1,2-Diacylglycerol and ceramide levels in rat liver and skeletal muscle in vivo

Preclinical rodent models of physical inactivity-induced muscle insulin resistance: challenges and solutions

Physical inactivity influences the development of muscle insulin resistance yet is far less understood than diet-induced muscle insulin resistance. Progress in understanding the mechanisms of physical inactivity-induced insulin resistance is limited by a lack of an appropriate preclinical model of muscle insulin resistance. Here, we discuss differences between diet and physical inactivity-induced insulin resistance, the advantages and disadvantages of the available rodent inactivity models to study insulin resistance, and our current understanding of the mechanisms of muscle insulin resistance derived from such preclinical inactivity designs. The burgeoning rise of health complications emanating from metabolic disease presents an alarming issue with mounting costs for health care and a reduced quality of life. There exists a pressing need for more complete understanding of mechanisms behind the development and progression of metabolic dysfunction. Since lifestyle modifications such as poor diet and lack of physical activity are primary catalysts of metabolic dysfunction, rodent models have been formed to explore mechanisms behind these issues. Particularly, the use of a high-fat diet has been pervasive and has been an instrumental model to gain insight into mechanisms underlying diet-induced insulin resistance (IR). However, physical inactivity (and to some extent muscle disuse) is an often overlooked and much less frequently studied lifestyle modification, which some have contended is the primary contributor in the initial development of muscle IR. In this mini-review we highlight some of the key differences between diet- and physical inactivity-induced development of muscle IR and propose reasons for the sparse volume of academic research into physical inactivity-induced IR including infrequent use of clearly translatable rodent physical inactivity models.

An unbiased lipidomics approach identifies key lipid molecules as potential therapeutic targets of Dohongsamul-tang against non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases in a mouse model of obesity

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Dohongsamul-tang (DST) is a traditional herbal formula used to promote the blood circulation and inhibit inflammation, and also widely has been used in the treatment of patients with chronic liver diseases in Korea and China.

AIM OF THE STUDY

This study aimed to investigate the effect of DST on regulation of lipid metabolism of chronic liver diseases in mouse model of non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases (NAFLD).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, we evaluated the effect of DST on high-fat and high-cholesterol diet (HFHC, 40% fat and 1% cholesterol)-induced NAFLD, and applied unbiased lipidomics using ultra-performance liquid chromatography/quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC/Q-TOF MS) coupled with multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

DST improved hepatic morphology and reduced levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). In addition, DST inhibited hepatic lipid accumulation through the downregulation of C/EBPα, PPARγ, and pAMPK. To further elucidate the effect of DST on hepatic lipid metabolism, we applied UPLC/Q-TOF MS-based lipidomics. The score plots of partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) showed that DST changed the lipid metabolic pattern of high-fat and high-cholesterol diet (HFHC) mice. Twenty-two lipid metabolites were selected as biomarkers regulated by DST and pathway analysis revealed that sphingolipid metabolism and glycerophospholipid metabolism were associated with the effect of DST on NAFLD. Among the 22 selected biomarkers, 14 were phospholipids, and DST significantly reversed the increased expression of lysophospholipase 3 (LYPLA3) and neuropathy target esterase (NTE), which are key enzymes in glycerophospholipid metabolism. Given that alterations in sphingolipids and phospholipids can have effects on apoptosis and insulin resistance (IR), we subsequently investigated changes in the expression of apoptosis-related proteins, including Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) and B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2), and IR-related markers after DST treatment. We accordingly found that the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2 expression, a maker of apoptosis, was also elevated in HFHC mice and reduced by DST treatment. In addition, DST enhanced hepatic insulin signaling by upregulating the expression of insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS-1) and phospho-protein kinase B (pAKT), and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) analysis indicated that this herbal preparation also ameliorated systemic IR.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggested that DST might have an effect on NAFLD by regulating the metabolism of lipids such as phospholipids and sphingolipids and demonstrated that lipidomic profiling is useful to investigate the therapeutic effects of herbal decoctions from traditional Korean and Chinese medicine.

Intramuscular lipid metabolism, insulin action, and obesity

With the increasing prevalence of obesity, research has focused on the molecular mechanism(s) linking obesity and skeletal muscle insulin resistance. Metabolic alterations within muscle, such as changes in the cellular location of fatty acid transporter proteins, decreased mitochondrial enzyme activity, and defects in mitochondrial morphology, likely contribute to obesity and insulin resistance. These defects are thought to play a role in the reduced skeletal muscle fatty acid oxidation and increased intramuscular lipid (IMCL) accumulation that is apparent with obesity and other insulin-resistant states such as type 2 diabetes. Intramuscular triacylglycerol does not appear to be a ubiquitous marker of insulin resistance, although specific IMCL intermediates such as long-chain fatty acyl-CoAs, ceramide, and diacylglycerol may inhibit insulin signal transduction. In this review, we will briefly summarize the defects in skeletal muscle lipid metabolism associated with obesity, and discuss the proposed mechanisms by which these defects may contribute to insulin resistance.

