Different interactions have been described between glucocorticoids and the product of the ob gene leptin. Leptin can inhibit the activation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis by stressful stimuli, whereas adrenal glucocorticoids stimulate leptin production by the adipocyte. The present study was designed to investigate the potential direct effects of leptin to modulate glucocorticoid production by the adrenal. Human adrenal glands from kidney transplant donors were dissociated, and isolated primary cells were studied in vitro. These cells were preincubated with recombinant leptin (10(-10)-10(-7) M) for 6 or 24 h, and basal or ACTH-stimulated cortisol secretion was subsequently measured. Basal cortisol secretion was unaffected by leptin, but a significant and dose-dependent inhibition of ACTH-stimulated cortisol secretion was observed [down by 29 +/- 0.1% of controls with the highest leptin dose, P < 0.01 vs. CT (unrelated positive control)]. This effect of leptin was also observed in rat primary adrenocortical cells, where leptin inhibited stimulated corticosterone secretion in a dose-dependent manner (down by 46 +/- 0.1% of controls with the highest leptin dose, P < 0.001 vs. CT). These effects of leptin in adrenal cells are likely mediated by the long isoform of the leptin receptor (OB-R), because its transcript was found to be expressed in the adrenal tissue and leptin had no inhibitory effect in adrenal glands obtained from db/db mice. Therefore, leptin inhibits directly stimulated cortisol secretion from human and rat adrenal glands, and this may represent an important mechanism to modulate glucocorticoid levels in various metabolic states.

A neural network-based method has been developed for the prediction of beta-turns in proteins by using multiple sequence alignment. Two feed-forward back-propagation networks with a single hidden layer are used where the first-sequence structure network is trained with the multiple sequence alignment in the form of PSI-BLAST-generated position-specific scoring matrices. The initial predictions from the first network and PSIPRED-predicted secondary structure are used as input to the second structure-structure network to refine the predictions obtained from the first net. A significant improvement in prediction accuracy has been achieved by using evolutionary information contained in the multiple sequence alignment. The final network yields an overall prediction accuracy of 75.5% when tested by sevenfold cross-validation on a set of 426 nonhomologous protein chains. The corresponding Q(pred), Q(obs), and Matthews correlation coefficient values are 49.8%, 72.3%, and 0.43, respectively, and are the best among all the previously published beta-turn prediction methods. The Web server BetaTPred2 (http://www.imtech.res.in/raghava/betatpred2/) has been developed based on this approach.

Food intake and activity-induced thermogenesis are important components of energy balance regulation. The molecular mechanism underlying the coordination of food intake with locomotory behavior to maintain energy homeostasis is unclear. We report that the brain-specific homeobox transcription factor Bsx is required for locomotory behavior, hyperphagia, and expression of the hypothalamic neuropeptides Npy and Agrp, which regulate feeding behavior and body weight. Mice lacking Bsx exhibit reduced locomotor activity and lower expression of Npy and Agrp. They also exhibit attenuated physiological responses to fasting, including reduced increase of Npy/Agrp expression, lack of food-seeking behavior, and reduced rebound hyperphagia. Furthermore, Bsx gene disruption rescues the obese phenotype of leptin-deficient ob/ob mice by reducing their hyperphagia without increasing their locomotor activity. Thus, Bsx represents an essential factor for NPY/AgRP neuronal function and locomotory behavior in the control of energy balance.

Leptin, the product of the ob gene, is a recently discovered hormone secreted by adipocytes that regulates food intake and energy expenditure. Growth hormone (GH) secretion is markedly influence by body weight being markedly suppressed in obesity and underweight. The aim of the present study was to study whether leptin can act as a metabolic signal connecting the adipose tissue with the growth hormone axis. We administered leptin antiserum (10 ul, i.c.v.) or normal rabitt serum (NRS; 10 ul, i.c.v.) to freely moving fed rats. Furthermore we assessed the effect of leptin administration (10 ug, i.c.v.) on fed and fasted rats. Spontaneous GH secretion was assessed over 6 hours with blood samples taken every 15 min. Administration of leptin antiserum led to a decrease in spontaneous GH secretion as assessed by the area under the curve (AUC) (168+/-72 ng/ml/6h) in comparison to NRS-treated rats (813+/-179 ng/ml/6h, p<0.01). While leptin administration (10 ug/rat; i.c.v.) to normal fed rats did not modify spontaneous GH secretion, leptin administration to fasted rats led to a reversal of the inhibitory effect exerted by fasting on GH secretion (AUC, 1650+/-351 ng/ml/6h vs 77+/-32 ng/ml/6h, p<0.01). This data suggests that leptin is a metabolic signal that regulates GH secretion.

