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Shankar K, Metzger NP, Lawrence C, Gupta D, Osborne-Lawrence S, Varshney S, Singh O, Richard CP, Zaykov AN, Rolfts R, DuBois BN, Perez-Tilve D, Mani BK, Hammer STG, Zigman JM. A long-acting LEAP2 analog reduces hepatic steatosis and inflammation and causes marked weight loss in mice. Mol Metab 2024; 84:101950. [PMID: 38697291 PMCID: PMC11103953 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2024.101950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 04/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The number of individuals affected by metabolic dysfunction associated fatty liver disease [1] is on the rise, yet hormonal contributors to the condition remain incompletely described and only a single FDA-approved treatment is available. Some studies suggest that the hormones ghrelin and LEAP2, which act as agonist and antagonist/inverse agonist, respectively, for the G protein coupled receptor GHSR, may influence the development of MAFLD. For instance, ghrelin increases hepatic fat whereas synthetic GHSR antagonists do the opposite. Also, hepatic steatosis is less prominent in standard chow-fed ghrelin-KO mice but more prominent in 42% high-fat diet-fed female LEAP2-KO mice. METHODS Here, we sought to determine the therapeutic potential of a long-acting LEAP2 analog (LA-LEAP2) to treat MAFLD in mice. LEAP2-KO and wild-type littermate mice were fed a Gubra-Amylin-NASH (GAN) diet for 10 or 40 wks, with some randomized to an additional 28 or 10 days of GAN diet, respectively, while treated with LA-LEAP2 vs Vehicle. Various metabolic parameters were followed and biochemical and histological assessments of MAFLD were made. RESULTS Among the most notable metabolic effects, daily LA-LEAP2 administration to both LEAP2-KO and wild-type littermates during the final 4 wks of a 14 wk-long GAN diet challenge markedly reduced liver weight, hepatic triglycerides, plasma ALT, hepatic microvesicular steatosis, hepatic lobular inflammation, NASH activity scores, and prevalence of higher-grade fibrosis. These changes were accompanied by prominent reductions in body weight, without effects on food intake, and reduced plasma total cholesterol. Daily LA-LEAP2 administration during the final 10 d of a 41.5 wk-long GAN diet challenge also reduced body weight, plasma ALT, and plasma total cholesterol in LEAP2-KO and wild-type littermates and prevalence of higher grade fibrosis in LEAP2-KO mice. CONCLUSIONS Administration of LA-LEAP2 to mice fed a MAFLD-prone diet markedly improves several facets of MAFLD, including hepatic steatosis, hepatic lobular inflammation, higher-grade hepatic fibrosis, and transaminitis. These changes are accompanied by prominent reductions in body weight and lowered plasma total cholesterol. Taken together, these data suggest that LEAP2 analogs such as LA-LEAP2 hold promise for the treatment of MAFLD and obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kripa Shankar
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9077, USA
| | - Nathan P Metzger
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9077, USA
| | - Connor Lawrence
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9077, USA
| | - Deepali Gupta
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9077, USA
| | - Sherri Osborne-Lawrence
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9077, USA
| | - Salil Varshney
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9077, USA
| | - Omprakash Singh
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9077, USA
| | - Corine P Richard
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9077, USA
| | | | - Rebecca Rolfts
- Novo Nordisk Lexington, 33 Hayden Ave, Lexington, MA 02421, USA
| | - Barent N DuBois
- Novo Nordisk Lexington, 33 Hayden Ave, Lexington, MA 02421, USA
| | - Diego Perez-Tilve
- Department of Pharmacology and Systems Physiology, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Bharath K Mani
- Novo Nordisk Lexington, 33 Hayden Ave, Lexington, MA 02421, USA
| | - Suntrea T G Hammer
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Zigman
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390-9077, USA; Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, USA; Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390, USA.
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Kulkarni SS, Singh O, Zigman JM. The intersection between ghrelin, metabolism and circadian rhythms. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2024; 20:228-238. [PMID: 38123819 DOI: 10.1038/s41574-023-00927-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Despite the growing popular interest in sleep and diet, many gaps exist in our scientific understanding of the interaction between circadian rhythms and metabolism. In this Review, we explore a promising, bidirectional role for ghrelin in mediating this interaction. Ghrelin both influences and is influenced by central and peripheral circadian systems. Specifically, we focus on how ghrelin impacts outputs of circadian rhythm, including neuronal activity, circulating growth hormone levels, locomotor activity and eating behaviour. We also consider the effects of circadian rhythms on ghrelin expression and the consequences of disrupted circadian patterns, such as shift work and jet lag, on ghrelin secretion. Our Review is aimed at both the casual reader interested in gaining more insight into the scientific context surrounding the trending topics of sleep and metabolism, as well as experienced scientists in the fields of ghrelin and circadian biology seeking inspiration and a comprehensive overview of how these fields are related.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumya S Kulkarni
- Medical Scientist Training Program, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Omprakash Singh
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Zigman
- Center for Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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Maric I, López-Ferreras L, Bhat Y, Asker M, Börchers S, Bellfy L, Byun S, Kwapis JL, Skibicka KP. From the stomach to locus coeruleus: new neural substrate for ghrelin's effects on ingestive, motivated and anxiety-like behaviors. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1286805. [PMID: 38026980 PMCID: PMC10679437 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1286805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Ghrelin, a stomach-derived orexigenic hormone, has a well-established role in energy homeostasis, food reward, and emotionality. Noradrenergic neurons of the locus coeruleus (LC) are known to play an important role in arousal, emotion, cognition, but recently have also been implicated in control of feeding behavior. Ghrelin receptors (the growth hormone secretagogue receptor, GHSR) may be found in the LC, but the behavioral effects of ghrelin signaling in this area are still unexplored. Here, we first determined whether GHSR are present in the rat LC, and demonstrate that GHSR are expressed on noradrenergic neurons in both sexes. We next investigated whether ghrelin controls ingestive and motivated behaviors as well as anxiety-like behavior by acting in the LC. To pursue this idea, we examined the effects of LC GHSR stimulation and blockade on food intake, operant responding for a palatable food reward and, anxiety-like behavior in the open field (OF) and acoustic startle response (ASR) tests in male and female rats. Our results demonstrate that intra-LC ghrelin administration increases chow intake and motivated behavior for sucrose in both sexes. Additionally, females, but not males, exhibited a potent anxiolytic response in the ASR. In order to determine whether activation of GHSR in the LC was necessary for feeding and anxiety behavior control, we utilized liver-expressed antimicrobial peptide 2 (LEAP2), a newly identified endogenous GHSR antagonist. LEAP2 delivered specifically into the LC was sufficient to reduce fasting-induced chow hyperphagia in both sexes, but food reward only in females. Moreover, blockade of GHSR in the LC increased anxiety-like behavior measured in the ASR test in both sexes. Taken together, these results indicate that ghrelin acts in the LC to alter ingestive, motivated and anxiety-like behaviors, with a degree of sex divergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Maric
- Institute for Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
| | - Lorena López-Ferreras
- Institute for Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Yashaswini Bhat
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
| | - Mohammed Asker
- Institute for Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Stina Börchers
- Institute for Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
| | - Lauren Bellfy
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
| | - Suyeun Byun
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
| | - Janine L. Kwapis
- Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
| | - Karolina P. Skibicka
- Institute for Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
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