Regulation of the ubiquitin proteasome system in mechanically injured human skeletal muscle

Metabolic consequences of direct muscle trauma are insufficiently defined. Their effects on the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP) of protein degradation in human skeletal muscles are as yet unknown. Thus, we investigated whether the UPP is involved in the metabolic response evoked in directly traumatized human skeletal muscles. Biopsies were obtained from contused muscles after fractures and from normal muscles during elective implant removal (control). As estimated by western blot analyses, concentrations of free ubiquitin and ubiquitin protein conjugates were similar in extracts from injured and uninjured muscles. Ubiquitin protein ligation rates were reduced after injury (1.5+/-0.2 vs. 1.0+/-0.15 fkat/microg; p=0.04). Chymotryptic-, tryptic- and caspase-like proteasome peptidase activities (total activity minus activity in the presence of proteasome inhibitors) increased significantly after trauma (p=0.04 - 0.001). Significant increases in total chymotryptic- and caspase-like activities were attributable to proteasome activation. Our results extend the possible role of the UPP in muscle wasting to direct muscle trauma. They further suggest that the effects of direct mechanical trauma are not limited to the proteasome and imply that ubiquitin protein ligase systems are also involved. Based on the potential role of the UPP in systemic diseases, it might also be a therapeutic target to influence muscle loss in critically ill blunt trauma patients, in which large proportions of muscle are exposed to direct trauma.     

Aging and regulated protein degradation: who has the UPPer hand?

In all cells, protein degradation is a constant, ongoing process that is critical for cell survival and repair. The ubiquitin/proteasome pathway (UPP) is the major proteolytic pathway that degrades intracellular proteins in a regulated manner. It plays critical roles in many cellular processes and diseases. Disruption of the UPP is particularly relevant to pathophysiological conditions that provoke the accumulation of aberrant proteins, such as in aging as well as in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. For unknown reasons, most of these neurodegenerative disorders that include familial and sporadic cases exhibit a late onset. It is possible that these neurodegenerative conditions exhibit a late onset because proteasome activity decreases with aging. Aging‐dependent impairment in proteolysis mediated by the proteasome may have profound ramifications for cell viability. It can lead to the accumulation of modified, potentially toxic proteins in cells and can cause cell injury or premature cell death by apoptosis or necrosis. While it is accepted that aging affects UPP function, the question is why does aging cause a decline in regulated protein degradation by the UPP? Herein, we review some of the properties of the UPP and mechanisms mediating its age‐dependent impairment. We also discuss the relevance of these findings leading to a model that proposes that UPP dysfunction may be one of the milestones of aging.     

Effects of chronic spinal cord injury on body weight and body composition in rats fed a standard chow diet

The inability to maintain body weight within prescribed ranges occurs in a significant portion of the human spinal cord injury (SCI) population. Using a rodent model of long-term high thoracic (spinal level T3) spinal cord transection (TX), we aimed to identify derangements in body weight, body composition, plasma insulin, glucose tolerance, and metabolic function, as measured by uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) expression in interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT). Sixteen weeks after SCI, body weights of injured female rats stabilized and were significantly lower than surgical control animals. At the same time point, SCI rats had a significantly lower whole body fat:lean tissue mass ratio than controls, as measured indirectly by NMR. Despite lower body weight and fat mass, the cumulative consumption of standard laboratory chow (4.0 kcal/g) and mean energy intake (kcal.day(-1).100 g body wt(-1)) of chronic SCI rats was significantly more than controls. Glucose tolerance tests indicated a significant enhancement in glucose handling in 16-wk SCI rats, which were coupled with lower serum insulin levels. The post mortem weight of gonadal and retroperitoneal fat pads was significantly reduced after SCI and IBAT displayed significantly lower real-time PCR expression of UCP1 mRNA. The reduced fat mass and IBAT UCP1 mRNA expression are contraindicative of the cumulative caloric intake by the SCI rats. The prolonged postinjury loss of body weight, including fat mass, is not due to hypophagia but possibly to permanent changes in gastrointestinal transit and absorption, as well as whole body homeostatic mechanisms.     