Targeted deletion of the gene encoding the neuronal and neuroendocrine secreted polypeptide VGF (nonacronymic) produces a lean, hypermetabolic mouse. Consistent with this phenotype, VGF mRNA levels are regulated in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus in response to fasting. To gain insight into the site(s) and mechanism(s) of action of VGF, we further characterized VGF expression in the hypothalamus. Double-label studies indicated that VGF and pro-opiomelanocortin were coexpressed in lateral arcuate neurons in the fed state, and that VGF expression was induced after fasting in medial arcuate neurons that synthesize neuropeptide Y (NPY). Like NPY, VGF mRNA induction in this region of the hypothalamus in fasted mice was inhibited by exogenous leptin. In leptin-deficient ob/ob and receptor-mutant db/db mice, VGF mRNA levels in the medial arcuate were elevated. To identify neural pathways that are functionally compromised by Vgf ablation, VGF mutant mice were crossed with obese A(y)/a (agouti) and ob/ob mice. VGF deficiency completely blocked the development of obesity in A(y)/a mice, whereas deletion of Vgf in ob/ob mice attenuated weight gain but had no impact on adiposity. Hypothalamic levels of NPY and agouti-related polypeptide mRNAs in both double-mutant lines were dramatically elevated 10- to 15-fold above those of wild-type mice. VGF-deficient mice were also found to resist diet- and gold thioglucose-induced obesity. These data and the susceptibility of VGF mutant mice to monosodium glutamate-induced obesity are consistent with a role for VGF in outflow pathways, downstream of hypothalamic and/or brainstem melanocortin 4 receptors, that project via the autonomic nervous system to peripheral metabolic tissues and regulate energy homeostasis.

Leptin, a major hormonal product of the adipocyte, regulates appetite and reproductive function through its hypothalamic receptors. The leptin receptor is present in osteoblasts and chondrocytes, and previously we have shown leptin to be an anabolic bone factor in vitro, stimulating osteoblast proliferation and inhibiting osteoclastogenesis. Leptin increases bone mass and reduces bone fragility when administered peripherally but also can indirectly reduce bone mass when administered into the central nervous system. However, data from animal models deficient in either leptin (ob/ob) or its receptor (db/db) remain contradictory. We compared the bone phenotype of leptin receptor-deficient (db/db) and wild-type mice using micro-computed tomographic (µCT) analysis of the proximal tibias and vertebrae. In the tibia, db/db mice had reduced percent trabecular bone volume (13.0 ± 1.62% in wild-type versus 6.01 ± 0.601% in db/db mice, p = .002) and cortical bone volume (411 ± 21.5 µm(3) versus 316 ± 3.53 µm(3), p = .0014), trabecular thickness (48.4 ± 001.07 µm versus 45.1 ± 0.929 µm, p = .041) and trabecular number (2.68 ± 0.319 mm(-1) versus 1.34 ± 0.148 mm(-1), p = .0034). In the fifth lumbar vertebral body, the trabecular thickness and cortical thickness were decreased in the db/db versus wild-type mice (0.053 ± 0.0011 mm versus 0.047 ± 0.0013 mm, p = .0002 and 0.062 ± 0.00054 mm versus 0.056 ± 0.0009 mm, p = .0001), respectively, whereas the trabecular and cortical percent bone volume and trabecular number did not reach significance. The total (endosteal and periosteal) cortical perimeter (12.2 ± 0.19 mm versus 13.2 ± 0.30 mm, p = .01) was increased. The serum osteocalcin levels were reduced in the db/db mice, suggesting that bone formation rates are decreased. The material properties of db/db femurs were determined by three-point bending and nanoindentation, showing decreased bone strength (13.3 ± 0.280 N versus 7.99 ± 0.984 N, p = .0074) and material stiffness (28.5 ± 0.280 GPa versus 25.8 ± 0.281 GPa, p < .0001). These results demonstrate that bone mass and strength are reduced in the absence of leptin signaling, indicating that leptin acts in vivo as an anabolic bone factor. This concurs with results of in vitro studies and of peripheral leptin administration in vivo and suggests that leptin's direct effects on bone cells are likely to override its actions via the central nervous system.

