Iron-dependent activation of NF-kappaB in Kupffer cells: a priming mechanism for alcoholic liver disease.

Alcoholic liver disease is associated with hepatic iron accumulation, and iron supplementation exacerbates alcoholic liver disease, suggesting the pathogenic role of iron in alcoholic liver disease. We have tested a hypothesis that iron plays a signaling role in activation of redox-sensitive nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB) and that increased iron content results in heightened expression of proinflammatory cytokines in Kupffer cells because of this signaling. In cultured Kupffer cells isolated from normal rats, treatment with a lipophilic iron chelator, 1,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxypyrid-4-one (L1), markedly reduced lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced NF-kappaB activation and expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6. Kupffer cells, isolated from rats with experimentally induced alcoholic liver disease, had significant increases in nonheme iron content, NF-kappaB binding, and mRNA expression for TNF-alpha and macrophage inflammatory protein-1. Ex vivo L1 treatment normalized all these parameters. Addition of ferrous iron to cultured normal rat Kupffer cells increased I-kappa B kinase (IKK) activity at 15 min and NF-kappaB binding at 30 min. L1 pretreatment completely abrogated both effects. Moreover, the iron treatment increased TNF-alpha release and TNF-alpha promoter activity in a NF-kappaB-dependent manner. Ferrous iron also transiently decreased cytoplasmic I-kappa B-alpha (IkappaB-alpha), with concomitant increases in nuclear p65 protein and DNA binding of p65/p50. Taken together, these results support the existence of iron-dependent signaling for activation of IKK/NF-kappaB in Kupffer cells, and this iron signaling serves as a target for a potential priming effect for the pathogenesis of experimental alcoholic liver disease.

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-dependent insulin regulation of long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) metabolism in L6 muscle cells: involvement of atypical protein kinase C-zeta in LCFA uptake but not oxidation.

Insulin is important in the regulation of muscle metabolism. However, its role in the regulation of muscle long-chain fatty acid (LCFA) metabolism, independent of glucose, is not clear. To determine whether insulin regulates LCFA metabolism independent of glucose and if so, via which signaling pathway, L6 myotubes were incubated, in the presence or absence of insulin (100 nM) and with either an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) (wortmannin (W), 50 nM), protein kinase B (PKB)/Akt (A, 10 muM), or atypical protein kinase C-zeta (aPKC-zeta) (mP, 100 muM). LCFA kinetic parameters were measured via incubation with [1-(14)C]palmitate. Basal LCFA uptake was found to increase linearly with time (1-60 min) and concentration (50-750 muM). LCFA uptake increased in the presence of insulin and was maximum at 10 nM (P<0.05). Wortmannin prevented the insulin-induced increase in LCFA uptake and decrease in LCFA oxidation. While mP abolished the insulin-induced increase in LCFA uptake, it did not prevent the insulin-induced decrease in LCFA oxidation. None of the variables were affected by Akt inhibition. These results suggest a direct effect of insulin on LCFA metabolism in muscle cells, and that downstream of PI3K, aPKC-zeta, but not PKB/Akt mediates the effects of insulin on LCFA uptake but not oxidation.

Insulin-like and non-insulin-like selenium actions in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

In insulin-sensitive 3T3-L1 adipocytes, selenium stimulates glucose transport and antilipolysis and these actions of selenium, like insulin actions, are sensitive to wortmanin, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K). Selenium stimulates PI3K activity that is sustained up to 24 h. Selenium after 5-10 min increases tyrosine phosphorylation of selective cellular proteins, but after 24 h overall tyrosine phosphorylation is increased. Tyrosine phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1 is detected when enriched by immunoprecipitation with anti-PI3K antibody. Selenium, however, does not stimulate insulin receptor tyrosine kinase activity. Selenium also increases phosphorylation of other insulin signaling proteins, including Akt and extracellular signal regulated kinases. Selenium-stimulated glucose transport is accompanied by increases in glucose transporter-1 content in the plasma membrane. These data are consistent with similar selenium action in glucose transport in 3T3-L1 fibroblasts expressing mainly GLUT1. In chronic insulin-induced insulin resistant cells, selenium unlike insulin fully stimulates glucose transport. In summary, selenium stimulates glucose transport and antilipolysis in a PI3K-dependent manner, but independent of insulin receptor activation. Selenium exerts both insulin-like and non-insulin-like actions in cells.

Inhibition of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase enhances insulin stimulation of insulin receptor substrate 1 tyrosine phosphorylation and extracellular signal-regulated kinases in mouse R- fibroblasts.

