Diet-induced induction of hepatic serine/threonine kinase STK38 triggers proinflammation and hepatic lipid accumulation.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the most common liver diseases worldwide. Although the involvement of chronic overnutrition, systemic inflammation, and insulin resistance in the development of NAFLD is well-established, however, the associations among these remain to be elucidated. Several studies have reported that chronic overnutrition, such as excessive consumption of fats (high-fat diet, HFD), can cause insulin resistance and inflammation. However, the mechanisms by which HFD exerts inflammation and thereby promotes insulin resistance and intrahepatic fat accumulation remain poorly understood. Here, we show that HFD induces the expression of hepatic serine/threonine kinase 38 (STK38), which further induces systemic inflammation leading to insulin resistance. Notably, ectopic expression of STK38 in mouse liver leads to lean NAFLD phenotype with hepatic inflammation, insulin resistance, intrahepatic lipid accumulation, and hypertriglyceridemia in mice fed on a regular chow diet. Further, depletion of hepatic STK38 in HFD-fed mice remarkably reduces proinflammation, improves hepatic insulin sensitivity, and decreases hepatic fat accumulation. Mechanistically, two critical stimuli are elicited by STK38 action. For one stimulus, STK38 binds to Tank-Binding protein Kinase 1 and induces Tank-Binding protein Kinase 1 phosphorylation to promote NF-κß nuclear translocation that mobilizes the release of proinflammatory cytokines and eventually leads to insulin resistance. The second, stimulus involves intrahepatic lipid accumulation by enhanced de novo lipogenesis via reducing the AMPK-ACC signaling axis. These findings identify STK38 as a novel nutrient-sensitive proinflammatory and lipogenic factor in maintaining hepatic energy homeostasis, and it provides a promising target for hepatic and immune health.

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of a small molecule oral agonist of the glucagon-like-peptide-1 receptor.

An absolute or relative deficiency of pancreatic ß-cells mass and functionality is a crucial pathological feature common to type 1 diabetes mellitus and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Glucagon-like-peptide-1 receptor (GLP1R) agonists have been the focus of considerable research attention for their ability to protect ß-cell mass and augment insulin secretion with no risk of hypoglycemia. Presently commercially available GLP1R agonists are peptides that limit their use due to cost, stability, and mode of administration. To address this drawback, strategically designed distinct sets of small molecules were docked on GLP1R ectodomain and compared with previously known small molecule GLP1R agonists. One of the small molecule PK2 (6-((1-(4-nitrobenzyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methyl)-6H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoxaline) displays stable binding with GLP1R ectodomain and induces GLP1R internalization and increasing cAMP levels. PK2 also increases insulin secretion in the INS-1 cells. The oral administration of PK2 protects against diabetes induced by multiple low-dose streptozotocin administration by lowering high blood glucose levels. Similar to GLP1R peptidic agonists, treatment of PK2 induces ß-cell replication and attenuate ß-cell apoptosis in STZ-treated mice. Mechanistically, this protection was associated with decreased thioredoxin-interacting protein expression, a potent inducer of diabetic ß-cell apoptosis and dysfunction. Together, this report describes a small molecule, PK2, as an orally active nonpeptidic GLP1R agonist that has efficacy to preserve or restore functional ß-cell mass.

NF-κB p65 regulates hepatic lipogenesis by promoting nuclear entry of ChREBP in response to a high carbohydrate diet.

Overconsumption of sucrose and other sugars has been associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Reports suggest hepatic de novo lipogenesis (DNL) as an important contributor to and regulator of carbohydrate-induced hepatic lipid accumulation in NAFLD. The mechanisms responsible for the increase in hepatic DNL due to overconsumption of carbohydrate diet are less than clear; however, literatures suggest high carbohydrate diet to activate the lipogenic transcription factor carbohydrate response element-binding protein (ChREBP), which further transcribes genes involved in DNL. Here, we provide an evidence of an unknown link between nuclear factor kappa-light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) activation and increased DNL. Our data indicates high carbohydrate diet to enforce nuclear shuttling of hepatic NF-κB p65 and repress transcript levels of sorcin, a cytosolic interacting partner of ChREBP. Reduced sorcin levels, further prompted ChREBP nuclear translocation, leading to enhanced DNL and intrahepatic lipid accumulation both in vivo and in vitro. We further report that pharmacological inhibition of NF-κB abrogated high carbohydrate diet-mediated sorcin repression and thereby prevented ChREBP nuclear translocation and this, in turn, attenuated hepatic lipid accumulation both in in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, sorcin knockdown blunted the lipid-lowering ability of the NF-κB inhibitor in vitro. Together, these data suggest a heretofore unknown role for NF-κB in regulating ChREBP nuclear localization and activation, in response to high carbohydrate diet, for further explorations in lines of NAFLD therapeutics.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles attenuate hepatic steatosis development in high-fat-diet fed mice through activated AMPK signaling axis.

