素的分泌下降约29%和41%(均P<0.01).(3)用10 μmol/L磷脂酰肌醇3激酶(PDK)抑制剂LY294002与50μg/ml CRP干预313-L1细胞24 h,可部分逆转CRP对脂联素mRNA表达的抑制作用,使脂联素的表达恢复到对照组的77%.结论 CRP通过PDK途径抑制脂肪细胞脂联索的表达和分泌,可能是其导致胰岛素抵抗机制之一.     

Ceramide and glucosamine antagonism of alternate signaling pathways regulating insulin- and osmotic shock-induced glucose transporter 4 translocation.

In addition to insulin, hyperosmolarity induces glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) translocation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. However, in contrast to insulin this stimulation is independent of PI3K/Akt. In this study we assessed whether ceramide and/or glucosamine, two known insulin-signaling antagonists, also affected the PI3K/Akt-independent signal. Insulin, but not hyperosmolarity, clearly increased the activities of PI3K and Akt. C2-ceramide did not alter insulin-stimulated PI3K activity, but did decrease the ability of insulin to activate Akt and GLUT4 translocation. Consistent with osmotic shock-mediated GLUT4 translocation being independent of PI3K/Akt, GLUT4 translocation induced by hyperosmolarity was not altered by C2-ceramide. In contrast to the specific C2-ceramide-induced attenuation of insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation, overexpression of glutamine:fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase, the rate-limiting enzyme in the synthesis of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, and/or pretreatment of cells with glucosamine, a precursor of UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, inhibited both insulin- and hyperosmolarity-stimulated GLUT4 translocation. Glucosamine did not alter any of the known proximal insulin signal transduction events. These data suggest that although the hyperosmolarity-induced signal bypasses the initial insulin signal transduction steps, it is likely to induce GLUT4 translocation through activation of a common convergent signal transduction step, targeted by UDP-N-acetylglucosamine, downstream of and/or in parallel to PI3K/Akt.     

Hypothalamic preproghrelin gene expression is repressed by insulin via both PI3-K/Akt and ERK1/2 MAPK pathways in immortalized, hypothalamic neurons

The gut peptide ghrelin is expressed within neurons of the hypothalamus. Using a hypothalamic cell line, mHypoE-38 neurons, the effect of insulin on preproghrelin gene expression was assayed. These cells contain neuron-specific markers, preproghrelin and the insulin receptor. We determined that insulin has direct effects on preproghrelin gene expression. Insulin (10 nM) stimulated protein kinase B (Akt) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) phosphorylation from 5 to 60 min and 5 min, respectively, and led to repression of preproghrelin gene expression at 2 h. Pharmacological inhibitors to phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3-K; LY294002) and MEK (PD98059) demonstrated that basal ghrelin gene expression is regulated by the PI3-K pathway and requires the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway for insulin-stimulated preproghrelin repression. These results demonstrate that insulin has a direct effect on hypothalamic neurons to decrease preproghrelin gene expression through classic insulin pathways.     

Insulin stimulates IGFBP-2 expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes through the PI3K/mTOR pathway

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2 (IGFBP-2) has been implicated in the etiology of several diseases, including the metabolic syndrome. Although IGFBP-2 derives mostly from the liver, recent evidence in mice and humans indicate that aging and obesity are associated with altered IGFBP-2 levels in white adipocytes. The present study was aimed at determining the mechanisms that control IGFBP-2 expression in mature adipocytes. IGFBP-2 mRNA and protein expression in serum-deprived 3T3-L1 adipocytes were twofold increased by acute insulin treatment. Co-treatments with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor wortmannin or the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor rapamycin blunted the effects of insulin. Coherently, IGFBP-2 mRNA levels were robustly increased in adipocytes lacking either TSC2 or 4E-BP1. Insulin triggered the recruitment of CAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα) to the IGFBP-2 proximal promoter. These findings suggest that insulin upregulates IGFBP-2 expression through a PI3K/mTOR/C/EBPα pathway in white adipocytes.     

