d-arg-dmt-lys-phe-nh2 and Insulin-Resistance

The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) plays a central role in energy generation in the cell. Mitochondrial dysfunctions diminish adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production and result in insufficient energy to maintain cell function. As energy output declines, the most energetic tissues are preferentially affected. To satisfy cellular energy demands, the mitochondrial ETC needs to be able to elevate its capacity to produce ATP at times of increased metabolic demand or decreased fuel supply. This mitochondrial plasticity is reduced in many age-associated diseases. In this review, we describe the serendipitous discovery of a novel class of compounds that selectively target cardiolipin on the inner mitochondrial membrane to optimize efficiency of the ETC and thereby restore cellular bioenergetics in aging and diverse disease models, without any effect on the normal healthy organism. The first of these compounds, SS-31, is currently in multiple clinical trials.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Aging; Burns; Cardiolipins; Cytochromes c; Drug Discovery; Electron Transport; Energy Metabolism; Heart Failure; Humans; Insulin Resistance; Mitochondria; Myocardial Reperfusion Injury; Oligopeptides

High dietary fat intake leads to insulin resistance in skeletal muscle, and this represents a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress have been implicated in the disease process, but the underlying mechanisms are still unknown. Here we show that in skeletal muscle of both rodents and humans, a diet high in fat increases the H(2)O(2)-emitting potential of mitochondria, shifts the cellular redox environment to a more oxidized state, and decreases the redox-buffering capacity in the absence of any change in mitochondrial respiratory function. Furthermore, we show that attenuating mitochondrial H(2)O(2) emission, either by treating rats with a mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant or by genetically engineering the overexpression of catalase in mitochondria of muscle in mice, completely preserves insulin sensitivity despite a high-fat diet. These findings place the etiology of insulin resistance in the context of mitochondrial bioenergetics by demonstrating that mitochondrial H(2)O(2) emission serves as both a gauge of energy balance and a regulator of cellular redox environment, linking intracellular metabolic balance to the control of insulin sensitivity.

Topics: Adenosine Diphosphate; Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Antioxidants; Blood Glucose; Body Mass Index; Catalase; Dietary Fats; Electron Transport; Glucose Clamp Technique; Glucose Tolerance Test; Glutathione; Glutathione Disulfide; Humans; Hydrogen Peroxide; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Transgenic; Mitochondria; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal; Obesity; Oligopeptides; Oxidation-Reduction; Oxidative Stress; Oxygen Consumption; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rodentia; Young Adult

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Animals; Blood Glucose; Body Weight; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Fasting; Female; Glucose Tolerance Test; Hyperglycemia; Insulin Resistance; Lipid Peroxidation; Male; Mice; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial Dynamics; Oligopeptides; RNA, Messenger

Trauma is the most common cause of mortality among individuals aged between 1 and 44 years and the third leading cause of mortality overall in the US. In this study, we examined the effects of trauma on the expression of genes in Drosophila melanogaster, a useful model for investigating genetics and physiology. After trauma was induced by a non-lethal needle puncture of the thorax, we observed the differential expression of genes encoding for mitochondrial uncoupling proteins, as well as those encoding for apoptosis-related and insulin signaling-related proteins, thus indicating muscle functional dysregulation. These results prompted us to examine the link between insulin signaling and mitochondrial dysfunction using in vivo nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) with complementary electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Trauma significantly increased insulin resistance biomarkers, and the NMR spectral profile of the aged flies with trauma-induced thoracic injury resembled that of insulin-resistant chico mutant flies. In addition, the mitochondrial redox status, as measured by EPR, was significantly altered following trauma, indicating mitochondrial uncoupling. A mitochondria-targeted compound, Szeto-Schiller (SS)-31 that promotes adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis normalized the NMR spectral profile, as well as the mitochondrial redox status of the flies with trauma-induced thoracic injury, as assessed by EPR. Based on these findings, we propose a molecular mechanism responsible for trauma-related mortality and also propose that trauma sequelae in aging are linked to insulin signaling and mitochondrial dysfunction. Our findings further suggest that SS-31 attenuates trauma-associated pathological changes.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Aging; Animals; Apoptosis; Disease Models, Animal; Drosophila melanogaster; Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy; Humans; Insulin Resistance; Ion Channels; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Mitochondria; Mitochondrial Proteins; Oligopeptides; Thoracic Injuries; Uncoupling Protein 1; Wounds and Injuries

After severe burn injury and other major traumas, glucose tolerance tests demonstrate delayed glucose disposal. This 'diabetes of injury' could be explained by insulin deficiency, and several studies have shown that soon after trauma (ebb phase) insulin concentrations are reduced in the face of hyperglycemia. After resuscitation of trauma patients (flow phase), β-cell responsiveness normalizes and plasma insulin levels are appropriate or even higher than expected, however, glucose intolerance and hyperglycemia persist. In the acute care setting, several approaches have been used for treating insulin resistance, including insulin infusion, propranolol and glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1). Recently, it was demonstrated that a tetrapeptide with antioxidant properties D-Arg-Dmt-Lys-Phe-NH2 (SS31), but not its inactive analogue Phe-D-Arg-Phe-Lys-NH2 (SS20) attenuates insulin resistance in mice maintained on a high fat diet. In this report the effects of SS31 and SS20 on burn-induced insulin resistance was studied in mice. Oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) were performed in 4 groups of 6 mice with thermal injury with or without pre-treatment with SS31 or SS20 and sham controls. In addition, biodistribution of 18FDG was measured in burned mice with and without SS31 treatment and shams (subsets of these animals were also studied by µPET). For comparison purposes, groups of 6 cold-stressed mice with and without SS31 treatment were also studied. The results of these studies demonstrate that SS31 but not SS20 ameliorated burn-induced insulin resistance. In addition, SS31 treatment resulted in marked reduction in the increased 18FDG uptake by brown adipose tissue (BAT) in burned but not cold-stressed animals; suggesting that the stressors act by different mechanisms. Overall, these studies confirmed that SS31 can be used to reverse burn-induced insulin resistance and provide a firm pre-clinical basis for future clinical trials of SS31 for the treatment of insulin resistance in patients with burn injury.

Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Burns; Glucose Tolerance Test; Insulin Resistance; Male; Mice; Oligopeptides