The Wnt signaling pathway effector TCF7L2 is upregulated by insulin and represses hepatic gluconeogenesis

GLP-1-derived nonapeptide GLP-1(28-36)amide represses hepatic gluconeogenic gene expression and improves pyruvate tolerance in high-fat diet-fed mice

Certain "degradation" products of GLP-1 were found to possess beneficial effects on metabolic homeostasis. Here, we investigated the function of the COOH-terminal fragment of GLP-1, the nonapeptide GLP-1(28-36)amide, in hepatic glucose metabolism. C57BL/6 mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for 13 wk were injected intraperitoneally with GLP-1(28-36)amide for 6 wk. A significant reduction in body weight gain in response to HFD feeding was observed in GLP-1(28-36)amide-treated mice. GLP-1(28-36)amide administration moderately improved glucose disposal during glucose tolerance test but more drastically attenuated glucose production during pyruvate tolerance test, which was associated with reduced hepatic expression of the gluconeogenic genes Pck1, G6pc, and Ppargc1a. Mice treated with GLP-1(28-36)amide exhibited increased phosphorylation of PKA targets, including cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB), ATF-1, and β-catenin. In primary hepatocytes, GLP-1(28-36)amide reduced glucose production and expression of Pck1, G6pc, and Ppargc1a, which was associated with increased cAMP content and PKA target phosphorylation. These effects were attenuated by PKA inhibition. We suggest that GLP-1(28-36)amide represses hepatic gluconeogenesis involving the activation of components of the cAMP/PKA signaling pathway. This study further confirmed that GLP-1(28-36)amide possesses therapeutic potential for diabetes and other metabolic disorders.

Mediterranean diet reduces the adverse effect of the TCF7L2-rs7903146 polymorphism on cardiovascular risk factors and stroke incidence: a randomized controlled trial in a high-cardiovascular-risk population

OBJECTIVE

Transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) polymorphisms are strongly associated with type 2 diabetes, but controversially with plasma lipids and cardiovascular disease. Interactions of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) on these associations are unknown. We investigated whether the TCF7L2-rs7903146 (C>T) polymorphism associations with type 2 diabetes, glucose, lipids, and cardiovascular disease incidence were modulated by MedDiet.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A randomized trial (two MedDiet intervention groups and a control group) with 7,018 participants in the PREvención con DIetaMEDiterránea study was undertaken and major cardiovascular events assessed. Data were analyzed at baseline and after a median follow-up of 4.8 years. Multivariable-adjusted Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for cardiovascular events.

RESULTS

The TCF7L2-rs7903146 polymorphism was associated with type 2 diabetes (odds ratio 1.87 [95% CI 1.62-2.17] for TT compared with CC). MedDiet interacted significantly with rs7903146 on fasting glucose at baseline (P interaction = 0.004). When adherence to the MedDiet was low, TT had higher fasting glucose concentrations (132.3 ± 3.5 mg/dL) than CC+CT (127.3 ± 3.2 mg/dL) individuals (P = 0.001). Nevertheless, when adherence was high, this increase was not observed (P = 0.605). This modulation was also detected for total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides (P interaction < 0.05 for all). Likewise, in the randomized trial, TT subjects had a higher stroke incidence in the control group (adjusted HR 2.91 [95% CI 1.36-6.19]; P = 0.006 compared with CC), whereas dietary intervention with MedDiet reduced stroke incidence in TT homozygotes (adjusted HR 0.96 [95% CI 0.49-1.87]; P = 0.892 for TT compared with CC).

CONCLUSIONS

Our novel results suggest that MedDiet may not only reduce increased fasting glucose and lipids in TT individuals, but also stroke incidence.

Plasma metabolomics reveal alterations of sphingo- and glycerophospholipid levels in non-diabetic carriers of the transcription factor 7-like 2 polymorphism rs7903146

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Polymorphisms in the transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene have been shown to display a powerful association with type 2 diabetes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate metabolic alterations in carriers of a common TCF7L2 risk variant.

METHODS

Seventeen non-diabetic subjects carrying the T risk allele at the rs7903146 TCF7L2 locus and 24 subjects carrying no risk allele were submitted to intravenous glucose tolerance test and euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamp. Plasma samples were analysed for concentrations of 163 metabolites through targeted mass spectrometry.

