Diabetes mellitus-Progress and opportunities in the evolving epidemic.

Diabetes, a complex multisystem metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia, leads to complications that reduce quality of life and increase mortality. Diabetes pathophysiology includes dysfunction of beta cells, adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and liver. Type 1 diabetes (T1D) results from immune-mediated beta cell destruction. The more prevalent type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a heterogeneous disorder characterized by varying degrees of beta cell dysfunction in concert with insulin resistance. The strong association between obesity and T2D involves pathways regulated by the central nervous system governing food intake and energy expenditure, integrating inputs from peripheral organs and the environment. The risk of developing diabetes or its complications represents interactions between genetic susceptibility and environmental factors, including the availability of nutritious food and other social determinants of health. This perspective reviews recent advances in understanding the pathophysiology and treatment of diabetes and its complications, which could alter the course of this prevalent disorder.

Glucagon Receptor Antagonist for Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is an emerging major unmet need and one of the most significant clinic challenges in cardiology. The pathogenesis of HFpEF is associated with multiple risk factors. Hypertension and metabolic disorders associated with obesity are the 2 most prominent comorbidities observed in patients with HFpEF. Although hypertension-induced mechanical overload has long been recognized as a potent contributor to heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, the synergistic interaction between mechanical overload and metabolic disorders in the pathogenesis of HFpEF remains poorly characterized. METHOD: We investigated the functional outcome and the underlying mechanisms from concurrent mechanic and metabolic stresses in the heart by applying transverse aortic constriction in lean C57Bl/6J or obese/diabetic B6.Cg-Lepob/J (ob/ob) mice, followed by single-nuclei RNA-seq and targeted manipulation of a top-ranked signaling pathway differentially affected in the 2 experimental cohorts. RESULTS: In contrast to the post-trans-aortic constriction C57Bl/6J lean mice, which developed pathological features of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction over time, the post-trans-aortic constriction ob/ob mice showed no significant changes in ejection fraction but developed characteristic pathological features of HFpEF, including diastolic dysfunction, worsened cardiac hypertrophy, and pathological remodeling, along with further deterioration of exercise intolerance. Single-nuclei RNA-seq analysis revealed significant transcriptome reprogramming in the cardiomyocytes stressed by both pressure overload and obesity/diabetes, markedly distinct from the cardiomyocytes singularly stressed by pressure overload or obesity/diabetes. Furthermore, glucagon signaling was identified as the top-ranked signaling pathway affected in the cardiomyocytes associated with HFpEF. Treatment with a glucagon receptor antagonist significantly ameliorated the progression of HFpEF-related pathological features in 2 independent preclinical models. Importantly, cardiomyocyte-specific genetic deletion of the glucagon receptor also significantly improved cardiac function in response to pressure overload and metabolic stress. CONCLUSIONS: These findings identify glucagon receptor signaling in cardiomyocytes as a critical determinant of HFpEF progression and provide proof-of-concept support for glucagon receptor antagonism as a potential therapy for the disease.

Beta-endoproteolysis of the cellular prion protein by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 and fibroblast activation protein.

The cellular prion protein (PrPC) converts to alternatively folded pathogenic conformations (PrPSc) in prion infections and binds neurotoxic oligomers formed by amyloid-ß α-synuclein, and tau. ß-Endoproteolysis, which splits PrPC into N- and C-terminal fragments (N2 and C2, respectively), is of interest because a protease-resistant, C2-sized fragment (C2Sc) accumulates in the brain during prion infections, seemingly comprising the majority of PrPSc at disease endpoint in mice. However, candidates for the underlying proteolytic mechanism(s) remain unconfirmed in vivo. Here, a cell-based screen of protease inhibitors unexpectedly linked type II membrane proteins of the S9B serine peptidase subfamily to PrPC ß-cleavage. Overexpression experiments in cells and assays with recombinant proteins confirmed that fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and its paralog, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4), cleave directly at multiple sites within PrPC's N-terminal domain. For wild-type mouse and human PrPC substrates expressed in cells, the rank orders of activity were human FAP ~ mouse FAP > mouse DPP4 > human DPP4 and human FAP > mouse FAP > mouse DPP4 >> human DPP4, respectively. C2 levels relative to total PrPC were reduced in several tissues from FAP-null mice, and, while knockout of DPP4 lacked an analogous effect, the combined DPP4/FAP inhibitor linagliptin, but not the FAP-specific inhibitor SP-13786, reduced C2Sc and total PrPSc levels in two murine cell-based models of prion infections. Thus, the net activity of the S9B peptidases FAP and DPP4 and their cognate inhibitors/modulators affect the physiology and pathogenic potential of PrPC.

