Adipose Tissue Explants Research Articles

Bone action of the phytoestrogen genistein under hypoestrogenism and obesity

Osteoporosis and obesity are prevalent diseases in menopause. The phytoestrogen genistein (Gen) is an antioxidant/anti-inflammatory agent proposed as natural therapy to counteract syndromes associated to menopause. In this work we evaluated the bone effect of Gen in a stress environment induced by hypoestrogenism and obesity. Bilaterally ovariectomized female Wistar rats were fed with high-fat diet (obese), or standard diet (non-obese). Osteoblasts (OB) primary cultures from femoral shafts, and retroperitoneal explants of white adipose tissue (WAT) in vitro exposed to Gen were employed as experimental systems. In obese rats, bone oxidative stress revealed by enhancement on H2O2 release, and significant reduction in OB nitric oxide (NO) production, cell growth, alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), matrix mineralization and collagen deposition was detected. In OB-WAT co-cultures, Gen treatment inhibited H2O2 secretion, and prompted OB differentiation. A direct action of Gen on WAT was demonstrated. The phytoestrogen inhibited H2O2 and TBARS production, and diminished the secretion of the inflammatory adipokine leptin, through a mechanism of action mediated by estrogen receptor (ER) involvement, and MAPK and PI3K signal transduction pathways participation. A directional interaction from WAT to bone was evidenced by the incubation OB with conditioned medium obtained from WAT exposed to Gen (Gen-CM). The presence of Gen-CM improved OB growth, and reduced H2O2 production. The antioxidative effect of Gen on obese bone cells was partially dependent on its ability to reduce leptin secretion by WAT. Altogether, the results suggest that, under obesity, Gen may improve bone metabolism through a direct action on WAT.

139 Metabolic regulation of intramuscular adipose tissue development

Abstract Acetate arguably is the most important substrate for de novo fatty acid biosynthesis in bovine adipose tissue. However, including glucose in incubation media in vitro strongly stimulates fatty synthesis from acetate; additionally, glucose carbon is essential for triacylglycerol synthesis from acetate. Our laboratory is unique in that we utilize bovine intramuscular (i.m.) and subcutaneous (s.c.) adipose tissue explants dissected from beef longissimus muscle immediately post-exsanguination to study bovine adipose tissue metabolism. Four decades ago, using this experimental technique, we established that glucose is a primary substrate for fatty acid biosynthesis in i.m. adipose tissue. Recent research in our laboratory has addressed the hypothesis that acetate and/or long-chain fatty acids (LCFA) differentially affect lipid filling of i.m. and s.c. adipose tissue. We had previously demonstrated that, whereas s.c. adipose tissue is highly responsive to isoproterenol (a non-selective ß-adrenergic agonist), i.m. adipose tissue is relatively refractory to isoproterenol. This subsequently was confirmed in our laboratory utilizing primary cultures of bovine s.c. and i.m. adipocytes. We currently are focusing on the G-coupled protein receptors-43 (GPR43) and GPR120. Several previous studies from our laboratory have documented GPR43 expression in i.m. and s.c. adipose tissue, and we more recently demonstrated GPR120 expression in bovine adipose tissues. Acetate is a ligand for GPR43, whereas LCFA are ligands for GPR120. The binding of ß-adrenergic agonists to ß-adrenergic receptors increases the production of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), whereas binding of acetate and LCFA to GPR43 and GPR120, respectively, decreases cAMP production. Thus, binding of circulating acetate and LCFA to their respective GPR receptors putatively should lead to increase lipid filling of bovine adipose tissues. A current study from our laboratory demonstrated that acetate had no effect on forskolin-stimulated cAMP production in i.m. or s.c. adipose tissue explants unless the culture medium also included oleic acid (18:1n-9). A subsequent study confirmed that oleic acid and palmitic acid (16:0), but not acetate, strongly depressed forskolin-stimulated cAMP production in s.c. adipose tissue explants; oleic and palmitic acid were much less effective in depressing cAMP production in i.m. adipose tissue explants. Unusually, GPR43 expression was detected in neither s.c. adipose tissue nor i.m. adipose tissue in our most recent study, whereas GPR120 expression was readily detected in both adipose tissue types. We conclude the following from these recent studies: LCFA binding to GPR120 is more effective than acetate binding to GPR43 in promoting lipid filling in bovine adipose tissue; and LCFA binding to GPR120 putatively would promote greater lipid filling in s.c. adipose tissue than in i.m. adipose tissue.

Melatonin decreases human adipose tissue insulin sensitivity.

