Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0028754 (obesity)
 124,988 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In Sprague-Dawley rats, fatty acid synthase (FAS) activity is suppressed by dietary fat. To test the hypothesis that a defect in regulation of de novo fatty acid synthesis exists in massive obesity, we investigated the effect of diet on FAS mRNA levels in genetically obese JCR:LA-corpulent (cp) rats. We also determined levels of mRNA encoding adipsin, a fat cell-derived protein possibly associated with lipid metabolism. Hepatic FAS mRNA levels were elevated five-fold in obese compared to lean cp rats and were unsuppressed by dietary fat. Dietary sucrose increased FAS mRNA levels in lean cp rats, but, in contrast to Sprague-Dawley rats, little deposition of lipid resulted. Adipsin mRNA levels were fivefold lower in obese cp and Sprague-Dawley rats than in lean cp rats and were unaffected by diet. We conclude that exaggerated de novo fatty acid synthesis may play a major role in the pathogenesis of obesity in obese JCR:LA-corpulent rats.
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PMID:Fatty acid synthase and adipsin mRNA levels in obese and lean JCR:LA-cp rats: effect of diet. 155 31

Adrenalectomy has been shown to reduce the development of obesity in adult Zucker fatty rat. In this study, we examined whether adrenalectomy could prevent the emergence of obesity and correct any of the first abnormalities to develop in fa/fa pups. Four-day-old Zucker pups were adrenalectomized and fed by adrenalectomized wet nurses until 11 days of age. The frequency distribution curves of fat cell volume clustered in two groups as they do in control litters, providing evidence that two phenotypes were present. Oxygen consumption measured at 8 days of age was significantly lower in fa/fa than in Fa/fa. Adrenalectomy did not restore the decreased oxygen consumption of fa/fa. In control litters, the GDP binding to brown adipose tissue mitochondria was twofold lower, whereas fatty acid synthase activity of this tissue was significantly increased in fa/fa pups. In inguinal adipose tissue of fa/fa pups, fatty acid synthase, and lipoprotein lipase activities were twice as active as in the tissue of lean pups. In adrenalectomized fa/fa pups, none of these metabolic abnormalities was corrected. The results demonstrate that adrenalectomy early in life did not prevent the emergence of obesity in suckling fa/fa rats.
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PMID:Deprivation of corticosterone does not prevent onset of obesity in Zucker fa/fa pups. 355 27

Acarbose is a potent intestinal glucosidase inhibitor which could have an anti-obesity property by reducing postprandial plasma glucose and insulin levels, potentially responsible for high rates of lipid synthesis in adipose tissue. We have tested this hypothesis by studying rats during the weaning period, when the lipogenic capacity of the adipose tissue develops. Rats were treated from age 19 days onwards with acarbose (10 mg/100 g diet) and studied at age 30 days. Acarbose was efficient in reducing postprandial excursions of both blood glucose and plasma insulin. Acarbose-treated rats behave like rats continuously infused with glucose with no metabolic signs of carbohydrate deprivation since gluconeogenesis was not activated. There was no massive caecal fermentation of carbohydrate since volatile fatty acids did not significantly increase in the portal blood. One of the most striking features of the acarbose-treated rats was the reduction of adipose tissue weight due to a reduced adipocyte size. This was concomitant with a reduced lipogenic capacity from glucose in isolated adipocytes under insulin stimulation. The activity of fatty acid synthase and acetyl-CoA carboxylase was decreased concomitantly with a reduced expression of their specific mRNA. This study allows the conclusion that postprandial hyperinsulinaemia and hyperglycaemia have a major role in the control of expression of lipogenic enzymes and thus on adipose tissue lipogenic capacity.
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PMID:Effect of acarbose on glucose homeostasis, lipogenesis and lipogenic enzyme gene expression in adipose tissue of weaned rats. 810 98

In the present study, we report the long-term metabolic consequences of feeding a milk substitute formula that is high in carbohydrate-derived calories during the suckling period. Male Sprague-Dawley rat pups were raised by gastrostomy on a high carbohydrate (HC) formula or a high fat (HF) formula (which mimicked rat milk composition in macronutrients) during the pre-weaning period (day 4 to 24). These rats were then weaned to a laboratory stock diet and subsequently challenged with a high sucrose diet to augment the development of obesity. The pups receiving the HC formula developed obesity in later life, even though there was no change in the body weight of this group compared to mother-fed (MF) controls or HF formula fed animals during the pre-weaning period. The HC rats were hyperinsulinemic and their growth rates were greater than MF rats starting at day 55. The lipogenic capacity of liver as well as adipose tissues (epididymal and omental) was higher in HC animals compared to MF control animals, as reflected by increases in two key lipogenic enzymes (fatty acid synthase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase) and in vitro synthesis of lipids. An analysis of adipose tissue morphology in adult rats showed an increase in cell size in epididymal adipose tissue of HC rats compared to the MF group. However, there was no significant difference in cell size in omental adipose tissue between the MF and HC rats. The HF group behaved similarly to the MF control group in growth pattern and measured metabolic parameters.
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PMID:Long-term effects of feeding high carbohydrate diet in pre-weaning period by gastrostomy: a new rat model for obesity. 822 Jun 51

