Overexpression of adiponectin targeted to adipose tissue in transgenic mice: impaired adipocyte differentiation.

Adiponectin (ApN) is an adipokine whose expression and plasma levels are inversely related to obesity and insulin-resistant states. Chronic repercussions of ApN treatment or overexpression on adiposity and body weight are still controversial. Here, we generated a transgenic (Tg) mouse model allowing persistent and moderate overexpression of native full-length ApN targeted to white adipose tissue. Adipose mass and adipocyte size of Tg mice were reduced despite preserved calorie intake. This reduction resulted from increased energy expenditure and up-regulation of uncoupling proteins, and from abrogation of the adipocyte differentiation program, as shown by the loss of a key lipogenic enzyme and of adipocyte markers. Adipose mass remodeling favors enhanced insulin sensitivity and improved lipid profile of Tg mice. Alteration of the adipocyte phenotype was likely to result from increased expression of the preadipocyte factor-1 and from down-regulation of the transcription factor, CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-alpha, which orchestrates adipocyte differentiation. We further found that recombinant ApN directly stimulated pre- adipocyte factor-1 mRNA and attenuated CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-alpha expression in cultured 3T3-F442A cells. Conversely, opposite changes in the expression of these genes were observed in white fat of ApN-deficient mice. Thus, besides enhanced energy expenditure, our work shows that impairment of adipocyte differentiation contributes to the anti-adiposity effect of ApN.

Adiponectin downregulates its own production and the expression of its AdipoR2 receptor in transgenic mice.

Adiponectin (ApN) is an adipokine whose expression and plasma levels are inversely related to obesity and insulin-resistant states. The in vivo effects of a chronic expression of exogenous ApN restricted to adipose tissue are unclear. Moreover, the regulatory effects of ApN on its own expression and on that of its receptors are still unknown. In this study, we generated transgenic (Tg) mice with moderate expression of exogenous ApN targeted to adipose tissue (native full-length ApN being placed under control of the adipocyte promoter aP2). After a transient overexpression of ApN in young pups, we intriguingly observed a reduction of ApN mRNA levels and protein content in fat depots, together with a decrease of circulating ApN in adult mice. As a result, the phenotype of these adult mice included glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and increased adiposity. Reduced expression of ApN in fat tissue was associated with diminished expression of uncoupling protein 2 involved in energy dissipation, and higher expression of fatty acid synthase, a key enzyme of lipogenesis, and of TNFalpha implicated in insulin resistance. Concomitantly, the expression of the ApN receptor AdipoR2 that mediates action of full-length ApN was downregulated, while that of AdipoR1 was unaffected. In agreement with the in vivo studies, recombinant ApN added to the culture medium of 3T3-F442A adipocytes caused a decrease in AdipoR2 and ApN mRNA levels. This treatment did not affect the expression of AdipoR1. Eventually, we demonstrated a contrario that AdipoR2 (but not R1) was specifically upregulated in fat of ApN(-/-) mice. Our in vivo and in vitro data provide evidence for a novel regulatory feedback loop by which ApN downregulates its own production and the expression of its AdipoR2 receptor.

Induction of adiponectin in skeletal muscle by inflammatory cytokines: in vivo and in vitro studies.

Adiponectin (ApN) is an adipocytokine that plays a fundamental role in energy homeostasis and counteracting inflammation. We examined whether ApN could be induced in a nonadipose tissue, the skeletal muscle, in vivo, and in cultured myotubes in response to lipopolysaccharides or proinflammatory cytokines. We next explored the underlying mechanisms. In vivo, injection of lipopolysaccharides to mice caused, after 24 h, an approximately 10-fold rise in ApN mRNA abundance and a concomitant 70% increase in ApN levels in tibialis anterior muscle. This ApN induction was reproduced in C2C12 myotubes cultured for 48 h with a proinflammatory cytokine combination, interferon-gamma + TNFalpha. This effect occurred in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Several pieces of evidence suggest that nitric oxide (NO) mediates this up-regulation by cytokines in myotubes or muscle. First, ApN was induced in vitro exclusively in the experimental conditions that stimulated NO production. Second, inducible NO synthase mRNA induction or NO production clearly preceded ApN mRNA induction. Third, preventing NO production by inhibitors of the NO synthases, nitro-L-arginine methyl ester or NG-methyl-L-arginine, suppressed the inductive effect of the cytokines in vitro and in vivo. Finally, ApN mRNA induction by cytokines was reproduced in cultured human myotubes. In conclusion, our data provide evidence that adiponectin is up-regulated in vivo and in vitro in human and rodent myotubes in response to inflammatory stimuli. The underlying mechanisms seem to involve a NO-dependent pathway. This overexpression may be viewed as a local antiinflammatory protection and a way to deliver extra energy supplies during inflammation.