BACKGROUND

Obesity is considered a risk for many cancers. Serum leptin levels are often elevated in obese people. Leptin acts as a mitogenic agent in many tissues; therefore, it may act to promote cancer cell growth. We previously demonstrated that leptin acts as a growth factor for prostate cancer cells in vitro. The purpose of this study was to characterize leptin receptor isoform mRNA expression in leptin-treated DU145 and PC-3 prostate cancer cell lines. Expression levels of SOCS-3, a known leptin-inducible suppressor of leptin signaling, and known mitogenic signaling pathways of PI3K and ERK were also analyzed

METHODS

DU145 and PC-3 cells were treated with 0, 4, 40, or 80 ng/ml leptin for 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 24, or 48 h. Multiplex RT-PCR was performed to determine mRNA levels of the short (huOB-Ra) or the long (huOB-Rb) OB-R isoforms or SOCS-3. p-Akt and p-ERK were determined by Western blot. Cell viability and apoptosis were determined by MTT and nucleosomal fragmentation assay

RESULTS

DU145 and PC-3 expressed huOB-Ra, huOB-Rb, and SOCS-3 mRNA. huOB-Ra mRNA levels increased in PC-3 at 48 h (P < 0.01); however, no significant changes were observed in DU145. huOB-Rb mRNA levels decreased at 48 h in DU145; however, a twofold increase at 48 h (P < 0.01) was observed with PC-3 and was dose-dependent (P < 0.05). Leptin increased SOCS-3 mRNA in DU145 at 24 and 48 h (P < 0.05) and in PC-3 at 1 h (2-fold) and 48 h (fivefold; P < 0.01). Leptin up-regulated p-Akt in a time- and dose-dependent manner in the DU145 prostate cancer cells via a suppression of apoptosis. Leptin up-regulated p-ERK in a time-dependent manner in PC-3 cells

CONCLUSIONS

In prostate cancer cells, the mitogenic effects of leptin are not a consequence of altered receptor isoform mRNA expression. No defect in SOCS-3 signaling was observed, and proliferation appears to be working through the PI3K and MAPK leptin receptor-activated pathways, depending on cell type. Leptin stimulation may be selective for either pathway to suppress apoptosis, thereby enhancing prostate cancer growth.

Obliterative bronchiolitis (OB) is a devastating complication in lung transplantation. We postulated that the pathogenesis of OB is mediated, in part, by neutrophils. We serially collected bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from lung transplant recipients. Patients were divided into two groups depending on the presence or absence of OB. Samples from patients who never developed OB were further divided according to whether rejection was present. These samples were labeled healthy or rejection. Samples from patients who developed OB were divided according to whether the sample was obtained before (future OB) or at the time of diagnosis of OB (OB). The OB group, as compared with the healthy and rejection group, had significantly elevated neutrophil counts (3.9 x 10(5) +/- 1.8 x 10(5) vs 0.3 x 10(5) +/- 0.07 x 10(5) and 0.4 x 10(5) +/- 0.1 x 10(5), respectively, p < 0.01 for both) and levels of IL-8 (3131 +/- 1468 pg/ml vs 240 +/- 62 pg/ml and 172 +/- 47 pg/ml, p < 0.01 for both). Furthermore, we demonstrated immunolocalization of IL-8 associated with alpha smooth muscle actin-positive cells in the peribronchial region of OB. To confirm that the IL-8 present in BAL fluid from patients with OB was bioactive, we performed neutrophil chemotaxis experiments that showed that IL-8 accounted for a significant amount of the neutrophil chemotactic activity. We also found a trend toward higher levels of neutrophils and IL-8 in BALs from the future OB as compared with the healthy group (7.1 x 10(4) +/- 4.2 x 10(4) vs 3.4 x 10(4) +/- 0.7 x 10(4) and 500 +/- 306 pg/ml vs 240 +/- 62 pg/ml). In conclusion, we have provided the novel observation that in lung transplant recipients with OB, neutrophilia is present and highly correlated with the presence of IL-8.

