A role for SPARC in the moderation of human insulin secretion

Exploring the roles of SPARC as a proinflammatory factor and its potential as a novel therapeutic target against cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death worldwide, and the number of patients with CVD continues to increase despite extensive research and developments in this field. Chronic inflammation is a pivotal pathological component of CVD, and unveiling new proinflammatory factors will help devise novel preventive and therapeutic strategies. The extracellular matrix (ECM) not only provides structural support between cells but also contributes to cellular functions. Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is a collagen-binding matricellular protein that is particularly induced during development and tissue remodeling. A proinflammatory role for SPARC has been demonstrated in various animal models, such as in the lipopolysaccharide-induced footpad model and dextran sodium sulfate-induced colitis model. Recent clinical studies reported a positive correlation between elevated plasma SPARC levels and hypertension, obesity, and the inflammatory marker high-sensitive C-reactive protein. In addition, SPARC gene deletion attenuates the cardiac injury induced by aging, myocardial infarction, and pressure load, suggesting that SPARC has deleterious effects on CVD. This review summarizes the regulatory and proinflammatory mechanisms of SPARC on CVD, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and cerebrovascular disease and discusses the rationale behind measuring SPARC as a biomarker of CVD and the effects of inhibition of SPARC in the prevention and treatment of CVD.

The role of SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine) in the pathogenesis of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein with pleiotropic functions, which is expressed in adipose, hepatic, muscular, and pancreatic tissue. Particularly, several studies demonstrated that SPARC is an important player in the context of obesity, diabetes, and fatty liver disease including advanced hepatic fibrosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Evidence in murine and human samples indicates that SPARC is involved in adipogenesis, cellular metabolism, extracellular matrix modulation, glucose and lipid metabolism, among others. Furthermore, studies in SPARC knockout mouse model showed that SPARC contributes to adipose tissue formation, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and diabetes. Hence, SPARC may represent a novel and interesting target protein for future therapeutic interventions or a biomarker of disease progression. This review summarizes the role of SPARC in the pathophysiology of obesity, and extensively revised SPARC functions in physiological and pathological adipose tissue deposition, muscle metabolism, liver, and diabetes-related pathways.

SPARC: a potential target for functional nanomaterials and drugs

Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), also termed osteonectin or BM-40, is a matricellular protein which regulates cell adhesion, extracellular matrix production, growth factor activity, and cell cycle. Although SPARC does not perform a structural function, it, however, modulates interactions between cells and the surrounding extracellular matrix due to its anti-proliferative and anti-adhesion properties. The overexpression of SPARC at sites, including injury, regeneration, obesity, cancer, and inflammation, reveals its application as a prospective target and therapeutic indicator in the treatment and assessment of disease. This article comprehensively summarizes the mechanism of SPARC overexpression in inflammation and tumors as well as the latest research progress of functional nanomaterials in the therapy of rheumatoid arthritis and tumors by manipulating SPARC as a new target. This article provides ideas for using functional nanomaterials to treat inflammatory diseases through the SPARC target. The purpose of this article is to provide a reference for ongoing disease research based on SPARC-targeted therapy.

Proteomics profiles of blood glucose-related proteins involved in a Chinese longevity cohort

BACKGROUND

High blood glucose level is one of the main characteristics of diabetes mellitus. Based on previous studies, it is speculated longevity families may have certain advantages in blood glucose regulation. However, limited information on these items has been reported. The purpose of this study was to profile differences of plasma proteomics between longevity subjects (with normal fructosamine (FUN) level) and non-longevity area participants (with exceeding standard FUN level).

METHODS

In this study, a TMT-based proteomics analysis was used to profile differences of plasma proteomics between longevity subjects (with normal FUN level) and non-longevity area participants (with exceeding standard FUN level). Results were validated by Luminex detection.

RESULTS

A total of 155 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified between these two groups. The DEPs related to blood glucose regulation were mainly involved in glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, pyruvate metabolism and propanoate metabolism, and most of the DEPs were contained in carbohydrate metabolism, PI3K-Akt pathway, glucagon signaling pathway and inflammatory response. Validation by Luminex detection confirmed that CD163 was down-regulated, and SPARC, PARK 7 and IGFBP-1 were up-regulated in longevity participants.

CONCLUSIONS

This study not only highlighted carbohydrate metabolism, PI3K-Akt pathway, glucagon signaling pathway and inflammatory response may play important roles in blood glucose regulation, but also indicated that YWHAZ, YWHAB, YWHAG, YWHAE, CALM3, CRP, SAA2, PARK 7, IGFBP1 and VNN1 may serve as potential biomarkers for predicting abnormal blood glucose levels.

Extreme Variations in Muscle Fiber Composition Enable Detection of Insulin Resistance and Excessive Insulin Secretion

CONTEXT

Muscle fiber composition is associated with peripheral insulin action.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated whether extreme differences in muscle fiber composition are associated with alterations in peripheral insulin action and secretion in young, healthy subjects who exhibit normal fasting glycemia and insulinemia.

