中链脂肪酸受体GPR84对小鼠糖脂代谢的影响

目前,全球肥胖及肥胖引发的并发症如2型糖尿病、心血管疾病等患病率呈上升趋势,并逐渐成为一个重大的公共卫生问题.与肥胖相关疾病的发病机制是由多种因素共同作用的结果,游离脂肪酸受体在其中就扮演着重要角色.G蛋白偶联受体84(GPR84)是中链脂肪酸(C9-C14)受体,其在糖脂代谢方面的功能尚不清楚.因此,探究中链脂肪酸受体GPR84在小鼠糖脂代谢方面的作用,具有重要意义.本文利用高脂饲料在GPR84野生型(WT)和基因敲除型(GPR84~(-/-))小鼠中诱导肥胖模型.研究发现,在常规饲料(normal chow,NC)喂养组和高脂饲料(high-fat diet,HFD)喂养组,与WT小鼠相比,GPR84~(-/-)小鼠在体重、摄食量、葡萄糖耐量、胰岛素敏感性、空腹血糖值、血清中胰岛素含量、组织器官重量、脂质合成与脂肪酸氧化、白色脂肪形成方面无显著性差异;在血脂水平,GPR84~(-/-)小鼠与WT小鼠相比,甘油三酯、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇无显著性差异;但是在高脂饲料喂养组,GPR84~(-/-)小鼠总胆固醇浓度显著性降低.同时,我们发现,在HFD组,与WT小鼠相比,GPR84~(-/-)小鼠肝脏中B类Ⅰ型清道夫受体表达显著上调.综上所述,中链脂肪酸受体GPR84在高脂诱导的肥胖模型中不影响小鼠糖脂代谢,但可能在由高胆固醇引起的高胆固醇血症发挥一定的功能.     

核转录因子相关因子2的活化在肿瘤代谢中的作用

核转录因子(NF-E2)相关因子2（nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2, Nrf2）是细胞应对外界应激的主要调控因子,通过调控多种靶基因的表达,在生理条件下减轻氧化应激,维持细胞稳态。其上游受多种因素调控,包括氧化与亲电应激、外界营养状态、细胞内代谢中间产物和能量状态等。在肿瘤细胞中,异常活跃的Nrf2使其抗氧化能力增强,并且通过介导代谢重编程（metabolic reprogramming）,促进肿瘤细胞增殖和生长。Keap1 (Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1)是氧化和亲电应激感受器,通过募集泛素降解系统,对Nrf2的活性起主要调控作用。本文介绍Keap1依赖与非依赖条件下Nrf2的活化途径,着重介绍在肿瘤中Nrf2的异常活化,以及如何调控代谢重编程进而调节肿瘤细胞的合成代谢,最终促进肿瘤的进展。     

High Fat Feeding Induces Hepatic Fatty Acid Elongation in Mice

Background

High-fat diets promote hepatic lipid accumulation. Paradoxically, these diets also induce lipogenic gene expression in rodent liver. Whether high expression of these genes actually results in an increased flux through the de novo lipogenic pathway in vivo has not been demonstrated.

Methodology/Principal Findings

To interrogate this apparent paradox, we have quantified de novo lipogenesis in C57Bl/6J mice fed either chow, a high-fat or a n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-enriched high-fat diet. A novel approach based on mass isotopomer distribution analysis (MIDA) following 1-¹³C acetate infusion was applied to simultaneously determine de novo lipogenesis, fatty acid elongation as well as cholesterol synthesis. Furthermore, we measured very low density lipoprotein-triglyceride (VLDL-TG) production rates. High-fat feeding promoted hepatic lipid accumulation and induced the expression of lipogenic and cholesterogenic genes compared to chow-fed mice: induction of gene expression was found to translate into increased oleate synthesis. Interestingly, this higher lipogenic flux (+74 µg/g/h for oleic acid) in mice fed the high-fat diet was mainly due to an increased hepatic elongation of unlabeled palmitate (+66 µg/g/h) rather than to elongation of de novo synthesized palmitate. In addition, fractional cholesterol synthesis was increased, i.e. 5.8±0.4% vs. 8.1±0.6% for control and high fat-fed animals, respectively. Hepatic VLDL-TG production was not affected by high-fat feeding. Partial replacement of saturated fat by fish oil completely reversed the lipogenic effects of high-fat feeding: hepatic lipogenic and cholesterogenic gene expression levels as well as fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis rates were normalized.

Conclusions/Significance

High-fat feeding induces hepatic fatty acid synthesis in mice, by chain elongation and subsequent desaturation rather than de novo synthesis, while VLDL-TG output remains unaffected. Suppression of lipogenic fluxes by fish oil prevents from high fat diet-induced hepatic steatosis in mice.     

