Blocking IL-6 trans-signaling prevents high-fat diet-induced adipose tissue macrophage recruitment but does not improve insulin resistance.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) plays a paradoxical role in inflammation and metabolism. The pro-inflammatory effects of IL-6 are mediated via IL-6 "trans-signaling," a process where the soluble form of the IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R) binds IL-6 and activates signaling in inflammatory cells that express the gp130 but not the IL-6 receptor. Here we show that trans-signaling recruits macrophages into adipose tissue (ATM). Moreover, blocking trans-signaling with soluble gp130Fc protein prevents high-fat diet (HFD)-induced ATM accumulation, but does not improve insulin action. Importantly, however, blockade of IL-6 trans-signaling, unlike complete ablation of IL-6 signaling, does not exacerbate obesity-induced weight gain, liver steatosis, or insulin resistance. Our data identify the sIL-6R as a critical chemotactic signal for ATM recruitment and suggest that selectively blocking IL-6 trans-signaling may be a more favorable treatment option for inflammatory diseases, compared with current treatments that completely block the action of IL-6 and negatively impact upon metabolic homeostasis.

Interleukin-6 attenuates insulin-mediated increases in endothelial cell signaling but augments skeletal muscle insulin action via differential effects on tumor necrosis factor-alpha expression.

OBJECTIVE: The cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) stimulates AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and insulin signaling in skeletal muscle, both of which result in the activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). We hypothesized that IL-6 promotes endothelial cell signaling and capillary recruitment in vivo, contributing to increased glucose uptake. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The effect of IL-6 with and without insulin on AMPK, insulin, and eNOS signaling in and nitric oxide (NO) release from human aortic endothelial cells (HAECs) was examined. The physiological significance of these in vitro signaling events was assessed by measuring capillary recruitment in rats during control and euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic clamps with or without IL-6 infusion. RESULTS: IL-6 blunted increases in insulin signaling, eNOS phosphorylation (Ser1177), and NO production and reduced phosphorylation of AMPK in HAEC in vitro and capillary recruitment in vivo. In contrast, IL-6 increased Akt phosphorylation (Ser473) in hindlimb skeletal muscle and enhanced whole-body glucose disappearance and glucose uptake during the clamp. The differences in endothelial cell and skeletal muscle signaling were mediated by the cell-specific, additive effects of IL-6 and insulin because this treatment markedly increased tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha protein expression in HAECs without any effect on TNF-alpha in skeletal muscle. When HAECs were incubated with a TNF-alpha-neutralizing antibody, the negative effects of IL-6 on eNOS signaling were abolished. CONCLUSIONS: In the presence of insulin, IL-6 contributes to aberrant endothelial cell signaling because of increased TNF-alpha expression.

Prolonged interleukin-6 administration enhances glucose tolerance and increases skeletal muscle PPARalpha and UCP2 expression in rats.

Chronic elevations in interleukin (IL)-6 have been associated with insulin resistance, but acute IL-6 administration can enhance insulin sensitivity. Our aim was to exogenously administer IL-6 to rats to elicit either chronic or repeated acute elevations in systemic IL-6. We hypothesized that a continuous elevation of IL-6 would inhibit glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity while acute intermittent elevations would improve it. Male Wistar rats were treated for 14d with recombinant human IL-6 (2.4 microy) or saline administered either by miniosmotic pump (continuous IL-6) or via twice-daily injection (intermittent IL-6). Glucose and insulin tolerance tests were performed following 14-d treatment and 24 h later rats were administered a bolus of insulin (150 mU/g) or saline intraperitoneally. Approximately, 10 min after insulin injection soleus, gastrocnemius and liver were excised and rapidly frozen in liquid nitrogen for subsequent metabolic measures. Irrespective of the mode of delivery, IL-6 treatment increased basal insulin sensitivity, as measured by the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, and enhanced glucose clearance during an i.p. glucose tolerance test. IL-6 increased circulating fatty acids, but did not increase triglyceride accumulation in either skeletal muscle or liver, while it increased the protein expression of both PPARalpha and UCP2 in skeletal muscle, suggesting that IL-6 can enhance fat oxidation via mitochondrial uncoupling. These data demonstrate that, irrespective of the mode of delivery, IL-6 administration over 2 weeks enhances glucose tolerance. Our results do not support the notion that prolonged chronically elevated IL-6 impairs insulin action in vivo.

FOXO1 regulates the expression of 4E-BP1 and inhibits mTOR signaling in mammalian skeletal muscle.

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is regulated by growth factors to promote protein synthesis. In mammalian skeletal muscle, the Forkhead-O1 transcription factor (FOXO1) promotes catabolism by activating ubiquitin-protein ligases. Using C2C12 mouse myoblasts that stably express inducible FOXO1-ER fusion proteins and transgenic mice that specifically overexpress constitutively active FOXO1 in skeletal muscle (FOXO(++/+)), we show that FOXO1 inhibits mTOR signaling and protein synthesis. Activation of constitutively active FOXO1 induced the expression of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) mRNA via binding to the promoter. This resulted in an increased total 4E-BP1 abundance and a reduced 4E-BP1 (Thr-37/46) phosphorylation. The reduction in 4E-BP1 phosphorylation was associated with a reduction in the abundance of Raptor and mTOR proteins, Raptor-associated mTOR, reduced phosphorylation of the downstream protein p70S6 kinase, and attenuated incorporation of [(14)C]phenylalanine into protein. The FOXO(++/+) mice, characterized by severe skeletal muscle atrophy, displayed similar patterns of mRNA expression and protein abundance to those observed in the constitutively active FOXO1 C2C12 myotubes. These data suggest that FOXO1 may be an important therapeutic target for human diseases where anabolism is impaired.

Gene expression profiles of TNF-alpha, TACE, furin, IL-1beta and matrilysin in UVA- and UVB-irradiated HaCat cells.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: It is known that solar ultraviolet (UV) irradiation exerts multiple effects on mammalian skin tissues, one of which is the induction of local and systemic immunosuppression as well as inflammation. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and other cytokines are suggested to play a role in these responses. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (TaqMan RTPCR) was used to elucidate the effect of UVA and UVB irradiation on the expression of genes coding for TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, IL-10, FasL, matrilysin, TACE and furin in HaCaT cells over a 48 h period (IL-1beta, interleukin-1beta; FasL, Fas ligand). METHODS: Cultured HaCaT cells were either sham irradiated (control) or exposed to UVA (2000 and 8000 J/m2) or UVB (200 and 2000 J/m2) radiation. RNA was extracted from cells at 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, 48 h post-irradiation and reverse transcribed to generate cDNA for subsequent real-time PCR amplification. RESULTS: Significant increases in the mRNA levels for all genes tested were detected in both UVA- and UVB-irradiated HaCaT cells compared with control (sham-irradiated) cells. TNF-alpha mRNA levels were immediately up-regulated (0 h) after irradiation, with maximal induction at 8 h post 2000 J/m2 UVA and 200 J/m2 UVB irradiation, at 4 h post 8000 J UVA irradiation and at 48 h post 2000 J/m2 UVB irradiation. No correlation was observed between TNF-alpha, TACE and furin mRNA induction in the different irradiated cohorts. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that time-distinct gene induction of TNF-alpha, furin, IL-1beta and matrilysin may be involved in UV-induced cellular responses, but not for TACE. In general, mRNA induction was dose dependent at some time points post-irradiation, but not throughout the whole time course tested. Our results show that quantitative real-time PCR is a useful tool in the analysis of quantitative changes of mRNA levels in cultured HaCaT cells after UV exposure.