RESULTS

TCF7L2 risk allele carriers had a reduced first-phase insulin response and normal insulin sensitivity. Under fasting conditions, carriers of TCF7L2 rs7903146 exhibited a non-significant increase of plasma sphingomyelins (SMs), phosphatidylcholines (PCs) and lysophosphatidylcholines (lysoPCs) species. A significant genotype effect was detected in response to challenge tests in 6 SMs (C16:0, C16:1, C18:0, C18:1, C24:0, C24:1), 5 hydroxy-SMs (C14:1, C16:1, C22:1, C22:2, C24:1), 4 lysoPCs (C14:0, C16:0, C16:1, C17:0), 3 diacyl-PCs (C28:1, C36:6, C40:4) and 4 long-chain acyl-alkyl-PCs (C40:2, C40:5, C44:5, C44:6).

DISCUSSION

Plasma metabolomic profiling identified alterations of phospholipid metabolism in response to challenge tests in subjects with TCF7L2 rs7903146 genotype. This may reflect a genotype-mediated link to early metabolic abnormalities prior to the development of disturbed glucose tolerance.

GLP-1(28-36) improves β-cell mass and glucose disposal in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice and activates cAMP/PKA/β-catenin signaling in β-cells in vitro

Recent studies have demonstrated that the COOH-terminal fragment of the incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a nonapeptide GLP-1(28-36)amide, attenuates diabetes and hepatic steatosis in diet-induced obese mice. However, the effect of this nonapeptide in pancreatic β-cells remains largely unknown. Here, we show that in a streptozotocin-induced mouse diabetes model, GLP-1(28-36)amide improved glucose disposal and increased pancreatic β-cell mass and β-cell proliferation. An in vitro investigation revealed that GLP-1(28-36)amide stimulates β-catenin (β-cat) Ser(675) phosphorylation in both the clonal INS-1 cell line and rat primary pancreatic islet cells. In INS-1 cells, the stimulation was accompanied by increased nuclear β-cat content. GLP-1(28-36)amide was also shown to increase cellular cAMP levels, PKA enzymatic activity, and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and cyclic AMP-dependent transcription factor-1 (ATF-1) phosphorylation. Furthermore, GLP-1(28-36)amide treatment enhanced islet insulin secretion and increased the growth of INS-1 cells, which was associated with increased cyclin D1 expression. Finally, PKA inhibition attenuated the effect of GLP-1(28-36)amide on β-cat Ser(675) phosphorylation and cyclin D1 expression in the INS-1 cell line. We have thus revealed the beneficial effect of GLP-1(28-36)amide in pancreatic β-cells in vitro and in vivo. Our observations suggest that GLP-1(28-36)amide may exert its effect through the PKA/β-catenin signaling pathway.

New insight into the mechanisms underlying the function of the incretin hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 in pancreatic β-cells: the involvement of the Wnt signaling pathway effector β-catenin

During the past two decades, the exploration of function of two incretin hormones, namely glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP), has led to the development of two categories of novel therapeutic agents for diabetes and its complications, known as GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists and DPP-IV inhibitors. Mechanisms underlying the function of GLP-1, however, still need to be further explored. GLP-1 not only functions as an incretin hormone in stimulating insulin secretion in response to nutritional, hormonal and neuronal stimulations, but also acts as an "insulin-like" factor in β-cell and extra-pancreatic organs. In addition to these insulinotropic and insulinomimetic effects, GLP-1 was shown to exert its protective effect in β-cell by repressing the expression of TxNIP, a mediator of glucolipotoxicity. A number of recent studies have shown that the Wnt signaling pathway effector, the bipartite transcription factor β-catenin/TCF, controls not only the production of GLP-1, but also the function of GLP-1. Furthermore, previously assumed "degradation" products of GLP-1(7-36)amide, including GLP-1(9-36)amide and GLP-1(28-36)amide, have been shown to exert beneficial effect in pancreas and extra-pancreatic tissues or cell lineages. Here we summarized our current knowledge on the metabolic, proliferative and protective effects of GLP-1(7-36)amide and its cleavage fragments, mainly focusing on pancreatic β-cells and the involvement of the Wnt signaling pathway effector β-catenin.