oligomycins and Insulin-Resistance

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) has been reported to have beneficial effects for improving insulin sensitivity. However, the underlying molecular mechanism of the beneficial effects remains poorly understood. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and mitochondrial dysfunction are considered causal factors that induce insulin resistance. In this study, we investigated the effect of ALA on the modulation of insulin resistance in ER-stressed HepG2 cells, and we explored the potential mechanism of this effect. HepG2 cells were incubated with tunicamycin (Tun) for 6h to establish an ER stress cell model. Tun treatment induced ER stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and insulin resistance. Interestingly, ALA had no significant effect on ER stress signals. Pretreatment of the ER stress cell model with ALA for 24h improved insulin sensitivity, restored the expression levels of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes and increased intracellular ATP production. Moreover, ALA augmented the β-oxidation capacity of the mitochondria. Importantly, ALA treatment could decrease oligomycin-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and then improved insulin resistance. Taken together, our data suggest that ALA prevents ER stress-induced insulin resistance by enhancing mitochondrial function.

Topics: Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress; Hep G2 Cells; Humans; Inositol 1,4,5-Trisphosphate Receptors; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; JNK Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; Mitochondria; Models, Biological; Oligomycins; Oxidation-Reduction; RNA, Messenger; Signal Transduction; Thioctic Acid; Tunicamycin; Vesicular Transport Proteins

A growing body of evidence suggests that activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathways is among the inflammatory mechanism involved in the development of insulin resistance and chronic low-grade inflammation in adipose tissues derived from obese animal and human subjects. Nevertheless, little is known about the roles of NF-κB pathways in regulating mitochondrial function of the adipose tissues. In the present study, we sought to investigate the direct effects of celastrol (potent NF-κB inhibitor) upon mitochondrial dysfunction-induced insulin resistance in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Celastrol ameliorates mitochondrial dysfunction by altering mitochondrial fusion and fission in adipocytes. The levels of oxidative DNA damage, protein carbonylation and lipid peroxidation were down-regulated. Further, the morphology and quantification of intracellular lipid droplets revealed the decrease of intracellular lipid accumulation with reduced lipolysis. Moreover, massive production of the pro-inflammatory mediators tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) were markedly depleted. Insulin-stimulated glucose uptake activity was restored with the enhancement of insulin signaling pathways. This study signified that the treatments modulated towards knockdown of NF-κB transcription factor may counteract these metabolic insults exacerbated in our model of synergy between mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation. These results demonstrate for the first time that NF-κB inhibition modulates mitochondrial dysfunction induced insulin resistance in 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Topics: 3T3-L1 Cells; Adipocytes; Animals; Cell Differentiation; Cell Survival; Electron Transport; Glucose; Glucose Transporter Type 1; Glucose Transporter Type 4; Humans; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Interleukin-1beta; Intracellular Space; Lipolysis; Mice; Mitochondria; NF-kappa B; Oligomycins; Oxidative Stress; Pentacyclic Triterpenes; Signal Transduction; Triterpenes; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Adipocytes play an integrative role in the regulation of energy metabolism and glucose homeostasis in the human body. Functional defects in adipocytes may cause systemic disturbance of glucose homeostasis. Recent studies revealed mitochondrial abnormalities in the adipose tissue of patients with type 2 diabetes. In addition, patients with mitochondrial diseases usually manifest systemic metabolic disorder. However, it is unclear how mitochondrial dysfunction in adipocytes affects the regulation of glucose homeostasis. In this study, we induced mitochondrial dysfunction and overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by addition of respiratory inhibitors oligomycin A and antimycin A and by knockdown of mitochondrial transcription factor A (mtTFA), respectively. We found an attenuation of the insulin response as indicated by lower glucose uptake and decreased phosphorylation of Akt upon insulin stimulation of adipocytes with mitochondrial dysfunction. Furthermore, the expression of glucose transporter 4 (Glut4) and secretion of adiponectin were decreased in adipocytes with increased ROS generated by defective mitochondria. Moreover, the severity of insulin insensitivity was correlated with the extent of mitochondrial dysfunction. These results suggest that higher intracellular ROS levels elicited by mitochondrial dysfunction resulted in impairment of the function of adipocytes in the maintenance of glucose homeostasis through attenuation of insulin signaling, downregulation of Glut4 expression, and decrease in adiponectin secretion. Our findings substantiate the important role of mitochondria in the regulation of glucose homeostasis in adipocytes and also provide a molecular basis for the explanation of the manifestation of diabetes mellitus or insulin insensitivity in a portion of patients with mitochondrial diseases such as MELAS or MERRF syndrome.