Gut intraepithelial T cells calibrate metabolism and accelerate cardiovascular disease.

The biochemical response to food intake must be precisely regulated. Because ingested sugars and fats can feed into many anabolic and catabolic pathways1, how our bodies handle nutrients depends on strategically positioned metabolic sensors that link the intrinsic nutritional value of a meal with intermediary metabolism. Here we describe a subset of immune cells-integrin ß7+ natural gut intraepithelial T lymphocytes (natural IELs)-that is dispersed throughout the enterocyte layer of the small intestine and that modulates systemic metabolism. Integrin ß7- mice that lack natural IELs are metabolically hyperactive and, when fed a high-fat and high-sugar diet, are resistant to obesity, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension, diabetes and atherosclerosis. Furthermore, we show that protection from cardiovascular disease in the absence of natural IELs depends on the enteroendocrine-derived incretin GLP-12, which is normally controlled by IELs through expression of the GLP-1 receptor. In this metabolic control system, IELs modulate enteroendocrine activity by acting as gatekeepers that limit the bioavailability of GLP-1. Although the function of IELs may prove advantageous when food is scarce, present-day overabundance of diets high in fat and sugar renders this metabolic checkpoint detrimental to health.

Treatment of type 2 diabetes with the designer cytokine IC7Fc.

The gp130 receptor cytokines IL-6 and CNTF improve metabolic homeostasis but have limited therapeutic use for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Accordingly, we engineered the gp130 ligand IC7Fc, in which one gp130-binding site is removed from IL-6 and replaced with the LIF-receptor-binding site from CNTF, fused with the Fc domain of immunoglobulin G, creating a cytokine with CNTF-like, but IL-6-receptor-dependent, signalling. Here we show that IC7Fc improves glucose tolerance and hyperglycaemia and prevents weight gain and liver steatosis in mice. In addition, IC7Fc either increases, or prevents the loss of, skeletal muscle mass by activation of the transcriptional regulator YAP1. In human-cell-based assays, and in non-human primates, IC7Fc treatment results in no signs of inflammation or immunogenicity. Thus, IC7Fc is a realistic next-generation biological agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and muscle atrophy, disorders that are currently pandemic.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor signaling modifies the extent of diabetic kidney disease through dampening the receptor for advanced glycation end products-induced inflammation.

Glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a hormone produced and released by cells of the gastrointestinal tract following meal ingestion. GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA) exhibit kidney-protective actions through poorly understood mechanisms. Here we interrogated whether the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) plays a role in mediating the actions of GLP-1 on inflammation and diabetic kidney disease. Mice with deletion of the GLP-1 receptor displayed an abnormal kidney phenotype that was accelerated by diabetes and improved with co-deletion of RAGE in vivo. Activation of the GLP-1 receptor pathway with liraglutide, an anti-diabetic treatment, downregulated kidney RAGE, reduced the expansion of bone marrow myeloid progenitors, promoted M2-like macrophage polarization and lessened markers of kidney damage in diabetic mice. Single cell transcriptomics revealed that liraglutide induced distinct transcriptional changes in kidney endothelial, proximal tubular, podocyte and macrophage cells, which were dominated by pathways involved in nutrient transport and utilization, redox sensing and the resolution of inflammation. The kidney-protective action of liraglutide was corroborated in a non-diabetic model of chronic kidney disease, the subtotal nephrectomised rat. Thus, our findings identify a novel glucose-independent kidney-protective action of GLP-1-based therapies in diabetic kidney disease and provide a valuable resource for exploring the cell-specific kidney transcriptional response ensuing from pharmacological GLP-1R agonism.

