Adrenocortical changes and arterial hypertension in lipoatrophic A-ZIP/F-1 mice

The A-ZIP/F-1 transgenic mouse is a model of lipoatrophic diabetes with severe insulin resistance, hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. Recently, a regulatory role of adipose tissue on adrenal gland function and blood pressure has been suggested. To further explore the importance of adipose tissue in the regulation of adrenal function and blood pressure, we studied this mouse model of lipodystrophy. A-ZIP/F-1 mice exhibit significantly elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressure values despite lack of white adipose tissue and its hormones. Furthermore, A-ZIP/F-1 lipoatrophic mice have a significant reduction of adrenal zona glomerulosa, while plasma aldosterone levels and aldosterone synthase mRNA expression remain unchanged. On the other hand, lipoatrophic mice present elevated corticosterone levels but no adrenocortical hyperplasia. Ultrastructural analysis of adrenal gland show significant alterations in adrenocortical cells, with conformational changes of mitochondrial internal membranes and high amounts of liposomes. In conclusion, lipodystrophy in A-ZIP/F-1 mice is associated with hypertension, possibly due to hypercorticosteronemia and/or others metabolic–vascular changes.     

A mutation in the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ-binding site in the gene for the cytosolic form of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase reduces adipose tissue size and fat content in mice

Regulation of the turnover of triglycerides in adipose tissue requires the continuous provision of 3-glycerophosphate, which may be supplied by the metabolism of glucose or by glyceroneogenesis, the de novo synthesis of 3-glycerophosphate from sources other than hexoses or glycerol. The importance of glyceroneogenesis in adipose tissue was assessed in mice by specifically eliminating the expression of the cytosolic form of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK-C), an enzyme that plays a pivotal role in the pathway. To accomplish this, we mutated the binding site for the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) called the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor element (PPARE), in the 5' flanking region of the PEPCK-C gene in the mouse by homologous recombination. The mutation abolished expression of the gene in white adipose tissue and considerably reduced its expression in brown adipose tissue, whereas the level of PEPCK-C mRNA in liver and kidney remained normal. Epididymal white adipose tissue from these mice had a reduced triglyceride deposition, with 25% of the animals displaying lipodystrophy. There was also a greatly reduced level of lipid accumulation in brown adipose tissue. A strong correlation between the hepatic content of triglycerides and the size of the epididymal fat pad in PPARE(-/-) mice suggests that hepatic triglyceride synthesis predominantly utilizes free fatty acids derived from the adipose tissue. Unlike other models, PPARE(-/-) mice with lipodystrophy did not exhibit the lipodystrophy-associated features of diabetes and displayed only moderate hyperglycemia. These studies establish the importance of the PPARE site for PEPCK-C gene expression in adipose tissue and the role of PEPCK-C in the regulation of glyceroneogenesis, a pathway critical for maintaining the deposition of triglycerides in adipose tissue.     

In vivo expression of a conditional TGF-beta1 transgene: no evidence for TGF-beta1 transgene expression in SM22alpha-tTA transgenic mice

Transforming growth beta-1 (TGF-beta1) appears to play a critical role in the regulation of arterial intimal growth and the development of atherosclerosis. TGF-beta1 is expressed at increased levels in diseased arteries; however, its role in disease development remains controversial. Experiments in which TGF-beta1 is overexpressed in the artery wall of transgenic mice could clarify the role of TGF-beta1 in the development or prevention of vascular disease. However, constitutive overexpression of a TGF-beta1 transgene in the mouse artery wall is embryonically lethal. Therefore, to overexpress TGF-beta1 in the artery wall of adult mice, we generated mice that were transgenic for a conditional, tetracycline operator (tetO)-driven TGF-beta1 allele. These mice were viable, and when crossed with mice expressing a tetracycline-regulated transactivator (tTA) in the heart, expressed the TGF-beta1 transgene in a cardiac-restricted and doxycycline-dependent manner. Nevertheless, breeding of the tetO-TGF-beta1 transgene into three lines of mice transgenic for a smooth muscle-targeted tTA (SM22alpha-tTA mice; reported elsewhere to transactivate tetO-driven alleles in smooth muscle cells of large arteries) did not yield expression of the TGF-beta1 transgene. Moreover, tTA expression was not detected in aortae of the SM22alpha-tTA mice. Transgenic mice that express tTA at high levels in vascular smooth muscle and reliably transactivate tetO-driven transgenes would be useful for deciphering the role of TGF-beta1 (or other proteins) in normal arterial physiology and in the development of arterial disease. Currently available SM22alpha-tTA mice were not useful for this purpose. Generation of higher-expressing lines of SM22alpha-tTA mice appears warranted.     