Melatonin is a pineal hormone that modulates the circadian system and exerts soporific and phase-shifting effects. It is also involved in many other physiological processes, such as those implicated in cardiovascular, endocrine, immune, and metabolic functions. However, the role of melatonin in glucose metabolism remains contradictory, and its action on human adipose tissue (AT) explants has not been demonstrated. We aimed to assess whether melatonin (a pharmacological dose) influences insulin sensitivity in human AT. This will help better understand melatonin administration's effect on glucose metabolism. Abdominal AT (subcutaneous and visceral) biopsies were obtained from 19 participants with severe obesity (age: 42.84 ± 12.48 years; body mass index: 43.14 ± 8.26 kg/m2) who underwent a laparoscopic gastric bypass. AT biopsies were exposed to four different treatments: control (C), insulin alone (I) (10 nM), melatonin alone (M) (5000 pg/mL), and insulin plus melatonin combined (I + M). All four conditions were repeated in both subcutaneous and visceral AT, and all were performed in the morning at 8 a.m. (n = 19) and the evening at 8 p.m. (in a subsample of n = 12). We used western blot analysis to determine insulin signaling (using the pAKT/tAKT ratio). Furthermore, RNAseq analyses were performed to better understand the metabolic pathways involved in the effect of melatonin on insulin signaling. As expected, insulin treatment (I) increased the pAKT/tAKT ratio compared with control (p < .0001). Furthermore, the addition of melatonin (I + M) resulted in a decrease in insulin signaling as compared with insulin alone (I); this effect was significant only during the evening time (not in the morning time). Further, RNAseq analyses in visceral AT during the evening condition (at 8 p.m.) showed that melatonin resulted in a prompt transcriptome response (around 1 h after melatonin addition), particularly by downregulating the insulin signaling pathway. Our results show that melatonin reduces insulin sensitivity in human AT during the evening. These results may partly explain the previous studies showing a decrease in glucose tolerance after oral melatonin administration in the evening or when eating late when endogenous melatonin is present.

Calorie restriction-induced leptin reduction and T-lymphocyte activation in blood and adipose tissue in men with overweight and obesity

BackgroundT-Lymphocyte activation is modulated by the adipokine leptin and serum concentrations of this hormone can be reduced with short-term calorie restriction. The aim of this study was to understand whether leptin per se is important in determining levels of T-lymphocyte activation in humans, by investigating whether the reduction in leptin concentration following calorie restriction is associated with a decrease in T-Lymphocyte activation in blood and adipose tissue.MethodsTwelve men with overweight and obesity (age 35–55 years, waist circumference 95–115 cm) reduced their calorie intake by 50% for 3 consecutive days. Blood and subcutaneous adipose tissue were obtained for isolation of immune cells and cytokine analysis. CD4+ and CD8 + T-Lymphocytes were identified and characterised according to their expression of activation markers CD25 and CD69 by flow cytometry.ResultsSerum leptin was reduced by (mean ± SEM) 31 ± 16% (p < 0.001) following calorie restriction. The percentage of blood CD4 + CD25 + T-lymphocytes and level of CD25 expression on these lymphocytes were significantly reduced by 8 ± 10% (p = 0.016) and 8 ± 4% (p = 0.058), respectively. After calorie restriction, ex vivo leptin secretion from abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue explants was not changed, and this corresponded with a lack of change in adipose tissue resident T-Lymphocyte activation.ConclusionsSerum leptin was reduced after calorie restriction and this was temporally associated with a reduction in activation of blood CD4 + CD25 + T-Lymphocytes. In abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue, however, leptin secretion was unaltered, and there were no observed changes in adipose resident T-Lymphocyte activation.

PPARγ antagonists induce aromatase transcription in adipose tissue cultures

Aromatase is the rate-limiting enzyme in the biosynthesis of estrogens and a key risk factor for hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. In postmenopausal women, estrogens synthesized in adipose tissue promotes the growth of estrogen receptor positive breast cancers. Activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) in adipose stromal cells (ASCs) leads to decreased expression of aromatase and differentiation of ASCs into adipocytes. Environmental chemicals can act as antagonists of PPARγ and disrupt its function. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that PPARγ antagonists can promote breast cancer by stimulating aromatase expression in human adipose tissue.Primary cells and explants from human adipose tissue as well as A41hWAT, C3H10T1/2, and H295R cell lines were used to investigate PPARγ antagonist-stimulated effects on adipogenesis, aromatase expression, and estrogen biosynthesis. Selected antagonists inhibited adipocyte differentiation, preventing the adipogenesis-associated downregulation of aromatase. NMR spectroscopy confirmed direct interaction between the potent antagonist DEHPA and PPARγ, inhibiting agonist binding. Short-term exposure of ASCs to PPARγ antagonists upregulated aromatase only in differentiated cells, and a similar effect could be observed in human breast adipose tissue explants. Overexpression of PPARG with or without agonist treatment reduced aromatase expression in ASCs.The data suggest that environmental PPARγ antagonists regulate aromatase expression in adipose tissue through two mechanisms. The first is indirect and involves inhibition of adipogenesis, while the second occurs more acutely.