The expanding incretin universe: from basic biology to clinical translation.

Incretin hormones, principally glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1(GLP-1), potentiate meal-stimulated insulin secretion through direct (GIP + GLP-1) and indirect (GLP-1) actions on islet ß-cells. GIP and GLP-1 also regulate glucagon secretion, through direct and indirect pathways. The incretin hormone receptors (GIPR and GLP-1R) are widely distributed beyond the pancreas, principally in the brain, cardiovascular and immune systems, gut and kidney, consistent with a broad array of extrapancreatic incretin actions. Notably, the glucoregulatory and anorectic activities of GIP and GLP-1 have supported development of incretin-based therapies for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. Here we review evolving concepts of incretin action, focusing predominantly on GLP-1, from discovery, to clinical proof of concept, to therapeutic outcomes. We identify established vs uncertain mechanisms of action, highlighting biology conserved across species, while illuminating areas of active investigation and uncertainty that require additional clarification.

Transforming type 1 diabetes: the next wave of innovation.

The discovery of insulin in 1921 enabled pharmaceutical production of animal insulins for the treatment of people with type 1 diabetes by 1922. The last several decades have witnessed enormous scientific progress in the therapy of type 1 diabetes, yet some developments have been incremental, and insulin is not a cure. Herein, I highlight key scientific advances potentially poised to improve the quality of life and treatment outcomes in type 1 diabetes. These innovations range from newer insulin analogues to the development of smart insulins, oral and weekly insulins, glucose sensors and closed-loop insulin-delivery devices, as well as strategies for durable human beta cell replacement coupled with selective immune manipulation to preserve beta cell function. Finally, progress in the prediction and prevention of type 1 diabetes highlights the ongoing challenges and potential for altering the natural history of the disease or eliminating type 1 diabetes altogether.

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonism Improves Nephrotoxic Serum Nephritis by Inhibiting T-Cell Proliferation.

Glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 analogs such as liraglutide improved albuminuria in patients with type 2 diabetes in large randomized controlled trials. One of the suspected mechanisms is the anti-inflammatory potential of GLP-1 receptor (Glp1r) agonism. Thus, the anti-inflammatory action of Glp1r agonism was tested in a nondiabetic, T-cell-mediated murine model of nephrotoxic serum nephritis (NTS). The role of Glp1r in NTS was evaluated by using Glp1r-/- mice or C57BL/6 mice treated with liraglutide. In vitro, murine T cells were stimulated in the presence of liraglutide or vehicle. Glp1r-/- mice displayed increased renal infiltration of neutrophils and T cells after induction of NTS. Splenocyte proliferation and TH1 cytokine transcription were increased in spleen and lymph nodes of Glp1r-/- mice. Liraglutide treatment significantly improved the renal outcome of NTS in C57BL/6 mice by decreasing renal infiltration and proliferation of T cells, which resulted in decreased macrophage infiltration. In vitro, T cells stimulated in the presence of liraglutide showed decreased proliferation of TH1 and TH17 cells. Liraglutide blocked glycolysis in T cells and decreased their Glut1 mRNA expression. Together, Glp1r agonism protects mice from a T-cell-dependent glomerulonephritis model by inhibition of T-cell proliferation, possibly by interacting with their metabolic program. This mechanism may explain in part the renoprotective effects of Glp1r agonism in diabetic nephropathy.

