High fat induces acute and chronic inflammation in the hypothalamus: effect of high-fat diet, palmitate and TNF-α on appetite-regulating NPY neurons.

BACKGROUND: Consumption of dietary fat is one of the key factors leading to obesity. High-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity is characterized by induction of inflammation in the hypothalamus; however, the temporal regulation of proinflammatory markers and their impact on hypothalamic appetite-regulating neuropeptide Y/agouti-related peptide (NPY/AgRP) neurons remains undefined. METHODS: Mice were injected with an acute lipid infusion for 24 h or fed a HFD over 8-20 weeks. Characterized mouse NPY/AgRP hypothalamic cell lines were used for in vitro experimentation. Immunohistochemistry in brain slices or quantitative real-time PCR in cell lines, was performed to determine changes in the expression of key inflammatory markers and neuropeptides. RESULTS: Hypothalamic inflammation, indicated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α expression and astrocytosis in the arcuate nucleus, was evident following acute lipid infusion. HFD for 8 weeks suppressed TNF-α, while significantly increasing heat-shock protein 70 and ciliary neurotrophic factor, both neuroprotective components. HFD for 20 weeks induced TNF-α expression in NPY/AgRP neurons, suggesting a detrimental temporal regulatory mechanism. Using NPY/AgRP hypothalamic cell lines, we found that palmitate provoked a mixed inflammatory response on a panel of inflammatory and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress genes, whereas TNF-α significantly upregulated IκBα, nuclear factor (NF)-κB and interleukin-6 mRNA levels. Palmitate and TNF-α exposure predominantly induced NPY mRNA levels. Utilizing an I kappa B kinase ß (IKKß) inhibitor, we demonstrated that these effects potentially occur via the inflammatory IKKß/NF-κB pathway. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that acute lipid and chronic HFD feeding in vivo, as well as acute palmitate and TNF-α exposure in vitro, induce markers of inflammation or ER stress in the hypothalamic appetite-stimulating NPY/AgRP neurons over time, which may contribute to a dramatic alteration in NPY/AgRP content or expression. Acute and chronic HFD feeding in vivo temporally regulates arcuate TNF-α expression with reactive astrocytosis, which suggests a time-dependent neurotrophic or neurotoxic role of lipids.

Lactational performance of first-parity transgenic gilts expressing bovine alpha-lactalbumin in their milk.

The goal of this study was to determine whether the presence of the bovine alpha-lactalbumin transgene in first-lactation gilts enhances lactational performance and litter growth. Transgenic and sibling nontransgenic gilts were bred to nontransgenic boars. Litters were standardized to 10 piglets within 24 h of farrowing. Milk production was measured by the weigh-suckle-weigh method on d 3, 6, 9, and 12 of lactation. Bovine alpha-lactalbumin was present in the colostrum and milk of transgenic gilts throughout lactation. The expression of the transgene was associated with alterations in composition of mammary secretions, especially in early lactation. Lactose concentrations were greater (P < 0.05) in mammary secretions of transgenic gilts during the first 12 h postpartum compared with controls. In contrast, total solids concentration in mammary secretions from transgenic gilts were lower (P < 0.05) relative to controls during the first 6 h postpartum. Transgenic gilts produced more milk than controls on d 3, 6, and 9 of lactation (P < 0.01). By d 12, differences in milk production between transgenic and control sows were no longer different. Lactose intake by transgenic-reared litters was greater than lactose intake by control-reared litters on d 6 of lactation (P < 0.05). Total solids intake was significantly greater (P < 0.05) by transgenic-reared litters on d 3 and 6 compared to control-reared litters. The day x genotype interaction on litter weight gain after birth was highly significant (P = 0.011), with transgenic-reared litters gaining weight at a greater rate than control-reared piglets. Expression of the transgene was associated with increased milk production in lactating gilts and increased growth of transgenic-reared piglets. Increased lactose synthesis in response to the presence of the transgene may result in increased milk production in early lactation, leading to increased milk component intake by transgenic litters, and ultimately to increased growth of litters reared by first-parity transgenic gilts.

Decreased CRH mRNA expression in the fetal guinea pig hypothalamus following maternal nutrient restriction.

The regulation of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) mRNA expression following maternal nutrient restriction was examined in the fetal hypothalamus. Pregnant guinea pigs were food restricted for 48 h or fed normally during late gestation. After nutrient restriction, CRH mRNA levels in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus of the fetus were determined using in situ hybridization and were found to be significantly decreased (P<0.0001) compared to controls. In conclusion, we have successfully sequenced the coding sequence of the guinea pig CRH gene, and have shown that a short period (48 h) of maternal nutrient restriction inhibits CRH mRNA expression in the fetal hypothalamus.

Functional expression of the rat pancreatic islet glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor: ligand binding and intracellular signaling properties.