Dynamic sampling from ex vivo adipose tissue using droplet-based microfluidics supports separate mechanisms for glycerol and fatty acid secretion.

Pathologies in adipose (fat) tissue function are linked with human diseases such as diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cancer. Dynamic, rapid release of metabolites has been observed in adipocyte cells and tissue, yet higher temporal resolution is needed to adequately study this process. In this work, a microfluidic device with precise and regular valve-automated droplet sampling, termed a microfluidic analog-to-digital converter (μADC), was used to sample secretions from ∼0.75 mm diameter adipose explants from mice, and on-chip salt water electrodes were used to merge sampled droplets with reagent droplets from two different fluorometric coupled enzyme assays. By integrating sampling and assays on-chip, either glycerol or non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), or both, were quantified optically within merged 12 nanoliter droplets using a fluorescence microscope with as high as 20 second temporal resolution. Limits of detection were 6 μM for glycerol (70 fmol) and 0.9 μM for NEFA (10 fmol). Multiple ex vivo adipose tissue explants were analyzed with this system, all showing clear increases in lipolytic function after switching from feeding to fasting conditions. Enabled by high temporal resolution, lipolytic oscillations of both glycerol and NEFA were observed for the first time in the range of 0.2 to 1.6 min-1. Continuous wavelet transform (CWT) spectrograms and burst analyses (0.1 to 4.0 pmol bursts) revealed complex dynamics, with multiplexed assays (duplex for glycerol and NEFA) from the same explants showing mostly discordant bursts. These data support separate mechanisms of NEFA and glycerol release, although the connection to intracellular metabolic oscillations remains unknown. Overall, this device allowed automated and highly precise temporal sampling of tissue explants at high resolution and programmable downstream merging with multiple assay reagents, revealing unique biological information. Such device features should be applicable to various other tissue or spheroid types and to other assay formats.

MicroRNAs in extracellular vesicles released from epicardial adipose tissue promote arrhythmogenic conduction slowing

Patients with excess epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) are at increased risk of developing cardiac arrhythmias. EAT promotes arrhythmias by depolarizing the resting membrane of cardiomyocytes, which slows down conduction and facilitates re-entrant arrhythmias. We hypothesized that EAT slows conduction by secreting extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their microRNA (miRNA) cargo. We aimed to determine the role of EAT-derived EVs and their miRNA cargo in conduction slowing. EAT and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) were collected from patients with atrial fibrillation. Adipose tissue explants were incubated in culture medium and secretome was collected. The numbers of EVs in the EAT and SAT secretome were measured by calibrated flow cytometry. EVs in the EAT secretome were isolated by size exclusion chromatography and miRNAs were sequenced. Pathway analysis was performed to predict candidates involved in cardiac electrophysiology. The candidates were validated in the EAT and SAT by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Finally, miRNA candidates were overexpressed in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes. The EV concentration was higher in the EAT secretome than in the SAT and control secretomes. miRNA sequencing of EAT-derived EVs detected a total of 824 miRNAs. Pathway analysis led to the identification of 7 miRNAs potentially involved in regulation of cardiac resting membrane potential. Validation of those miRNA candidates showed that they were all expressed in EAT, and that miR-1-3p and miR-133a-3p were upregulated in EAT in comparison with SAT. Overexpression of miR-1-3p and miR-133a-3p in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes led to conduction slowing and reduced Kcnj2 and Kcnj12 expression. miR-1-3p and miR-133a-3p are potential mediators of EAT arrhythmogenicity.

FRI026 PPARγ Antagonists Induce Aromatase Transcription In Human Adipose Tissue Cells

Abstract Disclosure: J. Ardenkjær-Skinnerup: None. P.S. Petersen: None. N. Hadrup: None. G. Ravn-Haren: None. B. Emanuelli: None. U.B. Vogel: None. K.A. Brown: None. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) activation in adipose stromal cells (ASCs; adipocyte precursors) is associated with decreased expression of the estrogen biosynthetic enzyme, aromatase, encoded by the CYP19A1 gene. A number of chemicals and endocrine disruptors can affect PPARγ function. For example, ethanol-mediated inhibition of PPARγ activity is associated with increased risk of breast cancer,1 and a potential mechanism has been suggested to involve upregulation of aromatase. It is therefore hypothesized that inhibitors of PPARγ will induce aromatase expression and may act as breast carcinogens. This study aimed to explore the effect of PPARγ antagonists on the expression of aromatase in cells from human adipose tissue. Human adipose tissue was obtained from abdominoplasty or reduction mammoplasty surgeries. Explants, adipocytes and ASCs were collected for culture and/or gene expression analysis. Primary ASCs and the hTERT A41 hWAT ASC line were differentiated in the presence of PPARγ antagonists followed by gene expression analysis or lipid staining. Adipose tissue explants and A41 cells were treated for 24 or 48 h with PPARγ agonist or antagonist, and gene expression analysis was performed. Finally, PPARγ was overexpressed in A41 cells and/or treated with a PPARγ agonist to study the effect of PPARγ protein level and activation on aromatase expression. Aromatase expression was higher in human ASCs than in mature adipocytes. Exposure of ASCs to PPARγ antagonists during differentiation inhibited lipid accumulation and resulted in higher expression of aromatase. PPARγ overexpression and agonist treatment repressed aromatase expression in A41 cells, while antagonist treatment in differentiated A41 cells resulted in increased aromatase expression. A similar tendency was observed in adipose tissue explants. In conclusion, the results suggest that PPARγ regulates aromatase through two separate mechanisms. Exposure of human ASCs to PPARγ antagonists indirectly upregulates aromatase expression by inhibition of adipogenesis. In addition, PPARγ regulates aromatase in differentiated ASCs via a more acute mechanism, not related to adipocyte differentiation. 1. Petersen RK, Larsen SB, Jensen DM, et al. PPARgamma-PGC-1alpha activity is determinant of alcohol related breast cancer. Cancer Lett. 2012;315(1):59-68. Presentation: Friday, June 16, 2023