Topics: 3T3-L1 Cells; Adipocytes; Adiponectin; Animals; Antimycin A; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; DNA-Binding Proteins; Electron Transport; Electron Transport Complex IV; Gene Knockdown Techniques; Glucose; Glucose Transporter Type 4; High Mobility Group Proteins; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Mice; Mitochondria; Oligomycins; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Reactive Oxygen Species; RNA, Small Interfering

The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is known to increase cardiac insulin sensitivity on glucose uptake. AMPK also inhibits the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/p70 ribosomal S6 kinase (p70S6K) pathway. Once activated by insulin, mTOR/p70S6K phosphorylates insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) on serine residues, resulting in its inhibition and reduction of insulin signaling. AMPK was postulated to act on insulin by inhibiting this mTOR/p70S6K-mediated negative feedback loop. We tested this hypothesis in cardiomyocytes. The stimulation of glucose uptake by AMPK activators and insulin correlated with AMPK and protein kinase B (PKB/Akt) activation, respectively. Both treatments induced the phosphorylation of Akt substrate 160 (AS160) known to control glucose uptake. Together, insulin and AMPK activators acted synergistically to induce PKB/Akt overactivation, AS160 overphosphorylation, and glucose uptake overstimulation. This correlated with p70S6K inhibition and with a decrease in serine phosphorylation of IRS-1, indicating the inhibition of the negative feedback loop. We used the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin to confirm these results. Mimicking AMPK activators in the presence of insulin, rapamycin inhibited p70S6K and reduced IRS-1 phosphorylation on serine, resulting in the overphosphorylation of PKB/Akt and AS160. However, rapamycin did not enhance the insulin-induced stimulation of glucose uptake. In conclusion, although the insulin-sensitizing effect of AMPK on PKB/Akt is explained by the inhibition of the insulin-induced negative feedback loop, its effect on glucose uptake is independent of this mechanism. This disconnection revealed that the PKB/Akt/AS160 pathway does not seem to be the rate-limiting step in the control of glucose uptake under insulin treatment.

Topics: AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Cells, Cultured; Energy Metabolism; Enzyme Activation; Enzyme Activators; Feedback, Physiological; Glucose; GTPase-Activating Proteins; Hypoglycemic Agents; Insulin; Insulin Receptor Substrate Proteins; Insulin Resistance; Male; Myocytes, Cardiac; Oligomycins; Phenformin; Phosphorylation; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa; Signal Transduction; Sirolimus; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases

Increased plasma levels of free fatty acids (FFA) occur in states of insulin resistance such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. These high levels of plasma FFA are proposed to play an important role for the development of insulin resistance but the mechanisms involved are still unclear. This study investigated the effects of saturated and unsaturated FFA on insulin sensitivity in parallel with mitochondrial function. C2C12 myotubes were treated for 24 h with 0.1 mM of saturated (palmitic and stearic) and unsaturated (oleic, linoleic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic) FFA. After this period, basal and insulin-stimulated glucose metabolism and mitochondrial function were evaluated. Saturated palmitic and stearic acids decreased insulin-induced glycogen synthesis, glucose oxidation, and lactate production. Basal glucose oxidation was also reduced. Palmitic and stearic acids impaired mitochondrial function as demonstrated by decrease of both mitochondrial hyperpolarization and ATP generation. These FFA also decreased Akt activation by insulin. As opposed to saturated FFA, unsaturated FFA did not impair glucose metabolism and mitochondrial function. Primary cultures of rat skeletal muscle cells exhibited similar responses to saturated FFA as compared to C2C12 cells. These results show that in muscle cells saturated FFA-induced mitochondrial dysfunction associated with impaired insulin-induced glucose metabolism.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Animals; Cell Survival; Cells, Cultured; Fatty Acids; Glucose; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; Mice; Mitochondria; Muscle Cells; Muscle Fibers, Skeletal; Muscle, Skeletal; Oligomycins; Palmitic Acid; Phosphorylation; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Stearic Acids