Inflammation and adipose tissue macrophages in lipodystrophic mice

Lipodystrophy and obesity are opposites in terms of a deficiency versus excess of adipose tissue mass, yet these conditions are accompanied by similar metabolic consequences, including insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, hepatic steatosis, and increased risk for diabetes and atherosclerosis. Hepatic and myocellular steatosis likely contribute to metabolic dysregulation in both states. Inflammation and macrophage infiltration into adipose tissue also appear to participate in the pathogenesis of obesity-induced insulin resistance, but their contributions to lipodystrophy-induced insulin resistance have not been evaluated. We used aP2-nSREBP-1c transgenic (Tg) mice, an established model of lipodystrophy, to ask this question. Circulating cytokine elevations suggested systemic inflammation but even more dramatic was the number of infiltrating macrophages in all white and brown adipose tissue depots of the Tg mice; in contrast, there was no evidence of inflammatory infiltrates or responses in any other tissue including liver. Despite there being overt evidence of adipose tissue inflammation, antiinflammatory strategies including salicylate treatment and genetic suppression of myeloid NF-κB signaling that correct insulin resistance in obesity were ineffective in the lipodystrophic mice. We further showed that adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) in lipodystrophy and obesity are very different in terms of activation state, gene expression patterns, and response to lipopolysaccharide. Although ATMs are even more abundant in lipodystrophy than in obesity, they have distinct phenotypes and likely roles in tissue remodeling, but do not appear to be involved in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance.     

Mouse models of lipodystrophy

Lipodystrophies are a group of heterogeneous diseases characterized by the loss of adipose tissue and by abnormalities of carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, including insulin resistance, diabetes, and hyperlipidemia. In this review, we describe several mouse models that recapitulate various aspects of the lipodystrophy syndrome, offering insights into the etiology of this condition and potential therapeutic approaches. Studies on these mice suggest that adipose is the primary tissue affected in lipodystrophy, and that secondary leptin deficiency may be responsible for the associated insulin resistance.     

The IL-6 system in HIV-1-infection and in HAART-related fat redistribution syndromes

We determined the IL-6 -174 G>C single nucleotide polymorphism, IL-6 mRNA expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and IL-6 plasma levels in HIV-1-infected patients with and without lipodystrophy and uninfected controls. HIV-1-infected patients had a greater prevalence of the IL-6 -174 C/C genotype and the C allele, higher SAT IL-6 mRNA expression and plasma IL-6 levels than controls. The IL-6 -174 G>C genotype distribution and allele frequencies, SAT IL-6 mRNA expression and IL-6 plasma levels were non-significantly different between HIV-1-infected patients with and without lipodystrophy.     

Conditional and targeted overexpression of vascular chymase causes hypertension in transgenic mice

We cloned a rat vascular chymase (RVCH) from smooth muscle cells (SMCs) that converts angiotensin I to II and is up-regulated in SMC from spontaneously hypertensive vs. normotensive rats. To determine whether increased activity of RVCH is sufficient to cause hypertension, transgenic mice were generated with targeted conditional expression of RVCH to SMC, with the use of the tetracycline-controlled transactivator (tTA). We confirmed conditional expression of RVCH by mRNA, protein, and chymase activity in the absence, but not in the presence, of dietary doxycycline. The systolic blood pressure (mmHg), measured by carotid artery cannulation at 10-12 weeks of age, was higher in tTA+/RVCH+ mice than in nonbinary transgenic littermates (136 +/- 4 vs. 109 +/- 3) (P < 0.05), as were the diastolic and mean pressures. Hypertension was completely reversed by doxycycline, suggesting a causal link with chymase expression. Medial thickening of mesenteric arteries from tTA+/RVCH+ mice vs. littermates (0.82 +/- 0.1 vs. 0.42 +/- 0.02) (P < 0.05) was associated with increased SMC proliferation, as judged by positive immunoreactivity, with the use of an antibody to the proliferating cell nuclear antigen. These structural changes were prevented by doxycycline. Perfusion myography of mesenteric arteries from tTA+/RVCH+ mice also revealed increased vasoconstriction in response to phenylephrine and impaired metacholine-induced vasodilatation when compared with littermate controls or with the doxycyline-treated group. Our studies suggest that up-regulation of this vascular chymase is sufficient to cause a hypertensive arteriopathy, and that RVCH may be a candidate gene and a therapeutic target in patients with high blood pressure.     