METHODS

Relaxation time following a tetanic contraction was used to identify subjects with a high or low expression of type I muscle fibers: group 1 (n = 11), area occupied by type I muscle fibers = 61.0 ± 11.8%, and group 2 (n = 8), type I area = 36.0 ± 4.9% (P < 0.001). Biopsies were obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle and analyzed for mitochondrial respiration on permeabilized fibers, muscle fiber composition, and capillary density. An intravenous glucose tolerance test was performed and indices of glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and secretion were determined.

RESULTS

Glucose tolerance was similar between groups, whereas whole-body insulin sensitivity was decreased by ~50% in group 2 vs group 1 (P = 0.019). First-phase insulin release (area under the insulin curve during 10 minutes after glucose infusion) was increased by almost 4-fold in group 2 vs group 1 (P = 0.01). Whole-body insulin sensitivity was correlated with percentage area occupied by type I fibers (r = 0.54; P = 0.018) and capillary density in muscle (r = 0.61; P = 0.005) but not with mitochondrial respiration. Insulin release was strongly related to percentage area occupied by type II fibers (r = 0.93; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Assessment of muscle contractile function in young healthy subjects may prove useful in identifying individuals with insulin resistance and enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion prior to onset of clinical manifestations.

Metabolic risk factors of ovarian cancer: a review

Ovarian cancer continues to be the leading cause of death from gynecological cancers. Despite inconsistent results, patients with metabolic abnormalities, including obesity and diabetes mellitus (DM), have poorer outcomes, showing a correlation with ovarian cancer incidence and ovarian cancer survival. Since ovarian cancer is the most common cancer in women, and considering the increasing prevalence of obesity and DM, this paper reviews the literature regarding the relationship between the aforementioned metabolic derangements and ovarian cancer, with a focus on ovarian cancer incidence, mortality, and likely mechanisms behind them. Several systematic reviews and meta-analyses have shown that obesity is associated with a higher incidence and poorer survival in ovarian cancer. Although more studies are required to investigate the etiological relation of DM and ovarian cancer, sufficient biological evidence indicates poorer outcomes and shorter survival in DM women with ovarian cancer. A variety of pathologic factors may contribute to ovarian cancer risk, development, and survival, including altered adipokine expression, increased levels of circulating growth factors, altered levels of sex hormones, insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, and chronic inflammation. Thus, obesity and DM, as changeable risk factors, can be targeted for intervention to prevent ovarian cancer and improve its outcomes.

Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine (Sparc) KO Leads to an Accelerated Ageing Phenotype Which Is Improved by Exercise Whereas SPARC Overexpression Mimics Exercise Effects in Mice

Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is a matricellular glycoprotein implicated in various functions, including metabolism, tissue regeneration, and functional homeostasis. SPARC/Sparc declines with ageing but increases with exercise. We aim to verify two hypotheses: (1) SPARC deficiency leads to an ageing-like phenotype (metabolic decline, muscle loss, etc.), and (2) SPARC overexpression would mimic exercise, counteract ageing, and improve age-related changes. Our mice experiments are divided into two parts. First, we explore the consequences of Sparc knockout (KO) and compare them to the ageing effects. We also observe the effects of exercise. In the second part, we study the effects of SPARC overexpression and compare them to the exercise benefits. At the end, we make an analysis of the results to point out the analogies between Sparc KO and the ageing-like phenotype on the one hand and make comparisons between SPARC overexpression and exercise in the context of exercise counteracting ageing. The measurements were mainly related to tissue weights, adiposity, metabolism, and muscle strength. The main findings are that Sparc KO reduced glucose tolerance, muscle glucose transporter expression, and abdominal adipose tissue weight but increased glycogen content in the muscle. SPARC overexpression increased muscle strength, muscle mass, and expressions of the muscle glucose transporter and mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation but lowered the glycemia and the adiposity, especially in males. Collectively, these findings, and the data we have previously reported, show that Sparc KO mice manifest an ageing-like phenotype, whereas SPARC overexpression and exercise generate similar benefits. The benefits are towards counteracting both the SPARC deficiency-induced ageing-like phenotype as well as reversing the age-related changes. The potential applications of these findings are to build/optimize Sparc KO-based animal models of various health conditions and, on the other hand, to develop therapies based on introducing SPARC or targeting SPARC-related pathways to mimic exercise against age-related and metabolic disorders.

Lack of CFTR alters the ferret pancreatic ductal epithelial secretome and cellular proteome: Implications for exocrine/endocrine signaling

BACKGROUND

Cystic fibrosis (CF) related diabetes is the most common comorbidity for CF patients and associated with islet dysfunction. Exocrine pancreas remodeling in CF alters the microenvironment in which islets reside. Since CFTR is mainly expressed in pancreatic ductal epithelium, we hypothesized altered CF ductal secretions could impact islet function through paracrine signals.

METHOD

We evaluated the secretome and cellular proteome of polarized WT and CF ferret ductal epithelia using quantitative ratiometric mass spectrometry. Differentially secreted proteins (DSPs) or expressed cellular proteins were used to mine pathways, upstream regulators and the CFTR interactome to map candidate CF-associated alterations in ductal signaling and phenotype. Candidate DSPs were evaluated for their in vivo pancreatic expression patterns and their functional impact on islet hormone secretion.