Oral administration of circulating precursors for membrane phosphatides can promote the synthesis of new brain synapses

Although cognitive performance in humans and experimental animals can be improved by administering omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the neurochemical mechanisms underlying this effect remain uncertain. In general, nutrients or drugs that modify brain function or behavior do so by affecting synaptic transmission, usually by changing the quantities of particular neurotransmitters present within synaptic clefts or by acting directly on neurotransmitter receptors or signal-transduction molecules. We find that DHA also affects synaptic transmission in mammalian brain. Brain cells of gerbils or rats receiving this fatty acid manifest increased levels of phosphatides and of specific presynaptic or postsynaptic proteins. They also exhibit increased numbers of dendritic spines on postsynaptic neurons. These actions are markedly enhanced in animals that have also received the other two circulating precursors for phosphatidylcholine, uridine (which gives rise to brain uridine diphosphate and cytidine triphosphate) and choline (which gives rise to phosphocholine). The actions of DHA aere reproduced by eicosapentaenoic acid, another omega-3 compound, but not by omega-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid. Administration of circulating phosphatide precursors can also increase neurotransmitter release (acetylcholine, dopamine) and affect animal behavior. Conceivably, this treatment might have use in patients with the synaptic loss that characterizes Alzheimer's disease or other neurodegenerative diseases or occurs after stroke or brain injury.

Dysregulation of muscle lipid metabolism in rats selectively bred for low aerobic running capacity

As substrate for evaluation of metabolic diseases, we developed novel rat models that contrast for endurance exercise capacity. Through two-way artificial selection, we created rodent phenotypes of intrinsically low-capacity runners (LCR) and high-capacity runners (HCR) that also differed markedly for cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk factors. Here, we determined skeletal muscle proteins with putative roles in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism to better understand the mechanisms underlying differences in whole body substrate handling between phenotypes. Animals (generation 16) differed for endurance running capacity by 295%. LCR animals had higher resting plasma glucose (6.58 +/- 0.45 vs. 6.09 +/- 0.45 mmol/l), insulin (0.48 +/- 0.03 vs. 0.32 +/- 0.02 ng/ml), nonesterified fatty acid (0.57 +/- 0.14 v 0.35 +/- 0.05 mM), and triglyceride (TG; 0.47 +/- 0.11 vs. 0.25 +/- 0.08 mmol/l) concentrations (all P < 0.05). Muscle TG (72.3 +/- 14.7 vs. 38.9 +/- 6.2 mmol/kg dry muscle wt; P < 0.05) and diacylglycerol (96 +/- 28 vs. 42 +/- 8 pmol/mg dry muscle wt; P < 0.05) contents were elevated in LCR vs. HCR rats. Accompanying the greater lipid accretion in LCR was increased fatty acid translocase/CD36 content (1,014 +/- 80 vs. 781 +/- 70 arbitrary units; P < 0.05) and reduced TG lipase activity (0.158 +/- 0.0125 vs. 0.274 +/- 0.018 mmol.min(-1).kg dry muscle wt(-1); P < 0.05). Muscle glycogen, GLUT4 protein, and basal phosphorylation states of AMP-activated protein kinase-alpha1, AMP-activated protein kinase-alpha2, and acetyl-CoA carboxylase were similar in LCR and HCR. In conclusion, rats with low intrinsic aerobic capacity demonstrate abnormalities in lipid-handling capacity. These disruptions may, in part, be responsible for the increased risk of metabolic disorders observed in this phenotype.

Mechanisms of the free fatty acid-induced increase in hepatic glucose production

The associations between obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes mellitus are well documented. Free fatty acids (FFA), which are often elevated in obesity, have been implicated as an important link in these associations. Contrary to muscle glucose metabolism, the effects of FFA on hepatic glucose metabolism and the associated mechanisms have not been extensively investigated. It is still controversial whether FFA have substantial effects on hepatic glucose production, and the mechanisms responsible for these putative effects remain unknown. We review recent progress in this area and try to clarify controversial issues regarding the mechanisms responsible for the FFA-induced increase in hepatic glucose production in the postabsorptive state and during hyperinsulinemia.

Simultaneous quantitation of ceramides and 1,2-diacylglycerol in tissues by Iatroscan thin-layer chromatography-flame-ionization detection

Ceramides and 1,2-diacylglycerol have been demonstrated in intracellular signaling pathways. A method of simultaneous mass determination of ceramides and 1,2-diacylglycerol in tissues was developed using the latroscan which combines thin layer chromatography and flame ionization detection (TLC/FID) techniques. Because of relatively low amounts of these components in tissues, the fraction of nonpolar lipids, which included ceramides and glycerides, was eluted with chloroform/acetone mixture (3:1, vol/vol) through a silicic acid column to eliminate the polar phospholipids. Development of Chromarods was carried out using three solvent systems in a four-step development technique. The relationship of the peak area ratio to weight ratio compared with cholesteryl acetate added as an internal standard was linear. The amount of ceramides increased with incubation of rat heart homogenate and human erythrocyte membranes in the presence of sphingomyelinase (E.C. 3.1.4.12). The latroscan TLC/FID system provided a quick and reliable assessment of ceramides and 1,2-diacylglycerol.

