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Disruption of hepatocyte growth hormone (GH) signaling through disruption of Jak2 (JAK2L) leads to fatty liver. Previously, we demonstrated that development of fatty liver depends on adipocyte GH signaling. We sought to determine the individual roles of hepatocyte and adipocyte Jak2 on whole-body and tissue insulin sensitivity and liver metabolism. On chow, JAK2L mice had hepatic steatosis and severe whole-body and hepatic insulin resistance. However, concomitant deletion of Jak2 in hepatocytes and adipocytes (JAK2LA) completely normalized insulin sensitivity while reducing liver lipid content. On high-fat diet, JAK2L mice had hepatic steatosis and insulin resistance despite protection from diet-induced obesity. JAK2LA mice had higher liver lipid content and no protection from obesity but retained exquisite hepatic insulin sensitivity. AKT activity was selectively attenuated in JAK2L adipose tissue, whereas hepatic insulin signaling remained intact despite profound hepatic insulin resistance. Therefore, JAK2 in adipose tissue is epistatic to liver with regard to insulin sensitivity and responsiveness, despite fatty liver and obesity. However, hepatocyte autonomous JAK2 signaling regulates liver lipid deposition under conditions of excess dietary fat. This work demonstrates how various tissues integrate JAK2 signals to regulate insulin/glucose and lipid metabolism.

We explored the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the pathogenesis of muscle insulin resistance. We assessed insulin action in vivo with a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp in mice expressing a mitochondrial-targeted catalase (MCAT) that were fed regular chow (RC) or a high-fat diet (HFD) or underwent an acute infusion of a lipid emulsion. RC-fed MCAT mice were similar to littermate wild-type (WT) mice. However, HFD-fed MCAT mice were protected from diet-induced insulin resistance. In contrast, an acute lipid infusion caused muscle insulin resistance in both MCAT and WT mice. ROS production was decreased in both HFD-fed and lipid-infused MCAT mice and cannot explain the divergent response in insulin action. MCAT mice had subtly increased energy expenditure and muscle fat oxidation with decreased intramuscular diacylglycerol (DAG) accumulation, protein kinase C-θ (PKCθ) activation, and impaired insulin signaling with HFD. In contrast, the insulin resistance with the acute lipid infusion was associated with increased muscle DAG content in both WT and MCAT mice. These studies suggest that altering muscle mitochondrial ROS production does not directly alter the development of lipid-induced insulin resistance. However, the altered energy balance in HFD-fed MCAT mice protected them from DAG accumulation, PKCθ activation, and impaired muscle insulin signaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Inhibition of the Na(+)-glucose cotransporter type 2 (SGLT2) is currently being pursued as an insulin-independent treatment for diabetes; however, the behavioral and metabolic consequences of SGLT2 deletion are unknown. Here, we used a SGLT2 knockout mouse to investigate the effect of increased renal glucose excretion on glucose homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, and pancreatic β-cell function.Research Design and Methods: SGLT2 knockout mice were fed regular chow or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 weeks, or backcrossed onto the db/db background. The analysis used metabolic cages, glucose tolerance tests, euglycemic and hyperglycemic clamps, as well as isolated islet and perifusion studies.Results: SGLT2 deletion resulted in a threefold increase in urine output and a 500-fold increase in glucosuria, as well as compensatory increases in feeding, drinking, and activity. SGLT2 knockout mice were protected from HFD-induced hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance and had reduced plasma insulin concentrations compared with controls. On the db/db background, SGLT2 deletion prevented fasting hyperglycemia, and plasma insulin levels were also dramatically improved. Strikingly, prevention of hyperglycemia by SGLT2 knockout in db/db mice preserved pancreatic β-cell function in vivo, which was associated with a 60% increase in β-cell mass and reduced incidence of β-cell death.Conclusions: Prevention of renal glucose reabsorption by SGLT2 deletion reduced HFD- and obesity-associated hyperglycemia, improved glucose intolerance, and increased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in vivo. Taken together, these data support SGLT2 inhibition as a viable insulin-independent treatment of type 2 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PARKIN, an ubiquitin E3 ligase, regulates mitochondrial homeostasis through a process called mitophagy, where damaged mitochondria are selectively targeted and removed via autophagy. Diminished hepatic mitophagy may play a role in mitochondrial dysfunction that occurs alongside insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis in association with obesity. Reduced hepatic mitophagy was observed in obese mice with fatty liver, raising the question as to whether loss of mitophagy contributes to the pathogenesis of fatty liver or is merely associated with the disease. To understand how loss of hepatic mitophagy affects obesity-associated liver disease, we developed a liver-specific PARKIN knockout mouse (LKO). There was no difference in body weight in LKO compared with WT mice fed regular chow (RC) or high-fat diet (HFD; 60% kcal, 12 weeks). There was also no difference in liver steatosis between RC groups, however, liver steatosis was 45% greater in HFD-LKO compared with WT mice (p<0.05). Liver histology demonstrated presence of microvesicular steatosis in zones 2-3 in both HFD groups, but only LKO mice presented with micro and macrosteatosis in zones 1-3. HFD-LKO samples showed presence of an inflammatory cell infiltrate that was less apparent in WT samples. Unbiased transcriptomic analysis by RNA-Seq demonstrated 113 significant differentially expressed genes (82 up, 31 down) in HFD-LKO mice. Unsupervised gene ontology and pathway analysis revealed significant changes in extracellular matrix accumulation, lipid metabolism, metabolic and ROS processes in HFD-LKO mice. In summary, the increased steatosis and presence of macrovesicular steatosis and inflammation in HFD-LKO mice, alongside changes in gene expression suggesting collagen deposition and extracellular matrix remodeling, suggest that loss of PARKIN-mediated mitophagy increases susceptibility to HFD and may predispose mice to NAFLD. Disclosure: L.R. Edmunds: None. A. Mills: None. M.J. Jurczak: None. Funding: American Diabetes Association (1-19-PDF-102 to L.R.E.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]