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

Disturbances in energy homeostasis can result in obesity and other metabolic diseases. Here we report a metabolic pathway present in normal human skeletal muscle myoblasts that is activated by the small polyphenolic molecule kaempferol (KPF). Treatment with KPF leads to an approximately 30% increase in skeletal myocyte oxygen consumption. The mechanism involves a several-fold increase in cyclic AMP (cAMP) generation and protein kinase A activation, and the effect of KPF can be mimicked via treatment with dibutyryl cAMP. Microarray and real-time PCR studies identified a set of metabolically relevant genes influenced by KPF including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1alpha, carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1, mitochondrial transcription factor 1, citrate synthase, and uncoupling protein-3, although KPF itself is not a direct mitochondrial uncoupler. The cAMP-responsive gene for type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (D2), an intracellular enzyme that activates thyroid hormone (T3) for the nucleus, is approximately threefold upregulated by KPF; furthermore, the activity half-life for D2 is dramatically and selectively increased as well. The net effect is an approximately 10-fold stimulation of D2 activity as measured in cell sonicates, with a concurrent increase of approximately 2.6-fold in the rate of T3 production, which persists even 24 h after KPF has been removed from the system. The effects of KPF on D2 are independent of sirtuin activation and only weakly reproduced by other small polyphenolic molecules such as quercetin and fisetin. These data document a novel mechanism by which a xenobiotic-activated pathway can regulate metabolically important genes as well as thyroid hormone activation and thus may influence metabolic control in humans.
 ...
PMID:The small polyphenolic molecule kaempferol increases cellular energy expenditure and thyroid hormone activation. 1732 47

Antiobesity drugs that target peripheral metabolism may avoid some of the problems that have been encountered with centrally acting anorectic drugs. Moreover, if they cause weight loss by increasing fat oxidation, they not only address a cause of obesity but also should promote loss of fat rather than lean tissue and improve insulin sensitivity. Weight loss may be slow but more sustained than with anorectic drugs, and thermogenesis may be insufficient to cause any discomfort. Some thermogenic approaches are the activation of adrenergic, thyroid hormone or growth hormone receptors and the inhibition of glucocorticoid receptors; the modulation of transcription factors [e.g. peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor delta (PPARdelta) activators] or enzymes [e.g. glutamine fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase (GFAT) inhibitors] that promote mitochondrial biogenesis, and the modulation of transcription factors (PPAR alpha activators) or enzymes (AMP-activated protein kinase) that promote fatty acid oxidation. More surprisingly, studies on genetically modified animals and with enzyme inhibitors suggest that inhibitors of fatty acid synthesis [e.g. ATP citrate lyase, fatty acid synthase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC)], fatty acid interconversion [stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD)] and triglyceride synthesis (e.g. acyl-CoA : diacylglycerol acyltransferase) may all be thermogenic. Some targets have been validated only by deleting genes in the whole animal. In these cases, it is possible that deletion of the protein in the brain is responsible for the effect on adiposity, and therefore a centrally penetrant drug would be required. Moreover, whilst a genetically modified mouse may display resistance to obesity in response to a high fat diet, it requires a tool compound to demonstrate that a drug might actually cause weight loss. Even then, it is possible that differences between rodents and humans, such as the greater thermogenic capacity of rodents, may give a misleading impression of the potential of a drug.
 ...
PMID:Thermogenic and metabolic antiobesity drugs: rationale and opportunities. 1739 Nov 51

It is well known that thyroid hormone affects body composition; however, the effect of the thyroid hormone receptor beta (TRbeta)-selective thyromimetic GC-1 on this biological feature had not been demonstrated. In the current study, we compared the effects of a 6-week treatment with triiodothyronine (T3; daily injections of 3 or 6 microg/100 g body weight) or GC-1 (equimolar doses) on different metabolic parameters in adult female rats. Whereas all animals gained weight (17-25 g) in a way not basically affected by T3 or GC-1 treatment, only T3 treatment selectively increased food intake (50-70%). Oxygen consumption was significantly and equally increased (50-70%) by T3 and GC-1. Analysis of body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) revealed that, whereas control animals gained about 80% of fat mass, T3- or GC-1-treated animals lost 70-90 and approximately 20% respectively. Direct analysis of the carcass showed that T3 treatment promoted a 14-74% decrease in fat content but GC-1 treatment promoted only a 15-23% reduction. The gain in lean mass by DEXA and the carcass protein content were not affected by T3 or GC-1 treatment. However, the mass of individual skeletal muscles was negatively affected by T3 but only barely by GC-1. These findings highlight the potential use of GC-1 for the treatment of obesity and the metabolic syndrome.
 ...
PMID:Thyroid hormone receptor beta-specific agonist GC-1 increases energy expenditure and prevents fat-mass accumulation in rats. 1740 Jul 99

