Effects of rosiglitazone and oleic acid on UCP-3 expression in L6 myotubes

Functional significance of skeletal muscle adiponectin production, changes in animal models of obesity and diabetes, and regulation by rosiglitazone treatment

Endocrine effects of adipose-derived adiponectin on skeletal muscle have been shown to account, at least in part, for the anti-diabetic effects of this adipokine. Recently, the concept of myokines has gained credence, and the potential for skeletal muscle to produce adiponectin has been suggested. Here we demonstrated an increased level of adiponectin mRNA and protein expression as well as protein secretion in response to rosiglitazone treatment in L6 muscle cells. This correlated with the ability of rosiglitazone to enhance insulin sensitivity for stimulation of protein kinase B (Akt) phosphorylation and glucose transport; rosiglitazone also corrected high-glucose-induced insulin resistance in L6 cells. Overexpression of adiponectin confirmed the functional significance of local production of adiponectin in muscle cells via elevated glucose uptake and increased insulin sensitivity. In obese diabetic db/db mice, there was a change in the adiponectin expression profile in soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle with less high molecular weight (HMW) and more medium (MMW)/low (LMW) molecular weight species detected. Induction of obesity and insulin resistance in rats by feeding a high-fat high-sucrose diet also led to decreased muscle HMW adiponectin content that could be corrected by rosiglitazone treatment. In summary, we show the ability of skeletal muscle cells to produce adiponectin, which can mediate autocrine metabolic effects, thus establishing adiponectin as a bona fide myokine. We also demonstrate that skeletal muscle adiponectin production is altered in animal models of obesity and diabetes and that these changes can be corrected by rosiglitazone.

Links between fatty acids and expression of UCP2 and UCP3 mRNAs

Physiological and pathological states that are associated with elevated plasma fatty acids (FAs) increase uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2) mRNA in white adipose tissue and UCP3 mRNA in skeletal muscle and heart. A direct effect of unsaturated fatty acids from all classes has been shown in various cultured cells. There is evidence that FAs could induce expression of UCPs by acting as ligands for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, influencing the function of sterol responsive element binding protein or activating 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase. Oleic acid has been shown to stimulate the activity of the promoter regions of UCP2 and UCP3 genes and the FA responsive regions are beginning to be characterised.