ABSTRACT
Identification of proper agents to increase or activate UCP1+ cells in adipose tissues remains a potent therapeutic strategy to combat obesity. Screening systems for UCP1 activators have been previously established and allow for unbiased discovery of effective compound(s). Methods: A previously established Ucp1-2A-GFP reporter system was applied to a chemical library containing 33 phosphatase inhibitors. Compounds that can significantly activate UCP1 expression were further tested in vivo in mouse adipose tissues. Possible underlying mechanism was explored via RNA profiling, CMAP analysis, CRISPR targeting as well as inhibitor treatments. Results: We identified BML-260, a known potent inhibitor of the dual-specific phosphatase JSP-1, that significantly increased UCP1 expression in both brown and white adipocytes. BML-260 treatment also activated oxidative phosphorylation genes, increased mitochondrial activity as well as heat generation in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic studies revealed that effect of BML-260 on adipocytes was partly through activated CREB, STAT3 and PPAR signaling pathways, and was unexpectedly JSP-1 independent. Conclusion: The rhodanine derivate BML-260 was previously identified to be a JSP-1 inhibitor, and thus was proposed to treat inflammatory and proliferative disorders associated with dysfunctional JNK signaling. This work provides evidences that BML-260 can also exert a JSP-1-independent effect in activating UCP1 and thermogenesis in adipocytes, and be potentially applied to treat obesity.
Subject(s)
Adipocytes/drug effects , Enzyme Activators/metabolism , Gene Expression Regulation/drug effects , Rhodanine/analogs & derivatives , Rhodanine/metabolism , Transcriptional Activation , Uncoupling Protein 1/metabolism , Adipocytes/enzymology , Animals , Cells, Cultured , Enzyme Activators/isolation & purification , Humans , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mitochondria/drug effects , Rhodanine/isolation & purification , Signal Transduction/drug effects , Thermogenesis/drug effectsABSTRACT
Four different types of marine natural compounds isolated from tunicates were found to inhibit human aldose reductase. They all are characterized by a heterocyclic system, and at least two phenolic groups are present in the structure. Two of the compounds tested showed an inhibitory potency 5/6-fold higher than that of the known AR inhibitor sorbinil. One notable structural feature of these active compounds is the lack of either the carboxylic acid or the spiro-hydantoin commonly present in the principal classes of currently used inhibitors.