Pancreastatin inhibitor PSTi8 ameliorates insulin resistance by decreasing fat accumulation and oxidative stress in high-fat diet-fed mice.

Abnormal fat accumulation, enhanced free fatty acids (FFA) release, and their metabolites cause insulin resistance (IR) in major glucose-lipid metabolic organs such as skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. However, excessive lipolysis and FFA release from adipose tissue elevate plasma FFA levels leading to oxidative stress and skeletal muscle IR. Indeed, in obese individuals, there is enhanced pro-inflammatory secretion from adipose tissue influencing insulin signaling in skeletal muscles. Here, we investigated the effect of PSTi8 on FFA-induced IR in both in vitro and in vivo models. Palmitate (Pal)-treated 3T3-L1 cells increased lipid accumulation as well as lipolysis, which reduced the insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. PSTi8 treatment significantly prevented Pal-induced lipid accumulation, and release and enhanced insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. It further reduced the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from Pal-treated 3T3-L1 cells as well as from adipose tissue explants. In addition, PSTi8 treatment decreases M1 surface markers in Pal-treated bone marrow-derived monocytes (BMDM). PSTi8 treatment also significantly enhanced the Pal-mediated reduced skeletal muscle glucose disposal and reduced intracellular oxidative stress. In vitro effect of PSTi8 was consistent with in vivo HFD-fed mice IR model. PSTi8 treatment in HFD-fed mice significantly improved glucose metabolism and enhanced skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity with reduced adiposity and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Taken together, our results support that PSTi8 treatment can protect both adipose and skeletal muscles from FFA-induced IR.

189-OR: FGF21-Mediated Signaling Defects and Their Effects on Insulin Resistance in Insulin-Mediated Pseudoacromegaly

Insulin-mediated pseudoacromegaly (IMPA) is a rare, severe insulin resistance syndrome linked to digenic mutations in FGFR1 and KLB. These proteins form the receptor complex for FGF21, a hepatokine that plays a critical role in adipose tissue insulin sensitivity. Patients with IMPA have normal growth hormone and IGF-1. However, they have markedly increased insulin levels, tall stature, and obesity. To assess the pathogenicity of these mutations, we isolated iPSC from the proband with IMPA. We used CRISPR gene editing to correct the FGFR1 and KLB mutations and differentiated the iPSC lines into adipocytes. Western immunoblotting demonstrated that the uncorrected (mutant) cells demonstrated decreased levels of FGFR1 and pERK1/2 in response to insulin and/or FGF21 compared to corrected (wild-type) cells. Additionally, mutant adipocytes demonstrated significantly larger lipid droplets when stained with BODIPY. To complement the iPSC work, a humanized transgenic knock-in mouse line was created using CRISPR gene editing. When exposed to a high fat diet (HFD), female mice harboring variants in FGFR1 and KLB (DM - Double Mutant) developed significant weight gain compared to wild-type (WT) littermates. The difference in body weight was attributed to a difference in body fat. Similar to the human phenotype, the DM mice experience intermittent hyperglycemia and significant hyperinsulinemia. Explants of gonadal white adipose tissue demonstrated decreased lipolysis and pAKT and pERK. Mac-2 staining of white adipose tissue demonstrated abundant adipose tissue macrophages forming crown-like structures, suggesting adipose tissue inflammation. Additionally, we measured gene expression in brown adipose tissue, and noting that Ucp1 expression in DM mice was 37% when compared to WT. These results suggest pathogenic mechanisms in which FGFR1 and KLB mutations lead to IMPA via decreased FGF21-mediated signaling in the adipose tissue. Disclosure N.Phan: None. D.M.Ornitz: None. S.I.Stone: None. Funding Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R21HD098872); National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (K08 DK124574, P30DK020579, P30DK056341); National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences

Habitual nappers and non-nappers differ in circadian rhythms of LIPE expression in abdominal adipose tissue explants.

