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Fatty liver is characterized by the expansion of lipid droplets (LDs) and is associated with the development of many metabolic diseases. We assessed the morphology of hepatic LDs and performed quantitative proteomics in lean, glucose-tolerant mice compared with high-fat diet (HFD) fed mice that displayed hepatic steatosis and glucose intolerance as well as high-starch diet (HStD) fed mice who exhibited similar levels of hepatic steatosis but remained glucose tolerant. Both HFD- and HStD-fed mice had more and larger LDs than Chow-fed animals. We observed striking differences in liver LD proteomes of HFD- and HStD-fed mice compared with Chow-fed mice, with fewer differences between HFD and HStD. Taking advantage of our diet strategy, we identified a fatty liver LD proteome consisting of proteins common in HFD- and HStD-fed mice, as well as a proteome associated with glucose tolerance that included proteins shared in Chow and HStD but not HFD-fed mice. Notably, glucose intolerance was associated with changes in the ratio of adipose triglyceride lipase to perilipin 5 in the LD proteome, suggesting dysregulation of neutral lipid homeostasis in glucose-intolerant fatty liver. We conclude that our novel dietary approach uncouples ectopic lipid burden from insulin resistance-associated changes in the hepatic lipid droplet proteome. NEW & NOTEWORTHY: This study identified a fatty liver lipid droplet proteome and one associated with glucose tolerance. Notably, glucose intolerance was linked with changes in the ratio of adipose triglyceride lipase to perilipin 5 that is indicative of dysregulation of neutral lipid homeostasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The gp130 receptor cytokines IL-6 and CNTF improve metabolic homeostasis but have limited therapeutic use for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Accordingly, we engineered the gp130 ligand IC7Fc, in which one gp130-binding site is removed from IL-6 and replaced with the LIF-receptor-binding site from CNTF, fused with the Fc domain of immunoglobulin G, creating a cytokine with CNTF-like, but IL-6-receptor-dependent, signalling. Here we show that IC7Fc improves glucose tolerance and hyperglycaemia and prevents weight gain and liver steatosis in mice. In addition, IC7Fc either increases, or prevents the loss of, skeletal muscle mass by activation of the transcriptional regulator YAP1. In human-cell-based assays, and in non-human primates, IC7Fc treatment results in no signs of inflammation or immunogenicity. Thus, IC7Fc is a realistic next-generation biological agent for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and muscle atrophy, disorders that are currently pandemic. The chimeric cytokine IC7Fc combines the beneficial effects of the cytokines IL-6 and CNTF on weight loss and metabolism in mice, with no obvious side effects in mice and non-human primates., Author(s): Maria Findeisen [sup.1] , Tamara L. Allen [sup.2] , Darren C. Henstridge [sup.2] , Helene Kammoun [sup.2] , Amanda E. Brandon [sup.1] [sup.3] , Laurie L. Baggio [sup.4] , [...]

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by hyperlipidemia, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate whether acute hyperlipidemia-induced insulin resistance in the presence of hyperinsulinemia was due to defective insulin signaling. Hyperinsulinemia (~300 mU/l) with hyperlipidemia or glycerol (control) was produced in cannulated male Wistar rats for 0.5, 1 h, 3 h, or 5 h. The glucose infusion rate required to maintain euglycemia was significantly reduced by 3 h with lipid infusion and was further reduced after 5 h of infusion, with no difference in plasma insulin levels, indicating development of insulin resistance. Consistent with this finding, in vivo skeletal muscle glucose uptake (31%, P < 0.05) and glycogen synthesis rate (38%, P < 0.02) were significantly reduced after 5 h compared with 3 h of lipid infusion. Despite the development of insulin resistance, there was no difference in the phosphorylation state of multiple insulin-signaling intermediates or muscle diacylglyceride and ceramide content over the same time course. However, there was an increase in cumulative exposure to long-chain acyl-CoA (70%) with lipid infusion. Interestingly, although muscle pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 protein content was decreased in hyperinsulinemic glycerol-infused rats, this decrease was blunted in muscle from hyperinsulinemic lipid-infused rats. Decreased pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activity was also observed in lipid- and insulin-infused animals (43%). Overall, these results suggest that acute reductions in muscle glucose metabolism in rats with hyperlipidemia and hyperinsulinemia are more likely a result of substrate competition than a significant early defect in insulin action or signaling. lipotoxicity; hyperlipidemia; in vivo metabolism; long-chain acyl-CoA; pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4

An important regulator of fatty acid oxidation (FAO) is the allosteric inhibition of CPT-1 by malonyl-CoA produced by the enzyme acetyl-CoA carboxylase 2 (ACC2). Initial studies suggested that deletion of Acc2 (Acacb) increased fat oxidation and reduced adipose tissue mass but in an independently generated strain of Acc2 knockout mice we observed increased whole-body and skeletal muscle FAO and a compensatory increase in muscle glycogen stores without changes in glucose tolerance, energy expenditure or fat mass in young mice (12-16 weeks). The aim of the present study was to determine whether there was any effect of age or housing at thermoneutrality (29°C; which reduces total energy expenditure) on the phenotype of Acc2 knockout mice. At 42-54 weeks of age, male WT and Acc2-/- mice had similar body weight, fat mass, muscle triglyceride content and glucose tolerance. Consistent with younger Acc2-/- mice, aged Acc2-/- mice showed increased whole-body FAO (24 h average respiratory exchange ratioZ0.95±0.02 and 0.92±0.02 for WT and Acc2-/- mice respectively, P<0.05) and skeletal muscle glycogen content (C60%, P<0.05) without any detectable change in whole-body energy expenditure. Hyperinsulinaemic- euglycaemic clamp studies revealed no difference in insulin action between groups with similar glucose infusion rates and tissue glucose uptake. Housing Acc2-/- mice at 29°C did not alter body composition, glucose tolerance or the effects of fat feeding compared with WT mice. These results confirm that manipulation of Acc2 may alter FAO in mice, but this has little impact on body composition or insulin action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatty liver is characterized by the expansion of lipid droplets (LDs) and is associated with the development of many metabolic diseases. We assessed the morphology of hepatic LDs and performed quantitative proteomics in lean, glucose-tolerant mice compared with high-fat diet (HFD) fed mice that displayed hepatic steatosis and glucose intolerance as well as high-starch diet (HStD) fed mice who exhibited similar levels of hepatic steatosis but remained glucose tolerant. Both HFD- and HStD-fed mice had more and larger LDs than Chow-fed animals. We observed striking differences in liver LD proteomes of HFD- and HStD-fed mice compared with Chow-fed mice, with fewer differences between HFD and HStD. Taking advantage of our diet strategy, we identified a fatty liver LD proteome consisting of proteins common in HFD- and HStD-fed mice, as well as a proteome associated with glucose tolerance that included proteins shared in Chow and HStD but not HFD-fed mice. Notably, glucose intolerance was associated with changes in the ratio of adipose triglyceride lipase to perilipin 5 in the LD proteome, suggesting dysregulation of neutral lipid homeostasis in glucose-intolerant fatty liver. We conclude that our novel dietary approach uncouples ectopic lipid burden from insulin resistance-associated changes in the hepatic lipid droplet proteome. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study identified a fatty liver lipid droplet proteome and one associated with glucose tolerance. Notably, glucose intolerance was linked with changes in the ratio of adipose triglyceride lipase to perilipin 5 that is indicative of dysregulation of neutral lipid homeostasis.