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Normal glucose homeostasis depends on the capacity of pancreatic β-cells to adjust insulin secretion in response to a change of tissue insulin sensitivity. In cold environments, for example, the dramatic increase of insulin sensitivity required to ensure a sufficient supply of glucose to thermogenic tissues is offset by a proportionate reduction of insulin secretion, such that overall glucose tolerance is preserved. That these cold-induced changes of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity are dependent on the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) outflow suggests a key role for thermoregulatory neurons in the hypothalamic preoptic area (POA) in this metabolic response. As these POA neurons are themselves sensitive to changes in local hypothalamic temperature, we hypothesized that direct cooling of the POA would elicit the same glucoregulatory responses that we observed during cold exposure. To test this hypothesis, we used a thermode to cool the POA area, and found that as predicted, short-term (8-h) intense POA cooling reduced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS), yet glucose tolerance remained unchanged due to an increase of insulin sensitivity. Longer-term (24-h), more moderate POA cooling, however, failed to inhibit GSIS and improved glucose tolerance, an effect associated with hyperthermia and activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, indicative of a stress response. Taken together, these findings suggest that POA cooling is sufficient to recapitulate key glucoregulatory responses to cold exposure.

We recently reported that in rodent models of type 2 diabetes (T2D), a single intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) induces remission of hyperglycemia that is sustained for weeks. To clarify the peripheral mechanisms underlying this effect, we used the Zucker diabetic fatty fa/fa rat model of T2D, which, like human T2D, is characterized by progressive deterioration of pancreatic β-cell function after hyperglycemia onset. We report that although icv FGF1 injection delays the onset of β-cell dysfunction in these animals, it has no effect on either glucose-induced insulin secretion or insulin sensitivity. These observations suggest that FGF1 acts in the brain to stimulate insulin-independent glucose clearance. On the basis of our finding that icv FGF1 treatment increases hepatic glucokinase gene expression, we considered the possibility that increased hepatic glucose uptake (HGU) contributes to the insulin-independent glucose-lowering effect of icv FGF1. Consistent with this possibility, we report that icv FGF1 injection increases liver glucokinase activity by approximately twofold. We conclude that sustained remission of hyperglycemia induced by the central action of FGF1 involves both preservation of β-cell function and stimulation of HGU through increased hepatic glucokinase activity.

In rodent models of type 2 diabetes (T2D), sustained remission of hyperglycemia can be induced by a single intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1), and the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) was recently implicated as the brain area responsible for this effect. To better understand the cellular response to FGF1 in the MBH, we sequenced >79,000 single-cell transcriptomes from the hypothalamus of diabetic Lepob/ob mice obtained on Days 1 and 5 after icv injection of either FGF1 or vehicle. A wide range of transcriptional responses to FGF1 was observed across diverse hypothalamic cell types, with glial cell types responding much more robustly than neurons at both time points. Tanycytes and ependymal cells were the most FGF1-responsive cell type at Day 1, but astrocytes and oligodendrocyte lineage cells subsequently became more responsive. Based on histochemical and ultrastructural evidence of enhanced cell-cell interactions between astrocytes and Agrp neurons (key components of the melanocortin system), we performed a series of studies showing that intact melanocortin signaling is required for the sustained antidiabetic action of FGF1. These data collectively suggest that hypothalamic glial cells are leading targets for the effects of FGF1 and that sustained diabetes remission is dependent on intact melanocortin signaling., In rodent models of type 2 diabetes, sustained remission of hyperglycemia can be induced by FGF1 action in the mediobasal hypothalamus. Here, the authors show that FGF1-injection is followed by marked changes in glial cell populations and that the sustained glycemic response is dependent on intact melanocortin signaling.