胆汁酸G-蛋白偶联受体激动剂齐墩果酸对高脂饮食小鼠体内糖脂代谢的影响

目的观察胆汁酸G-蛋白偶联受体（Gprotein—coupled receptor for bile acids,TGR5）激动剂齐墩果酸（oleanolic acid,OA）对肥胖小鼠体重及糖、脂代谢的影响,探讨齐墩果酸减轻肥胖小鼠体重的机制。方法建立高脂饮食诱导的肥胖小鼠动物模型,并喂食OA进行干预。动态测定体重及第17周后内脏脂肪、肝脏重量,并进行葡萄糖耐量实验（glucose tolerence test,GTT）;肝脏组织石蜡切片HE染色,光镜观察病理变化;Realtime PCR检测肝脏组织糖代谢相关基因的表达及白色脂肪组织脂肪合成酶（fatty acid synthase,FAS）的表达。结果OA减轻肥胖小鼠的体重、内脏脂肪及肝脏的重量;改善肝脏脂质沉积;增强胰岛素敏感性。OA抑制肝脏内葡萄糖-6-磷酸酶（glucose-6-phosphatase,G6Pc）的表达,并下调肥胖小鼠脂肪组织FAS的mRNA水平的表达。结论TGR5激动剂OA能减少高脂诱导的肥胖小鼠的脂肪堆积,其机制可能与OA能改善肥胖小鼠胰岛素抵抗,减少脂质合成有关。     

Ensemble Modeling of Hepatic Fatty Acid Metabolism with a Synthetic Glyoxylate Shunt

The liver plays a central role in maintaining whole body metabolic and energy homeostasis by consuming and producing glucose and fatty acids. Glucose and fatty acids compete for hepatic substrate oxidation with regulation ensuring glucose is oxidized preferentially. Increasing fatty acid oxidation is expected to decrease lipid storage in the liver and avoid lipid-induced insulin-resistance. To increase hepatic lipid oxidation in the presence of glucose, we previously engineered a synthetic glyoxylate shunt into human hepatocyte cultures and a mouse model and showed that this synthetic pathway increases free fatty acid β-oxidation and confers resistance to diet-induced obesity in the mouse model. Here we used ensemble modeling to decipher the effects of perturbations to the hepatic metabolic network on fatty acid oxidation and glucose uptake. Despite sampling of kinetic parameters using the most fundamental elementary reaction models, the models based on current metabolic regulation did not readily describe the phenotype generated by glyoxylate shunt expression. Although not conclusive, this initial negative result prompted us to probe unknown regulations, and malate was identified as inhibitor of hexokinase 2 expression either through direct or indirect actions. This regulation allows the explanation of observed phenotypes (increased fatty acid degradation and decreased glucose consumption). Moreover, the result is a function of pyruvate-carboxylase, mitochondrial pyruvate transporter, citrate transporter protein, and citrate synthase activities. Some subsets of these flux ratios predict increases in fatty acid and decreases in glucose uptake after glyoxylate expression, whereas others predict no change. Altogether, this work defines the possible biochemical space where the synthetic shunt will produce the desired phenotype and demonstrates the efficacy of ensemble modeling for synthetic pathway design.     

Activation of Nrf2 by SFN Improves Hypoxic Exercise Endurance and Lactate Metabolism in Red and White Skeletal Muscles of Mice

Exercise endurance is closely related to the production and elimination of lactate in skeletal muscles. It has been confirmed in literature that nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) plays an important role in exercise-induced skeletal muscle antioxidant, mitochondrial biosynthesis and energy metabolism. However, it is still unclear whether Nrf2 activation has any effect on lactate metabolism and exercise endurance under hypoxic environment. In this study, sulforaphane (SFN), the Nrf2 activator, was pretreated to mice and then the mice were subjected to an exhaustive exercise under hypoxia (11.2% O₂). The results showed that the exhaustive exercise significantly increased the blood lactate level in PBS-exercise group (P<0.05). However, this indicator in the SFN-exercise group was only 76% of that in the PBS-exercise group (P<0.05). Also, the running distance increased from 577.0 ± 52.9 m to 636.3 ± 101.4 m and the duration increased by 1.1 times as well (P<0.05). Western blotting was used to determine the relative expression of proteins in skeletal muscles. Protein expression levels of Nrf2 and p-Nrf2 in the SFN-control and SFN-exercise group were significantly increased in soleus (P<0.05). In extensor digitorum longus, SFN pretreatment induced the expression of p-Nrf2 increased by 38% and 52%, respectively (P<0.05). In addition, SFN pretreatment promoted MCT1 protein expression in SFN-Control/ SFN-Exercise group and decreased MCT4 protein expression level in SFN-Exercise group (P<0.05). Meanwhile, the expression of LDH-B proteins in soleus was increased by 62% (P<0.05). In extensor digitorum longus, expression of LDH-B in the SFN-control and SFN-exercise group was increased by 1.35 times and 1.31 times, respectively (P<0.05). These results suggested that activation of Nrf2 by SFN could improve the lactate transport and metabolism capacity of skeletal muscle, which probably was one of the potential reasons for the increased exercise endurance of mice in the hypoxic environment. This study provided some theoretical reference for the practical application of SFN in athletes, mountaineers and highland workers.     

紫苏种子脂肪酸组成及合成代谢研究进展

紫苏是一种新型油料作物,种子含油量为35%左右,紫苏籽油脂肪酸组成丰富,含有棕榈酸(16:0)、硬脂酸(18:0)、油酸(18:1)、亚油酸(18:2)和α-亚麻酸(18:3)等,其中α-亚麻酸(ALA)含量高达60%,广泛用于功能性保健食品、药物及油脂化工业.介绍紫苏种子脂肪酸组成及合成代谢基本途径,对近年来脂肪酸合成代谢基因工程研究进行概述与展望.     