RESULTS

The secretome and cellular proteome of CF ductal epithelia was significantly altered relative to WT and implicated dysregulated TGFβ, WNT, and BMP signaling pathways. Cognate receptors of DSPs from CF epithelia were equally distributed among endocrine, exocrine, and stromal pancreatic cell types. IGFBP7 was a downregulated DSP in CF ductal epithelia in vitro and exhibited reduced CF ductal expression in vivo. IGFBP7 also altered WT islet insulin secretion in response to glucose. Many CFTR-associated proteins, including SLC9A3R1, were differentially expressed in the CF cellular proteome. Upstream regulators of the differential CF ductal proteome included TGFβ, PDX1, AKT/PTEN, and INSR signaling. Data is available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD025126.

CONCLUSION

These findings provide a proteomic roadmap for elucidating disturbances in autocrine and paracrine signals from CF pancreatic ducts and how they may alter islet function and maintenance.

Measuring Exercise-Induced Secreted Protein Acidic and Rich in Cysteine Expression as a Molecular Tool to Optimize Personalized Medicine

The numerous exercise benefits for health as well as applications for diseases has lead to exercise being prescribed in many pathological conditions. Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) gene expression is stimulated by exercise and SPARC has been suggested as a molecular mediator of exercise. Therefore, we suggest using this property for personalized medicine. This can be achieved by prescribing the exercise with a pattern (duration, intensity, etc.) that corresponds to the optimum SPARC/Sparc expression. We expect this approach to optimize the exercise therapy in both the preventive and curative contexts. In the research field, measuring exercise -dependent expression of Sparc would represent a molecular tool to further optimize the selection of exercise animal models as well.

Effects of exercise intensity and duration on a myokine, secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine

Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), an exercise-induced myokine, has been suggested as a potential endogenous factor that suppresses colon tumorigenesis. However, the effects of different exercise protocols on circulating SPARC levels are unclear. The main purpose of this study was to examine the effects of both exercise intensity and duration on circulating SPARC levels. This study also examined the relationship between responsiveness of SPARC levels and physical characteristics, including body composition and skeletal muscle function. Nineteen healthy adult men participated in four experimental interventions: two 30-min exercises at workloads corresponding to 60% (W60) and 40% (W40) peak oxygen uptake (VO_2peak), a 45-min session of W40, and a 30-min session of complete rest. Blood SPARC and lactate concentrations were measured before and after each session. Only W60 significantly increased serum SPARC levels (p < 0.05), and a significant correlation was found between changes in SPARC levels and lactate concentrations (r = 0.411, p < 0.05). The relative changes in SPARC levels during W60 demonstrated significant positive correlations with skeletal muscle mass and knee extensor muscle strength (both p < 0.05). The increase in serum SPARC levels might be mediated by lactate accumulation and might not, hence, be induced during exercise at the intensity of the first ventilatory threshold levels even though the duration is prolonged. Our results provide fundamental insight into exercise prescription of both exercise intensity and duration for SPARC response, leading to a better understanding of the preventive effects of exercise on colon cancer.Highlight This study found that the increase in serum secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) levels might be mediated by lactate accumulation and might, hence, be influenced by exercise intensity rather than exercise duration.An association was found between SPARC response to exercise and skeletal muscle mass.Our results provide a better understanding of the preventive effects of exercise on colon cancer.

SPARC promotes insulin secretion through down-regulation of RGS4 protein in pancreatic β cells

SPARC-deficient mice have been shown to exhibit impaired glucose tolerance and insulin secretion, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here, we showed that SPARC enhanced the promoting effect of Muscarinic receptor agonist oxotremorine-M on insulin secretion in cultured mouse islets. Overexpression of SPARC down-regulated RGS4, a negative regulator of β-cell M3 muscarinic receptors. Conversely, knockdown of SPARC up-regulated RGS4 in Min6 cells. RGS4 was up-regulated in islets from sparc -/- mice, which correlated with decreased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS). Furthermore, inhibition of RGS4 restored GSIS in the islets from sparc -/- mice, and knockdown of RGS4 partially decreased the promoting effect of SPARC on oxotremorine-M-stimulated insulin secretion. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) inhibitor LY-294002 abolished SPARC-induced down-regulation of RGS4. Taken together, our data revealed that SPARC promoted GSIS by inhibiting RGS4 in pancreatic β cells.

Sarcopenic obesity: Myokines as potential diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets?

Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is a condition characterized by the occurrence of both sarcopenia and obesity and imposes a heavy burden on the health of the elderly. Controversies and challenges regarding the definition, diagnosis and treatment of SO still remain because of its complex pathogenesis and limitations. Over the past few decades, numerous studies have revealed that myokines secreted from skeletal muscle play significant roles in the regulation of muscle mass and function as well as metabolic homeostasis. Abnormalities in myokines may trigger and promote the pathogenesis underlying age-related and metabolic diseases, including obesity, sarcopenia, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and SO. This review mainly focuses on the role of myokines as potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis and therapeutic targets in SO.

Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) regulates thermogenesis in white and brown adipocytes

SPARC, also known as osteonectin, is well known for its physiological roles in bone formation and tissue remodeling, as well as in cancer pathology; however, evidence regarding its function in adipocytes is lacking. The present study explored the physiological role of SPARC in cultured 3T3-L1 white and HIB1B brown adipocytes of murine cell lines. Treatment of recombinant SPARC upregulated the fat browning marker proteins and genes in white adipocytes and activated brown adipocytes. Conversely, knockdown of Sparc markedly reduced these genes and proteins in both cell lines. In addition, recombinant SPARC inhibited expression of adipogenic and lipogenic proteins but elevated lipolytic and fatty acid oxidation proteins. Furthermore, in silico analysis revealed that SPARC directly interacted and regulated VEGF in adipocytes. In conclusion, SPARC acts as a regulatory protein in both white and brown adipocytes by controlling thermogenesis and is thus regarded as a possible therapeutic target for treatment of obesity.

Genetic variant of SPARC gene and its association with growth traits in Chinese cattle

SPARC is a cysteine-rich acidic secreted protein. It is a non-collagen component of bone, which is widely distributed in humans and animals and plays an important role. SPARC has been found in a variety of human cancers (breast cancer, stomach cancer, ovarian cancer, etc.) and diabetes-related research. Especially the muscle and fat metabolism are closely related. In this study, we used a DNA pool to detect a new SNP site (g.12454T  >  C). A total of 616 samples of four breeds of Qinchuan cattle (QC, n = 176 ), Xianan cattle (XN, n = 160 ), Pinan cattle (PN, n = 136 ) and Jiaxian cattle (JX, n = 144 ) were analyzed and identified with ARMS-PCR. In addition, we correlated SNP with growth traits and showed significant correlation with growth traits such as rump length, hip width, and body length ( p < 0.05 ). Moreover, we tested the SPARC gene expression level in different tissues belonging to XN adult cattle ( n = 3 ) and found its high expression in muscle tissues (relative to the kidney). Further, we found the SNP is able to increase the SPARC expression level in skeletal muscle ( n = 12 ). According to statistical data, this SNP site may be applied to a molecular marker of an early marker-assisted selection for early growth of beef cattle.

SPARC is required for the maintenance of glucose homeostasis and insulin secretion in mice

Obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes, three strongly interrelated diseases, are associated to increased morbidity and mortality worldwide. The pathogenesis of obesity-associated disorders is still under study. Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is a matricellular glycoprotein expressed in many cell types including adipocytes, parenchymal, and non-parenchymal hepatic cells and pancreatic cells. Studies have demonstrated that SPARC inhibits adipogenesis and promotes insulin resistance; in addition, circulating SPARC levels were positively correlated with body mass index in obese individuals. Therefore, SPARC is being proposed as a key factor in the pathogenesis of obesity-associated disorders. The aim of this study is to elucidate the role of SPARC in glucose homeostasis. We show here that SPARC null (SPARC−/−) mice displayed an abnormal insulin-regulated glucose metabolism. SPARC−/− mice presented an increased adipose tissue deposition and an impaired glucose homeostasis as animals aged. In addition, the absence of SPARC worsens high-fat diet-induced diabetes in mice. Interestingly, although SPARC−/− mice on high-fat diet were sensitive to insulin they showed an impaired insulin secretion capacity. Of note, the expression of glucose transporter 2 in islets of SPARC−/− mice was dramatically reduced. The present study provides the first evidence that deleted SPARC expression causes diabetes in mice. Thus, SPARC deficient mice constitute a valuable model for studies concerning obesity and its related metabolic complications, including diabetes.

Exosomes of pasteurized milk: potential pathogens of Western diseases

Milk consumption is a hallmark of western diet. According to common believes, milk consumption has beneficial effects for human health. Pasteurization of cow's milk protects thermolabile vitamins and other organic compounds including bioactive and bioavailable exosomes and extracellular vesicles in the range of 40-120 nm, which are pivotal mediators of cell communication via systemic transfer of specific micro-ribonucleic acids, mRNAs and regulatory proteins such as transforming growth factor-β. There is compelling evidence that human and bovine milk exosomes play a crucial role for adequate metabolic and immunological programming of the newborn infant at the beginning of extrauterine life. Milk exosomes assist in executing an anabolic, growth-promoting and immunological program confined to the postnatal period in all mammals. However, epidemiological and translational evidence presented in this review indicates that continuous exposure of humans to exosomes of pasteurized milk may confer a substantial risk for the development of chronic diseases of civilization including obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, common cancers (prostate, breast, liver, B-cells) as well as Parkinson's disease. Exosomes of pasteurized milk may represent new pathogens that should not reach the human food chain.