Incretins are endogenous peptides released from the gastrointestinal tract into the circulation during a meal that potentiate glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. At present, there are two established incretins: glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and the truncated glucagon-like peptides (tGLPs), which are now being investigated for use in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. In the present study we cloned a rat islet GIP receptor complementary DNA (GIP-R1) to answer several important questions regarding the ligand-binding and intracellular signaling properties of the GP receptor. GIP-R1, when expressed transiently in monkey kidney (COS-7) or stably in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells, demonstrated comparable high affinity binding for either synthetic porcine (sp) GIP or synthetic human (sh) GIP. The IC50 values for displacement of [125I]spGIP in CHO-K1 cells were 2.6 +/- 0.8 and 3.1 +/- 0.9 nM for two different preparations of shGIP, and 3.7 +/- 1.5 and 3.6 +/- 0.4 nM for two preparations of spGIP. Saturation isotherms obtained with both intact cells and membranes gave monophasic binding curves with apparent Kd values of 204 +/- 17 and 334 +/- 94 pM, respectively. Cells expressed 12-15 x 10(3) receptors/cell. In COS-7 cells, spGIP and shGIP also exhibited similar IC50 values (7.6 +/- 1.2 and 8.9 +/- 1.8 nM, respectively). The receptor in CHO-K1 cells bound GIP-(1-30) with lower affinity (IC50 = 39 +/- 17 nM), whereas the fragments GIP-(19-30), GIP-(18-28), and GIP-(21-26) showed no apparent binding. The specificity of the receptor was further examined using several structurally related peptides. Surprisingly, exendin-(9-39) [Ex-(9-39)], a GLP-1 receptor antagonist, and Ex-4-(1-39), a GLP-1 receptor agonist, demonstrated some affinity for the GIP receptor, with 39% and 21% displacement of [125I]spGIP, respectively, at 1 microM. Other members of the secretin/vasoactive intestinal peptide family of peptides tested showed no interaction. GIP-R1 receptor binding correlated with activation of the adenylyl cyclase system, whereby spGIP and shGIP evoked concentration-dependent increases in cAMP accumulation with EC50 values of 8.7 +/- 1.5 x 10(-10)M and 8.1 +/- 1.6 x 10(-10)M for spGIP and shGIP, respectively. Increases in cAMP in the presence of 10 nM spGIP were not dependent on the ambient glucose concentration, with 22- and 18-fold increases in cAMP accumulation at 0.1 and 5.5 mM glucose, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Cloning and functional expression of the human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor.

Truncated forms of glucagon-like peptide-1 are the most potent endogenous stimuli of insulin secretion and have powerful antidiabetogenic effects. To determine the structure and coupling mechanisms of the human GLP-1 receptor we have isolated two pancreatic islet cDNAs, encoding the 463 amino acid receptor and differing mainly in their 3' untranslated regions. The deduced amino acid sequence is 90% homologous with the rat GLP-1 receptor. Northern blot analysis shows expression of a single 2.7 kb transcript in pancreatic tissue. When expressed in COS-7 cells the recombinant receptor conferred specific, high affinity GLP-1(7-37) binding. GLP-1(7-37) increased intracellular cAMP in a concentration dependent manner and caused an increase in the free cytosolic calcium ([Ca2+]i) from an intracellular pool, characteristic of phospholipase C (PLC) activation. Thus, like the structurally related glucagon and parathyroid hormone receptors, the human GLP-1 receptor can activate multiple intracellular signaling pathways including adenylyl cyclase and PLC. Knowledge of the GLP-1 receptor structure will facilitate the development of receptor agonists and elucidation of the important role of GLP-1 in normal physiology and disease states.

Catalytic and receptor-binding properties of the calcium-sensitive phospholipid-dependent protein kinase (protein kinase C) in swine luteal cytosol.

We have evaluated the catalytic and receptor-binding properties of protein kinase C in swine luteal cytosol using two complementary approaches: assay of catalytic activity assessed as the enzymatic transfer of radiolabeled phosphate to histone III-s acceptor protein in the presence of specific phospholipid, diacylglycerol, or phorbol ester and ionic calcium; and, the high-affinity binding of [3H]phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate ([3H]PDB) to the protein kinase C receptor. Catalytic properties of pig luteal protein kinase C included: absolute dependence on calcium ions for maximal activation (approximate ka = 0.5 microM); synergistic activation by 1,2-sn-diolein, phospholipid and calcium ions; and rank order of specific phospholipid activational potency: phosphatidylserine greater than phosphatidic acid greater than phosphatidylinositol greater than phosphatidylethanolamine greater than phosphatidylcholine. The enzyme was also activated by specific phorbol esters at the following half-maximally effective (ED50) concentrations: 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) 11 nM; phorbol-12,13-dibenzoate (PDBe) 26 nM; phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate (PDBu) 33 nM; mezerein 65 nM; and phorbol-12,13-diacetate (PDA) 130 nM. Phorbol-ester receptor properties of protein kinase C included specific, high-affinity (kd congruent to 19 nM), saturable, low-capacity (congruent to 44 pmol/mg protein) [3H]PDB binding sites. Moreover, the rank order of the equilibrium binding ID50s for various phorbol compounds was similar to that of catalytic ED50s: viz. 3 nM TPA; 8 nM PDBe; 16 nM PDBu; 19 nM mezerein; and 590 nM PDA. Thus, swine luteal cytosol contains catalytically active protein kinase C with specific phospholipid sensitivity, synergistic activation by diacylglycerol, phospholipid and calcium, and a strict dependence on ionic calcium concentrations that is influenced markedly by the presence of diacylglycerol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)