Insulin resistance is thought to be a common link between obesity and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD). NAFLD has now reached epidemic status worldwide and identification of molecules or pathways as newer therapeutic strategies either to prevent or overcome insulin resistance seems critical. Dysregulated hepatic lipogenesis (DNL) is a hallmark of NAFLD in humans and rodents. Therefore, reducing DNL accretion may be critical in the development of therapeutics of NAFLD. In our in vivo model (high-fat-diet fed [HFD] obese mice) we found Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) significantly decreased HFD-induced hepatic steatosis and peripheral insulin resistance. This protective mechanism of ZnO NPs was signaled through hepatic SIRT1-LKB1-AMPK which restricted SREBP-1c within the cytosol limiting its transcriptional ability and thereby ameliorating HFD mediated DNL. These observations indicate that ZnO NP can serve as a therapeutic strategy to improve the physiological homeostasis during obesity and its associated metabolic abnormalities.

NIR-I emissive cyanine derived molecular probe for selective monitoring of hepatic albumin levels during hyperglycemia.

In this study, we report a small molecule optical marker BI-CyG derived from the structural engineering of a cyanine scaffold. The developed probe offers suitable advantages over existing cyanine-based albumin specific probes in terms of its excitation and emission wavelengths, which are 760 and 830-832 nm, respectively. Structural tuning of the cyanine architecture leading to extended π-conjugation and resulting in a suitable bathochromic shift in the emission wavelength of the probe is represented in this study. The probe besides emitting in the NIR region, also possesses the desirable characteristics of being a potential target selective optical marker, as established from various biophysical studies. Molecular modelling and simulation studies provided critical insights into the binding of the probe in the protein microenvironment, which was further supported by experimental studies. The probe displayed intracellular albumin selectivity and was utilized for demonstrating alteration in albumin levels in pathological states such as hyperglycemia in hepatic cells. The present study also sheds some light on using BI-CyG as an imaging probe and on the role of metformin as a suitable drug for balancing hyperglycemia-induced reduced intra-hepatic albumin levels. The study, thus, attempts to highlight the structural derivatization of cyanine to afford a potential probe for serum albumin and its deployment to image altering albumin levels in an induced pathological condition, hyperglycemia.

Near-infrared emissive cyanine probes for selective visualization of the physiological and pathophysiological modulation of albumin levels.

With the promising advantages of the near-infrared region (NIR) emissive markers for serum albumin becoming very prominent recently, we devised CyG-NHS as the cyanine derived longest NIR-I emissive optical marker possessing albumin selective recognition ability in diverse biological milieu. Multiscale modeling involving molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and implicit solvent binding free energy calculations have been employed to gain insights into the unique binding ability of the developed probe at domain-I of albumin, in contrast to the good number of domain IIA or IIIA binding probes available in the literature reports. The binding free energy was found to be -31.8 kcal mol-1 majorly predominated by hydrophobic interactions. Besides, the conformational dynamics of CyG-NHS in an aqueous medium and the albumin microenvironment have been comprehensively studied and discussed. The potentiality of this optical platform to monitor the intracellular albumin levels in human hepatoma (HepG2) cells in different pathophysiological states has been demonstrated here. Also, the competency of the phenformin drug in restoring the albumin levels in chronic hyperinsulinemic and hypercholesterolemic in vitro models has been established through the visualization approach. Altogether, the findings of this study throw light on the significance of the development of a suitable optical marker for the visualization of critical bioevents related to albumin.