Insulin stimulates phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) and extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK) in various mammalian cells. To study the role of PI3K in insulin stimulation of ERK, we employed PI3K inhibitor LY294002 and mouse embryonic R- fibroblasts lacking IGF-1 receptors. In these R- cells, PI3K inhibition by LY294002 enhanced insulin stimulation of ERK phosphorylation whereas LY294002 inhibited insulin stimulation of Akt phosphorylation. The enhanced insulin stimulation of ERK phosphorylation was accompanied by increased IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation. Insulin stimulation of insulin receptor tyrosine phosphorylation was not altered. PI3K inhibition increased IRS-1-Grb2 complex formation and ras activity following insulin treatment of cells. Increased insulin stimulation of ERK by PI3K inhibition was mediated by the MEK/ERK pathway, but did not involve inhibitory Ser259 phosphorylation of raf that was reported to be mediated by Akt. In summary, PI3K inhibition in R- cells enhanced insulin stimulation of ERK phosphorylation by mechanisms involving enhancement of IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation, IRS-1-Grb2 complex formation and the ras/MEK/ERK pathway.

Glucose transport by osmotic shock and vanadate is impaired by glucosamine.

In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, we previously reported that glucosamine impairs insulin stimulation of glucose transport, which is accompanied by impaired insulin stimulation of serine/threonine kinase Akt. To examine the role of Akt in glucosamine-induced insulin resistance, we investigated time course for insulin stimulation of Akt activity and glucose transport during recovery from glucosamine-induced insulin resistance. After induction of insulin resistance by glucosamine, we washed cells to remove glucosamine and incubated them for various times. After one hour, insulin stimulated-glucose transport was significantly increased and continued to increase up to 6-24 h. Insulin stimulation of Akt, however, did not increase after 1-3 h and began to slightly increase after 6 h. Next, we investigated effects of osmotic shock and vanadate on glucose transport in glucosamine-treated cells and found that glucosamine completely inhibited their actions in these cells. These data suggest that an Akt-independent mechanism is operative in glucosamine-induced insulin resistance and glucosamine impairs glucose transport stimulated by various stimuli involving and not involving Akt activation.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibits peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma activity at a posttranslational level in hepatic stellate cells.

Diminished activity of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) is implicated in activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSC), a critical event in the development of liver fibrosis. In the present study, we investigated PPARgamma regulation by TNF-alpha in an HSC line designated as BSC. In BSC, TNF-alpha decreased both basal and ligand (GW1929)-induced PPARgamma mRNA levels without changing its protein expression. Nuclear extracts from BSC treated with TNF-alpha showed decreased binding of PPARgamma to PPAR-responsive element (PPRE) as determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. In BSC transiently transfected with a PPARgamma1 expression vector and a PPRE-luciferase reporter gene, TNF-alpha decreased both basal and GW1929-induced transactivation of the PPRE promoter. TNF-alpha increased activation of ERK1/2 and JNK, previously implicated in phosphorylation of Ser(82) of PPARgamma1 and resultant negative regulation of PPARgamma transactivity. In fact, TNF-alpha failed to inhibit transactivity of a Ser(82)Ala PPARgamma1 mutant in BSC. TNF-alpha-mediated inhibition of PPARgamma transactivity was not blocked with a Ser(32)Ala/Ser(36)Ala mutant of inhibitory NF-kappaBalpha (IkappaBalpha). These results suggest that TNF-alpha inhibits PPARgamma transactivity in cultured HSC, at least in part, by diminished PPARgamma-PPRE (DNA) binding and ERK1/2-mediated phosphorylation of Ser(82) of PPARgamma1, but not via the NF-kappaB pathway.

Elevated basal PI 3-kinase activity and reduced insulin signaling in sucrose-induced hepatic insulin resistance.

Sucrose feeding reduces the ability of insulin to suppress glucose production and hepatic gluconeogenesis. The present study examined the effect of a high-sucrose diet on early insulin-signaling steps in the liver. Rats were provided a high-starch (STD, control diet) or high-sucrose diet (HSD) for 3 wk. On the day of study, overnight-fasted rats were anesthetized and injected with either saline (n = 5/diet group) or insulin (2 mU/kg, n = 5/diet group) via the portal vein. Portal venous blood and liver tissue were harvested 2 min after injections. Portal vein plasma glucose levels were not significantly different among groups, pooled average 147 +/- 12 mg/dl. Western blot analysis revealed no significant differences in the amount of insulin receptor (IR), insulin receptor substrates-1 and -2 (IRS-1, IRS-2), and the p85 subunit of phosphatidylinositol (PI) 3-kinase. In contrast, the amount of the p110beta subunit of PI 3-kinase was increased approximately 2-fold in HSD vs. STD (P < 0.05). After saline injection, tyrosine phosphorylation (pY) of IR, IRS-1, and IRS-2 was not significantly different between groups. However, PI 3-kinase activity associated with phosphorylated proteins was increased approximately 40% in HSD vs. STD (P < 0.05). After insulin injection, pY of the IR was not different between groups, whereas pY of IRS-1 and IRS-2 was reduced (P < 0.05) in HSD vs. STD. In addition, association of IRS-1 and IRS-2 with p85 was significantly reduced in HSD vs. STD. These data demonstrate that an HSD impairs insulin-stimulated early postreceptor signaling (pY of IRS proteins, IRS interaction with p85). Furthermore, the increased amount of p110beta and increased basal PI 3-kinase activity suggest a diet-induced compensatory response.