脂肪细胞型脂肪酸结合蛋白疫苗对高脂喂养雌鼠体重和糖耐量的影响

目的:构建能诱导出针对脂肪细胞型脂肪酸结合蛋白(FABP4)特异性中和抗体的疫苗,为高脂诱导下肥胖和胰岛素抵抗的防治新途径提供理论和实验依据。方法:野生型C57BL/6J雌鼠随机分为疫苗组(n=10,高脂饲养)、佐剂组(n=10,高脂饲养)和空白对照组(n=10,普通饲养),分别予以皮下注射生物合成的FABP4蛋白、佐剂和磷酸盐缓冲液,观察比较各组抗体滴度、安全耐受性和体重、摄食量、空腹血糖、胰岛素抵抗指数(HOMA-IR)、糖耐量实验血糖曲线下面积(AUC)等指标。结果:疫苗组小鼠产生了高滴度的FABP4特异性抗体,并于第3轮加强免疫后达到平衡状态。首次免疫16周后,疫苗组小鼠体重高于空白对照组,但明显低于佐剂组(P<0.05);日平均摄食量高于空白对照组(P<0.05),与佐剂组无差异(P>0.05);空腹血糖、HOMA-IR、腹腔葡萄糖耐量实验AUC均明显低于佐剂组(P<0.05),与对照组无统计学差异(P>0.05)。结论:以FABP4作为抗原免疫小鼠,可产生高滴度特异性抗体IgG,有效降低高脂喂养野生型雌性小鼠体重、空腹血糖、HOMA-IR和血糖AUC等指标,为高脂诱导的肥胖和胰岛素抵抗的治疗提供了新的途径和初步证据,可进行深入研究。     

Evidence of Notch-Hesr-Nrf2 Axis in Muscle Stem Cells,but Absence of Nrf2 Has No Effect on Their Quiescent and Undifferentiated State

Nrf2 is a master regulator of oxidative stresses through the induction of anti-oxidative genes. Nrf2 plays roles in maintaining murine hematopoietic stem cells and fly intestinal stem cells. The canonical Notch signaling pathway is also crucial for maintaining several types of adult stem cells including muscle stem cells (satellite cells). Here, we show that Dll1 induced Nrf2 expression in myogenic cells. In addition, primary targets of Notch signaling, Hesr1 and Hesr3, were involved in the up-regulation of Nrf2 mRNA and expression of its target genes. In vitro, Nrf2 had anti-myogenic and anti-proliferative effects on primary myoblasts. In vivo, although Nrf2-knockout mice showed decreased expression of its target genes in muscle stem cells, adult muscle stem cells of Nrf2-knockout mice did not exhibit the phenotype. Taken together, in muscle stem cells, the Notch-Hesr-Nrf2 axis is a pathway potentially inducing anti-oxidative genes, but muscle stem cells either do not require Nrf2-mediated anti-oxidative gene expression or they have a complementary system compensating for the loss of Nrf2.     

Fetal Programming of Adult Glucose Homeostasis in Mice

Background

Emerging evidence suggests that dietary soy and phytoestrogens can have beneficial effects on lipid and glucose metabolism. We have previously shown that male mice fed from conception to adulthood with a high soy-containing diet had reduced body weight, adiposity and a decrease in glucose intolerance, an early marker of insulin resistance and diabetes.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to identify the precise periods of exposure during which phytoestrogens and dietary soy improve lipid and glucose metabolism. Since intrauterine position (IUP) has been shown to alter sensitivity to endocrine disruptors, we also investigated whether the combination of IUP and fetal exposure to dietary phytoestrogens could potentially affect adult metabolic parameters.

Methods

Male outbred mice (CD-1) were allowed ad libitum access to either a high soy-containing diet or a soy-free diet either during gestation, lactation or after weaning. Adiposity and bone mass density was assessed by dual x-ray absorptiometry. Glucose tolerance was assessed by a glucose tolerance test. Blood pressure was examined by the tail-cuff system.

Results

Here we show that metabolic improvements are dependent on precise windows of exposure during life. The beneficial effects of dietary soy and phytoestrogens on adiposity were apparent only in animals fed post-natally, while the improvements in glucose tolerance are restricted to animals with fetal exposure to soy. Interestingly, we observed that IUP influenced adult glucose tolerance, but not adiposity. Similar IUP trends were observed for other estrogen-related metabolic parameters such as blood pressure and bone mass density.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that IUP and fetal exposure to estrogenic environmental disrupting compounds, such as dietary phytoestrogens, could alter metabolic and cardiovascular parameters in adult individuals independently of adipose gain.     

Effects of Chronic Arginase Inhibition with Norvaline on Tau Pathology and Brain Glucose Metabolism in Alzheimer's Disease Mice

Neurochemical Research - Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an insidious neurodegenerative disorder representing a serious continuously escalating medico-social problem. The AD-associated progressive...