The Importance of Biophysical and Biochemical Stimuli in Dynamic Skeletal Muscle Models

Classical approaches to engineer skeletal muscle tissue based on current regenerative and surgical procedures still do not meet the desired outcome for patient applications. Besides the evident need to create functional skeletal muscle tissue for the repair of volumetric muscle defects, there is also growing demand for platforms to study muscle-related diseases, such as muscular dystrophies or sarcopenia. Currently, numerous studies exist that have employed a variety of biomaterials, cell types and strategies for maturation of skeletal muscle tissue in 2D and 3D environments. However, researchers are just at the beginning of understanding the impact of different culture settings and their biochemical (growth factors and chemical changes) and biophysical cues (mechanical properties) on myogenesis. With this review we intend to emphasize the need for new in vitro skeletal muscle (disease) models to better recapitulate important structural and functional aspects of muscle development. We highlight the importance of choosing appropriate system components, e.g., cell and biomaterial type, structural and mechanical matrix properties or culture format, and how understanding their interplay will enable researchers to create optimized platforms to investigate myogenesis in healthy and diseased tissue. Thus, we aim to deliver guidelines for experimental designs to allow estimation of the potential influence of the selected skeletal muscle tissue engineering setup on the myogenic outcome prior to their implementation. Moreover, we offer a workflow to facilitate identifying and selecting different analytical tools to demonstrate the successful creation of functional skeletal muscle tissue. Ultimately, a refinement of existing strategies will lead to further progression in understanding important aspects of muscle diseases, muscle aging and muscle regeneration to improve quality of life of patients and enable the establishment of new treatment options.

Insights into Islet Differentiation and Maturation through Proteomic Characterization of a Human iPSC-Derived Pancreatic Endocrine Model

PURPOSE

Great progresses have been made for generating in vitro pluripotent stem cell pancreatic β-like cells. However, the maturation stage of the cells still requires in vivo maturation to recreate the environmental niche. A deeper understanding of the factors promoting maturation of the cells is of great interest for clinical applications.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Label-free mass spectrometry based proteomic analysis is performed on samples from a longitudinal study of differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells toward glucose responsive insulin producing cells.

RESULTS

Proteome patterns correlate with specific transcription factor gene expression levels during in vitro differentiation, showing the relevance of the technology for identification of pancreatic-specific markers. The analysis of proteomes of the implanted cells in a longitudinal study shows that the neovascularization process linked to the extracellular matrix environment is time-dependent and conditions the proper maturation of the cells in β-like cells secreting insulin in response to glucose.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Proteomic profiling is valuable to qualify and better understand in vivo maturation of progenitor cells toward β-cells. This is critical for future clinical trials where in vivo maturation still needs to be improved for robustness and effectiveness of cell therapy. Novel biomarkers for predicting the efficiency of maturation represents noninvasive monitoring tools for following efficiency of the implant.

MiR-29 family members interact with SPARC to regulate glucose metabolism

MicroRNA (miR)-29 family members have been reported to play important regulatory roles in metabolic disease. We used TargetScan to show that "secreted protein acidic rich in cysteine" (SPARC) is a target of the miR-29s. SPARC is a multifunctional secretory protein involved in a variety of biological activities, and SPARC dysregulation is associated with a wide range of obesity-related disorders, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We explored whether miR-29s played roles in glucose metabolism and whether miR-29s directly targeted SPARC. We also examined the effect of SPARC on glucose metabolism and how the association of miR-29s with SPARC affected glucose metabolism. We found that overexpression of miR-29s reduced glucose uptake and GLUT4 levels; that miR-29 directly targeted SPARC, resulting in degradation of SPARC-encoding mRNA and reduction in the SPARC protein level; that SPARC increased glucose uptake and GLUT4 levels; that shRNA-mediated knockdown of SPARC reduced GLUT4 protein levels in 3T3-L1 adipocytes; that miR-29s reduced glucose uptake and GLUT4 levels; and that miR-29s inhibited glucose uptake by suppressing SPARC synthesis. Thus, the miR-29 family negatively regulates glucose metabolism by inhibiting SPARC expression.

SPARC expression is associated with hepatic injury in rodents and humans with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Mechanisms that control progression from simple steatosis to steato-hepatitis and fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are unknown. SPARC, a secreted matricellular protein, is over-expressed in the liver under chronic injury. Contribution of SPARC accumulation to disease severity is largely unknown in NAFLD. We assessed the hypothesis that SPARC is increased in livers with more necrosis and inflammation and could be associated with more fibrosis. qrt-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and ELISA were employed to localize and quantify changes in SPARC in 62 morbidly obese patients with NAFLD/NASH and in a mouse model of diet-induced-NASH. Results were correlated with the severity of NAFLD/NASH. In obese patients 2 subgroups were identified with either high SPARC expression (n = 16) or low SPARC expression (n = 46) in the liver, with a cutoff of 1.2 fold expression. High expression of SPARC paralleled hepatocellular damage and increased mRNA expression of pro-fibrogenic factors in the liver. In line with these findings, in the NASH animal model SPARC knockout mice were protected from inflammatory injury, and showed less inflammation and fibrosis. Hepatic SPARC expression is associated with liver injury and fibrogenic processes in NAFLD. SPARC has potential as preventive or therapeutic target in NAFLD patients.

Differential expression of osteopontin, and osteoprotegerin mRNA in epicardial adipose tissue between patients with severe coronary artery disease and aortic valvular stenosis: association with HDL subclasses

BACKGROUND

Previous studies suggest a relationship of the epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) with progression and calcification of the atherosclerotic plaque; however, it is unknown if this tissue expresses genes that may participate on these processes and if the expression of these genes is regulated by high-density lipoprotein (HDL) subclasses.

