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Leptin increases glucose uptake and fatty acid oxidation (FAO) in red-type skeletal muscle. However, the mechanism remains unknown. We have investigated the role of β 2 -adrenergic receptor (AR), the major β-AR isoform in skeletal muscle, and AMPK in leptin-induced muscle glucose uptake of mice. Leptin injection into the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) increased 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2DG) uptake in red-type skeletal muscle in wild-type (WT) mice accompanied with increased phosphorylation of the insulin receptor (IR) and Akt as well as of norepinephrine (NE) turnover in the muscle. Leptin-induced 2DG uptake was not observed in β-AR-deficient (β-less) mice despite that AMPK phosphorylation was increased in the muscle. Forced expression of β 2 -AR in the unilateral hind limb of β-less mice restored leptin-induced glucose uptake and enhancement of insulin signalling in red-type skeletal muscle. Leptin increased 2DG uptake and enhanced insulin signalling in red-type skeletal muscle of mice expressing a dominant negative form of AMPK (DN-AMPK) in skeletal muscle. Thus, leptin increases glucose uptake and enhances insulin signalling in red-type skeletal muscle via activation of sympathetic nerves and β 2 -AR in muscle and in a manner independent of muscle AMPK.

We have developed a chronic mild stress (MS) mouse model by simply rearing mice on a wire net for 3 weeks and investigated the effects of MS on glucose homeostasis and sleep. MS mice showed impaired glucose tolerance and disturbed sleep. One-week treatment with a histamine H1 receptor antagonist (H1RA) ameliorated the glucose intolerance and improved sleep quality in MS mice. MS mice showed an increased number of mast cells in both adipose tissue and the brain. Inhibition of mast cell function ameliorated the impairment in both glucose tolerance and sleep. Together, these findings indicate that mast cells may represent an important pathophysiological mediator in sleep and energy homeostasis.

Leptin is a key regulator of glucose metabolism in mammals, but the mechanisms of its action have remained elusive. We now show that signaling by extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and its upstream kinase MEK in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) mediates the leptin-induced increase in glucose utilization as well as its insulin sensitivity in the whole body and in red-type skeletal muscle of mice through activation of the melanocortin receptor (MCR) in the VMH. In contrast, activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), but not the MEK-ERK pathway, in the VMH by leptin enhances the insulin-induced suppression of endogenous glucose production in an MCR-independent manner, with this effect of leptin occurring only in the presence of an increased plasma concentration of insulin. Given that leptin requires 6 h to increase muscle glucose uptake, the transient activation of the MEK-ERK pathway in the VMH by leptin may play a role in the induction of synaptic plasticity in the VMH, resulting in the enhancement of MCR signaling in the nucleus and leading to an increase in insulin sensitivity in red-type muscle.

Insulin is the main glucoregulator that promotes the uptake of glucose by tissues and the subsequent utilization of glucose as an energy source. In this paper, we describe a novel glucoregulator, the alpha-synuclein (SNCA) protein, that has previously been linked to Parkinson's disease. Treatment with recombinant SNCA promotes glucose uptake in vitro in preadipocytes and in vivo in the adipose tissues and skeletal muscles of mice through the LPAR2/Gab1/PI3K/Akt pathway; these effects occur independently of the insulin receptor. This function of SNCA represents a new mechanistic insight that creates novel avenues of research with respect to the process of glucose regulation.

Objective: The medial hypothalamus mediates leptin-induced glucose uptake in peripheral tissues, and brain melanocortin receptors (MCRs) mediate certain central effects of leptin. However, the contributions of the leptin receptor and MCRs in individual medial hypothalamic nuclei to regulation of peripheral glucose uptake have remained unclear. We examined the effects of an injection of leptin and the MCR agonist MT-II into medial hypothalamic nuclei on glucose uptake in peripheral tissues., Research Design and Methods: Leptin or MT-II was injected into the ventromedial (VMH), dorsomedial (DMH), arcuate nucleus (ARC), or paraventricular (PVH) hypothalamus or the lateral ventricle (intracerebroventricularly) in freely moving mice. The MCR antagonist SHU9119 was injected intracerebroventricularly. Glucose uptake was measured by the 2-[(3)H]deoxy-d-glucose method., Results: Leptin injection into the VMH increased glucose uptake in skeletal muscle, brown adipose tissue (BAT), and heart, whereas that into the ARC increased glucose uptake in BAT, and that into the DMH or PVH had no effect. SHU9119 abolished these effects of leptin injected into the VMH. Injection of MT-II either into the VMH or intracerebroventricularly increased glucose uptake in skeletal muscle, BAT, and heart, whereas that into the PVH increased glucose uptake in BAT, and that into the DMH or ARC had no effect., Conclusions: The VMH mediates leptin- and MT-II-induced glucose uptake in skeletal muscle, BAT, and heart. These effects of leptin are dependent on MCR activation. The leptin receptor in the ARC and MCR in the PVH regulate glucose uptake in BAT. Medial hypothalamic nuclei thus play distinct roles in leptin- and MT-II-induced glucose uptake in peripheral tissues.