Studies with human adipose tissue have demonstrated the presence of key enzymes of fat synthesis. However, long-term regulation of these enzymes has not been reported. To address this issue, we used human adipocytes in primary culture. Human adipose tissue was obtained from abdominal fat of patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Adipocytes were isolated by collagenase digestion and cultured in media supplemented with 1% fetal bovine serum. To evaluate metabolic activity of cultured cells, we assessed the following during the culture: DNA pattern, cell size, glucose consumption and activities for two lipogenic enzymes, fatty acid synthase (FAS) and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH). Analysis of DNA pattern showed that human adipocytes cultured under the above condition did not undergo cell apoptosis. In addition, no significant change in the cell size occurred during 22 d of culture. Glucose consumption by cultured cells was also constant during the culture and was 60% greater in the presence of 10 nmol/L of insulin. Treatment of cultured human adipocytes with insulin for 3-22 d increased GPDH and FAS activity by 60% and 2.8-fold, respectively, compared to cells cultured without insulin. Furthermore, the increase in FAS activity due to insulin treatment was dose dependent and maximal at 10 nmol/L. Our studies show for the first time that human adipocytes can be maintained viable and metabolically active for 2-3 wk in culture. Interestingly, cultured cells remain responsive to insulin. Therefore, this system will allow further characterization of long-term regulation of lipogenesis in human adipocytes and will be useful for developing pharmacological treatments of obesity.
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PMID:Insulin increases lipogenic enzyme activity in human adipocytes in primary culture. 861 89

Mutations leading to ectopic expression of the murine agouti gene (a) result in progressive obesity. To further characterize this model, we analyzed adipose and hepatic mRNA levels for fatty acid synthase (FAS) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD), two key enzymes in de novo fatty acid synthesis and desaturation, respectively. FAS and SCD mRNA in both tissues of obese (Avy) mice were dramatically increased relative to lean (ala) controls. Excessive expression of these genes in this model could be due to direct effects of the agouti gene product; to test this possibility we treated 3T3-L1 adipocytes in vitro with recombinant agouti protein. Agouti treatment increased FAS and SCD mRNA levels by 1.5- and 4-fold, respectively. In addition, FAS activity and triglyceride content were 3-fold higher in agoutitreated 3T3-L1 cells relative to controls; these effects were attenuated by simultaneous treatment with a calcium channel blocker (nitrendipine). These data demonstrate that the agouti protein can directly increase lipogenesis in adipocytes and suggest that these effects are mediated through an intracellular calcium-dependent mechanism.
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PMID:Upregulation of adipocyte metabolism by agouti protein: possible paracrine actions in yellow mouse obesity. 877 92

We have previously observed that obese viable yellow (Avy/a) mice exhibit increased intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) and fatty acid synthase (FAS) gene expression; further, recombinant agouti protein increases in cultured adipocytes and these effects are inhibited by Ca2+ channel blockade. Accordingly, we determined the effect of Ca2+ channel blockade (nifedipine for 4 wk) on FAS and obesity in transgenic mice expressing the agouti gene in a ubiquitous manner. The transgenic mice initially were significantly heavier (30.5+/-0.6 vs. 27.3+/-0.3 g; P<0.001) and exhibited a 0.81 degrees C lower initial core temperature (P<0.0005), an approximately twofold increase in fat pad weights (P=0.002), a sevenfold increase in adipose FAS activity (P=0.009), and a twofold increase in plasma insulin level (P<0.05) compared to control mice. Nifedipine treatment resulted in an 18% decrease in fat pad weights (P<0.007) and a 74% decrease in adipose FAS activity (P=0.03), normalized circulating insulin levels and insulin sensitivity (P<0.05), and transiently elevated core temperature in the transgenic mice, but was without effect in the control mice. These data suggest that agouti regulates FAS, fat storage, and possibly thermogenesis, at least partially, via a [Ca2+]i-dependent mechanism, and that Ca2+ channel blockade may partially attenuate agouti-induced obesity.
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PMID:The effects of calcium channel blockade on agouti-induced obesity. 900 58