METHODS

To explore this possibility, we determined the mRNA expression by qPCR of a pro-calcifying gene (osteopontin (OPN)), and two anti-calcifying genes (osteoprotegerin (OPG) and osteonectin (ON)), in biopsies of EAT obtained from 15 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) determined by angiography, and 15 patients with diagnostic of aortic valve stenosis but without CAD as control group. We determined the distribution and composition of HDL subclasses by electrophoresis and their statistical relationship with the gene expression in EAT.

RESULTS

EAT from CAD patients showed a higher expression level of OPN and OPG than control group, whereas ON expression was similar between groups. Large HDL subclasses were cholesterol-poor in CAD patients as estimated by the cholesterol-to-phospholipid ratio. A linear regression model showed an independent association of OPN expression with HDL3a-cholesterol, and OPG expression with the relative proportion of HDL3b protein. Logistic analysis determined that OPN expression was positively associated with the presence of atherosclerotic plaque CONCLUSION: OPN, ON, and OPG genes are transcribed in EAT; to the exception of ON, the level of expression was different in CAD patients and control group, and correlated with some HDL subclasses, suggesting a new role of these lipoproteins.

Pathological and gene expression analysis of a polygenic diabetes model, NONcNZO10/LtJ mice

The NONcNZO10/LtJ mouse is a polygenic model of type-2 diabetes (T2D) that shows moderate obesity and diabetes, and is regarded as a good model reflective of the conditions of human T2D. In this study, we analyzed pathological changes of pancreases with the progress of time by using histopathology and gene expression analysis, including microRNA. A number of gene expression changes associated with decreased insulin secretion (possibly regulated by miR-29a/b) were observed, and zinc homeostasis (Slc30a8, Mt1 and Mt2) or glucose metabolism (Slc2a2) was suggested as being the candidate mechanism of pancreas failure in NONcNZO10/LtJ mice. These results demonstrate NONcNZO10/LtJ mice have a complex pathogenic mechanism of diabetes, and moreover, this fundamental information of NONcNZO10/LtJ mice would offer the opportunity for research and development of a novel antidiabetic drug.

Association of the anti-angiogenic factor secreted protein and rich in cysteine (SPARC) with vascular complications among Chinese type 2 diabetic patients in Singapore

AIMS

This study evaluated the association of the anti-angiogenic SPARC with known angiogenesis-associated factors and diabetes-related micro- and macro-vascular complications in a Singapore Chinese cohort with type 2 diabetes (T2DM).

METHODS

Plasma SPARC was measured by immunoassay in 438 T2DM adults (mean age:58±11years).

RESULTS

Higher SPARC levels in subjects stratified by SPARC tertiles displayed decreased pro-angiogenic adiponectin, osteopontin, vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM)-1 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2 concentrations (all p<0.05). The anti-angiogenic pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) level was not statistically different among the SPARC tertiles. Age-adjusted partial correlation revealed significant associations of SPARC with adiponectin, osteopontin, VCAM-1, MMP-2, and PEDF (all p<0.05). Lower SPARC was accompanied by less favorable estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) readings (all p<0.05). Conversely, ankle-brachial index (ABI) reduced with increasing SPARC (p=0.048). The eGFR (B=0.834, p=0.019), PWV (B=-7.925, p=0.009), and ABI (B=-142.160, p=0.010) remained as determinants of SPARC after confounder adjustment. Moreover, individuals in the lowest SPARC tertile had increased odds of aortic stiffness (OR=1.900, 95% CI=1.103-3.274) but reduced odds of peripheral arterial disease (OR=0.400, 95% CI=0.175-0.919). However, SPARC was not independently associated with chronic kidney disease.

CONCLUSIONS

The anti-angiogenic SPARC may be associated with the pathophysiology of diabetes-related macrovascular complications.

Embracing the complexity of matricellular proteins: the functional and clinical significance of splice variation

Matricellular proteins influence wide-ranging fundamental cellular processes including cell adhesion, migration, growth and differentiation. They achieve this both through interactions with cell surface receptors and regulation of the matrix environment. Many matricellular proteins are also associated with diverse clinical disorders including cancer and diabetes. Alternative splicing is a precisely regulated process that can produce multiple isoforms with variable functions from a single gene. To date, the expression of alternate transcripts for the matricellular family has been reported for only a handful of genes. Here we analyse the evidence for alternative splicing across the matricellular family including the secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), thrombospondin, tenascin and CCN families. We find that matricellular proteins have double the average number of splice variants per gene, and discuss the types of domain affected by splicing in matricellular proteins. We also review the clinical significance of alternative splicing for three specific matricellular proteins that have been relatively well characterised: osteopontin (OPN), tenascin-C (TNC) and periostin. Embracing the complexity of matricellular splice variants will be important for understanding the sometimes contradictory function of these powerful regulatory proteins, and for their effective clinical application as biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

No effect of acute and chronic supramaximal exercise on circulating levels of the myokine SPARC

