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)

ATP sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channels reside in the plasma membrane of many excitable cells such as pancreatic beta-cells, heart, skeletal muscle and brain, where they link cellular metabolic energy to membrane electrical activity. They are composed of two subunits, K+ ion selective pore (Kir) and sulfonylurea receptor (SUR). In addition to the central role of pancreatic beta-cell K(ATP) channels in glucose-mediated insulin secretion, several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that K(ATP) channels modulate glucose transport in the insulin target tissues. Inhibition of K(ATP) channels by glibenclamide or gliclazide or an increase in intracellular ATP during hyperglycemia (glucose effect) or exercise facilitates glucose utilization, while activation of the channels by potassium channel openers, hypothermia (cardiac surgery), or ischemic damage (myocardial and brain infarction) reduces glucose uptake induced by insulin or hyperglycemia. Because insulin action has been known to depend on the energy level of the target cells, K(ATP) channel may function as an effector in this respect. It is now evident that long chain acyl-CoA esters, metabolically active forms of fatty acids, are the most potent and physiologically important activator of K(ATP) channels. Thus, I suppose that the sustained activation of K(ATP) channels by long chain fatty acyl-CoA seems to be a missing link between lipotoxicity and insulin resistance in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
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PMID:Adenosine triphosphate-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channel activity is coupled with insulin resistance in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. 1186 13

Acetyl-CoA carboxylase catalyzes the first committed step in the synthesis of long chain fatty acids. In this study, we observed that treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with biotin chloroacetylated at the 1' nitrogen reduced the enzymatic activity of cytosolic acetyl-CoA carboxylase and concomitantly inhibited the differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Treatment with chloroacetylated biotin blocked the induction of PPARgamma, STAT1, and STAT5A expression that normally occurs with adipogenesis. Moreover, addition of chloroacetylated biotin inhibited lipid accumulation, as judged by Oil Red O staining. Our results support recent studies that indicate that acetyl-CoA carboxylase may be a suitable target for an anti-obesity therapeutic.
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PMID:A biotin analog inhibits acetyl-CoA carboxylase activity and adipogenesis. 1190 24

It has been assumed that the uptake of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) into skeletal muscle and the heart muscle, as well as other tissues, occurred via passive diffusion. In recent years our work has shown that the LCFA uptake into skeletal muscle is a highly regulated process. The use of giant sarcolemmal vesicles obtained from skeletal muscle and heart has been used to demonstrate that LCFA uptake into these tissues occurs via a protein-mediated mechanism involving the 40 kDa plasma membrane associated fatty acid binding protein (FABPpm) and the 88 kDa fatty acid translocase, the homologue of human CD36 (FAT/CD36). Both are ubiquitously expressed proteins and correlate with LCFA uptake into heart and muscle, consistent with the known differences in LCFA metabolism in these tissues. It has recently been found that FAT/CD36 is present in an intracellular (endosomal) compartment from which it can be translocated to the plasma membrane within minutes by muscle contraction and by insulin, to stimulate LCFA uptake. In rodent models of obesity and type 1 diabetes LCFA uptake into heart and muscle is also increased, either by permanently relocating FAT/CD36 to the plasma membrane without altering its expression (obesity) or by increasing the expression of both FAT/CD36 and FABPpm (type 1 diabetes). Chronic leptin treatment decreases LCFA transporters and transport in muscle. Clearly, recent evidence has established that LCFA uptake into heart and muscle is regulated acutely and chronically.
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PMID:Plasmalemmal fatty acid transport is regulated in heart and skeletal muscle by contraction, insulin and leptin, and in obesity and diabetes. 1286 39

Acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC) catalyzes the carboxylation of acetyl CoA to form malonyl CoA. In skeletal muscle and heart, malonyl CoA functions to regulate lipid oxidation by inhibition of carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1, an enzyme which controls the entry of long chain fatty acids into mitochondria. We have found that several members of the cyclohexanedione class of herbicides are competitive inhibitors of rat heart ACC. These compounds constitute valuable reagents for drug development and the study of ACCbeta, a validated anti-obesity target.
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PMID:Cyclohexanedione herbicides are inhibitors of rat heart acetyl-CoA carboxylase. 1295 Nov