Obesity and metabolic syndrome are increasing dramatically worldwide, contributing to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. There are currently few safe and efficacious therapeutics for obesity and most strategies are focused on appetite suppression. Thyroid hormones reduce adiposity via increased metabolic rate, but unfortunately they cause large changes in metabolic rate and direct cardiac acceleration, making them useless for treating obesity. Thyroid hormone receptors (TRs) work as transcription factors and two subtypes exist: TRalpha and TRbeta. TRalpha mediates tachycardia and much of the metabolic rate effect, while TRbeta mediates cholesterol and TSH lowering effects of thyroid hormones. TRbeta activation modestly increases metabolic rate such that a therapeutic window of 5-10 fold increases in metabolic rate can be seen without tachycardia. This was initially studied in TRalpha(1)(-/-) mice. Recent structure activity work has resulted in the discovery of several TRbeta selective thyromimetics such as KB-141. Studies with KB-141 show that it has a 10-fold window in which therapeutic increases in metabolic rate are seen without tachycardia or cardiac hypertrophy. This agent lowers cholesterol in rats and primates. In primates, KB-141 causes significant weight and cholesterol reduction in addition to the independent risk factor Lp(a). These effects were seen without any effect on heart rate, unlike thyroid hormone (T(3)). Further work with TRbeta selective agents is warranted and recent work suggests the possibility of developing compounds that selectively penetrate different tissues which may have an even more desirable therapeutic window. Selective thyromimetics, therefore, may be useful as adjunctive therapy to appetite suppressants along with exercise and diet restriction.
 ...
PMID:Therapeutic potential for thyroid hormone receptor-beta selective agonists for treating obesity, hyperlipidemia and diabetes. 1743 Feb 19

Obesity is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, in part through development of hypertension. Leptin promotes weight loss by reducing food intake and increasing energy expenditure through sympathetic stimulation. It also counteracts the starvation-induced suppression of thyroid hormone by up-regulating the expression of TRH. On the other hand, it is known that the extrahypothalamic TRH system participates in cardiovascular function modulating sympathetic system activity. In order to challenge the testable hypothesis that obesity may raise arterial blood pressure (ABP) through TRH system activation, we herein analyze the participation of the TRH system in the elevation of ABP in the obese agouti yellow mice. These mice are characterized by resistance to the weight reducing effect of leptin although they show a preserved sympathetic response to leptin along with a mild hypertension compared with the control strain (121+/-2 vs 102+/-2 mmHg, p less than 0.001, n=10). We report here that hyperleptinemic agouti mice showed a 1.8-fold elevation of diencephalic TRH content compared with controls, and we demonstrate that a long lasting specific inhibition of TRH system by icv treatment with siRNA against preproTRH normalizes systolic ABP independently of the thyroid status. These results suggest that the interaction leptin-diencephalic TRH may be one of the mechanisms involved in the mild hypertension of the obese agouti mice.
 ...
PMID:SiRNA-mediated silencing of the diencephalic thyrotropin-releasing hormone precursor gene decreases the arterial blood pressure in the obese agouti mice. 1748 11

The phenomenon of pancreatic regeneration in mammals has been well documented. It has been shown that pancreatic tissue is able to regenerate in several species of mammal after surgical insult. This tissue is also known to have the potential to maintain or increase its beta-cell mass in response to metabolic demands during pregnancy and obesity. Since deficiency in beta-cell mass is the hallmark of most forms of diabetes, it is worthwhile understanding pancreatic regeneration in the context of this disease. With this view in mind, this article aims to discuss the potential use in clinical strategies of knowledge that we obtained from studies carried out in animal models of diabetes. Approaches to achieve this goal involve the use of biomolecules, adult stem cells and gene therapy. Various molecules, such as glucagon-like peptide-1, beta-cellulin, nicotinamide, gastrin, epidermal growth factor-1 and thyroid hormone, play major roles in the initiation of endogenous islet regeneration in diabetes. The most accepted hypothesis is that these molecules stimulate islet precursor cells to undergo neogenesis or to induce replication of existing beta-cells, emphasizing the importance of pancreas-resident stem/progenitor cells in islet regeneration. Moreover, the potential of adult stem cell population from bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, liver, spleen, or amniotic membrane, is also discussed with regard to their potential to induce pancreatic regeneration.
 ...
PMID:Approaches towards endogenous pancreatic regeneration. 1749 91