Hepatic reduction of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF binding protein-3 that results from fasting is not attenuated in genetically obese rats

Fasting or caloric restriction causes substantial reductions in serum IGF-I in normal weight humans and animals, and reductions of liver IGF-I and IGFBP-3 mRNAs in animals. Obese humans, however, have attenuated and delayed decrements in IGF-I in serum when subjected to caloric restriction. Obese Zucker rats show a clear tendency to preserve body protein during fasting. To determine whether obesity opposes the effects of fasting on IGF-I and IGFBP-3, and thereby contributes to preservation of lean tissue, we have examined the effect of 72 h of fasting on IGF-I and IGFBP-3 in lean and obese Zucker rats. We observe that between lean and obese animals, fasting for 72 h produces similar decrements in body weight, serum IGF-I, liver IGF-I mRNA, serum IGFBP-3 and liver IGFBP-3 mRNA. Our finding that the reduction of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 in liver that results from 72 h of fasting is not attenuated in obese Zucker rats raises the possibility that conservation of lean tissue in these animals during fasting is not related to the hepatic production of IGF-I and IGFBP-3.     

Ubiquitin-proteasome pathway and cellular responses to oxidative stress

The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP) is the primary cytosolic proteolytic machinery for the selective degradation of various forms of damaged proteins. Thus, the UPP is an important protein quality control mechanism. In the canonical UPP, both ubiquitin and the 26S proteasome are involved. Substrate proteins of the canonical UPP are first tagged by multiple ubiquitin molecules and then degraded by the 26S proteasome. However, in noncanonical UPP, proteins can be degraded by the 26S or the 20S proteasome without being ubiquitinated. It is clear that a proteasome is responsible for selective degradation of oxidized proteins, but the extent to which ubiquitination is involved in this process remains a subject of debate. Whereas many publications suggest that the 20S proteasome degrades oxidized proteins independent of ubiquitin, there is also solid evidence indicating that ubiquitin and ubiquitination are involved in degradation of some forms of oxidized proteins. A fully functional UPP is required for cells to cope with oxidative stress and the activity of the UPP is also modulated by cellular redox status. Mild or transient oxidative stress up-regulates the ubiquitination system and proteasome activity in cells and tissues and transiently enhances intracellular proteolysis. Severe or sustained oxidative stress impairs the function of the UPP and decreases intracellular proteolysis. Both the ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes and the proteasome can be inactivated by sustained oxidative stress, especially the 26S proteasome. Differential susceptibilities of the ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes and the 26S proteasome to oxidative damage lead to an accumulation of ubiquitin conjugates in cells in response to mild oxidative stress. Thus, increased levels of ubiquitin conjugates in cells seem to be an indicator of mild oxidative stress.     

Dorsomedial hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor mediation of exercise-induced anorexia

Running wheel access and resulting voluntary exercise alter food intake and reduce body weight. The neural mechanisms underlying these effects are unclear. In this study, we first assessed the effects of 7 days of running wheel access on food intake, body weight, and hypothalamic gene expression. We demonstrate that running wheel access significantly decreases food intake and body weight and results in a significant elevation of CRF mRNA expression in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) but not the paraventricular nucleus. Seven-day running wheel access also results in elevated arcuate nucleus and DMH neuropeptide Y gene expression. To assess a potential role for elevated DMH CRF activity in the activity-induced changes in food intake and body weight, we compared changes in food intake, body weight, and hypothalamic gene expression in rats receiving intracerebroventricular (ICV) CRF antagonist alpha-helical CRF or vehicle with or without access to running wheels. During a 4-day period of running wheel access, we found that exercise-induced reductions of food intake and body weight were significantly attenuated by ICV injection of the CRF antagonist. The effect on food intake was specific to a blockade of activity-induced changes in meal size. Central CRF antagonist injection further increased DMH CRF mRNA expression in exercised rats. Together, these data suggest that DMH CRF play a critical role in the anorexia resulting from increased voluntary exercise.     

The Cytokine Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor (CNTF) Activates Hypothalamic Urocortin-Expressing Neurons Both In Vitro and In Vivo

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) induces neurogenesis, reduces feeding, and induces weight loss. However, the central mechanisms by which CNTF acts are vague. We employed the mHypoE-20/2 line that endogenously expresses the CNTF receptor to examine the direct effects of CNTF on mRNA levels of urocortin-1, urocortin-2, agouti-related peptide, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, and neurotensin. We found that treatment of 10 ng/ml CNTF significantly increased only urocortin-1 mRNA by 1.84-fold at 48 h. We then performed intracerebroventricular injections of 0.5 mg/mL CNTF into mice, and examined its effects on urocortin-1 neurons post-exposure. Through double-label immunohistochemistry using specific antibodies against c-Fos and urocortin-1, we showed that central CNTF administration significantly activated urocortin-1 neurons in specific areas of the hypothalamus. Taken together, our studies point to a potential role for CNTF in regulating hypothalamic urocortin-1-expressing neurons to mediate its recognized effects on energy homeostasis, neuronal proliferaton/survival, and/or neurogenesis.     