Myokines may play a role in the health benefits of regular physical activity. Secreted protein acidic rich in cysteine (SPARC) is a pleiotropic myokine that has been shown to be released into the bloodstream by skeletal muscle in response to aerobic exercise. As there is evidence suggesting that SPARC release may be linked to glycogen breakdown and activation of 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase, we hypothesised that brief supramaximal exercise may also be associated with increased serum SPARC levels. In the present study, 10 participants (3 women; mean ± SD age: 21 ± 3 y, body mass index (BMI): 22 ± 3 kg m^-2, and V˙O_2max: 39 ± 6 mL kg^-1 min^-1) performed an acute bout of supramaximal cycle exercise (20-s Wingate sprint against 7.5% of body mass, with a 1-min warm-up and a 3-min cool-down consisting of unloaded cycling). Serum SPARC levels were determined pre-exercise as well as 0, 15, and 60 min post-exercise and corrected for plasma volume change. To determine whether regular exercise affected the acute SPARC response, participants repeated the acute exercise protocol three times per week for four weeks, and serum SPARC response to supramaximal exercise was reassessed after this period. Acute supramaximal exercise significantly decreased plasma volume (-10%; p < .001), but was not associated with a significant change in serum SPARC levels at either the pre-training or post-training testing sessions. In conclusion, in contrast to aerobic exercise, a single brief supramaximal cycle sprint is not associated with an increase in serum SPARC levels, suggesting that SPARC release is not related to skeletal muscle glycogen breakdown.

A holistic approach to dissecting SPARC family protein complexity reveals FSTL-1 as an inhibitor of pancreatic cancer cell growth

SPARC is a matricellular protein that is involved in both pancreatic cancer and diabetes. It belongs to a wider family of proteins that share structural and functional similarities. Relatively little is known about this extended family, but evidence of regulatory interactions suggests the importance of a holistic approach to their study. We show that Hevin, SPOCKs, and SMOCs are strongly expressed within islets, ducts, and blood vessels, suggesting important roles for these proteins in the normal pancreas, while FSTL-1 expression is localised to the stromal compartment reminiscent of SPARC. In direct contrast to SPARC, however, FSTL-1 expression is reduced in pancreatic cancer. Consistent with this, FSTL-1 inhibited pancreatic cancer cell proliferation. The complexity of SPARC family proteins is further revealed by the detection of multiple cell-type specific isoforms that arise due to a combination of post-translational modification and alternative splicing. Identification of splice variants lacking a signal peptide suggests the existence of novel intracellular isoforms. This study underlines the importance of addressing the complexity of the SPARC family and provides a new framework to explain their controversial and contradictory effects. We also demonstrate for the first time that FSTL-1 suppresses pancreatic cancer cell growth.

The Impact of Endurance Training on Human Skeletal Muscle Memory, Global Isoform Expression and Novel Transcripts

Regularly performed endurance training has many beneficial effects on health and skeletal muscle function, and can be used to prevent and treat common diseases e.g. cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes and obesity. The molecular adaptation mechanisms regulating these effects are incompletely understood. To date, global transcriptome changes in skeletal muscles have been studied at the gene level only. Therefore, global isoform expression changes following exercise training in humans are unknown. Also, the effects of repeated interventions on transcriptional memory or training response have not been studied before. In this study, 23 individuals trained one leg for three months. Nine months later, 12 of the same subjects trained both legs in a second training period. Skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained from both legs before and after both training periods. RNA sequencing analysis of all 119 skeletal muscle biopsies showed that training altered the expression of 3,404 gene isoforms, mainly associated with oxidative ATP production. Fifty-four genes had isoforms that changed in opposite directions. Training altered expression of 34 novel transcripts, all with protein-coding potential. After nine months of detraining, no training-induced transcriptome differences were detected between the previously trained and untrained legs. Although there were several differences in the physiological and transcriptional responses to repeated training, no coherent evidence of an endurance training induced transcriptional skeletal muscle memory was found. This human lifestyle intervention induced differential expression of thousands of isoforms and several transcripts from unannotated regions of the genome. It is likely that the observed isoform expression changes reflect adaptational mechanisms and processes that provide the functional and health benefits of regular physical activity.

Skeletal muscle is the most abundant tissue of the healthy human body. It is also highly adaptable to different environmental stimuli, e.g. regular exercise. Exercise training improves overall health and muscle function, and can be used to prevent and treat several common diseases e.g. cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes. Therefore, it is of great importance to understand the molecular mechanisms behind adaptation processes in human skeletal muscle. In this study, we show that different expression variants from the same gene can be regulated in different directions with training, implicating alternative protein functions from one single gene. Such findings are emblematic of the complex mechanisms regulating the effects of training. We also find that training changes the activity of functionally unknown parts of the genome, with the potential for new proteins involved in the health-enhancing effects of exercise. Additionally, our results challenge the belief of a skeletal muscle memory, where previous training can affect the response to a subsequent training period. Overall, we provide understanding of the skeletal muscle biology and novel insights into the mechanisms behind the massive benefits of regular exercise on the human skeletal muscle transcriptome, inspiring further studies for deeper investigation.