Napping is a widespread practice worldwide and has in recent years been linked to increased abdominal adiposity. Lipase E or LIPE encodes the protein hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL), an enzyme that plays an important role in lipid mobilization and exhibits a circadian expression rhythm in human adipose tissue. We hypothesized that habitual napping may impact the circadian expression pattern of LIPE, which in turn may attenuate lipid mobilization and induce abdominal fat accumulation. Abdominal adipose tissue explants from participants with obesity (n = 17) were cultured for a 24-h duration and analyzed every 4 h. Habitual nappers (n = 8) were selected to match non-nappers (n = 9) in age, sex, BMI, adiposity, and metabolic syndrome traits. Circadian LIPE expression rhythmicity was analyzed using the cosinor method. Adipose tissue explants exhibited robust circadian rhythms in LIPE expression in non-nappers. In contrast, nappers had a flattened rhythm. LIPE amplitude was decreased in nappers as compared with non-nappers (71% lower). The decrease in amplitude among nappers was related to the frequency of napping (times per week) where a lower rhythm amplitude was associated with a higher napping frequency (r = -0.80; P = 0.018). Confirmatory analyses in the activity of LIPE's protein (i.e., HSL) also showed a significant rhythm in non-nappers, whereas significance in the activity of HSL was lost among nappers. Our results suggest that nappers display dysregulated circadian LIPE expression as well as dysregulated circadian HSL activity, which may alter lipid mobilization and contribute to increased abdominal obesity in habitual nappers.

Sympathetic tone dictates the impact of lipolysis on FABP4 secretion

Levels of circulating fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) protein are strongly associated with obesity and metabolic disease in both mice and humans, and secretion is stimulated by β-adrenergic stimulation both in vivo and in vitro. Previously, lipolysis-induced FABP4 secretion was found to be significantly reduced upon pharmacological inhibition of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and was absent from adipose tissue explants from mice specifically lacking ATGL in their adipocytes (ATGLAdpKO). Here, we find that upon activation of β-adrenergic receptors in vivo, ATGLAdpKO mice unexpectedly exhibited significantly higher levels of circulating FABP4 as compared with ATGLfl/fl controls, despite no corresponding induction of lipolysis. We generated an additional model with adipocyte-specific deletion of both FABP4 and ATGL (ATGL/FABP4AdpKO) to evaluate the cellular source of this circulating FABP4. In these animals, there was no evidence of lipolysis-induced FABP4 secretion, indicating that the source of elevated FABP4 levels in ATGLAdpKO mice was indeed from the adipocytes. ATGLAdpKO mice exhibited significantly elevated corticosterone levels, which positively correlated with plasma FABP4 levels. Pharmacological inhibition of sympathetic signaling during lipolysis using hexamethonium or housing mice at thermoneutrality to chronically reduce sympathetic tone significantly reduced FABP4 secretion in ATGLAdpKO mice compared with controls. Therefore, activity of a key enzymatic step of lipolysis mediated by ATGL, per se, is not required for in vivo stimulation of FABP4 secretion from adipocytes, which can be induced through sympathetic signaling.

Supplementation with a New Standardized Extract of Green and Black Tea Exerts Antiadipogenic Effects and Prevents Insulin Resistance in Mice with Metabolic Syndrome.

Insulin resistance is one of the main characteristics of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and the main cause of the development of type II diabetes. The high prevalence of this syndrome in recent decades has made it necessary to search for preventive and therapeutic agents, ideally of natural origin, with fewer side effects than conventional pharmacological treatments. Tea is widely known for its medicinal properties, including beneficial effects on weight management and insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to analyze whether a standardized extract of green and black tea (ADM® Complex Tea Extract (CTE)) prevents the development of insulin resistance in mice with MetS. For this purpose, C57BL6/J mice were fed for 20 weeks with a standard diet (Chow), a diet with 56% kcal from fat and sugar (HFHS) or an HFHS diet supplemented with 1.6% CTE. CTE supplementation reduced body weight gain, adiposity and circulating leptin levels. Likewise, CTE also exerted lipolytic and antiadipogenic effects in 3T3-L1 adipocyte cultures and in the C. elegans model. Regarding insulin resistance, CTE supplementation significantly increased plasma adiponectin concentrations and reduced the circulating levels of insulin and the HOMA-IR. Incubation of liver, gastrocnemius muscle and retroperitoneal adipose tissue explants with insulin increased the pAkt/Akt ratio in mice fed with Chow and HFHS + CTE but not in those fed only with HFHS. The greater activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway in response to insulin in mice supplemented with CTE was associated with a decrease in the expression of the proinflammatory markers Mcp-1, IL-6, IL-1β or Tnf-α and with an overexpression of the antioxidant enzymes Sod-1, Gpx-3, Ho-1 and Gsr in these tissues. Moreover, in skeletal muscle, mice treated with CTE showed increased mRNA levels of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr), Arnt and Nrf2, suggesting that the CTE's insulin-sensitizing effects could be the result of the activation of this pathway. In conclusion, supplementation with the standardized extract of green and black tea CTE reduces body weight gain, exerts lipolytic and antiadipogenic effects and reduces insulin resistance in mice with MetS through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Abstract 161: Ablation Of Intracellular Lipolytic Inhibitor G0S2 Promotes Vascular Lipolysis And Alleviates Diet-induced Atherosclerosis