Insulin resistance in skeletal muscle is present in humans with type 2 diabetes (noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus) and obesity and in rodents with these disorders. Malonyl CoA is a regulator of carnitine palmitoyl transferase I (CPT I), the enzyme that controls the transfer of long chain fatty acyl CoA into mitochondria where it is oxidized. In rat skeletal muscle, the formation of malonyl CoA is regulated acutely (in minutes) by changes in the activity of acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC), the enzyme that catalyzes malonyl CoA synthesis. ACC activity can be regulated by changes in the concentration of citrate which is both an allosteric activator of ACC and a source of its precursor, cytosolic acetyl CoA. Increases in cytosolic citrate leading to an increase in the concentration of malonyl CoA occur when muscle is presented with insulin and glucose, or when it is made inactive by denervation. In contrast, exercise lowers the concentration of malonyl CoA, by activating an AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK), which phosphorylates and inhibits ACC. Recently we have shown that the activity of malonyl CoA decarboxylase (MCD), an enzyme that degrades malonyl CoA, is also regulated by phosphorylation. The concentration of malonyl CoA in liver and muscle in certain circumstances correlates inversely with changes in MCD activity. This review will describe the current literature on the regulation of malonyl CoA/AMPK mechanism and its physiological function.
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PMID:Malonyl-CoA and AMP-activated protein kinase: an expanding partnership. 1461 57

We examined whether, in human obesity and type 2 diabetes, long chain fatty acid (LCFA) transport into skeletal muscle is upregulated and contributes to an excess intramuscular triacylglycerol accumulation. In giant sarcolemmal vesicles prepared from human skeletal muscle, LCFA transport rates were upregulated approximately 4-fold and were associated with an increased intramuscular triacylglycerol content in obese individuals and in type 2 diabetics. In these individuals, the increased sarcolemmal LCFA transport rate was not associated with an altered expression of FAT/CD36 or FABPpm. Instead, the increase in the LCFA transport rate was associated with an increase in sarcolemmal FAT/CD36 but not sarcolemmal FABPpm. Rates of fatty acid esterification were increased threefold in isolated human muscle strips obtained from obese subjects, while concomitantly rates of fatty acid oxidation were not altered. Thus, the increased rate of fatty acid transport may contribute to the increased rates of triacylglycerol accumulation in human skeletal muscle. The altered FAT/CD36 trafficking in muscle from obese subjects and type 2 diabetics juxtaposes the known alterations in GLUT4 trafficking, i.e., GLUT4 is known to be retained in its intracellular depots while FAT/CD36 is retained at the sarcolemma. This redistribution of FAT/CD36 to the sarcolemma may contribute to the etiology of insulin resistance in human muscle, and hence, FAT/CD36 provides another potential therapeutic target for the prevention and/or treatment of insulin resistance.
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PMID:Triacylglycerol accumulation in human obesity and type 2 diabetes is associated with increased rates of skeletal muscle fatty acid transport and increased sarcolemmal FAT/CD36. 1513 77

Hepatic steatosis is a consequence of both obesity and ethanol use. Nonalcoholic steatosis (NASH) resemble alcoholic steatosis and steatohepatitis. Both exhibit increased hepatocellular triglycerides(TG), reflecting an increase in long chain fatty acids (LCFA). LCFA enter cells by both facilitated transport and passive diffusion. A driving force for both is the plasma unbound LCFA concentration ([LCFAu]). In both obese rodents and obese patients, adipocyte LCFA uptake via both facilitated transport and diffusion is increased. However, the LCFA uptake Vmax in hepatocytes is not increased in obese animals. Nevertheless, total LCFA uptake in obese rodents is increased ~3-fold, reflecting increased plasma LCFA concentrations. With advancing obesity, resistance to the antilipolytic effects of insulin results in increased lipolysis within the omental fat depot, a consequent further rise in portal venous LCFA, and an even greater rise in portal [LCFAu]. This causes a further increase in hepatocellular LCFA uptake, increased intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and transition from simple steatosis to NASH. By contrast, in rodent hepatocytes and in human hepatoma cell lines, ethanol up-regulates the LCFA uptake Vmax. Consequently, although plasma LCFA are unaltered, hepatocellular LCFA uptake in ethanol-fed rats is also increased~3-fold, leading to increased ROS generation and evolution of alcoholic hepatitis. Thus, while increased hepatic LCFA uptake contributes to the pathogenesis of both NASH and alcoholic hepatitis,the underlying mechanisms differ. Recognizing these mechanistic differences is important in developing strategies for both prevention and treatment of these conditions.
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PMID:Lipid metabolism in hepatic steatosis. 1533 Oct 68