Endothelial GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1) Receptor Mediates Cardiovascular Protection by Liraglutide In Mice With Experimental Arterial Hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular outcome trials demonstrated that GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) analogs including liraglutide reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Whether GLP-1 analogs reduce the risk for atherosclerosis independent of glycemic control is challenging to elucidate as the GLP-1R (GLP-1 receptor) is expressed on different cell types, including endothelial and immune cells. Approach and Results: Here, we reveal the cardio- and vasoprotective mechanism of the GLP-1 analog liraglutide at the cellular level in a murine, nondiabetic model of arterial hypertension. Wild-type (C57BL/6J), global (Glp1r-/-), as well as endothelial (Glp1rflox/floxxCdh5cre) and myeloid cell-specific knockout mice (Glp1rflox/floxxLysMcre) of the GLP-1R were studied, and arterial hypertension was induced by angiotensin II. Liraglutide treatment normalized blood pressure, cardiac hypertrophy, vascular fibrosis, endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and vascular inflammation in a GLP-1R-dependent manner. Mechanistically, liraglutide reduced leukocyte rolling on the endothelium and infiltration of myeloid Ly6G-Ly6C+ and Ly6G+Ly6C+ cells into the vascular wall. As a consequence, liraglutide prevented vascular oxidative stress, reduced S-glutathionylation as a marker of eNOS (endothelial NO synthase) uncoupling, and increased NO bioavailability. Importantly, all of these beneficial cardiovascular effects of liraglutide persisted in myeloid cell GLP-1R-deficient (Glp1rflox/floxxLysMcre) mice but were abolished in global (Glp1r-/-) and endothelial cell-specific (Glp1rflox/floxxCdh5cre) GLP-1R knockout mice. CONCLUSIONS: GLP-1R activation attenuates cardiovascular complications of arterial hypertension by reduction of vascular inflammation through selective actions requiring the endothelial but not the myeloid cell GLP-1R.

Body weight homeostat that regulates fat mass independently of leptin in rats and mice.

Subjects spending much time sitting have increased risk of obesity but the mechanism for the antiobesity effect of standing is unknown. We hypothesized that there is a homeostatic regulation of body weight. We demonstrate that increased loading of rodents, achieved using capsules with different weights implanted in the abdomen or s.c. on the back, reversibly decreases the biological body weight via reduced food intake. Importantly, loading relieves diet-induced obesity and improves glucose tolerance. The identified homeostat for body weight regulates body fat mass independently of fat-derived leptin, revealing two independent negative feedback systems for fat mass regulation. It is known that osteocytes can sense changes in bone strain. In this study, the body weight-reducing effect of increased loading was lost in mice depleted of osteocytes. We propose that increased body weight activates a sensor dependent on osteocytes of the weight-bearing bones. This induces an afferent signal, which reduces body weight. These findings demonstrate a leptin-independent body weight homeostat ("gravitostat") that regulates fat mass.

Cardiovascular Actions and Clinical Outcomes With Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists and Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors.

Potentiation of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) action through selective GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonism or by prevention of enzymatic degradation by inhibition of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) promotes glycemic reduction for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus by glucose-dependent control of insulin and glucagon secretion. GLP-1R agonists also decelerate gastric emptying, reduce body weight by reduction of food intake and lower circulating lipoproteins, inflammation, and systolic blood pressure. Preclinical studies demonstrate that both GLP-1R agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors exhibit cardioprotective actions in animal models of myocardial ischemia and ventricular dysfunction through incompletely characterized mechanisms. The results of cardiovascular outcome trials in human subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus and increased cardiovascular risk have demonstrated a cardiovascular benefit (significant reduction in time to first major adverse cardiovascular event) with the GLP-1R agonists liraglutide (LEADER trial [Liraglutide Effect and Action in Diabetes: Evaluation of Cardiovascular Ourcome Results], -13%) and semaglutide (SUSTAIN-6 trial [Trial to Evaluate Cardiovascular and Other Long-term Outcomes with Semaglutide], -24%). In contrast, cardiovascular outcome trials examining the safety of the shorter-acting GLP-1R agonist lixisenatide (ELIXA trial [Evaluation of Lixisenatide in Acute Coronary Syndrom]) and the DPP-4 inhibitors saxagliptin (SAVOR-TIMI 53 trial [Saxagliptin Assessment of Vascular Outcomes Recorded in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus-Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction 53]), alogliptin (EXAMINE trial [Examination of Cardiovascular Outcomes With Alogliptin Versus Standard of Care in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Acute Coronary Syndrome]), and sitagliptin (TECOS [Trial Evaluating Cardiovascular Outcomes With Sitagliptin]) found that these agents neither increased nor decreased cardiovascular events. Here we review the cardiovascular actions of GLP-1R agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors, with a focus on the translation of mechanisms derived from preclinical studies to complementary findings in clinical studies. We highlight areas of uncertainty requiring more careful scrutiny in ongoing basic science and clinical studies. As newer more potent GLP-1R agonists and coagonists are being developed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, the delineation of the potential mechanisms that underlie the cardiovascular benefit and safety of these agents have immediate relevance for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

FTO Obesity Variant Circuitry and Adipocyte Browning in Humans.