Molecular and cellular interactions coordinating the origin and fate of neural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult brain are far from being understood. We present a protein complex that controls proliferation and migration of adult NSCs destined for the mouse olfactory bulb (OB). Combinatorial selection based on phage display technology revealed a previously unrecognized complex between the soluble protein netrin-4 and laminin gamma1 subunit that in turn activates an alpha6beta1 integrin-mediated signaling pathway in NSCs. Differentiation of NSCs is accompanied by a decrease in netrin-4 receptors, indicating that netrin-4 participates in the continual propagation of this stem cell population. Notably, the stem cells themselves do not synthesize netrin-4. Further, we show that netrin-4 is produced by selected GFAP-positive astrocytes positioned close to newborn neurons migrating in the anterior part of the rostral migratory stream (RMS) and within the OB. Our findings present a unique molecular mechanism mediating astrocytic/neuronal crosstalk that regulates ongoing neurogenesis in the adult olfactory system.

The liver regulates lipid homeostasis and is enriched with natural killer T (NKT) cells that respond to lipid antigens. Optimal maturation and activation of NKT cells requires their interaction with lipid antigens that are presented by cluster of differentiation-1 (CD-1) molecules on antigen-presenting cells. Hepatocytes express CD1d and present lipid antigens to NKT cells. Depletion and dysregulation of hepatic NKT cells occurs in mice with fatty livers. Herein, we assess whether reduced CD1d content on steatotic hepatocytes contributes to fatty liver-associated NKT cell abnormalities. We show that despite expressing normal levels of CD1d mRNA, fatty hepatocytes from ob/ob mice have significantly less CD1d on their plasma membranes than normal hepatocytes. This has functional significance because ob/ob hepatocytes are less able to activate CD1d-restricted T-cell responses in vitro, and CD1d-reactive NKT cells are reduced in ob/ob livers. Events in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) normally regulate CD1d trafficking to plasma membranes. Hepatic steatosis has been associated with ER stress. To determine if ER stress reduces CD-1 accumulation on hepatocytes, we evaluated hepatic ER stress in ob/ob mice and treated cultured hepatocytes and lean mice with tunicamycin to induce ER stress. Lipid accumulation and ER stress occurred in the livers of both ob/ob and tunicamycin-treated mice. Tunicamycin caused dose-dependent decreases in hepatocyte CD1d, inhibited hepatocyte activation of CD1d-restricted T-cell responses, depleted liver populations of CD1d-reactive NKT cells and promoted Th-1 polarization of hepatic cytokine production. In conclusion, ER stress-related decreases in hepatocyte CD1d contribute to NKT cell dysregulation in fatty livers.

Feeding is a complex process responsive to sensory information related to sight and smell of food, previous feeding experiences, satiety signals elicited by ingestion and hormonal signals related to energy balance. Dopamine released in specific brain regions is associated with pleasurable and rewarding events and may reinforce positive aspects of feeding. Dopamine also influences initiation and coordination of motor activity and is required for sensorimotor functions. Thus, dopamine may facilitate integration of sensory cues related to hunger, initiating the search for food and its consumption. Dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area project to the caudate putamen and nucleus accumbens, where they modulate movement and reward. There are projections from the nucleus accumbens to the lateral hypothalamus that regulate feeding. Dopamine-deficient mice (Dbh(Th/+), Th-/-; hereafter DD mice) cannot synthesize dopamine in dopaminergic neurons. They gradually become aphagic and die of starvation. Daily treatment of DD mice with L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) transiently restores brain dopamine, locomotion and feeding. Leptin-null (Lep(ob/ob)) mice exhibit obesity, decreased energy expenditure and hyperphagia. As the hypothalamic leptin-melanocortin pathway appears to regulate appetite and metabolism, we generated mice lacking both dopamine and leptin (DD x Lep(ob/ob)) to determine if leptin deficiency overcomes the aphagia of DD mice. DD x Lep(ob/ob) mice became obese when treated daily with L-DOPA, but when L-DOPA treatment was terminated the double mutants were capable of movement, but did not feed. Our data show that dopamine is required for feeding in leptin-null mice.

We recently cloned one of spliced variant forms of rat leptin receptor (OB-R), which contains a short intracellular domain, and found obese-phenotype-linked nucleotide alteration in the extracellular domain of the cDNA from the Zucker (fa/fa) rat, which results in a glutamine269 to proline269 amino acid substitution. Reported herein are the cloning and sequencing of another spliced variant forms of rat OB-R cDNA with a long intracellular domain. Both forms of OB-R cDNA share the same extracellular domain. In the Zucker (fa/fa) rat, no changes in either the gene structure nor in the nucleotide sequence of the long intracellular domain were observed. However, the expression level of OB-R mRNA in the brain of Zucker (fa/fa) rat was higher than for lean littermates. These facts suggest that the substitution at codon 269 of the OB-R cDNA represents the crucial mutation which results in the obese phenotype of Zucker (fa/fa) rat.

