西格列汀对糖尿病小鼠心肌重构和自噬的影响及其机制

目的: 探讨西格列汀对糖尿病小鼠心肌重构和自噬的影响和可能的机制。方法: 10周龄的C57小鼠腹腔注射STZ 50 mg/(kg·d),连续注射5 d,7 d测血糖浓度＞16.7 mmol/L视为糖尿病小鼠造模成功,造模成功4周后给与药物干预。本实验分四组,对照组(control, 腹腔注射等体积的缓冲液, n=10)、模型组(Streptozocin, STZ腹腔注射诱导糖尿病模型,n=8)、处理组(在模型组基础上给与西格列汀灌胃10 mg/(kg·d),n=8)、抑制剂组(在处理组的基础上给与腹腔注射Compound C (AMPK通路抑制剂,10 mg/(kg·d),n=8),对照组腹腔注射等体积缓冲液,6周后称体重,处死,取小鼠心脏并分离心室称重,计算心室/体重比,HE染色观察心肌细胞形态,Masson染色观察纤维化程度,Western blot 检测心肌脑钠肽(BNP)、转化生长因子β(TGF-β)、缝隙连接蛋白43(Cx43)、AMP依赖的蛋白激酶(AMPK)、LC3B蛋白表达。结果: 给药6周后,与对照组相比,模型组小鼠体重没有明显改变,心室/体重比明显增加(P＜0.05),苏木素-伊红(HE)染色显示细胞增大,Masson染色显示心肌间隙纤维化增多,BNP、TGF-β蛋白明显升高,Cx43、LC3B、AMPK蛋白下降(P＜0.05)。与模型组相比,西格列汀组BNP、TGF-β蛋白明显下降,Cx43、LC3B、AMPK蛋白增多(P＜0.05)。然而Compound C会抑制Cx43、LC3B、AMPK蛋白表达的上调(P＜ 0.05)。结论: 西格列汀可以改善糖尿病小鼠心肌肥厚和纤维化,并且可以通过AMPK相关通路调节Cx43和自噬。     

Nilotinib Induces Autophagy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma through AMPK Activation

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common liver cancer and the third-leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Nilotinib is an orally available receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor approved for chronic myelogenous leukemia. This study investigated the effect of nilotinib on HCC. Nilotinib did not induce cellular apoptosis. Instead, staining with acridine orange and microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 revealed that nilotinib induced autophagy in a dose- and time-dependent manner in HCC cell lines, including PLC5, Huh-7, and Hep3B. Moreover, nilotinib up-regulated the phosphryaltion of AMP-activated kinase (AMPK) and protein phosphatase PP2A inactivation were detected after nilotinib treatment. Up-regulating PP2A activity suppressed nilotinib-induced AMPK phosphorylation and autophagy, suggesting that PP2A mediates the effect of nilotinib on AMPK phosphorylation and autophagy. Our data indicate that nilotinib-induced AMPK activation is mediated by PP2A, and AMPK activation and subsequent autophagy might be a major mechanism of action of nilotinib. Growth of PLC5 tumor xenografts in BALB/c nude mice was inhibited by daily oral treatment with nilotinib. Western blot analysis showed both increased phospho-AMPK expression and decreased PP2A activity in vivo. Together, our results reveal that nilotinib induces autophagy, but not apoptosis in HCC, and that the autophagy-inducing activity is associated with PP2A-regulated AMPK phosphorylation.     

Carbohydrate metabolism is perturbed in peroxisome-deficient hepatocytes due to mitochondrial dysfunction, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC-1α) suppression

Hepatic peroxisomes are essential for lipid conversions that include the formation of mature conjugated bile acids, the degradation of branched chain fatty acids, and the synthesis of docosahexaenoic acid. Through unresolved mechanisms, deletion of functional peroxisomes from mouse hepatocytes (L-Pex5(-/-) mice) causes severe structural and functional abnormalities at the inner mitochondrial membrane. We now demonstrate that the peroxisomal and mitochondrial anomalies trigger energy deficits, as shown by increased AMP/ATP and decreased NAD(+)/NADH ratios. This causes suppression of gluconeogenesis and glycogen synthesis and up-regulation of glycolysis. As a consequence, L-Pex5(-/-) mice combust more carbohydrates resulting in lower body weights despite increased food intake. The perturbation of carbohydrate metabolism does not require a long term adaptation to the absence of functional peroxisomes as similar metabolic changes were also rapidly induced by acute elimination of Pex5 via adenoviral administration of Cre. Despite its marked activation, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) was not causally involved in these metabolic perturbations, because all abnormalities still manifested when peroxisomes were eliminated in a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α null background. Instead, AMP-activated kinase activation was responsible for the down-regulation of glycogen synthesis and induction of glycolysis. Remarkably, PGC-1α was suppressed despite AMP-activated kinase activation, a paradigm not previously reported, and they jointly contributed to impaired gluconeogenesis. In conclusion, lack of functional peroxisomes from hepatocytes results in marked disturbances of carbohydrate homeostasis, which are consistent with adaptations to an energy deficit. Because this is primarily due to impaired mitochondrial ATP production, these L-Pex5-deficient livers can also be considered as a model for secondary mitochondrial hepatopathies.     