The esterification of alcohols such as sterols, diacylglycerols, and monoacylglycerols with fatty acids represents the formation of both storage and cytoprotective molecules. Conversely, the overproduction of these molecules is associated with several disease pathologies, including atherosclerosis and obesity. The human acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) 2 gene superfamily comprises seven members, four of which have been previously implicated in the synthesis of di- or triacylglycerol. The remaining 3 members comprise an X-linked locus and have not been characterized. We describe here the expression of DGAT2 and the three X-linked genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains virtually devoid of neutral lipids. All four gene products mediate the synthesis of triacylglycerol; however, two of the X-linked genes act as acyl-CoA wax alcohol acyltransferases (AWAT 1 and 2) that predominantly esterify long chain (wax) alcohols with acyl-CoA-derived fatty acids to produce wax esters. AWAT1 and AWAT2 have very distinct substrate preferences in terms of alcohol chain length and fatty acyl saturation. The enzymes are expressed in many human tissues but predominate in skin. In situ hybridizations demonstrate a differentiation-specific expression pattern within the human sebaceous gland for the two AWAT genes, consistent with a significant role in the composition of sebum.
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PMID:Identification of two novel human acyl-CoA wax alcohol acyltransferases: members of the diacylglycerol acyltransferase 2 (DGAT2) gene superfamily. 1567 Oct 38

GLUT-4 (glucose transporter) receptor, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukins-6 (IL-6), daf-genes and PPARs (peroxisomal proliferation activator receptors) play a role in the development of insulin resistance syndrome and associated conditions. But, the exact interaction between these molecules/factors and the mechanism(s) by which they produce insulin resistance syndrome is not clear. I propose that a defect in the activity of the enzymes Delta6 and Delta5 desaturases that are essential for the formation of long chain metabolites of essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, is a factor in the development of insulin resistance syndrome. Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs) increase cell membrane fluidity and enhance the number of insulin receptors and the affinity of insulin to its receptors; suppress TNF-alpha, IL-6, macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and leptin synthesis; increase the number of GLUT-4 receptors, serve as endogenous ligands of PPARs, modify lipolysis, and regulate the balance between pro- and anti-oxidants, and thus, play a critical role in the pathogenesis of insulin resistance. In the nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, the protein encoded by daf-2 is 35% identical to the human insulin receptor; daf-7 codes a transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) type signal and daf-16 enhances superoxide dismutase (SOD) expression. Melatonin has anti-oxidant actions similar to daf-16, TGF-beta and SOD. Calorie restriction enhances the activity of Delta6 and Delta5 desaturases, melatonin production, decreases daf-2 signaling, free radical generation, and augments anti-oxidant defenses that may explain the beneficial effect of diet control in the management of obesity, insulin resistance, and type II diabetes mellitus. These evidences suggest that the activities of Delta6 and Delta5 enzymes play a critical role in the expression and regulation of GLUT-4, TNF-alpha, IL-6, MIF, daf-genes, melatonin, and leptin by modulating the synthesis and tissue concentrations of LCPUFAs. Caloric restriction delays ageing by activating Sir 2 deacetylase in yeast, and expression of Sir 2 (SIRT1) in human cells. Both insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) attenuated this response. SIRT1 sequesters the proapoptotic factor Bax, prevents stress-induced apoptosis of cells, and thus, prolongs survival. In addition, SIRT1 repressed PPAR-gamma, and overexpression of SIRT1 attenuated adipogenesis, and upregulation of SIRT in differentiated fat cells triggered lipolysis and loss of fat, events that are known to attenuate insulin resistance and prolong life span. It remains to be seen whether LCPUFAs have a regulatory role in SIRT1 expression and control Sir 2 deacetylase activity. Thus, calorie restriction or reduced food intake has a role not only in the pathobiology of insulin resistance, but also in other associated conditions such as obesity, type II diabetes mellitus, ageing, and longevity.
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PMID:A defect in the activity of Delta6 and Delta5 desaturases may be a factor predisposing to the development of insulin resistance syndrome. 1585 Jul 15

Recent evidence has demonstrated that circulating long chain fatty acids act as nutrient abundance signals in the hypothalamus. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of fatty acid synthase (FAS) results in profound decrease in food intake and body weight in rodents. These anorectic actions are mediated by the modulation of hypothalamic neuropeptide systems, such as melanocortins. In this review, we summarize what is known about lipid sensing and fatty acid metabolism in the hypothalamus. Understanding these molecular mechanisms could provide new pharmacological targets for the treatment of obesity and appetite disorders, as well as novel concepts in the nutritional design.
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PMID:Sensing the fat: fatty acid metabolism in the hypothalamus and the melanocortin system. 1597 7


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