The whole-cell configuration of the patch-clamp technique, immunoprecipitation experiments and unilateral naris occlusions were used to investigate whether the voltage-gated potassium channel Kv1.3 was a substrate for neurotrophin-induced tyrosine phosphorylation and subsequent functional modulation of current properties in cultured rat olfactory bulb (OB) neurons. Membrane proteins of the OB included all three Trk receptor kinases, but the truncated form of the receptor, lacking an intact kinase domain, was the predominant form of the protein for TrkA and TrkC, while TrkB was predominantly found as the full-length receptor. Acute (15 min) stimulation of OB neurons with bath application of 50 ng ml(-1) brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is a selective ligand for TrkB, caused suppression of the whole-cell outward current and no changes in the kinetics of inactivation or deactivation. Acute stimulation with either nerve growth factor or neurotrophin-3 failed to evoke any changes in Kv1.3 function in the OB neurons. Chronic exposure to BDNF (days) caused an increase in the magnitude of Kv1.3 current and speeding of the inactivation and deactivation of the channel. Acute BDNF-induced activation of TrkB receptors significantly increased tyrosine phosphorylation of Kv1.3 in the OB, as shown using a combined immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis. With unilateral naris occlusion, the acute BDNF-induced tyrosine phosphorylation of Kv1.3 was increased in neurons lacking odour sensory experience. In summary, the duration of neurotrophin exposure and the sensory-dependent state of a neuron can influence the degree of phosphorylation of a voltage-gated ion channel and its concomitant functional modulation by neurotrophins.

Ischemic postconditioning (IPCD) significantly reduces infarct size in healthy animals and protects the human heart. Because obesity is a major risk factor of cardiovascular diseases, the effects of IPCD were investigated in 8- to 10-wk-old leptin-deficient obese (ob/ob) mice and compared with wild-type C57BL/6J (WT) mice. All animals underwent 30 min of coronary artery occlusion followed by 24 h of reperfusion associated or not with IPCD (6 cycles of 10-s occlusion, 10-s reperfusion). Additional mice were killed at 10 min of reperfusion for Western blotting. IPCD reduced infarct size by 58% in WT mice (33+/-1% vs. 14+/-3% for control and IPCD, respectively, P<0.05) but failed to induce cardioprotection in ob/ob mice (53+/-4% vs. 56+/-5% for control and IPCD, respectively). In WT mice, IPCD significantly increased the phosphorylation of Akt (+77%), ERK1/2 (+41%), and their common target p70S6K1 (+153% at Thr389 and +57% at Thr421/Ser424). In addition, the phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)-to-total AMPK ratio was also increased by IPCD in WT mice (+64%, P<0.05). This was accompanied by decreases in phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN), MAP kinase phosphatase (MKP)-3, and protein phosphatase (PP)2C levels. In contrast, IPCD failed to increase the phosphorylation state of all these kinases in ob/ob mice, and the level of the three phosphatases was significantly increased. Thus, although IPCD reduces myocardial infarct size in healthy animals, its cardioprotective effect vanishes with obesity. The lack of enhanced phosphorylation by IPCD of Akt, ERK1/2, p70S6K1, and AMPK might partly explain the loss of cardioprotection in this experimental model of obese mice.

OBJECTIVE

Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) are activated by liver injury to become proliferative fibrogenic myofibroblasts. This process may be regulated by the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) but the mechanisms involved are unclear.

METHODS

We studied cultured HSC and intact mice with liver injury to test the hypothesis that HSC respond to and produce SNS neurotransmitters to promote fibrogenesis.

RESULTS

HSC expressed adrenoceptors, catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes, released norepinephrine (NE), and were growth inhibited by alpha- and beta-adrenoceptor antagonists. HSC from dopamine beta-hydroxylase deficient (Dbh(-/-)) mice, which cannot make NE, grew poorly in culture and were rescued by NE. Inhibitor studies demonstrated that this effect was mediated via G protein coupled adrenoceptors, mitogen activated kinases, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Injury related fibrogenic responses were inhibited in Dbh(-/-) mice, as evidenced by reduced hepatic accumulation of alpha-smooth muscle actin(+ve) HSC and decreased induction of transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1) and collagen. Treatment with isoprenaline rescued HSC activation. HSC were also reduced in leptin deficient ob/ob mice which have reduced NE levels and are resistant to hepatic fibrosis. Treating ob/ob mice with NE induced HSC proliferation, upregulated hepatic TGF-beta1 and collagen, and increased liver fibrosis.