Human alpha 2A-adrenergic receptor gene expressed in transgenic mouse adipose tissue under the control of its regulatory elements

Catecholamines regulate white adipose tissue function and development by acting through beta- and alpha2-adrenergic receptors (ARs). Human adipocytes express mainly alpha 2A- but few or no beta 3-ARs while the reverse is true for rodent adipocytes. Our aim was to generate a mouse model with a human-like alpha2/beta-adrenergic balance in adipose tissue by creating transgenic mice harbouring the human alpha 2A-AR gene under the control of its own regulatory elements in a combined mouse beta 3-AR-/- and human beta 3-AR+/+ background. Transgenic mice exhibit functional human alpha 2A-ARs only in white fat cells. Interestingly, as in humans, subcutaneous adipocytes expressed higher levels of alpha2-AR than perigonadal fat cells, which are associated with a better antilipolytic response to epinephrine. High-fat-diet-induced obesity was observed in transgenic mice in the absence of fat cell size modifications. In addition, analysis of gene expression related to lipid metabolism in isolated adipocytes suggested reduced lipid mobilization and no changes in lipid storage capacity of transgenic mice fed a high-fat diet. Finally, the development of adipose tissue in these mice was not associated with significant modifications of glucose and insulin blood levels. Thus, these transgenic mice constitute an original model of diet-induced obesity for in vivo physiological and pharmacological studies with respect to the alpha2/beta-AR balance in adipose tissue.     

Depressed expression of adipocyte beta-adrenergic receptors is a common feature of congenital and diet-induced obesity in rodents.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the dramatic reduction in expression and functional activity of the beta3-adrenergic receptor (AR) and beta1AR subtypes originally observed in adipose tissue of the C57BL/6J Lep(ob)/Lep(ob) ('obese') mouse are general features of all models of obesity, and whether obesity-related differences in betaAR subtype expression occur between adipose depots. DESIGN: Survey of adipose tissue betaAR expression from four mouse models of congenital obesity: the 'obese' mouse (C57BL/6J Lep(ob)/Lep(ob)), the 'diabetic' mouse (C57BL/KsJ LepRdb/LepRdb), the 'tubby' mouse (C57BL/6J tub/tub) and the 'fat' mouse (C57BL/KsJ Cpe(fat)/Cpe(fat)), and in a model of high-fat diet-induced obesity in C57BL/6J mice. MEASUREMENTS: Expression of the betaAR subtypes was measured by Northern blot hybridization in white and brown adipose depots. RESULTS: In the severely obese Lep(ob) and LepRdb mice, mRNA concentrations of beta3AR and beta1AR in white adipose tissue (WAT) were decreased by > 99% and by > 70%, respectively. More modest effects on beta3AR expression were observed in brown adipose tissue (BAT, decreased by 20 - 30%). In less severe forms of obesity, as found in the tubby and carboxypeptidase (Cpe)fat mice, and in diet-induced obese B6 mice, beta3AR expression was decreased in WAT by up to 90%, with more modest decreases in interscapular BAT (IBAT). Changes in beta1AR mRNA concentrations were more variable. Beta2AR mRNA levels did not differ in most cases, with the exception that there was a 3-5-fold increase in BAT for both Lep(ob) and LepRdb mice. CONCLUSIONS: Impaired expression of adipocyte betaAR subtypes is a general feature of both genetic and dietary obesity in mice. The degree of obesity is correlated with the extent of loss of beta3AR and beta1AR expression in WAT. The distinct endocrine abnormalities associated with these obesity models may be responsible for the degree of impaired adipocyte betaAR expression.     

Compensation by the muscle limits the metabolic consequences of lipodystrophy in PPAR gamma hypomorphic mice

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR gamma) is a nuclear receptor, which controls adipocyte differentiation. We targeted with homologous recombination the PPAR gamma 2-specific exon B, resulting in a white adipose tissue knockdown of PPAR gamma. Although homozygous (PPAR gamma hyp/hyp) mice are born with similar weight as the WT mice, the PPAR gamma hyp/hyp animals become growth retarded and develop severe lipodystrophy and hyperlipidemia. Almost half of these PPAR gamma hyp/hyp mice die before adulthood, whereas the surviving PPAR gamma hyp/hyp animals overcome the growth retardation, yet remain lipodystrophic. In contrast to most lipodystrophic models, the adult PPAR gamma hyp/hyp mice only have mild glucose intolerance and do not have a fatty liver. These metabolic consequences of the lipodystrophy are relatively benign because of the induction of a compensatory gene expression program in the muscle that enables efficient oxidation of excess lipids. The PPAR gamma hyp/hyp mice unequivocally demonstrate that PPAR gamma is the master regulator of adipogenesis in vivo and establish that lipid and glucose homeostasis can be relatively well maintained in the absence of white adipose tissue.     