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) are nuclear receptors (NRs) that control many cellular and metabolic processes. These proteins are ligand-activated transcription factors and three isotypes called PPARalpha, PPARbeta/delta and PPARgamma have been identified in lower vertebrates and mammals. They display differential tissue distribution and each of the three subtypes fulfills specific functions; however, all three PPARs affect energy homoeostasis and inflammatory responses. In addition, their activity can be modulated by drugs such as the hypolipidemic fibrates and the insulin sensitizing thiazolidinediones. Thus, understanding the biology and identifying small molecule modulators of the PPARs is an active area of research and may impact chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and atherosclerosis. The PPAR Resource Page (http://ppar.cas.psu.edu) is a website devoting to keeping scientists up-to-date with the latest research on these proteins and provides links to a variety of public databases. The site was launched in 1998 to disseminate information about PPAR including cDNA sequences, protein alignments, DNA response elements (PPREs), and sources of cDNAs, proteins and antibodies. Recent additions include bioinformatics support such as gene expression microarray and pathway analysis links. As part of the Nuclear Receptor Resource (NRR, http://nrr.georgetown.edu/NRR/nrrhome.htm) some tools are shared with other constituents of this larger project. These include electronic publication, and a listing of scientists interested in the steroid and thyroid hormone superfamily. Receiving greater than 300 unique visits per week, the PPAR resource page has become a useful tool for researchers of these important NRs.
 ...
PMID:The PPAR resource page. 1749 68

In developed countries, the increasing incidence of obesity is a serious health problem. Leptin exposure in the perinatal period affects long-term regulation of appetite and energy expenditure, but control of leptin production in utero is unclear. This study investigated perirenal adipose tissue (PAT) and placental leptin expression in ovine fetuses during late gestation and after manipulation of plasma glucocorticoid and thyroid hormone concentrations. Between 130 and 144 d of gestation (term at 145 +/- 2 d), plasma leptin and PAT leptin mRNA levels increased in association with increments in plasma cortisol and T(3). Fetal adrenalectomy prevented these developmental changes, and exposure of intact 130 d fetuses to glucocorticoids, by cortisol infusion or maternal dexamethasone treatment, caused premature elevations in plasma leptin and PAT leptin gene expression. Fetal thyroidectomy increased plasma leptin and PAT leptin mRNA abundance, whereas intravenous T(3) infusion to intact 130 d fetuses had no effect on circulating or PAT leptin. Leptin mRNA expression was low in the ovine placenta. Therefore, in the sheep fetus, PAT appears to be a primary source of leptin in the circulation, and leptin gene expression is regulated by both glucocorticoids and thyroid hormones. Developmental changes in circulating and PAT leptin may mediate the maturational effects of cortisol in utero and have long-term consequences for appetite regulation and the development of obesity.
 ...
PMID:Developmental control of plasma leptin and adipose leptin messenger ribonucleic acid in the ovine fetus during late gestation: role of glucocorticoids and thyroid hormones. 1749

The increasing prevalence of obesity is a fundamental contributor to the growing prevalence of the metabolic syndrome. Rexinoids, a class of compounds that selectively bind and activate RXR, are being studied as a potential option for the treatment of metabolic syndrome. These compounds have glucose-lowering, insulin-sensitizing, and antiobesity effects in animal models of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. However, undesirable side effects such as hypertriglyceridemia and suppression of the thyroid hormone axis also occur. This review examines and compares the effects of four RXR-selective ligands: LGD1069, LG100268, AGN194204, and LG101506, a selective RXR modulator. Similar to selective modulators of other nuclear receptors such as the estrogen receptor (SERMs), LG101506 binding to RXR selectively maintains the desirable characteristic effects of rexinoids while minimizing the undesirable effects. These recent findings suggest that, with continued research efforts, RXR-specific ligands with improved pharmacological profiles may eventually be available as additional treatment options for the current epidemic of obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and all of the associated metabolic sequelae.
 ...
PMID:Therapeutic potential of retinoid x receptor modulators for the treatment of the metabolic syndrome. 1749 22

Thyroid hormones (THs) have important effects on cellular development, growth, and metabolism. They bind to thyroid hormone receptors (TRs), TRalpha and TRbeta, which belong to the nuclear hormone receptor superfamily. These receptors also bind to enhancer elements in the promoters of target genes, and can regulate both positive and negative transcription. Recent emerging evidence has characterized some of the molecular mechanisms by which THs regulate transcription as co-repressors, and co-activators have been identified and their effects on histone acetylation examined. THs also have rapid effects that do not require transcription. These can occur via TRs or other cellular proteins, and typically occur outside the nucleus. It appears that THs regulate multiple cellular functions using a diverse array of receptors and signaling systems. TR isoform- or pathway-specific drugs might provide the therapeutic benefits of TH action such as decreasing obesity or lowering cholesterol levels without some of the side effects of hyperthyroidism.
 ...
PMID:New insights into thyroid hormone action. 1757 3


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10