CONCLUSIONS

HSC are hepatic neuroglia that produce and respond to SNS neurotransmitters to promote hepatic fibrosis.

Besides its actions on the regulation of appetite, leptin has also been implicated in regulating reproductive and immune functions. Because leptin-deficient mice are more susceptible to lipopolysaccharide- and tumor necrosis factor-alpha-induced shock, which is associated with lower levels of interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), we investigated whether leptin is a direct regulator of IL-1Ra in human monocytes. In human moncytic cells, leptin was capable of inducing a 6- to 10-fold increase in secreted IL-1Ra in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Moreover, leptin induced the messenger RNA for IL-1Ra within 8 h and specifically activated the promoter for this gene. However, leptin had no effect on the expression or secretion of IL-1 in THP-1 cells. This effect of leptin on monocytic cells requires the presence of the functional leptin receptor OB-Rb, which we have shown to be present in human monocytes by RT-PCR and by measuring the activation of the Jak/STAT pathway. In summary, we have demonstrated that leptin is capable of inducing the expression and secretion of IL-1Ra by human monocytes, an effect that is potentially mediated through the presence of functional leptin receptors on these cells. These findings suggest that leptin may have immunomodulatory functions in vivo.

Acute or chronic alterations in energy status alter the balance between excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission and associated synaptic plasticity to allow for the adaptation of energy metabolism to new homeostatic requirements. The impact of such changes on endocannabinoid and cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1)-mediated modulation of synaptic transmission and strength is not known, despite the fact that this signaling system is an important target for the development of new drugs against obesity. We investigated whether CB1-expressing excitatory vs. inhibitory inputs to orexin-A-containing neurons in the lateral hypothalamus are altered in obesity and how this modifies endocannabinoid control of these neurons. In lean mice, these inputs are mostly excitatory. By confocal and ultrastructural microscopic analyses, we observed that in leptin-knockout (ob/ob) obese mice, and in mice with diet-induced obesity, orexinergic neurons receive predominantly inhibitory CB1-expressing inputs and overexpress the biosynthetic enzyme for the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol, which retrogradely inhibits synaptic transmission at CB1-expressing axon terminals. Patch-clamp recordings also showed increased CB1-sensitive inhibitory innervation of orexinergic neurons in ob/ob mice. These alterations are reversed by leptin administration, partly through activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway in neuropeptide-Y-ergic neurons of the arcuate nucleus, and are accompanied by CB1-mediated enhancement of orexinergic innervation of target brain areas. We propose that enhanced inhibitory control of orexin-A neurons, and their CB1-mediated disinhibition, are a consequence of leptin signaling impairment in the arcuate nucleus. We also provide initial evidence of the participation of this phenomenon in hyperphagia and hormonal dysregulation in obesity.

We tested the hypothesis that human CB1 cannabinoid receptors (hCB1) can sequester G(i/o)-proteins from a common pool and prevent other receptors from signaling. Human CB1 cannabinoid receptors were expressed in superior cervical ganglion (SCG) neurons by microinjection of hCB1 cDNA. Expression of hCB1 cannabinoid receptors abolished the Ca(2+) current inhibition by endogenous pertussis toxin-sensitive G(i/o)-coupled receptors for norepinephrine (NE) and somatostatin (SOM) but not by endogenous pertussis toxin-insensitive G(s)-coupled receptors for vasoactive intestinal polypeptide. Signaling by NE was rescued by expression of Galpha(oB), Gbeta(1), and Ggamma(3). Expression of mGluR2 metabotropic glutamate receptors, another pertussis toxin-sensitive G-protein-coupled receptor, had no effect on the signaling by NE or SOM. Some hCB1 receptors were constitutively active because the cannabinoid receptor inverse agonist SR 141617A enhanced the Ca(2+) current. Some hCB1 receptors also appear to be precoupled to G(i/o)-proteins because the cannabinoid agonist WIN 55,212-2 decreased the Ca(2+) current at a time when no G-proteins were available to couple to alpha(2)-adrenergic and somatostatin receptors. In SCG neurons microinjected with a lower concentration of hCB1 cDNA, the effect of SR 141716A was reduced, and the response to NE and SOM was partially restored. Subsequent to the application of SR 141716A, the Ca(2+) current inhibition by NE and SOM was abolished. These results suggest that both the active and inactive states of the hCB1 receptor can sequester G(i/o)-proteins from a common pool. Cannabinoid receptors thus have the potential to prevent other G(i/o)-coupled receptors from transducing their biological signals.