Accelerated Maturation of Human Stem Cell-Derived Pancreatic Progenitor Cells into Insulin-Secreting Cells in Immunodeficient Rats Relative to Mice

Pluripotent human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are a potential source of transplantable cells for treating patients with diabetes. To investigate the impact of the host recipient on hESC-derived pancreatic progenitor cell maturation, cells were transplanted into immunodeficient SCID-beige mice or nude rats. Following the transplant, basal human C-peptide levels were consistently higher in mice compared with rats, but only rats showed robust meal- and glucose-responsive human C-peptide secretion by 19-21 weeks. Grafts from rats contained a higher proportion of insulin:glucagon immunoreactivity, fewer exocrine cells, and improved expression of mature β cell markers compared with mice. Moreover, ECM-related genes were enriched, the collagen network was denser, and blood vessels were more intricately integrated into the engrafted endocrine tissue in rats relative to mice. Overall, hESC-derived pancreatic progenitor cells matured faster in nude rats compared with SCID-beige mice, indicating that the host recipient can greatly influence the fate of immature pancreatic progenitor cells post-transplantation.

Opposite Expression of SPARC between the Liver and Pancreas in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats

Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is a matricellular protein that regulates several cellular events, including inflammation and tissue remodelling. In this study, we investigated the tissue-specific expression of SPARC in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes, and found that SPARC was significantly up-regulated in the liver while down-regulated in the pancreas of STZ-induced diabetic rats. Chronic inflammation occurred in the diabetic pancreas accompanied by up-regulation of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein beta (C/EBPβ) and its targets (TNFα, Il6, CRP, and Fn1) as well as myeloperoxidase (Mpo) and C-X-C chemokine receptor type 2 (Cxcr2). Diabetic liver showed significant up-regulation of Tgfb1 as well as moderately less up-regulated TNFα and reduced Fn1, resulting in elevated fibrogenesis. PARP-1 was not up-regulated during CD95-mediated apoptosis, resulting in restoration of high ATP levels in the diabetic liver. On the contrary, CD95-dependent apoptosis was not observed in the diabetic pancreas due to up-regulation of PARP-1 and ATP depletion, resulting in necrosis. The cytoprotective machinery was damaged by pancreatic inflammation, whereas adequate antioxidant capacity indicates low oxidative stress in the diabetic liver. High and low cellular insulin content was found in the diabetic liver and pancreas, respectively. Furthermore, we identified six novel interacting partner proteins of SPARC by co-immunoprecipitation in the diabetic liver and pancreas, and their interactions with SPARC were predicted by bioinformatics tools. Taken together, opposite expression of SPARC in the diabetic liver and pancreas may be related to inflammation and immune cell infiltration, degrees of apoptosis and fibrosis, cytoprotective machinery, and cellular insulin levels.

Novel role for matricellular proteins in the regulation of islet β cell survival: the effect of SPARC on survival, proliferation, and signaling

Understanding the mechanisms regulating islet growth and survival is critical for developing novel approaches to increasing or sustaining β cell mass in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients. Secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) is a matricellular protein that is important for the regulation of cell growth and adhesion. Increased SPARC can be detected in the serum of type 2 diabetes patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of SPARC in the regulation of β cell growth and survival. We show using immunohistochemistry that SPARC is expressed by stromal cells within islets and can be detected in primary mouse islets by Western blot. SPARC is secreted at high levels by pancreatic stellate cells and is regulated by metabolic parameters in these cells, but SPARC expression was not detectable in β cells. In islets, SPARC expression is highest in young mice, and is also elevated in the islets of non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice compared with controls. Purified SPARC inhibits growth factor-induced signaling in both INS-1 β cells and primary mouse islets, and inhibits IGF-1-induced proliferation of INS-1 β cells. Similarly, exogenous SPARC prevents IGF-1-induced survival of primary mouse islet cells. This study identifies the stromal-derived matricellular protein SPARC as a novel regulator of islet survival and β cell growth.

Elevated plasma SPARC levels are associated with insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, and inflammation in gestational diabetes mellitus

Objective

Recent studies suggested that secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC), a novel adipokine, is a key player in the pathology of obesity and type 2 diabetes. We aimed to determine whether concentrations of SPARC were altered in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) compared to normal glucose tolerance (NGT) controls and to investigate the relationships between SPARC and metabolic parameters in pregnant women.

Design/Methods

Cross-sectional study of 120 pregnant women with GDM and 60 controls with NGT, in a university hospital setting. Plasma levels of SPARC, adiponectin, fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), insulin and proinsulin were determined by ELISA.

Results

GDM women had higher SPARC and lower adiponectin than NGT subjects; no difference was found in FGF21. SPARC levels were the lowest in subjects in the third tertile of insulin sensitivity index (ISI_OGTT) and correlated positively with pre-pregnant BMI, insulin and 3 h glucose during 100-g OGTT, HOMA-IR, fasting proinsulin, hsCRP and white blood cells count, and negatively with ISI_OGTT, when adjusting for gestational age. Triglyceride (TG), Apolipoprotein A1, apolipoprotein B and lipoprotein (a) correlated with SPARC in partial Pearson correlation. Correlations between SPARC with adiponectin, systolic blood pressure and TG were marginally significant in partial Spearman correlation analysis. In multivariate regression analysis, SPARC was an independent negative indicator of ISI_OGTT.

Conclusions

SPARC levels are correlated significantly with inflammation and may also be correlated with dyslipidemia and represent an independent determinant of insulin resistance in late pregnancy, indicating a potential role of SPARC in the pathophysiology of GDM.