Thiazolidinediones are potent antidiabetic compounds, in both animal and human models, which act by enhancing peripheral sensitivity to insulin. Thiazolidinediones are high-affinity ligands for peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, a key factor for adipocyte differentiation, and they are efficient promoters of adipocyte differentiation in vitro. Thus, it could be questioned whether a thiazolidinedione therapy aimed at improving insulin sensitivity would promote the recruitment of new adipocytes in vivo. To address this problem, we have studied the in vivo effect of pioglitazone on glucose metabolism and gene expression in the adipose tissue of an animal model of obesity with insulin resistance, the obese Zucker (fa/fa) rat. Pioglitazone markedly improves insulin action in the obese Zucker (fa/fa) rat, but doubles its weight gain after 4 weeks of treatment. The drug induces a large increase of glucose utilization in adipose tissue, where it stimulates the expression of genes involved in lipid metabolism such as the insulin-responsive GLUT, fatty acid synthase, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase genes, but decreases the expression of the ob gene. These changes are related to both an enhanced adipocyte differentiation, as shown by the large increase in the number of small adipocytes in the retroperitoneal fat pad, and a direct effect of pioglitazone on specific gene expression (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and ob genes) in mature adipocytes.
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PMID:Pioglitazone induces in vivo adipocyte differentiation in the obese Zucker fa/fa rat. 928 37

Glucose stabilizes the mRNA for human fatty acid synthase (FAS), an enzyme relevant to diverse human disorders, including hyperlipidemia, obesity, and malignancy. To determine the underlying mechanisms, RNA gel mobility shift assays were used to demonstrate that human Hep G2 cells contain a cytoplasmic factor that binds specifically to the 3'-terminus of the human FAS mRNA. D-Glucose increased RNA-binding activity by 2.02-fold (P = 0.0033), with activity peaking 3 h after glucose feeding. Boiling or treatment of extracts with proteinase K abolished binding. Ultraviolet cross-linking of the FAS mRNA-binding factor followed by SDS-PAGE resolved a proteinase K-sensitive band with an apparent molecular mass of 178 +/- 7 kDa. The protein was purified to homogeneity using nondenaturing polyacrylamide gels as an affinity matrix. Acid phosphatase treatment of the protein prevented binding to the FAS mRNA, but binding activity was unaffected by modification of sulfhydryl groups and was not Mg2+ or Ca2+ dependent. Deletion and RNase T1 mapping localized the binding site of the protein to 37 nucleotides characterized by the repetitive motif ACCCC and found within the first 65 bases of the 3'-UTR. Hybridization of the FAS transcript with an oligonucleotide antisense to this sequence abolished binding. These findings indicate that a 178-kDa glucose-inducible phosphoprotein binds to an (ACCCC)n-containing sequence in the 3'-UTR of the FAS mRNA within the same time frame that glucose stabilizes the FAS message. This protein may participate in the posttranscriptional control of FAS gene expression.
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PMID:Properties and purification of a glucose-inducible human fatty acid synthase mRNA-binding protein. 957 16

Regulation of intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) plays a key role in obesity, insulin resistance and hypertension, and [Ca2+]i disorders may represent a fundamental factor linking these three conditions. We have shown insulin to be a direct vasodilator, attenuating voltage-gated Ca2+ influx and stimulating Ca(2+)-ATPase transcription via a glucose-6-phosphate response element. These result in a net decrease in [Ca2+]i and thereby decrease vascular resistance, while these effects are blunted in insulin resistance, leading to increased vascular resistance. Consistent with this concept, pharmacological amplification of peripheral insulin sensitivity results in reduced arterial pressure. While insulin regulates [Ca2+]i, Ca2+ also regulates insulin signaling, as increasing [Ca2+]i impairs insulin signaling in some systems, possibly due to Ca2+ inhibition of insulin-regulated dephosphorylation. Finally, in recent studies of the mouse agouti gene, we have also demonstrated increased [Ca2+]i to play a key role in adipocyte lipogenesis, as follows. We have found dominant agouti mutants to exhibit increased [Ca2+]i in most tissues, leading to increased vascular reactivity and insulin resistance in vascular smooth muscle and skeletal muscle cells, respectively. Further, we have found recombinant agouti protein to directly increase [Ca2+]i in a variety of cells, including murine and human adipocytes, and to stimulate both the expression and activity of adipocyte fatty acid synthase and increase triglyceride accumulation in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner. These effects can be mimicked by stimulation of Ca2+ influx and blocked by Ca2+ channel inhibition, while treatment of mice with a Ca2+ antagonist attenuates agouti-induced obesity. Since humans express agouti in adipose tissue, it may similarly exert paracrine effects on [Ca2+]i and thereby stimulate de novo lipogenesis and promote obesity. Thus, Ca2+ signaling represents a target for therapeutic intervention in obesity as well as hypertension and insulin resistance.
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PMID:Nutritional and endocrine modulation of intracellular calcium: implications in obesity, insulin resistance and hypertension. 982 18


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