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Della Torre S, Mitro N, Meda C, Lolli F, Pedretti S, Barcella M, Ottobrini L, Metzger D, Caruso D, Maggi A. Short-Term Fasting Reveals Amino Acid Metabolism as a Major Sex-Discriminating Factor in the Liver. Cell Metab 2018; 28:256-267.e5. [PMID: 29909969 PMCID: PMC6084280 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2018.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2017] [Revised: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Sex impacts on liver physiology with severe consequences for energy metabolism and response to xenobiotic, hepatic, and extra-hepatic diseases. The comprehension of the biology subtending sex-related hepatic differences is therefore very relevant in the medical, pharmacological, and dietary perspective. The extensive application of metabolomics paired to transcriptomics here shows that, in the case of short-term fasting, the decision to maintain lipid synthesis using amino acids (aa) as a source of fuel is the key discriminant for the hepatic metabolism of male and female mice. Pharmacological and genetic interventions indicate that the hepatic estrogen receptor (ERα) has a key role in this sex-related strategy that is primed around birth by the aromatase-dependent conversion of testosterone into estradiol. This energy partition strategy, possibly the result of an evolutionary pressure enabling mammals to tailor their reproductive capacities to nutritional status, is most important to direct future sex-specific dietary and medical interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Della Torre
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Nico Mitro
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Clara Meda
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Federica Lolli
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Silvia Pedretti
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Matteo Barcella
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Luisa Ottobrini
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Daniel Metzger
- Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, INSERM U964/CNRS UMR 7104, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Donatella Caruso
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, Milan 20133, Italy
| | - Adriana Maggi
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Milan, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Via Balzaretti 9, Milan 20133, Italy.
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Fontana R, Della Torre S, Meda C, Longo A, Eva C, Maggi AC. Estrogen replacement therapy regulation of energy metabolism in female mouse hypothalamus. Endocrinology 2014; 155:2213-21. [PMID: 24635349 DOI: 10.1210/en.2013-1731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Estrogens play an important role in the regulation of energy homeostasis in female mammals and a reduced ovarian function, due to natural aging or surgery, is associated with body weight increase and fat redistribution. This disruption of energy homeostasis may constitute a trigger for several pathologies known to be associated with climacterium; however, so far, limited attention has been devoted to the ability of estrogen replacement therapies (ERT) to reinstate the balanced energy metabolism characteristic of cycling female mammals. The purpose of the present study was to compare the efficacy of selected ERTs in reversing the ovariectomy-induced gain in body weight. To this aim female ERE-Luc mice were ovariectomized and, after 3 weeks, treated per os for 21 days with: conjugated estrogens, two selective estrogen receptor modulators (bazedoxifene and raloxifene), and the combination of bazedoxifene plus conjugated estrogens (tissue-selective estrogen complex, TSEC). The study shows that the therapy based on TSEC was the most efficacious in reducing the body weight accrued by ovariectomy (OVX). In addition, by means of in vivo imaging, the TSEC treatment was shown to increase estrogen receptor (ER) transcriptional activity selectively in the arcuate nucleus, which is a key area for the control of energy homeostasis. Finally, quantitative analysis of the mRNAs encoding orexigenic and anorexigenic peptides indicated that following ERT with TSEC there was a significant change in Agrp, NPY, and Kiss-1 mRNA accumulation in the whole hypothalamus. Considering that prior studies showed that ERT with TSEC was able to mimic the rhythm of ER oscillatory activity during the reproductive cycle and that such fluctuations were relevant for energy metabolism, the present observations further point to the ER tetradian oscillation as an important component of the ER signaling necessary for the full hormone action and therefore for an efficacious ERT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Fontana
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases and Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences (R.F., S.D.T, C.M., A.M), University of Milan, 21022 Milan, Italy; Department of Drug Discovery and Development, Italian Institute of Technology, 16163 Genova, Italy (R.F.); Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, (A.L., E.C.) 10043 Turin, Italy
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El-Jamal N, Dubuquoy L, Auwerx J, Bertin B, Desreumaux P. In vivoimaging reveals selective PPAR activity in the skin of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor responsive element-luciferase reporter mice. Exp Dermatol 2013; 22:137-40. [DOI: 10.1111/exd.12082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/21/2012] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Johan Auwerx
- Institut Clinique de la Souris; Illkirch; France
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Tetradian oscillation of estrogen receptor α is necessary to prevent liver lipid deposition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:11806-11. [PMID: 22761311 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1205797109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the liver of female mice, the transcriptional activity of estrogen receptor (ER) α oscillates in phase with the 4-d-long estrous cycle. Here systemic, genome-wide analysis demonstrates that ER tetradian oscillation is necessary to generate pulses of expression in genes for fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis. This ER-dependent metabolic programming changes with pregnancy and after cessation of ovarian function due to age or surgical menopause, suggesting that ER signaling is optimized to coordinate liver functions with the energetic requirements of each reproductive stage. Alterations of amplitude and frequency of the tetradian cycle, as observed after surgical menopause, age, or specific ablation of the hepatic Igf-1 gene, are associated with liver fat deposition. Appropriate hormone replacement therapy reinstating the oscillatory activity of liver ER prevents the effect of surgical menopause on fat deposition in liver.
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Sung E, Turan N, Ho PWL, Ho SL, Jarratt PDB, Waring RH, Ramsden DB. Detection of endocrine disruptors - from simple assays to whole genome scanning. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012; 35:407-14. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2012.01254.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Della Torre S, Rando G, Meda C, Stell A, Chambon P, Krust A, Ibarra C, Magni P, Ciana P, Maggi A. Amino acid-dependent activation of liver estrogen receptor alpha integrates metabolic and reproductive functions via IGF-1. Cell Metab 2011; 13:205-14. [PMID: 21284987 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2011.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2009] [Revised: 09/16/2010] [Accepted: 12/30/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Throughout evolution, organisms have devised strategies to limit fertility in case of prolonged starvation. In mammals, the liver plays a central role in the orchestration of mechanisms allowing for the maintenance of energy homeostasis. We here demonstrate that dietary amino acids regulate the transcriptional activity of hepatic estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) through an mTOR-dependent mechanism. As a result of ERα activation, hepatic IGF-1 mRNA and blood IGF-1 are increased. Conversely, calorie restriction or selective ablation of ERα in the liver decrease blood IGF-1 to levels inadequate for the correct proliferation of the lumen epithelium in the uterus and the progression of the estrous cycle. We propose that the liver acts as critical mediator of energetic and reproductive functions responsible for the blockade of the estrous cycle in case of protein scarcity. Our findings may provide novel insights to understand the cause of selected forms of infertility and metabolic alterations in women after menopause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Della Torre
- Center of Excellence on Neurodegenerative Diseases, University of Milan, Milan, 20133, Italy
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