Dihydrotestosterone inhibits insulin-stimulated cyclin D2 messenger ribonucleic acid expression in rat ovarian granulosa cells by reducing the phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1

The effect of 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on insulin-stimulated granulosa cell proliferation was examined using cyclin D2 mRNA as a marker. Granulosa cells from 3-d estradiol-treated immature rats showed a concentration-dependent increase in cyclin D2 mRNA expression in response to insulin. Exposure to DHT reduced the insulin-stimulated cyclin D2 mRNA expression. Inhibition of the two insulin-signaling pathways, ERK and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3 kinase), by using specific inhibitors, also reduced this insulin-stimulated response. These results suggest that both ERK and PI3 kinase signaling are involved in insulin stimulated granulosa cell proliferation. DHT exposure resulted in reduced insulin-stimulated ERK phosphorylation. DHT treatment also reduced the insulin mediated insulin receptor substrate-1 and Raf-1 phosphorylation, the upstream molecules of ERK in insulin signaling pathway. Additionally, inhibition of insulin stimulated PI3 kinase activation reduced ERK phosphorylation. The present study therefore shows that the inhibitory effect of DHT on insulin-stimulated granulosa cell proliferation occurs early in the signaling pathway at the level of insulin receptor substrate-1 phosphorylation, leading to reduced ERK phosphorylation and subsequent inhibition of cyclin D2 mRNA expression.     

Insulin augmentation of 17alpha-hydroxylase activity is mediated by phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase but not extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 in human ovarian theca cells

Polycystic ovary syndrome, characterized by hyperandrogenism and chronic anovulation, is frequently associated with insulin resistance. Ample evidence implicates a role for insulin in the genesis of ovarian hyperandrogenism. The objective of this study was to begin to define the intracellular signaling pathway(s) that mediates insulin regulation of 17alpha-hydroxylase activity in human ovarian theca cells. Third-passage theca cells, isolated from the ovaries of regularly cycling premenopausal women, were used. Insulin alone had no effect on 17alpha-hydroxylase activity or CYP17 mRNA expression but required costimulation with forskolin. At the insulin concentration used (10 ng/ml), a neutralizing antibody to the insulin receptor (but not an antibody to the type I IGF receptor) blocked the insulin stimulation of 17alpha-hydroxylase activity, demonstrating that the effects were mediated by the insulin receptor. Insulin stimulated both phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3-kinase) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 (MAPK) pathways. Specific inhibition of MAPK kinase (MEK) with PD98059 or I0126 did not decrease the 17alpha-hydroxylase activity stimulated by forskolin or forskolin plus insulin. In contrast, the PI3-kinase inhibitor LY294002 completely blocked insulin-stimulated 17alpha-hydroxylase activity. Our data demonstrate that insulin stimulates PI3-kinase and extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 activities in human theca cells, but only PI3-kinase mediates the insulin augmentation of forskolin-stimulated 17alpha-hydroxylase activity.     

持续激活的Akt减少了 3T3-L1脂肪细胞脂联素蛋白的表达

目的 研究蛋白激酶B（Akt／PKB）的持续激活与灭活对3T3-L1脂肪细胞内脂联素蛋白表达的影响。方法 通过腺病毒表达系统将持续激活的Akt（myrAkt）和无酶活性的Akt（Akt-AA）导入3T3-L1脂肪细胞内，应用免疫印迹法检测3T3-L1脂肪细胞脂联素蛋白的表达。结果 表达myrAkt的3T3-L1脂肪细胞中脂联素明显减少，表达Akt-AA的3T3-L1脂肪细胞中脂联素无明显变化。结论Akt的激活抑制了3T3-L1脂肪细胞中脂联素蛋白的表达，且Akt的激活是影响脂联素的充分条件，而不是必要条件。     

Insulin regulation of gene expression and concentrations of white adipose tissue-derived proteins in vivo in healthy men: relation to adiponutrin

Adiponutrin is a newly described white adipose tissue (WAT)-derived protein whose function and regulation remain widely unclear in humans though it is suggested to be related to insulin sensitivity. Recently, we found that adiponutrin expression is reduced in type 2 diabetic subjects in basal and insulin-stimulated states. To examine adiponutrin regulation by the insulin pathway in relation to other WAT-related proteins with well-known relation to insulin signaling and action, we examined in healthy young men (1) the association of adiponutrin with p85alpha PI3K and HKII, leptin, adiponectin, and acylation-stimulating protein (ASP) and (2) the regulation of adiponutrin and WAT-derived proteins by 3-h hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp (HIEG). At baseline (N = 20), adiponutrin expressions were positively correlated with those of p85alpha PI3K (R = 0.54, P = 0.017), HKII (R = 0.58, P = 0.010), and serum leptin (R = 0.51, P = 0.036), but not with any other parameter measured including insulin sensitivity. Hyperinsulinemia (N = 10, +2365% above baseline) significantly increased the expression of adiponutrin (+770%, P = 0.002), p85alpha PI3K (+150%, P = 0.033), HKII (+147%, P = 0.007), and serum leptin (+11%, P = 0.031), while it decreased serum adiponectin (-15%, P = 0.001). In the insulin-stimulated state, adiponutrin mRNA expression levels correlated with basal p85alpha PI3K (R = 0.76, P = 0.018) and HKII (R = 0.86, P = 0.003) expression levels, with percentage increase in insulin (R = 0.73, P = 0.040), and with insulin-stimulated state HKII (R = 0.82, P = 0.007), leptin (R = 0.84, P = 0.005), and adiponectin (R = 0.85, P = 0.004) mRNA levels. In healthy young men, adiponutrin expression is upregulated [corrected] by hyperinsulinemia and is related to basal and/or insulin-stimulated p85alpha PI3K, HKII, adiponectin, and leptin expression levels. We hypothesize that insulin-mediated regulation of adiponutrin expression is under the PI3K pathway. The relevance of the present findings to reduced adiponutrin expression in type 2 diabetes is discussed.     