Characterization of free and glyceride-esterified long chain fatty acids in different skeletal muscle types of the rat

The plasma-borne long-chain free fatty acids (FFA) enter skeletal muscle cells. Upon entering they are oxidized or esterified and a fraction remains free (non-esterified). The data on free fatty acids in skeletal muscles remain highly controversial. Furthermore, the composition of individual fatty acids in various lipid fractions including free fatty acids, monoglyceride and diglyceride in muscles has not been characterized. Also data on the composition of fatty acids esterified into muscle triglycerides and phospholipids are incomplete. The present study was undertaken to examine a composition of fatty acids in lipid fractions of different skeletal muscle types. For this purpose, samples of the rat soleus, red and white portions of gastrocnemius were excised, trimmed of visible fat and fascias and immediately frozen in liquid nitrogen. Samples were then pulverized and, lipids were extracted and fractionated by thin-layer chromatography. Individual long-chain fatty acids in different fractions were identified, characterized and quantitated by gas-liquid chromatography. FFA composition in the plasma was also determined. The total FFA content in the soleus, red and white gastrocnemius was 69.1 +/- 10.8, 49.0 +/- 13.6 and 22.7 +/- 8.6 nmol/g, respectively. Palmitic and oleic acids were the major fatty acids in the muscles FFA fraction. Monoglyceride fraction of each muscle contained palmitic, stearic and linoleic acid as the major fatty acids, Diglyceride fraction contained mostly palmitic and oleic acid whereas triglyceride fraction mostly palmitic and linoleic acid.. The fraction of phospholipids was composed mostly of palmitic and linoleic acid but contained also considerable percentage of archidonic acid. Total plasma FFA/muscle FFA ratio depended on a muscle type and was: 2.4 in the soleus, 3.5 in the red and 7.4 in the white gastrocnemius. This assured transport of FFA to the myocytes. However, there were great differences in the ratio between particular FFA within the same muscle as well between the muscles. It indicates that individual FFA are either selectively transported from the plasma to the muscles or selectively used within the myocytes or both.

Sphingomyelinase stimulates 2-deoxyglucose uptake by skeletal muscle

The effects of sphingomyelinase, phosphorylcholine, N-acetylsphingosine (C2-ceramide), N-hexanoylsphingosine (C6-ceramide) and sphingosine on basal and insulin-stimulated cellular accumulation of 2-deoxy-D-glucose in rat soleus muscles were investigated. Preincubation of muscles with sphingomyelinase (100 or 200 m-units/ml) for 1 or 2 h augmented basal 2-deoxyglucose uptake by 29-91%, and that at 0.1 and 1.0 m-unit of insulin/ml 32-82% and 19-25% respectively compared with control muscles studied at the same insulin concentrations. The sphingomyelinase-induced increase in basal and insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake was inhibited by 91% by 70 microM cytochalasin B, suggesting that it involves glucose transporters. Sphingomyelinase had no effect on the cellular accumulation of L-glucose, which is not transported by glucose transporters. The sphingomyelinase-induced increase in 2-deoxyglucose uptake could not be reproduced by preincubating the muscles with 50 microM phosphorylcholine, 50 microM C2-ceramide or 50 microM C6-ceramide. Preincubation of muscles with 50 microM sphingosine augmented basal 2-deoxyglucose transport by 32%, but reduced the response to 0.1 and 1.0 m-unit of insulin/ml by 17 and 27% respectively. The stimulatory effect of sphingomyelinase on basal and insulin-induced 2-deoxyglucose uptake was not influenced by either removal of Ca2+ from the incubation medium or dantrolene, an inhibitor of Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. This demonstrates that Ca2+ does not mediate the action of sphingomyelinase on 2-deoxyglucose uptake. Sphingomyelinase also had no effect on basal and insulin-stimulated activities of insulin receptor tyrosine kinase and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. In addition, 1 and 5 microM wortmannin, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase, failed to inhibit the sphingomyelinase-induced increase in 2-deoxyglucose uptake. These results suggest that sphingomyelinase does not increase 2-deoxyglucose uptake by stimulating the insulin receptor or the initial steps of the insulin-transduction pathway. The data suggest the possibility that sphingomyelinase increases basal and insulin-stimulated 2-deoxyglucose uptake in skeletal muscle as the result of an unknown post-receptor effect.