BACKGROUND: Genomewide association studies can be used to identify disease-relevant genomic regions, but interpretation of the data is challenging. The FTO region harbors the strongest genetic association with obesity, yet the mechanistic basis of this association remains elusive. METHODS: We examined epigenomic data, allelic activity, motif conservation, regulator expression, and gene coexpression patterns, with the aim of dissecting the regulatory circuitry and mechanistic basis of the association between the FTO region and obesity. We validated our predictions with the use of directed perturbations in samples from patients and from mice and with endogenous CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing in samples from patients. RESULTS: Our data indicate that the FTO allele associated with obesity represses mitochondrial thermogenesis in adipocyte precursor cells in a tissue-autonomous manner. The rs1421085 T-to-C single-nucleotide variant disrupts a conserved motif for the ARID5B repressor, which leads to derepression of a potent preadipocyte enhancer and a doubling of IRX3 and IRX5 expression during early adipocyte differentiation. This results in a cell-autonomous developmental shift from energy-dissipating beige (brite) adipocytes to energy-storing white adipocytes, with a reduction in mitochondrial thermogenesis by a factor of 5, as well as an increase in lipid storage. Inhibition of Irx3 in adipose tissue in mice reduced body weight and increased energy dissipation without a change in physical activity or appetite. Knockdown of IRX3 or IRX5 in primary adipocytes from participants with the risk allele restored thermogenesis, increasing it by a factor of 7, and overexpression of these genes had the opposite effect in adipocytes from nonrisk-allele carriers. Repair of the ARID5B motif by CRISPR-Cas9 editing of rs1421085 in primary adipocytes from a patient with the risk allele restored IRX3 and IRX5 repression, activated browning expression programs, and restored thermogenesis, increasing it by a factor of 7. CONCLUSIONS: Our results point to a pathway for adipocyte thermogenesis regulation involving ARID5B, rs1421085, IRX3, and IRX5, which, when manipulated, had pronounced pro-obesity and anti-obesity effects. (Funded by the German Research Center for Environmental Health and others.).

Physiology and pharmacology of the enteroendocrine hormone glucagon-like peptide-2.

Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) is a 33-amino-acid proglucagon-derived peptide secreted from enteroendocrine L cells. GLP-2 circulates at low basal levels in the fasting period, and plasma levels rise rapidly after food ingestion. Renal clearance and enzymatic inactivation control the elimination of bioactive GLP-2. GLP-2 increases mesenteric blood flow and activates proabsorptive pathways in the gut, facilitating nutrient absorption. GLP-2 also enhances gut barrier function and induces proliferative and cytoprotective pathways in the small bowel. The actions of GLP-2 are transduced via a single G protein-coupled receptor (GLP-2R), expressed predominantly within the gastrointestinal tract. Disruption of GLP-2R signaling increases susceptibility to gut injury and impairs the adaptive mucosal response to refeeding. Sustained augmentation of GLP-2R signaling reduces the requirement for parenteral nutrition in human subjects with short-bowel syndrome. Hence GLP-2 integrates nutrient-derived signals to optimize mucosal integrity and energy absorption.

Stromal cell-derived factor-1 is upregulated by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibition and has protective roles in progressive diabetic nephropathy.