Ppm1E is an in cellulo AMP-activated protein kinase phosphatase

Activation of 5′-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is believed to be the mechanism by which the pharmaceuticals, metformin and phenformin, exert their beneficial effects for treatment of type 2 diabetes. These biguanide drugs elevate 5′-AMP, which allosterically activates AMPK and promotes phosphorylation on Thr172 of AMPK catalytic α subunits. Although kinases phosphorylating this site have been identified, phosphatases that dephosphorylate it are unknown. The aim of this study is to identify protein phosphatase(s) that dephosphorylate AMPKα-Thr172 within cells. Our initial data indicated that members of the protein phosphatase ce:sup>/ce:sup>/Mn²⁺-dependent (PPM) family and not those of the PPP family of protein serine/threonine phosphatases may be directly or indirectly inhibited by phenformin. Using antibodies raised to individual Ppm phosphatases that facilitated the assessment of their activities, phenformin stimulation of cells was found to decrease the ce:sup>/ce:sup>/Mn²⁺-dependent protein serine/threonine phosphatase activity of Ppm1E and Ppm1F, but not that attributable to other PPM family members, including Ppm1A/PP2Cα. Depletion of Ppm1E, but not Ppm1A, using lentiviral-mediated stable gene silencing, increased AMPKα-Thr172 phosphorylation approximately three fold in HEK293 cells. In addition, incubation of cells with low concentrations of phenformin and depletion of Ppm1E increased AMPK phosphorylation synergistically. Ppm1E and the closely related Ppm1F interact weakly with AMPK and assays with lysates of cells stably depleted of Ppm1F suggests that this phosphatase contributes to dephosphorylation of AMPK. The data indicate that Ppm1E and probably PpM1F are in cellulo AMPK phosphatases and that Ppm1E is a potential anti-diabetic drug target.     

Irisin ameliorates hepatic glucose/lipid metabolism and enhances cell survival in insulin-resistant human HepG2 cells through adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase signaling

Irisin is a newly identified myokine that promotes the browning of white adipose tissue, enhances glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and modulates hepatic metabolism. However, the signaling pathways involved in the effects on hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism have not been resolved. This study aimed to examine the role of irisin in the regulation of hepatic glucose/lipid metabolism and cell survival, and whether adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a master metabolic regulator in the liver, is involved in irisin’s actions. Human liver-derived HepG2 cells were cultured in normal glucose-normal insulin (NGNI) or high glucose-high insulin (HGHI/insulin-resistant) condition. Hepatic glucose and lipid metabolism was evaluated by glucose output and glycogen content or triglyceride accumulation assays, respectively. Our results showed that irisin stimulated phosphorylation of AMPK and acetyl-CoA-carboxylase (ACC) via liver kinase B1 (LKB1) rather than Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase β (CaMKKβ) in HepG2 cells. Irisin ameliorated hepatic insulin resistance induced by HGHI condition. Irisin reduced hepatic triglyceride content and glucose output, but increased glycogen content, with those effects reversed by dorsomorphin, an AMPK inhibitor. Furthermore, irisin also stimulated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 phosphorylation and promoted cell survival in an AMPK-dependent manner. In conclusion, our data indicate that irisin ameliorates dysregulation of hepatic glucose/lipid metabolism and cell death in insulin-resistant states via AMPK activation. These findings reveal a novel irisin-mediated protective mechanism in hepatic metabolism which provides a scientific basis for irisin as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus.     

Resveratrol protects against isoproterenol induced myocardial infarction in rats through VEGF-B/AMPK/eNOS/NO signalling pathway

According to our previous results, resveratrol (RSV, 3, 5, 4-trihydroxystilbene), a naturally polyphenolic phytoalexin, could attenuate myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury through up-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor B (VEGF-B) in isolated rat heart or H9c2 cells. However, the molecular mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of RSV on myocardial infarction (MI) in rats and further explored the underlying signal pathway after VEGF-B. Rats received RSV or normal saline by intragastric administration for 7 consecutive days and followed by subcutaneously isoproterenol (ISO) or normal saline injections for another 2 days. We found that RSV pretreatment prevented the unfavourable changes in HW/BW, HW/TL, infarct size, and cell apoptosis in ISO-treated rats. Moreover, superoxide and malondialdehyde (MDA) production were significantly reduced and superoxide dismutase (SOD) was increased by RSV in ISO-treated rats. Furthermore, it showed that RSV pretreatment increased VEGF-B, p-eNOS and p-AMPK expression, and NO production in ISO-treated rats. Using Neonatal Rat Ventricular Myocytes (NRVM), we found that VEGF-B siRNA could abolish the cardio-protective effect of RSV. The enhanced ratios of eNOS phosphorylation to eNOS expression induced by RSV were markedly reversed by VEGF-B siRNA in NRVM also. Meantime, we found that the effect of VEGF-B knock-down on eNOS activation was rescued by AMPK activator AICAR. L-NAME, a NOS inhibitor, could inhibit RSV enhanced eNOS phosphorylation but had no effect on VEGF-B expression in NRVM or in rats. Collectively, our results indicate that RSV exerts cardio-protection from ISO-induced myocardial infarction through VEGF-B/AMPK/eNOS/NO signalling pathway.