Adipose tissue plays a central role in the regulation of plasma triglyceride (TG) and fatty acid (FA) levels, whose elevation is associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Circulating TGs are hydrolyzed by lipoprotein lipase (LPL), releasing FAs that are taken up by adipocytes. Conversely, lipolytic action of adipose tissue triglyceride lipase (ATGL) mobilizes intracellular TG storage, supplying FAs via circulation for utilization by other tissues. However, how intracellular lipolysis influences intravascular lipolysis and atherosclerotic development remains largely unknown. Herein, the current study aimed to explore the role of G0S2, a selective protein inhibitor of ATGL, in this particular context. When treated with a Western diet and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) targeting LDLR, mice with a global ablation of G0S2 exhibited a significantly reduced lesion formation in aorta and brachiocephalic artery than their wild type (WT) littermates. Despite of little to no impact on hypercholesterolemia, total plasma and lipoprotein-specific TG content were normalized in G0S2 -/- mice. While it did not elicit any effects on intestinal lipid adsorption and hepatic TG secretion, the G0S2 ablation resulted in considerable elevation of LPL activity and protein levels in both plasma and adipose tissue. Accordingly, these G0S2 -/- mice showed a greatly improved TG clearance upon an oral lipid challenge. Interestingly, transplantation of G0S2 -/- adipose tissue increased circulating LPL in the WD-treated WT mice, which subsequently displayed a profound reduction of plasma TG levels as well as alleviation of hepatic steatosis. By studying adipose tissue explants and primary adipocytes, we observed that the G0S2 ablation led to markedly improved insulin sensitivity, resulting in increased FOXO1 phosphorylation and decreased expression of the LPL inhibitor ANGPTL4. Together, our data indicate that in the absence of G0S2, upregulation of adipose tissue LPL plays an important role in the clearance of circulating TGs and alleviation of diet-induced hypertriglyceridemia and atherosclerosis. We thus conclude that adipocyte G0S2 acts as a critical switch of both intracellular and vascular lipolysis.

Peritumoral adipose tissue promotes lipolysis and white adipocytes browning by paracrine action.

Stromal adipocytes and tumor breast epithelial cells undergo a mutual metabolic adaptation within tumor microenvironment. Therefore, browning and lipolysis occur in cancer associated adipocytes (CAA). However, the paracrine effects of CAA on lipid metabolism and microenvironment remodeling remain poorly understood. To analyze these changes, we evaluated the effects of factors in conditioned media (CM) derived from explants of human breast adipose tissue from tumor (hATT) or normal (hATN) on morphology, degree of browning, the levels of adiposity, maturity, and lipolytic-related markers in 3T3-L1 white adipocytes by Western blot, indirect immunofluorescence and lipolytic assay. We analyzed subcellular localization of UCP1, perilipin 1 (Plin1), HSL and ATGL in adipocytes incubated with different CM by indirect immunofluorescence. Additionally, we evaluated changes in adipocyte intracellular signal pathways. We found that adipocytes incubated with hATT-CM displayed characteristics that morphologically resembled beige/brown adipocytes with smaller cell size and higher number of small and micro lipid droplets (LDs), with less triglyceride content. Both, hATT-CM and hATN-CM, increased Pref-1, C/EBPβ LIP/LAP ratio, PPARγ, and caveolin 1 expression in white adipocytes. UCP1, PGC1α and TOMM20 increased only in adipocytes that were treated with hATT-CM. Also, hATT-CM increased the levels of Plin1 and HSL, while decreased ATGL. hATT-CM modified the subcellular localization of the lipolytic markers, favoring their relative content around micro-LDs and induced Plin1 segregation. Furthermore, the levels of p-HSL, p-ERK and p-AKT increased in white adipocytes after incubation with hATT-CM. In summary, these findings allow us to conclude that adipocytes attached to the tumor could induce white adipocyte browning and increase lipolysis as a means for endocrine/paracrine signaling. Thus, adipocytes from the tumor microenvironment exhibit an activated phenotype that could have been induced not only by secreted soluble factors from tumor cells but also by paracrine action from other adipocytes present in this microenvironment, suggesting a "domino effect".