CNTF reverses obesity-induced insulin resistance by activating skeletal muscle AMPK

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) induces weight loss and improves glucose tolerance in humans and rodents. CNTF is thought to act centrally by inducing hypothalamic neurogenesis to modulate food intake and peripherally by altering hepatic gene expression, in a manner similar to that of leptin. Here, we show that CNTF signals through the CNTFRalpha-IL-6R-gp130beta receptor complex to increase fatty-acid oxidation and reduce insulin resistance in skeletal muscle by activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), independent of signaling through the brain. Thus, our findings further show that the antiobesogenic effects of CNTF in the periphery result from direct effects on skeletal muscle, and that these peripheral effects are not suppressed by diet-induced or genetic models of obesity, an essential requirement for the therapeutic treatment of obesity-related diseases.     

Long-term effects of a fatty acid synthase inhibitor on obese mice: food intake, hypothalamic neuropeptides, and UCP3

Short-term treatment of lean and obese mice with the fatty acid synthase (FAS) inhibitor, C75, alters expression of hypothalamic neuropeptides thereby reducing food intake, body weight, and body fat. Here we report the long-term effects of C75 on obese (Ob/Ob) mice. A low dose of C75 administered every third day for 30 days reduced food intake by 62% and body weight by 43% whereas body weight of ad lib-fed controls increased by 11%. Loss of body weight correlated with decreased adipose and liver tissue mass. Decreased food intake correlated with decreased expression of hypothalamic neuropeptide mRNAs for NPY, AgRP, and MCH and an increased expression of neuropeptide mRNAs for alphaMSH (i.e., POMC) and CART. Consistent with increased energy expenditure, C75 treatment caused greater weight loss than pair-fed controls and increased expression of skeletal muscle UCP-3 mRNA. Lowered blood glucose was due largely to restriction of food intake. C75 blocked the normal fasting-induced rise in blood free fatty acids and ketones due either to decreased adipose tissue lipolysis and hepatic ketogenesis or increased fatty acid and ketone utilization by peripheral tissues, notably skeletal muscle.     

Chemical sympathectomy alters regulation of body weight during prolonged ICV leptin infusion

To assess the importance of the sympathetic nervous system in regulating body weight during prolonged leptin infusion, we evaluated food intake, body weight, and physical activity in conscious, unrestrained rats. Initial studies illustrated that prolonged intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of leptin enhanced substrate oxidation so that adipose tissue lipid stores were completely ablated, and muscle triglyceride and liver glycogen stores were depleted. After neonatal chemical sympathectomy, changes in weight and food intake were compared in groups of sympathectomized (SYM) and control (CON) adult animals during ICV infusion of leptin. CON animals lost 60 +/- 9 g over 10 days vs. 25 +/- 3 g in the SYM animals when food intake was matched between the two groups. Greater weight loss despite similar energy intake points to an important role of the sympathetic nervous system in stimulating energy expenditure during ICV leptin infusion by increasing the resting metabolic rate, since no differences in physical activity were observed between CON and SYM groups. In conclusion, activation of the SNS by leptin increases energy expenditure by augmenting the resting metabolic rate.     

Over-Expression of Monoacylglycerol Lipase (MGL) in Small Intestine Alters Endocannabinoid Levels and Whole Body Energy Balance, Resulting in Obesity

The function of small intestinal monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL) is unknown. Its expression in this tissue is surprising because one of the primary functions of the small intestine is to convert diet-derived MGs to triacylglycerol (TG), and not to degrade them. To elucidate the function of intestinal MGL, we generated transgenic mice that over-express MGL specifically in small intestine (iMGL mice). After only 3 weeks of high fat feeding, iMGL mice showed an obese phenotype; body weight gain and body fat mass were markedly higher in iMGL mice, along with increased hepatic and plasma TG levels compared to wild type littermates. The iMGL mice were hyperphagic and displayed reduced energy expenditure despite unchanged lean body mass, suggesting that the increased adiposity was due to both increased caloric intake and systemic effects resulting in a hypometabolic rate. The presence of the transgene resulted in lower levels of most MG species in intestinal mucosa, including the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG). The results therefore suggest a role for intestinal MGL, and intestinal 2-AG and perhaps other MG species, in whole body energy balance via regulation of food intake as well as metabolic rate.     