NF-kappaB-inducing kinase (NIK) mediates skeletal muscle insulin resistance: blockade by adiponectin

Enhanced levels of nuclear factor (NF)-κB-inducing kinase (NIK), an upstream kinase in the NF-κB pathway, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammation in diabetes. We investigated whether increased levels of NIK could induce skeletal muscle insulin resistance. Six obese subjects with metabolic syndrome underwent skeletal muscle biopsies before and six months after gastric bypass surgery to quantitate NIK protein levels. L6 skeletal myotubes, transfected with NIK wild-type or NIK kinase-dead dominant negative plasmids, were treated with insulin alone or with adiponectin and insulin. Effects of NIK overexpression on insulin-stimulated glucose uptake were estimated using tritiated 2-deoxyglucose uptake. NF-κB activation (EMSA), phosphatidylinositol 3 (PI3) kinase activity, and phosphorylation of inhibitor κB kinase β and serine-threonine kinase (Akt) were measured. After weight loss, skeletal muscle NIK protein was significantly reduced in association with increased plasma adiponectin and enhanced AMP kinase phosphorylation and insulin sensitivity in obese subjects. Enhanced NIK expression in cultured L6 myotubes induced a dose-dependent decrease in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. The decrease in insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was associated with a significant decrease in PI3 kinase activity and protein kinase B/Akt phosphorylation. Overexpression of NIK kinase-dead dominant negative did not affect insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. Adiponectin treatment inhibited NIK-induced NF-κB activation and restored insulin sensitivity by restoring PI3 kinase activation and subsequent Akt phosphorylation. These results indicate that NIK induces insulin resistance and further indicate that adiponectin exerts its insulin-sensitizing effect by suppressing NIK-induced skeletal muscle inflammation. These observations suggest that NIK could be an important therapeutic target for the treatment of insulin resistance associated with inflammation in obesity and type 2 diabetes.     

Insulin effect on adipose tissue (AT) adiponectin expression is regulated by the insulin resistance status of the patients

Objective  The objective of the present study was to determine a possible depot-specific effect of insulin-stimulation on adiponectin gene expression in adipose tissue (AT) explants from subcutaneous and visceral AT. A secondary aim was to analyse the associations of adiponectin plasma levels, as well as control and insulin-stimulated gene expression levels with different features of the metabolic syndrome.
Design  Visceral and subcutaneous AT biopsies were obtained from 20 subjects (10 men and 10 women) with morbid obesity. Metabolic syndrome and other clinical features were studied. Adiponectin expression from isolated adipocytes was measured both in control and after insulin-stimulation conditions by quantitative PCR.
Results  Subcutaneous adipocytes expressed significantly higher amounts of adiponectin mRNA than visceral tissue ( P =  0·027). Insulin increased adiponectin expression specifically in the omental tissue ( P =  0·011). In these patients, waist : hip ratio was directly correlated with adiponectin expression in the visceral depot ( r  = 0·660; P  = 0·014), while fasting glucose levels were inversely associated with adiponectin mRNA in the subcutaneous tissue ( r  = – 0·604; P  = 0·022). Adiponectin expression after addition of insulin was positively correlated with some metabolic risk factors (cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, insulin, C-peptide). Interestingly, local insulin induced an up-regulation of adiponectin expression in the AT of those patients with higher metabolic syndrome disturbances.
Conclusions  Our results clearly demonstrate that insulin exerts a stimulating effect on adiponectin gene expression in a depot-specific manner. The AT response to insulin stimulus depends on the physiopathological situation, being higher in those individuals with impaired insulin-sensitivity and lipid metabolism.