Obesity Hinders the Protective Effect of Selenite Supplementation on Insulin Signaling.

The intake of high-fat diets (HFDs) containing large amounts of saturated long-chain fatty acids leads to obesity, oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance. The trace element selenium, as a crucial part of antioxidative selenoproteins, can protect against the development of diet-induced insulin resistance in white adipose tissue (WAT) by increasing glutathione peroxidase 3 (GPx3) and insulin receptor (IR) expression. Whether selenite (Se) can attenuate insulin resistance in established lipotoxic and obese conditions is unclear. We confirm that GPX3 mRNA expression in adipose tissue correlates with BMI in humans. Cultivating 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes in palmitate-containing medium followed by Se treatment attenuates insulin resistance with enhanced GPx3 and IR expression and adipocyte differentiation. However, feeding obese mice a selenium-enriched high-fat diet (SRHFD) only resulted in a modest increase in overall selenoprotein gene expression in WAT in mice with unaltered body weight development, glucose tolerance, and insulin resistance. While Se supplementation improved adipocyte morphology, it did not alter WAT insulin sensitivity. However, mice fed a SRHFD exhibited increased insulin content in the pancreas. Overall, while selenite protects against palmitate-induced insulin resistance in vitro, obesity impedes the effect of selenite on insulin action and adipose tissue metabolism in vivo.

Insulin action in the brain regulates mitochondrial stress responses and reduces diet-induced weight gain.

OBJECTIVE: Insulin action in the brain controls metabolism and brain function, which is linked to proper mitochondrial function. Conversely, brain insulin resistance associates with mitochondrial stress and metabolic and neurodegenerative diseases. In the present study, we aimed to decipher the impact of hypothalamic insulin action on mitochondrial stress responses, function and metabolism. METHODS: To investigate the crosstalk of insulin action and mitochondrial stress responses (MSR), namely the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) and integrated stress response (ISR), qPCR, western blotting, and mitochondrial activity assays were performed. These methods were used to analyze the hypothalamic cell line CLU183 treated with insulin in the presence or absence of the insulin receptor as well as in mice fed a high fat diet (HFD) for three days and STZ-treated mice without or with insulin therapy. Intranasal insulin treatment was used to investigate the effect of acute brain insulin action on metabolism and mitochondrial stress responses. RESULTS: Acute HFD feeding reduces hypothalamic mitochondrial stress responsive gene expression of Atf4, Chop, Hsp60, Hsp10, ClpP, and Lonp1 in C57BL/6N mice. We show that insulin via ERK activation increases the expression of MSR genes in vitro as well as in the hypothalamus of streptozotocin-treated mice. This regulation propagates mitochondrial function by controlling mitochondrial proteostasis and prevents excessive autophagy under serum deprivation. Finally, short-term intranasal insulin treatment activates MSR gene expression in the hypothalamus of HFD-fed C57BL/6N mice and reduces food intake and body weight development. CONCLUSIONS: We define hypothalamic insulin action as a novel master regulator of MSR, ensuring proper mitochondrial function by controlling mitochondrial proteostasis and regulating metabolism.

The HPA axis modulates the CNS melanocortin control of liver triacylglyceride metabolism.

The central melanocortin system regulates lipid metabolism in peripheral tissues such as white adipose tissue. Alterations in the activity of sympathetic nerves connecting hypothalamic cells expressing melanocortin 3/4 receptors (MC3/4R) with white adipocytes have been shown to partly mediate these effects. Interestingly, hypothalamic neurons producing corticotropin-releasing hormone and thyrotropin-releasing hormone co-express MC4R. Therefore we hypothesized that regulation of hypothalamo-pituitary adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamo-pituitary thyroid (HPT) axes activity by the central melanocortin system could contribute to its control of peripheral lipid metabolism. To test this hypothesis, we chronically infused rats intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) either with an MC3/4R antagonist (SHU9119), an MC3/4R agonist (MTII) or saline. Rats had been previously adrenalectomized (ADX) and supplemented daily with 1mg/kg corticosterone (s.c.), thyroidectomized (TDX) and supplemented daily with 10 µg/kgL-thyroxin (s.c.), or sham operated (SO). Blockade of MC3/4R signaling with SHU9119 increased food intake and body mass, irrespective of gland surgery. The increase in body mass was accompanied by higher epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) weight and higher mRNA content of lipogenic enzymes in eWAT. SHU9119 infusion increased triglyceride content in the liver of SO and TDX rats, but not in those of ADX rats. Concomitantly, mRNA expression of lipogenic enzymes in liver was increased in SO and TDX, but not in ADX rats. We conclude that the HPA and HPT axes do not play an essential role in mediating central melanocortinergic effects on white adipose tissue and liver lipid metabolism. However, while basal hepatic lipid metabolism does not depend on a functional HPA axis, the induction of hepatic lipogenesis due to central melanocortin system blockade does require a functional HPA axis.