In order to better understand the impact of reduced mitochondrial function for the development of insulin resistance and cellular metabolism, human myotubes were established from lean, obese, and T2D subjects and exposed to mitochondrial inhibitors, either affecting the electron transport chain (Antimycin A), the ATP synthase (oligomycin) or respiratory uncoupling (2,4-dinitrophenol). Direct inhibition of the electron transport chain or the ATP synthase was followed by increased glucose uptake and lactate production, reduced glycogen synthesis, reduced lipid and glucose oxidation and unchanged lipid uptake. The metabolic phenotype during respiratory uncoupling resembled the above picture, except for an increase in glucose and palmitate oxidation. Antimycin A and oligomycin treatment induced insulin resistance at the level of glucose and palmitate uptake in all three study groups while, at the level of glycogen synthesis, insulin resistance was only seen in lean myotubes. Primary insulin resistance in diabetic myotubes was significantly worsened at the level of glucose and lipid uptake. The present study is the first convincing data linking functional mitochondrial impairment per se and insulin resistance. Taken together functional mitochondrial impairment could be part of the pathophysiology of insulin resistance in vivo.

Topics: 2,4-Dinitrophenol; Antimycin A; Case-Control Studies; Cells, Cultured; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Glucose; Humans; Insulin Resistance; Lactic Acid; Middle Aged; Mitochondria, Muscle; Obesity; Oligomycins; Oxidation-Reduction

Diabetic hearts are known to be more susceptible to ischemic disease. Biguanides, like metformin, are known antidiabetic drugs that lower blood glucose concentrations by decreasing hepatic glucose production and increasing glucose disposal in muscle. Part of these metabolic effects is thought to be mediated by the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). In this work, we studied the relationship between AMPK activation and glucose uptake stimulation by biguanides and oligomycin, another AMPK activator, in both insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant cardiomyocytes. In insulin-sensitive cardiomyocytes, insulin, biguanides and oligomycin were able to stimulate glucose uptake with the same efficiency. Stimulation of glucose uptake by insulin or biguanides was correlated to protein kinase B (PKB) or AMPK activation, respectively, and were additive. In insulin-resistant cardiomyocytes, where insulin stimulation of glucose uptake was greatly reduced, biguanides or oligomycin, in the absence of insulin, induced a higher stimulation of glucose uptake than that obtained in insulin-sensitive cells. This stimulation was correlated with the activation of both AMPK and PKB and was sensitive to the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/PKB pathway inhibitors. Finally, an adenoviral-mediated expression of a constitutively active form of AMPK increased both PKB phosphorylation and glucose uptake in insulin-resistant cardiomyocytes. We concluded that AMPK activators, like biguanides and oligomycin, are able to restore glucose uptake stimulation, in the absence of insulin, in insulin-resistant cardiomyocytes via the additive activation of AMPK and PKB. Our results suggest that AMPK activation could restore normal glucose metabolism in diabetic hearts and could be a potential therapeutic approach to treat insulin resistance.

Topics: AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; Animals; Biguanides; Cells, Cultured; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Drug Combinations; Enzyme Activation; Glucose; Insulin; Insulin Resistance; Male; Multienzyme Complexes; Myocytes, Cardiac; Oligomycins; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Rats; Rats, Wistar