Cannabinoid-1 receptor activation modulates lipid mobilization and adipogenesis in the adipose tissue of dairy cows

Amplified adipose tissue (AT) lipolysis and suppressed lipogenesis characterize the periparturient period of dairy cows. The intensity of lipolysis recedes with the progression of lactation; however, when lipolysis is excessive and prolonged, disease risk is exacerbated and productivity compromised. Interventions that minimize lipolysis while maintaining adequate supply of energy and enhancing lipogenesis may improve periparturient cows' health and lactation performance. Cannabinoid-1 receptor (CB1R) activation in rodent AT enhances the lipogenic and adipogenic capacity of adipocytes, yet the effects in dairy cow AT remain unknown. Using a synthetic CB1R agonist and an antagonist, we determined the effects of CB1R stimulation on lipolysis, lipogenesis, and adipogenesis in the AT of dairy cows. Adipose tissue explants were collected from healthy, nonlactating and nongestating (NLNG; n = 6) or periparturient (n = 12) cows at 1 wk before parturition and at 2 and 3 wk postpartum (PP1 and PP2, respectively). Explants were treated with the β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol (1 μM) in the presence of the CB1R agonist arachidonyl-2'-chloroethylamide (ACEA) ± the CB1R antagonist rimonabant (RIM). Lipolysis was quantified based on glycerol release. We found that ACEA reduced lipolysis in NLNG cows; however, it did not exhibit a direct effect on AT lipolysis in periparturient cows. Inhibition of CB1R with RIM in postpartum cow AT did not alter lipolysis. To evaluate adipogenesis and lipogenesis, preadipocytes isolated from NLNG cows' AT were induced to differentiate in the presence or absence of ACEA ± RIM for 4 and 12 d. Live cell imaging, lipid accumulation, and expressions of key adipogenic and lipogenic markers were assessed. Preadipocytes treated with ACEA had higher adipogenesis, whereas ACEA+RIM reduced it. Adipocytes treated with ACEA and RIM for 12 d exhibited enhanced lipogenesis compared with untreated cells (control). Lipid content was reduced in ACEA+RIM but not with RIM alone. Collectively, our results support that lipolysis may be reduced by CB1R stimulation in NLNG cows but not in periparturient cows. In addition, our findings demonstrate that adipogenesis and lipogenesis are enhanced by activation of CB1R in the AT of NLNG dairy cows. In summary, we provide initial evidence which supports that the sensitivity of the AT endocannabinoid system to endocannabinoids, and its ability to modulate AT lipolysis, adipogenesis, and lipogenesis, vary based on dairy cows' lactation stage.

Energy Metabolism, Metabolite, and Inflammatory Profiles in Human Ex Vivo Adipose Tissue Are Influenced by Obesity Status, Metabolic Dysfunction, and Treatment Regimes in Patients with Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma.

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) is a poor prognosis cancer with limited response rates to current treatment modalities and has a strong link to obesity. To better elucidate the role of visceral adiposity in this disease state, a full metabolic profile combined with analysis of secreted pro-inflammatory cytokines, metabolites, and lipid profiles were assessed in human ex vivo adipose tissue explants from obese and non-obese OAC patients. These data were then related to extensive clinical data including obesity status, metabolic dysfunction, previous treatment exposure, and tumour regression grades. Real-time energy metabolism profiles were assessed using the seahorse technology. Adipose explant conditioned media was screened using multiplex ELISA to assess secreted levels of 54 pro-inflammatory mediators. Targeted secreted metabolite and lipid profiles were analysed using Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with Mass Spectrometry. Adipose tissue explants and matched clinical data were collected from OAC patients (n = 32). Compared to visceral fat from non-obese patients (n = 16), visceral fat explants from obese OAC patients (n = 16) had significantly elevated oxidative phosphorylation metabolism profiles and an increase in Eotaxin-3, IL-17A, IL-17D, IL-3, MCP-1, and MDC and altered secretions of glutamine associated metabolites. Adipose explants from patients with metabolic dysfunction correlated with increased oxidative phosphorylation metabolism, and increases in IL-5, IL-7, SAA, VEGF-C, triacylglycerides, and metabolites compared with metabolically healthy patients. Adipose explants generated from patients who had previously received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy (n = 14) showed elevated secretions of pro-inflammatory mediators, IL-12p40, IL-1α, IL-22, and TNF-β and a decreased expression of triacylglycerides. Furthermore, decreased secreted levels of triacylglycerides were also observed in the adipose secretome of patients who received the chemotherapy-only regimen FLOT compared with patients who received no neo-adjuvant treatment or chemo-radiotherapy regimen CROSS. For those patients who showed the poorest response to currently available treatments, their adipose tissue was associated with higher glycolytic metabolism compared to patients who had good treatment responses. This study demonstrates that the adipose secretome in OAC patients is enriched with mediators that could prime the tumour microenvironment to aid tumour progression and attenuate responses to conventional cancer treatments, an effect which appears to be augmented by obesity and metabolic dysfunction and exposure to different treatment regimes.