Activation of ubiquitin-proteasome pathway is involved in skeletal muscle wasting in a rat model with biliary cirrhosis: potential role of TNF-alpha

Hepatic cirrhosis is associated with negative nitrogen balance and loss of lean body mass. This study aimed to identify the specific proteolytic pathways activated in skeletal muscles of cirrhotic rats. TNF-alpha can stimulate muscle proteolysis; therefore, a potential relationship between TNF-alpha and muscle wasting in liver cirrhosis was also evaluated. Cirrhosis was induced by bile duct ligation (BDL) in male adult Sprague-Dawley rats. mRNA and protein levels of various targets were determined by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. The proteolytic rate was measured ex vivo using isolated muscles. Compared with sham-operated controls, BDL rats had an increased degradation rate of muscle proteins and enhanced gene expression of ubiquitin, 14-kDa ubiquitin carrier protein E2, and the proteasome subunits C2 and C8 (P < 0.01). The muscle protein levels of free ubiquitin and conjugated ubiquitin levels were also elevated (P < 0.01). However, there was no difference between the two groups with regard to cathepsin and calpain mRNA levels. Cirrhotic muscle TNF-alpha levels were increased and correlated positively with free and conjugated ubiquitin (P < 0.01). We conclude that the ubiquitin-proteasome system is involved in muscle wasting of rats with BDL-induced cirrhosis. TNF-alpha might play a role in mediating activation of this proteolytic pathway, probably through a local mechanism.     

Dynamics of tissue ubiquitin pools and ubiquitin-proteasome pathway component activities during the systemic response to traumatic shock

Based on the biological significance of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway (UPP) and its potential role during sepsis, burns and ischemia-reperfusion injury, we hypothesized that the systemic response to traumatic shock (TS) is accompanied by tissue-specific UPP alterations. Therefore, we studied tissue ubiquitin pools, chymotryptic- and tryptic-like proteasome peptidase activities and ubiquitin-protein ligation (UbPL) rates in skeletal muscle, heart, lung, liver, spleen and kidney using a clinically relevant porcine model (bilateral femur fracture/hemorrhage followed by fluid resuscitation). TS induced a systemic reduction of tissue-specific high molecular mass ubiquitin-protein conjugates (>50 kDa). Free ubiquitin was unaffected. The dynamic organ patterns of ubiquitin pools paralleled the typical physiological response to TS and resuscitation. Reduction of ubiquitin-protein conjugates was most pronounced in heart and lung (p<0.05 vs. control) and accompanied by significant increases in proteasome peptidase and UbPL activities in these organs. Unlike all other tissues, spleen proteasome peptidase and UbPL activities were significantly reduced 10 h after TS. These findings support the concept that the UPP could play an important role in regulation of cell functions during the early whole-body response to TS. The UPP might be a therapeutic target to improve the metabolic care after TS, particularly in the heart, lung, and spleen.     

Ghrelin regulates mitochondrial-lipid metabolism gene expression and tissue fat distribution in liver and skeletal muscle

Ghrelin is a gastric hormone increased during caloric restriction and fat depletion. A role of ghrelin in the regulation of lipid and energy metabolism is suggested by fat gain independent of changes in food intake during exogenous ghrelin administration in rodents. We investigated the potential effects of peripheral ghrelin administration (two times daily 200-micrograms [DOSAGE ERROR CORRECTED] sc injection for 4 days) on triglyceride content and mitochondrial and lipid metabolism gene expression in rat liver and muscles. Compared with vehicle, ghrelin increased body weight but not food intake and circulating insulin. In liver, ghrelin induced a lipogenic and glucogenic pattern of gene expression and increased triglyceride content while reducing activated (phosphorylated) stimulator of fatty acid oxidation, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK, all P < 0.05), with unchanged mitochondrial oxidative enzyme activities. In contrast, triglyceride content was reduced (P < 0.05) after ghrelin administration in mixed (gastrocnemius) and unchanged in oxidative (soleus) muscle. In mixed muscle, ghrelin increased (P < 0.05) mitochondrial oxidative enzyme activities independent of changes in expression of fat metabolism genes and phosphorylated AMPK. Expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, the activation of which reduces muscle fat content, was selectively increased in mixed muscle where it paralleled changes in oxidative capacities (P < 0.05). Thus ghrelin induces tissue-specific changes in mitochondrial and lipid metabolism gene expression and favors triglyceride deposition in liver over skeletal muscle. These novel effects of ghrelin in the regulation of lean tissue fat distribution and metabolism could contribute to metabolic adaptation to caloric restriction and loss of body fat.