Depletion of mtDNA in myocytes causes insulin resistance and alters nuclear gene expression that may be involved in rescuing processes against cellular stress. Here we show that the expression of C1q tumor necrosis factor alpha-related protein isoform 5 (C1QTNF5) is drastically increased following depletion of mtDNA in myocytes. C1QTNF5 is homologous to adiponectin in respect to domain structure, and its expression and secretion from myocytes correlated negatively with the cellular mtDNA content. Similar to adiponectin, C1QTNF5 induced the phosphorylation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), leading to increased cell surface recruitment of GLUT4 and increased glucose uptake. Treatment of cells with purified recombinant C1QTNF5 increased the phosphorylation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase and stimulated fatty acid oxidation. C1QTNF5-mediated phosphorylation of AMPK or acetyl-CoA carboxylase was unaffected by depletion of adiponectin receptors such as AdipoR1 or AdipoR2, which indicated that adiponectin receptors do not participate in C1QTNF5-induced activation of AMPK. Serum C1QTNF5 levels were significantly higher in obese/diabetic animals (OLETF rats, ob/ob mice, and db/db mice). These results highlight C1QTNF5 as a putative biomarker for mitochondrial dysfunction and a potent activator of AMPK.

Hyperleptinemia is a common feature of obese women who have a higher risk of endometrial cancer than women with normal weights, and epidemiologic studies have suggested a correlation between obesity and endometrial carcinoma. Therefore, understanding of the molecular mechanism involved in leptin signaling transduction is important in endometrial cancer prevention and treatment. In this study, both isoforms of the leptin receptor (Ob-R), the long form (Ob-Rb) and short form (Ob-Ra), were detected as being expressed in six endometrial cancer cell lines with various differentiation status by western blotting, and Ob-Ra was found to be more abundant than Ob-Rb in these cells. Moreover, the expressions of both isoforms were inversely correlated with histoprognostic grading. We also showed that leptin stimulated cell proliferation and induced activations of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3), extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), AKT, and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 in endometrial cancer cells dose-dependently by [(3)H] thymidine incorporation assay and western blotting. Leptin-stimulation resulted in increased expression of COX-2 mRNA and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production of endometrial cancer cells by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and enzyme immunoassay, respectively, which was effectively blocked by pharmacological inhibitors of Janus tyrosine kinase 2 (JAK2), AG490; of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase, U0126; of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), LY294002; and of COX-2, NS398. These results suggest that leptin promotes cell proliferation of endometrial cancer cells via the aforementioned multiple signal-transduction pathways. Leptin-induced functional activation of COX-2 is JAK2/STAT3-, MAPK/ERK-, and PI3K/AKT-dependent, indicating that COX-2 may be a critical factor of endometrial carcinogenesis in obesity.

Stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) is the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of monounsaturated fatty acids. Thus far, three isoforms of SCD (SCD1, SCD2, and SCD3) have been identified and characterized. Regulation of the SCD1 isoform has been shown to be an important component of the metabolic actions of leptin in liver, but the effects of leptin on SCD isoforms in other tissues have not been investigated. We found that although the mRNA levels of SCD1 and SCD2 were not affected by leptin deficiency in the hearts of ob/ob mice, the SCD activity and levels of monounsaturated fatty acids were increased, implying the existence of another SCD isoform. This observation has led to the cDNA cloning and characterization of a fourth SCD isoform (SCD4) that is expressed exclusively in the heart. SCD4 encodes a 352-amino acid protein that shares 79% sequence identity with the SCD1, SCD2, and SCD3 isoforms. Liver X receptor alpha (LXR alpha) agonists and a high carbohydrate fat-free diet induced SCD4 expression, but unlike SCD1, SCD4 expression was not repressed by dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids. SCD4 mRNA levels were elevated 5-fold in the hearts of leptin-deficient ob/ob mice relative to wild type controls. Treatment of ob/ob mice with leptin decreased mRNA levels of SCD4, whereas levels of SCD1 and SCD2 were not affected. Furthermore, in the hearts of SCD1-deficient mice, SCD4 mRNA levels were induced 3-fold, whereas the levels of SCD2 were not altered. The current studies identify a novel heart-specific SCD isoform that demonstrates tissue-specific regulation by leptin and dietary factors.