The role of stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1) in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy and its modification by dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibition are uncertain. Therefore, we studied this independent of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) signaling using two Akita diabetic mouse models, the diabetic-resistant C57BL/6-Akita and diabetic-prone KK/Ta-Akita. Increased SDF-1 expression was found in glomerular podocytes and distal nephrons in the diabetic-prone mice, but not in kidneys from diabetic-resistant mice. The DPP-4 inhibitor linagliptin, but not the GLP-1R agonist liraglutide, further augmented renal SDF-1 expression in both Glp1r(+/+) and Glp1r(-/-) diabetic-prone mice. Along with upregulation of renal SDF-1 expression, the progression of albuminuria, glomerulosclerosis, periglomerular fibrosis, podocyte loss, and renal oxidative stress was suppressed in linagliptin-treated Glp1r(+/+) diabetic-prone mice. Linagliptin treatment increased urinary sodium excretion and attenuated the increase in glomerular filtration rate which reflects glomerular hypertension and hyperfiltration. In contrast, selective SDF-1 receptor blockade with AMD3100 reduced urinary sodium excretion and aggravated glomerular hypertension in the Glp1r(+/+) diabetic-prone mice. Thus, DPP-4 inhibition, independent of GLP-1R signaling, contributes to protection of the diabetic kidney through SDF-1-dependent antioxidative and antifibrotic effects and amelioration of adverse renal hemodynamics.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 is specifically involved in sweet taste transmission.

Five fundamental taste qualities (sweet, bitter, salty, sour, umami) are sensed by dedicated taste cells (TCs) that relay quality information to gustatory nerve fibers. In peripheral taste signaling pathways, ATP has been identified as a functional neurotransmitter, but it remains to be determined how specificity of different taste qualities is maintained across synapses. Recent studies demonstrated that some gut peptides are released from taste buds by prolonged application of particular taste stimuli, suggesting their potential involvement in taste information coding. In this study, we focused on the function of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in initial responses to taste stimulation. GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) null mice had reduced neural and behavioral responses specifically to sweet compounds compared to wild-type (WT) mice. Some sweet responsive TCs expressed GLP-1 and its receptors were expressed in gustatory neurons. GLP-1 was released immediately from taste bud cells in response to sweet compounds but not to other taste stimuli. Intravenous administration of GLP-1 elicited transient responses in a subset of sweet-sensitive gustatory nerve fibers but did not affect other types of fibers, and this response was suppressed by pre-administration of the GLP-1R antagonist Exendin-4(3-39). Thus GLP-1 may be involved in normal sweet taste signal transmission in mice.

Cardiovascular actions of incretin-based therapies.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors represent 2 distinct classes of incretin-based therapies used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Activation of GLP-1R signaling or inhibition of DPP-4 activity produces a broad range of overlapping and unique cardiovascular actions. Native GLP-1 regulates cardiovascular biology via activation of the classical GLP-1R, or through GLP-1(9-36), a cardioactive metabolite generated by DPP-4-mediated cleavage. In contrast, clinically approved GLP-1R agonists are not cleaved to GLP-1(9-36) and produce the majority of their actions through the classical GLP-1R. The cardiovascular mechanisms engaged by DPP-4 inhibition are more complex, encompassing increased levels of intact GLP-1, reduced levels of GLP-1(9-36), and changes in levels of numerous cardioactive peptides. Herein we review recent experimental and clinical advances that reveal how GLP-1R agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors affect the normal and diabetic heart and coronary vasculature, often independent of changes in blood glucose. Improved understanding of the complex science of incretin-based therapies is required to optimize the selection of these therapeutic agents for the treatment of diabetic patients with cardiovascular disease.

N-glycan remodeling on glucagon receptor is an effector of nutrient sensing by the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway.

Glucose homeostasis in mammals is dependent on the opposing actions of insulin and glucagon. The Golgi N-acetylglucosaminyltransferases encoded by Mgat1, Mgat2, Mgat4a/b/c, and Mgat5 modify the N-glycans on receptors and solute transporter, possibly adapting activities in response to the metabolic environment. Herein we report that Mgat5(-/-) mice display diminished glycemic response to exogenous glucagon, together with increased insulin sensitivity. Glucagon receptor signaling and gluconeogenesis in Mgat5(-/-) cultured hepatocytes was impaired. In HEK293 cells, signaling by ectopically expressed glucagon receptor was increased by Mgat5 expression and GlcNAc supplementation to UDP-GlcNAc, the donor substrate shared by Mgat branching enzymes. The mobility of glucagon receptor in primary hepatocytes was reduced by galectin-9 binding, and the strength of the interaction was dependent on Mgat5 and UDP-GlcNAc levels. Finally, oral GlcNAc supplementation rescued the glucagon response in Mgat5(-/-) hepatocytes and mice, as well as glycolytic metabolites and UDP-GlcNAc levels in liver. Our results reveal that the hexosamine biosynthesis pathway and GlcNAc salvage contribute to glucose homeostasis through N-glycan branching on glucagon receptor.