Obesity-linked regulation of the adipsin gene promoter in transgenic mice.

The mouse adipsin gene encodes a member of the serine protease family that is expressed predominantly in adipose tissue and is secreted into the bloodstream. Adipsin expression is sharply down-regulated in several models of genetic and acquired obesity, representing the first example of an adipocyte gene whose expression is greatly altered in this disorder. In this study, we have asked whether a DNA fragment from the adipsin gene can direct tissue-specific expression of a heterologous gene and mediate the suppression of this expression in genetic and chemically induced obesity. Transgenic mice have been constructed with 950 bases of DNA from the 5' flanking region of the adipsin gene linked to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene in a mouse strain bearing a recessive obesity gene (diabetes, db). By crossing db/+ transgenic mice with nontransgenic db/+ mice, we obtained progeny that allowed a direct comparison of CAT expression in the tissues of lean and obese littermates. The lean mice express CAT activity predominantly in adipose tissue, while the obese mice show a marked reduction in CAT expression relative to the lean controls. When similar experiments are performed with an adipsin-CAT fusion gene containing a heterologous AKV (AKR mouse leukemia virus) enhancer, the tissue specificity of CAT expression in lean mice is broadened to include the thymus, spleen, brain, and other tissues; down-regulation occurs in all of these tissues in mice homozygous for the obesity gene or in mice that have been injected with monosodium glutamate (MSG), which induces obesity. These results indicate that 950 bases of the 5' flanking region of the adipsin gene carry information that specifies both expression in adipose tissue and a response to a gene or chemical that induces obesity. These results also suggest that the trans-acting factors that are regulated aberrantly in these forms of obesity are not restricted to adipose tissue and could play a role in obesity-linked dysfunctions observed in other tissues as well.     

Pituitary resistin gene expression: effects of age, gender and obesity

Resistin is a new adipocytokine which is expressed in rat, mouse and possibly human adipose tissue. Its putative role as a mediator of insulin resistance is controversial. We hypothesized that resistin, like leptin, would have multiple roles in non-adipose tissues and we reported that resistin is expressed in mouse brain and pituitary. Moreover, resistin expression in female mouse pituitary is developmentally regulated and maximal expression occurs peripubertally. Although the role of endogenous resistin in mouse brain and pituitary has not been determined, our data suggest that resistin could be important in the postnatal maturation of the hypothalamic-pituitary system. In the present study we compared the ontogeny of resistin gene expression in the pituitary of male and female mice using semi-quantitative RT-PCR analysis. We show that resistin expression is developmentally regulated in the pituitary of male and female CD1 mice. However, significant gender differences were evident (male > female at postnatal day 28 and 42) and this was not modified by neonatal treatment of female pups with testosterone. Since resistin expression in adipose tissue is also influenced by obesity, we evaluated resistin expression in fat, brain and pituitary of the obese ob/ob mouse. Resistin mRNA was significantly increased in both visceral and subcutaneous adipose depots in postnatal day 28 ob/ob mice compared to controls, but pituitary resistin expression was significantly reduced. In contrast to the prepubertal levels, and in agreement with other reports, adipose resistin expression was reduced in adult ob/ob mice. In a third set of experiments we examined the influence of food deprivation on pituitary and fat resistin mRNA. Resistin gene expression was severely down-regulated by a 24-hour fast in adipose and pituitary tissue but not in hypothalamus. In conclusion, pituitary resistin expression is age- and gender-dependent. In ob/ob mice, and in fasted mice, resistin is regulated in a tissue-specific manner. Thus in visceral fat obesity increases but starvation decreases resistin mRNA. In contrast, pituitary levels are decreased in the presence of both high (ob/ob) and low (fasting) adipose stores. Further studies are required to define the unexpected hormonal regulation of resistin gene expression in the pituitary.     