Investigations into the Actions of Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide and Glucagon-Like Peptide-1(7–36)amide on Lipoprotein Lipase Activity in Explants of Rat Adipose Tissue

The direct actions of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, glucagon-like peptide-1(7–36)amide and insulin on lipoprotein lipase activity in explants of rat epididymal adipose tissues were investigated. Lipoprotein lipase was extracted into the incubation medium by heparin release of lipoprotein lipase and measured by fatty acid release from a glyceroltriolein emulsion. Insulin and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide caused a significant stimulation of lipoprotein lipase activity over a dose range of 0.25–4 nmol/L and 4–8 nmol/L, respectively. Explants incubated in the presence of both insulin and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (at 0.5 and 4 nmol/L, respectively) showed levels of lipoprotein lipase activity significantly greater than that seen with either hormone alone. Neither insulin- nor glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide-stimulated lipoprotein lipase was modified by the presence of the antibiotic actinomycin-D in the incubation medium, indicating that these two hormones exert their actions on the pre-existing cellular pool of lipoprotein lipase. Glucagon-like polypeptide-1(7–36)amide, over a dose range of 1–8 nmol/L, did not stimulate lipoprotein lipase activity. This study indicates that glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, in addition to stimulating insulin secretion, has a direct biological action on adipose tissue and in vivo, together with insulin, may promote lipoprotein lipase activity postprandially.

Growth hormone stimulates lipolysis in mice but not in adipose tissue or adipocyte culture.

The inhibitory effect of growth hormone (GH) on adipose tissue growth and the stimulatory effect of GH on lipolysis are well known, but the mechanisms underlying these effects are not completely understood. In this study, we revisited the effects of GH on adipose tissue growth and lipolysis in the lit/lit mouse model. The lit/lit mice are GH deficient because of a mutation in the GH releasing hormone receptor gene. We found that the lit/lit mice had more subcutaneous fat and larger adipocytes than their heterozygous lit/+ littermates and that these differences were partially reversed by 4-week GH injection. We also found that GH injection to the lit/lit mice caused the mature adipose tissue and adipocytes to reduce in size. These results demonstrate that GH inhibits adipose tissue growth at least in part by stimulating lipolysis. To determine the mechanism by which GH stimulates lipolysis, we cultured adipose tissue explants and adipocytes derived from lit/lit mice with GH and/or isoproterenol, an agonist of the beta-adrenergic receptors. These experiments showed that whereas isoproterenol, expectedly, stimulated potent lipolysis, GH, surprisingly, had no effect on basal lipolysis or isoproterenol-induced lipolysis in adipose tissue explants or adipocytes. We also found that both isoproterenol-induced lipolysis and phosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase were not different between lit/lit and lit/+ mice. Taken together, these results support the conclusion that GH has lipolytic effect in mice but argue against the notion that GH stimulates lipolysis by directly acting on adipocytes or by enhancing β-adrenergic receptors-mediated lipolysis.

Statin-Induced Geranylgeranyl Pyrophosphate Depletion Promotes PCSK9–Dependent Adipose Insulin Resistance

Statin treatment is accepted to prevent adverse cardiovascular events. However, statin therapy has been reported to be dose-dependently associated with increased risk for new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9) is expressed in adipose tissue and is positively correlated with lipid metabolism. It is, however, unknown if PCSK9 participates in adipocyte insulin resistance occurring as a result of statin use. Our goal was to use an in vitro adipose tissue explant approach to support the hypothesis that PCSK9 regulates statin-induced new-onset T2DM. Studies were performed using Pcsk-/- and C57Bl/6J control mice. Pcsk9-/- and control mice were fed a high-fat diet to affect a state of chronically altered lipid metabolism and increased PCSK9. Epididymal fat was excised and incubated with atorvastatin (1 µmol/L) in the absence and presence of insulin or geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP). PCSK9 mRNA was evaluated using quantitative rtPCR. We further examined the effects of atorvastatin on insulin-mediated AKT signaling in adipose tissue explants by immunoblotting. Atorvastatin was found to upregulate PCSK9 gene expression in adipose tissue. The metabolic intermediate GGPP is required to downregulate PCSK9 expression. PCSK9 deficiency protects against statin-induced impairments in insulin signaling. Moreover, supplementation with GGPP reversed atorvastatin-induced suppression of insulin signaling. Furthermore, the basal and atorvastatin-stimulated release of free fatty acids was observed in adipose tissue from wild-type mice but not PCSK9 deficient mice. Collectively, we describe a novel mechanism for PCSK9 expression in adipose tissue that could mediate statin-impaired adipose insulin resistance.