EPA/DHA Concentrate by Urea Complexation Decreases Hyperinsulinemia and Increases Plin5 in the Liver of Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet.

Dietary intake of eicosapentaenoic/docosahexaenoic acid (EPA/DHA) reduces insulin resistance and hepatic manifestations through the regulation of metabolism in the liver. Obese mice present insulin resistance and lipid accumulation in intracellular lipid droplets (LDs). LD-associated proteins perilipin (Plin) have an essential role in both adipogenesis and lipolysis; Plin5 regulates lipolysis and thus contributes to fat oxidation. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of deodorized refined salmon oil (DSO) and its polyunsaturated fatty acids concentrate (CPUFA) containing EPA and DHA, obtained by complexing with urea, on obesity-induced metabolic alteration. CPUFA maximum content was determined using the Box-Behnken experimental design based on Surface Response Methodology. The optimized CPUFA was administered to high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice (200 mg/kg/day of EPA + DHA) for 8 weeks. No significant differences (p > 0.05) in cholesterol, glycemia, LDs or transaminase content were found. Fasting insulin and hepatic Plin5 protein level increased in the group supplemented with the EPA + DHA optimized product (38.35 g/100 g total fatty acids) compared to obese mice without fish oil supplementation. The results suggest that processing salmon oil by urea concentration can generate an EPA+DHA dose useful to prevent the increase of fasting insulin and the decrease of Plin5 in the liver of insulin-resistant mice.

Zinc Supplementation and Strength Exercise in Rats with Type 2 Diabetes: Akt and PTP1B Phosphorylation in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is a metabolic disorder caused by chronic hyperglycemia due to a deficiency in the secretion and/or action of insulin. Zinc (Zn) supplementation and strength exercise increases insulin signaling. We evaluate the effect of Zn supplementation and strength exercise on insulin resistance in the liver of rats with diet-induced T2D through the study of phosphorylation of Akt and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B). Rats were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 18 weeks to induce T2D and then assigned in four experimental groups: HFD, HFD-Zn (Zn), HFD-strength exercise (Ex), and HFD-Zn/strength exercise (ZnEx) and treated during 12 weeks. Serum Zn, lipid profile, transaminases, glucose, and insulin were measured. In the liver with/without insulin stimuli, total and phosphorylated Akt (pAktSer473) and PTP1B (pPTP1BSer50) were determined by western blot. Hepatic steatosis was evaluated by histological staining with red oil and intrahepatic triglyceride (IHTG) content. There were no differences in biochemical and body-related variables. The ZnEx group showed a higher level of pAkt, both with/without insulin. The ZnEx group also showed higher levels of pPTP1B with respect to HFD and Zn groups. The ZnEx group had higher levels of pPTP1B than groups treated with insulin. Liver histology showed a better integrity and less IHTG in Ex and ZnEx with respect to the HFD group. The Ex and ZnEx groups had lower IHTG with respect to the HFD group. Our results showed that Zn supplementation and strength exercise together improved insulin signaling and attenuated nonalcoholic liver disease in a T2D rat model.

Physalis peruviana L. Pulp Prevents Liver Inflammation and Insulin Resistance in Skeletal Muscles of Diet-Induced Obese Mice.

A chronic high-fat diet (HFD) produces obesity, leading to pathological consequences in the liver and skeletal muscle. The fat in the liver leads to accumulation of a large number of intrahepatic lipid droplets (LD), which are susceptible to oxidation. Obesity also affects skeletal muscle, increasing LD and producing insulin signaling impairment. Physalis peruviana L. (PP) (Solanaceae) is rich in peruvioses and has high antioxidant activity. We assessed the ability of PP to enhance insulin-dependent glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and the capacity to prevent both inflammation and lipoperoxidation in the liver of diet-induced obese mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were divided into groups and fed for eight weeks: control diet (C; 10% fat, 20% protein, 70% carbohydrates); C + PP (300 mg/kg/day); HFD (60% fat, 20% protein, 20% carbohydrates); and HFD + PP. Results suggest that PP reduces the intracellular lipoperoxidation level and the size of LD in both isolated hepatocytes and skeletal muscle fibers. PP also promotes insulin-dependent skeletal muscle glucose uptake. In conclusion, daily consumption of 300 mg/kg of fresh pulp of PP could be a novel strategy to prevent the hepatic lipoperoxidation and insulin resistance induced by obesity.

Lipid droplets are both highly oxidized and Plin2-covered in hepatocytes of diet-induced obese mice.

Chronic high-fat diet feeding is associated with obesity and accumulation of fat in the liver, leading to the development of insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. This condition is characterized by the presence of a high number of intrahepatic lipid droplets (LDs), with changes in the perilipin pattern covering them. This work aimed to describe the distribution of perilipin (Plin) 2, an LD-associated protein involved in neutral lipid storage, and Plin5, which favors lipid oxidation in LD, and to evaluate lipid peroxidation through live-cell visualization using the lipophilic fluorescent probe C11-BODIPY581/591 in fresh hepatocytes isolated from mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD). Male C57BL/6J adult mice were divided into control and HFD groups and fed with a control diet (10% fat, 20% protein, and 70% carbohydrates) or an HFD (60% fat, 20% protein, and 20% carbohydrates) for 8 weeks. The animals fed the HFD showed a significant increase of Plin2 in LD of hepatocytes. LD from HFD-fed mice have a stronger lipid peroxidation level than control hepatocytes. These data provide evidence that obesity status is accompanied by a higher degree of lipid peroxidation in hepatocytes, both in the cytoplasm and in the fats stored inside the LD. Novelty Our study shows that lipid droplets from isolated hepatocytes in HFD-fed mice have a stronger lipid peroxidation level than control hepatocytes. C11-BODIPY581/591 is a useful tool to measure the initial level of intracellular lipid peroxidation in single isolated hepatocytes. Perilipins pattern changes with HFD feeding, showing an increase of Plin2 covering lipid droplets.

Exercise regulates lipid droplet dynamics in normal and fatty liver.

Lipids droplets (LD) are dynamics organelles that accumulate neutral lipids during nutrient surplus. LD alternates between periods of growth and consumption through regulated processes including as de novo lipogenesis, lipolysis and lipophagy. The liver is a central tissue in the regulation of lipid metabolism. Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Diseases (NAFLD) is result of the accumulation of LD in liver. Several works have been demonstrated a positive effect of exercise on reduction of liver fat. However, the study of the exercise on liver LD dynamics is far from being understood. Here we investigated the effect of chronic exercise in the regulation of LD dynamics using a mouse model of high fat diet-induced NAFLD. Mice were fed with a high-fat diet or control diet for 12 weeks; then groups were divided into chronic exercise or sedentary for additional 8 weeks. Our results showed that exercise reduced fasting glycaemia, insulin and triacylglycerides, also liver damage. However, exercise did not affect the intrahepatic triacylglycerides levels and the number of LD but reduced their size. In addition, exercise decreased the SREBP-1c levels, without changes in lipolysis, mitochondrial proteins or autophagy/lipophagy markers. Unexpectedly in the control mice, exercise increased the number of LD, also PLIN2, SREBP-1c, FAS, ATGL, HSL and MTTP levels. Our findings show that exercise rescues the liver damage in a model of NAFLD reducing the size of LD and normalizing protein markers of de novo lipogenesis and lipolysis. Moreover, exercise increases proteins associated to LD dynamics in the control mice.