Resistance to obesity by repression of VEGF gene expression through induction of brown-like adipocyte differentiation

Adipose tissues are classified into white adipose tissue (WAT) and brown adipose tissue (BAT). WAT is responsible for energy storage, and malfunction is associated with obesity. BAT, on the contrary, consumes fat to generate heat through uncoupling mitochondrial respiration and is important in body weight control. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A is the founding member of the VEGF family and has been found highly expressed in adipose tissue. A genetic mouse model of an inducible VEGF (VEGF-A) repression system was used to study VEGF-regulated energy metabolism in WAT. VEGF-repressed mice demonstrated lower food efficiency, lower body weight, and resistance to high-fat diet-induced obesity. Repression of VEGF expression caused morphological and molecular changes in adipose tissues. VEGF repression induced brown-like adipocyte development in WAT, up-regulation of BAT-specific genes including PRDM16, GATA-1, BMP-7, CIDEA, and UCP-1 and down-regulation of leptin, a WAT-specific gene. VEGF repression up-regulated expression of VEGF-B and its downstream fatty acid transport proteins. Relative levels of VEGF/VEGF-B may be important switches in energy metabolism and of pharmaceutical significances.     

Host defense in cryptococcosis. III. Protection of nude mice by thymus transplantation.

Congenitally athymic (nude) BALB/c mice, which are homozygous for the nu gene, are extremely susceptible to challenge with Cryptococcus neoformans. Groups of nude mice received transplants of thymus tissue obtained from either heterozygous (nu/+) mice or normal BALB/c mice not carrying the nu gene. Survival and delayed-type hypersensitivity were measured after challenge with cryptococci. Mice that received thymus tissue from a heterozygous (nu/+) or normal BALB/c mouse donor had markedly prolonged survival after challenge. In addition, mice that received thymus tissue from normal BALB/c mice developed delayed-type hypersensitivity to cryptococcal antigens following challenge. These studies indicate that transplantation of thymus tissue effectively increases host immune resistance against C. neoformans.     

A promoter-hijack strategy for conditional shutdown of multiply spliced essential cell cycle genes

We describe a method for the isolation of conditional knockouts of essential multiply spliced genes in which the entire body of the gene downstream of the ATG start codon is left untouched but can be switched off rapidly and completely by adding tetracycline to the culture medium. The approach centers on a "promoter-hijack" strategy in which the gene's promoter is replaced with a minimal promoter responsive to the tetracycline-repressible transactivator (tTA). Elsewhere in the genome, a cloned fragment of the gene's promoter is used to drive expression of a tTA. Thus, the gene is essentially regulated by its own promoter but through the intermediary tTA. Using this strategy, we generated a conditional knockout of chromokinesin KIF4A, an important mitotic effector protein whose mRNA is multiply spliced and whose cDNA is highly toxic when overexpressed in cells. We used chicken DT40 cells, but the same strategy should be applicable to ES cells and, eventually, to mice.     

Effect of premature aging on murine adipose tissue

To evaluate the effect of aging on adipose tissue development, subcutaneous (SC) and gonadal (GON) white and peri-aortic brown adipose tissues were analyzed of 10 and 30 week old mice deficient in the clock gene Bmal1 (brain and muscle arnt like protein 1) (Bmal1(-/-)) and wild-type littermates (Bmal1(+/+)) kept on a standard fat diet. At both ages, daily food intake was significantly decreased for Bmal1(-/-) mice, associated with reduced hypothalamic expression of PPARα. Between 10 and 30 weeks of age, the total body weight of Bmal1(+/+) mice increased significantly, but that of Bmal1(-/-) mice did not change. Whereas for Bmal1(+/+) mice, both SC and GON fat mass increased with age, these decreased for Bmal1(-/-) mice. This was associated with increased adipocyte size with age for Bmal1(+/+) but not for Bmal1(-/-) mice. Adipose tissue related angiogenesis was not affected by genotype or aging. Peri-aortic brown adipose tissue mass in 30 week old Bmal1(-/-) mice was significantly reduced as compared to age-matched Bmal1(+/+) mice. Comparison of gene expression profiles in SC and GON adipose tissues of both genotypes revealed very marked effects of Bmal1 gene deletion in itself on PAI-1 (4- to 13-fold downregulation), whereas the associated effect of premature aging was striking for leptin (90- to 130-fold downregulation). Thus, premature aging in Bmal1(-/-) mice kept on normal chow was associated with reduced adiposity.