Regulation of Insulin Clearance by Non-Esterified Fatty Acids.

Insulin stores lipid in adipocytes and prevents lipolysis and the release of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA). Excessive release of NEFA during sustained energy supply and increase in abdominal adiposity trigger systemic insulin resistance, including in the liver, a major site of insulin clearance. This causes a reduction in insulin clearance as a compensatory mechanism to insulin resistance in obesity. On the other hand, reduced insulin clearance in the liver can cause chronic hyperinsulinemia, followed by downregulation of insulin receptor and insulin resistance. Delineating the cause-effect relationship between reduced insulin clearance and insulin resistance has been complicated by the fact that insulin action and clearance are mechanistically linked to insulin binding to its receptors. This review discusses how NEFA mobilization contributes to the reciprocal relationship between insulin resistance and reduced hepatic insulin clearance, and how this may be implicated in the pathogenesis of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Loss of Hepatic Carcinoembryonic Antigen-Related Cell Adhesion Molecule 1 Links Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis to Atherosclerosis.

Patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease/steatohepatitis (NAFLD/NASH) commonly develop atherosclerosis through a mechanism that is not well delineated. These diseases are associated with steatosis, inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis. The role of insulin resistance in their pathogenesis remains controversial. Albumin (Alb)Cre+ Cc1flox ( fl ) /fl mice with the liver-specific null deletion of the carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (Ceacam1; alias Cc1) gene display hyperinsulinemia resulting from impaired insulin clearance followed by hepatic insulin resistance, elevated de novo lipogenesis, and ultimately visceral obesity and systemic insulin resistance. We therefore tested whether this mutation causes NAFLD/NASH and atherosclerosis. To this end, mice were propagated on a low-density lipoprotein receptor (Ldlr) -/- background and at 4 months of age were fed a high-cholesterol diet for 2 months. We then assessed the biochemical and histopathologic changes in liver and aortae. Ldlr-/-AlbCre+Cc1fl/fl mice developed chronic hyperinsulinemia with proatherogenic hypercholesterolemia, a robust proinflammatory state associated with visceral obesity, elevated oxidative stress (reduced NO production), and an increase in plasma and tissue endothelin-1 levels. In parallel, they developed NASH (steatohepatitis, apoptosis, and fibrosis) and atherosclerotic plaque lesions. Mechanistically, hyperinsulinemia caused down-regulation of the insulin receptor followed by inactivation of the insulin receptor substrate 1-protein kinase B-endothelial NO synthase pathway in aortae, lowering the NO level. This also limited CEACAM1 phosphorylation and its sequestration of Shc-transforming protein (Shc), activating the Shc-mitogen-activated protein kinase-nuclear factor kappa B pathway and stimulating endothelin-1 production. Thus, in the presence of proatherogenic dyslipidemia, hyperinsulinemia and hepatic insulin resistance driven by liver-specific deletion of Ceacam1 caused metabolic and vascular alterations reminiscent of NASH and atherosclerosis. Conclusion: Altered CEACAM1-dependent hepatic insulin clearance pathways constitute a molecular link between NASH and atherosclerosis.