Diabetes mellitus predisposes the host to bacterial infections. Moreover, hyperglycemia has been shown to be an independent risk factor for respiratory infections. The luminal surface of airway epithelia is covered by a thin layer of airway surface liquid (ASL) and is normally sterile despite constant exposure to bacteria. The balance between bacterial growth and killing in the airway determines the outcome of exposure to inhaled or aspirated bacteria: infection or sterility. We hypothesized that restriction of carbon sources--including glucose--in the ASL is required for sterility of the lungs. We found that airway epithelia deplete glucose from the ASL via a novel mechanism involving polarized expression of GLUT-1 and GLUT-10, intracellular glucose phosphorylation, and low relative paracellular glucose permeability in well-differentiated cultures of human airway epithelia and in segments of airway epithelia excised from human tracheas. Moreover, we found that increased glucose concentration in the ASL augments growth of P. aeruginosa in vitro and in the lungs of hyperglycemic ob/ob and db/db mice in vivo. In contrast, hyperglycemia had no effect on intrapulmonary bacterial growth of a P. aeruginosa mutant that is unable to utilize glucose as a carbon source. Our data suggest that depletion of glucose in the airway epithelial surface is a novel mechanism for innate immunity. This mechanism is important for sterility of the airways and has implications in hyperglycemia and conditions that result in disruption of the epithelial barrier in the lung.

Obese adipose tissue (AT) is associated with chronic inflammation, and we hypothesized that the keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC), the mouse ortholog of human interleukin-8, plays a role in obesity-mediated AT inflammation and the subsequent manifestation of insulin resistance. KC expression is increased in the AT and plasma of genetically (ob/ob) and high fat diet-induced obese mouse models, and this increase may be mediated by the elevated leptin and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels associated with obesity. Obesity-induced KC expression occurs primarily in stromal vascular cells and not in adipocytes, and it is high in preadipocytes and decreases during adipogenesis. Although KC has no effect on adipogenesis, it induces adipocyte expression of inflammatory factors and the insulin resistance mediator, suppressor of cytokine signaling 3. Using chimeric mice deficient in the KC receptor CXCR2 in their bone marrow, we show that the lack of CXCR2 in hematopoietic cells is sufficient to protect from adipose and skeletal muscle macrophage recruitment and development of insulin resistance in diet-induced obese mice. These studies suggest that KC and its receptor CXCR2 are potential targets for the development of new therapeutic approaches for treatment of obesity-related insulin resistance, type II diabetes, and related cardiovascular diseases.

Circulating levels of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), a metabolic regulator of glucose, lipid, and energy homeostasis, are elevated in obese diabetic subjects, raising questions about potential FGF21 resistance. Here we report tissue expression changes in FGF21 and its receptor components, and we describe the target-organ and whole-body responses to FGF21 in ob/ob and diet-induced obese (DIO) mice. Plasma FGF21 concentrations were elevated 8- and 16-fold in DIO and ob/ob mice, respectively, paralleling a dramatic increase in hepatic FGF21 mRNA expression. Concurrently, expression levels of βKlotho, FGF receptor (FGFR)-1c, and FGFR2c were markedly down-regulated in the white adipose tissues (WAT) of ob/ob and DIO mice. However, dose-response curves of recombinant human FGF21 (rhFGF21) stimulation of ERK phosphorylation in the liver and WAT were not right shifted in disease models, although the magnitude of induction in ERK phosphorylation was partially attenuated in DIO mice. Whole-body metabolic responses were preserved in ob/ob and DIO mice, with disease models being more sensitive and responsive than lean mice to the glucose-lowering and weight-loss effects of rhFGF21. Endogenous FGF21 levels, although elevated in diseased mice, were below the half-maximal effective concentrations of rhFGF21, suggesting a state of relative deficiency. Hepatic and WAT FGF21 mRNA expression levels declined after rhFGF21 treatment in the absence of the increased expression levels of βKlotho and FGFR. We conclude that overt FGF21 resistance was not evident in the disease models, and increased hepatic FGF21 expression as a result of local metabolic changes is likely a major cause of elevated circulating FGF21 levels.