A glucagon-like peptide-1 analog reverses the molecular pathology and cardiac dysfunction of a mouse model of obesity.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac consequences of obesity include inflammation, hypertrophy, and compromised energy metabolism. Glucagon-like peptide-1 is an incretin hormone capable of cytoprotective actions that reduces inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress in other tissues. Here we examine the cardiac effects of the glucagon-like peptide-1 analog liraglutide in a model of obesity, independent of changes in body weight. METHODS AND RESULTS: C57Bl6 mice were placed on a 45% high-fat diet (HFD) or a regular chow diet. Mice on HFD developed 46±2% and 60±2% greater body weight relative to regular chow diet-fed mice at 16 and 32 weeks, respectively (both P<0.0001), manifesting impaired glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, and cardiac ceramide accumulation by 16 weeks. One-week treatment with liraglutide (30 µg/kg twice daily) did not reduce body weight, but reversed insulin resistance, cardiac tumor necrosis factor-α expression, nuclear factor kappa B translocation, obesity-induced perturbations in cardiac endothelial nitric oxide synthase, connexin-43, and markers of hypertrophy and fibrosis, in comparison with placebo-treated HFD controls. Liraglutide improved the cardiac endoplasmic reticulum stress response and also improved cardiac function in animals on HFD by an AMP-activated protein kinase-dependent mechanism. Supporting a direct mechanism of action, liraglutide (100 nmol/L) prevented palmitate-induced lipotoxicity in isolated mouse cardiomyocytes and primary human coronary smooth muscle cells and prevented adhesion of human monocytes to tumor necrosis factor-α-activated human endothelial cells in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Weight-neutral treatment with a glucagon-like peptide-1 analog activates several cardioprotective pathways, prevents HFD-induced insulin resistance and inflammation, reduces monocyte vascular adhesion, and improves cardiac function in vivo by activating AMP-activated protein kinase. These data support a role for glucagon-like peptide-1 analogs in limiting the cardiovascular risks of obesity.

The protective roles of GLP-1R signaling in diabetic nephropathy: possible mechanism and therapeutic potential.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a gut incretin hormone that has an antioxidative protective effect on various tissues. Here, we determined whether GLP-1 has a role in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy using nephropathy-resistant C57BL/6-Akita and nephropathy-prone KK/Ta-Akita mice. By in situ hybridization, we found the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) expressed in glomerular capillary and vascular walls, but not in tubuli, in the mouse kidney. Next, we generated C57BL/6-Akita Glp1r knockout mice. These mice exhibited higher urinary albumin levels and more advanced mesangial expansion than wild-type C57BL/6-Akita mice, despite comparable levels of hyperglycemia. Increased glomerular superoxide, upregulated renal NAD(P)H oxidase, and reduced renal cAMP and protein kinase A (PKA) activity were noted in the Glp1r knockout C57BL/6-Akita mice. Treatment with the GLP-1R agonist liraglutide suppressed the progression of nephropathy in KK/Ta-Akita mice, as demonstrated by reduced albuminuria and mesangial expansion, decreased levels of glomerular superoxide and renal NAD(P)H oxidase, and elevated renal cAMP and PKA activity. These effects were abolished by an adenylate cyclase inhibitor SQ22536 and a selective PKA inhibitor H-89. Thus, GLP-1 has a crucial role in protection against increased renal oxidative stress under chronic hyperglycemia, by inhibition of NAD(P)H oxidase, a major source of superoxide, and by cAMP-PKA pathway activation.