Liver-Derived S100A6 Propels ß-Cell Dysfunction in NAFLD.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an independent predictor of systemic insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, converse correlates between excess liver fat content and ß-cell function remain equivocal. Specifically, how the accumulation of liver fat consequent to the enhanced de novo lipogenesis (DNL) leads to pancreatic ß-cell failure and eventually to T2DM is elusive. Here, we have identified that low-molecular-weight calcium-binding protein S100A6, or calcyclin, inhibits glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) from ß cells through activation of the receptor for the advanced glycation end products and diminution of mitochondrial respiration. Serum S100A6 level is elevated both in human patients with NAFLD and in a high-fat diet-induced mouse model of NAFLD. Although serum S100A6 levels are negatively associated with ß-cell insulin secretory capacity in human patients, depletion of hepatic S100A6 improves GSIS and glycemia in mice, suggesting that S100A6 contributes to the pathophysiology of diabetes in NAFLD. Moreover, transcriptional induction of hepatic S100A6 is driven by the potent regulator of DNL, carbohydrate response element-binding protein (ChREBP), and ectopic expression of ChREBP in the liver suppresses GSIS in a S100A6-sensitive manner. Together, these data suggest elevated serum levels of S100A6 may serve as a biomarker in identifying patients with NAFLD with a heightened risk of developing ß-cell dysfunction. Overall, our data implicate S100A6 as, to our knowledge, a hitherto unknown hepatokine to be activated by ChREBP and that participates in the hepato-pancreatic communication to impair insulin secretion and drive the development of T2DM in NAFLD.

Novel insights into the dynamics behavior of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor with its small molecule agonists.

The glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) is a well-known target of therapeutics industries for the treatment of various metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes and obesity. The structural-functional relationships of small molecule agonists and GLP-1R are yet to be understood. Therefore, an attempt was made on structurally known GLP-1R agonists (Compound 1, Compound 2, Compound A, Compound B, and (S)-8) to study their interaction with the extracellular domain of GLP-1R. In this study, we explored the dynamics, intrinsic stability, and binding mechanisms of these molecules through computational modeling, docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MM/PBSA) binding free energy estimation. Molecular docking study depicted that hydrophobic interaction (pi-pi stacking) plays a crucial role in maintaining the stability of the complex, which was also supported by intermolecular analysis from MD simulation study. Principal component analysis suggested that the terminal ends along with the turns/loops connecting adjacent helix and strands exhibit a comparatively higher movement of main chain atoms in most of the complexes. MM/PBSA binding free energy study revealed that non-polar solvation (van der Waals and electrostatic) energy subsidizes significantly to the total binding energy, and the polar solvation energy opposes the binding agonists to GLP-1R. Overall, we provide structural features information about GLP-1R complexes that would be conducive for the discovery of new GLP-1R agonists in the future for the treatment of various metabolic diseases. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Molecular Scale Optimum Hydrophobicity To Establish an Enhanced Probe-Protein Interaction: Near-Infrared Imaging of Albumin Biosynthesis Modulation.

Albumin is the most abundant serum protein and shows variation in its synthesis rate in different physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Thus, there might be an association expected between serum albumin concentration and body health. A library of NIR probes engineered with the optimum hydrophobicity has been developed and characterized using spectroscopy techniques and was employed to understand the variation of hepatic albumin synthesis rates on physiological and pathophysiological states. Given the importance of hydrophobicity in rendering an effective interaction of small molecules with biomolecules, strategic structure interaction relationship studies led us toward the development of a potent emissive molecular probe through chemical library development. By exploration of these newly developed molecular probes, our study elegantly showed how a pathophysiological condition like the hyperinsulinemic state significantly downregulates albumin biosynthesis in HepG2 cells using fluorescence microscopy as a tool. An excellent correlation between the albumin transcript level and fluorescence intensity inside the cells has been observed. The key role of hydrophobicity resulting in an effective interaction of the probes with albumin, thus leading to strong optical signals, has been experimentally demonstrated in this report. Also, a siRNA interference technique has been utilized to establish the excellent selectivity of the developed probes with excitation as well as emission in the NIR region. We therefore have established through our experimental findings that suitable cell permeable emissive molecular markers with a high degree of albumin specificity can be used as a good optical tool for studying the effect of hyperinsulinemia on albumin biosynthesis modulation.

Chronic exposure to Pb2+ perturbs ChREBP transactivation and coerces hepatic dyslipidemia.

Dysregulated hepatic de novo lipogenesis contributes to the pathogenesis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in both humans and rodents. Clinical evidence suggests fatty liver to have a positive correlation with serum lead (Pb2+ ) levels. However, an exact mechanism of Pb2+ -induced fatty liver progression is still unknown. Here, we show that exposure to Pb2+ regulates ChREBP-dependent hepatic lipogenesis. Presence of Pb2+ ions within the hepatocytes reduces transcript and protein levels of sorcin, a cytosolic adaptor partner of ChREBP. Adenovirus-mediated overexpression of sorcin in Pb2+ exposed hepatocytes and an in vivo mouse model ameliorates liver steatosis and hepatotoxicity. Hereby, we present Pb2+ exposure to be a lethal disruptor of lipid metabolism in hepatocytes and highlight sorcin as a novel therapeutic target against Pb2+ -induced hepatic dyslipidemia.