Hypothalamic neurons containing orexin (hypocretin) are activated during motivated behaviors and active waking. We show that injection of orexin-A into the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) of mice or rats increased glucose uptake and promoted insulin-induced glucose uptake and glycogen synthesis in skeletal muscle, but not in white adipose tissue, by activating the sympathetic nervous system. These effects of orexin were blunted in mice lacking beta-adrenergic receptors but were restored by forced expression of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor in both myocytes and nonmyocyte cells of skeletal muscle. Orexin neurons are activated by conditioned sweet tasting and directly excite VMH neurons, thereby increasing muscle glucose metabolism and its insulin sensitivity. Orexin and its receptor in VMH thus play a key role in the regulation of muscle glucose metabolism associated with highly motivated behavior by activating muscle sympathetic nerves and beta(2)-adrenergic signaling.

ATP-sensitive potassium (K(ATP)) channels are known to be critical in the control of both insulin and glucagon secretion, the major hormones in the maintenance of glucose homeostasis. The involvement of K(ATP) channels in glucose uptake in the target tissues of insulin, however, is not known. We show here that Kir6.2(-/-) mice lacking Kir6.2, the pore-forming subunit of these channels, have no K(ATP) channel activity in their skeletal muscles. A 2-deoxy-[(3)H]glucose uptake experiment in vivo showed that the basal and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscles and adipose tissues of Kir6.2(-/-) mice is enhanced compared with that in wild-type (WT) mice. In addition, in vitro measurement of glucose uptake indicates that disruption of the channel increases the basal glucose uptake in Kir6.2(-/-) extensor digitorum longus and the insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in Kir6.2(-/-) soleus muscle. In contrast, glucose uptake in adipose tissue, measured in vitro, was similar in Kir6.2(-/-) and WT mice, suggesting that the increase in glucose uptake in Kir6.2(-/-) adipocytes is mediated by altered extracellular hormonal or neuronal signals altered by disruption of the K(ATP) channels.

Glucose-responsive (GR) neurons in the hypothalamus are thought to be critical in glucose homeostasis, but it is not known how they function in this context. Kir6.2 is the pore-forming subunit of K(ATP) channels in many cell types, including pancreatic beta-cells and heart. Here we show the complete absence of both functional ATP-sensitive K+ (K(ATP)) channels and glucose responsiveness in the neurons of the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) in Kir6.2-/- mice. Although pancreatic alpha-cells were functional in Kir6.2-/-, the mice exhibited a severe defect in glucagon secretion in response to systemic hypoglycemia. In addition, they showed a complete loss of glucagon secretion, together with reduced food intake in response to neuroglycopenia. Thus, our results demonstrate that KATP channels are important in glucose sensing in VMH GR neurons, and are essential for the maintenance of glucose homeostasis.

Regulation of glucose metabolism in peripheral tissues by leptin has been highlighted recently, although its mechanism is unclear. In this study, we postulated that bradykinin and nitric oxide (NO) are involved in the effect of leptin-mediated glucose uptake in peripheral tissues and examined these possibilities. Injection of leptin (200 pg/mouse) into the ventromedial hypothalamus-enhanced glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue, but not in white adipose tissue. Treatment with Hoe140 (0.1 mg/kg), bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist, or L-NAME (N:(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester) (30 mg/kg), nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, did not influence the basal level of glucose uptake in skeletal muscle and the adipose tissue, whereas Hoe140 and L-NAME inhibited leptin-mediated glucose uptake in skeletal muscles, but had no effect in adipose tissue. However, Hoe140 and L-NAME did not inhibit insulin (1.0 U/kg)-mediated glucose uptake in all tissues examined. Taken together, these results suggest that leptin enhances bradykinin and/or the NO system, which contributes at least partially to the enhanced glucose uptake in skeletal muscles.