The ability to maintain core temperature within a narrow range despite rapid and dramatic changes in environmental temperature is essential for the survival of free-living mammals, and growing evidence implicates an important role for the hormone leptin. Given that thyroid hormone plays a major role in thermogenesis and that circulating thyroid hormone levels are reduced in leptin-deficient states (an effect partially restored by leptin replacement), we sought to determine the extent to which leptin’s role in thermogenesis is mediated by raising thyroid hormone levels. To this end, we 1) quantified the effect of physiological leptin replacement on circulating levels of thyroid hormone in leptin-deficient ob/ob mice, and 2) determined if the effect of leptin to prevent the fall in core temperature in these animals during cold exposure is mimicked by administration of a physiological replacement dose of triiodothyronine (T3). We report that, as with leptin, normalization of circulating T3 levels is sufficient both to increase energy expenditure, respiratory quotient, and ambulatory activity and to reduce torpor in ob/ob mice. Yet, unlike leptin, infusing T3 at a dose that normalizes plasma T3 levels fails to prevent the fall of core temperature during mild cold exposure. Because thermal conductance (e.g., heat loss to the environment) was reduced by administration of leptin but not T3, leptin regulation of heat dissipation is implicated as playing a uniquely important role in thermoregulation. Together, these findings identify a key role in thermoregulation for leptin-mediated suppression of thermal conduction via a mechanism that is independent of the thyroid axis.

Although the brain is clearly capable of affecting blood glucose levels, whether such effects are important in day-to-day blood glucose control remains a matter of controversy. In this Perspective, we update and expand on a previously described brain-centric model of glucose homeostasis (1), highlighting recent evidence of the brain’s capacity to influence the biologically defended level of circulating glucose in part through rapid and highly coordinated adjustments of both insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion. We also discuss the possibility that dysfunction of this brain-centric system contributes to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes by raising the defended level of glycemia. Finally, we discuss the implications of these concepts for the future of diabetes treatment. Traditionally, the interaction between pancreatic islets and insulin-sensitive tissues has been deemed sufficient to explain most aspects of glucose homeostasis. Whether the brain participates in the physiological control of circulating glucose levels therefore remains a matter of controversy, and the possibility that a dysfunctional central control system contributes to the pathogenesis of diabetes is only beginning to be explored. The overarching goal of this Perspective is to synthesize work from our laboratory and elsewhere that highlights recent progress and identifies emerging research and therapeutic opportunities in these areas. There is little question about the brain’s ability to influence key determinants of glucose homeostasis (e.g., rates of glucose production or utilization) in response to input from humoral signals, including glucose (2–4) and other nutrients (e.g., amino acids [5] or free fatty acids [6,7]), and nutritionally relevant hormones (e.g., insulin, leptin, ghrelin, and GLP-1 [8–10]). What remains uncertain is the extent to which such effects participate in day-to-day glucoregulation. Studies that use loss-of-function strategies (e.g., targeted gene deletion, receptor blockade, enzyme inhibitors, etc.) are perhaps most …

Dynamic adjustment of insulin secretion to compensate for changes of insulin sensitivity that result from alteration of nutritional or metabolic status is a fundamental aspect of glucose homeostasis. To investigate the role of the brain in this coupling process, we used cold exposure as an experimental paradigm because the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) helps to coordinate the major shifts of tissue glucose utilization needed to ensure that increased thermogenic needs are met. We found that glucose-induced insulin secretion declined by 50% in rats housed at 5°C for 28 h, and yet, glucose tolerance did not change, owing to a doubling of insulin sensitivity. These potent effects on insulin secretion and sensitivity were fully reversed by returning animals to room temperature (22°C) for 4 h or by intravenous infusion of the α-adrenergic receptor antagonist phentolamine for only 30 min. By comparison, insulin clearance was not affected by cold exposure or phentolamine infusion. These findings offer direct evidence of a key role for the brain, acting via the SNS, in the rapid, highly coordinated, and reciprocal changes of insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity that preserve glucose homeostasis in the setting of cold exposure.

Objective To investigate the role played by leptin in thermoregulation, we studied the effects of physiological leptin replacement in leptin-deficient ob/ob mice on determinants of energy balance, thermogenesis and heat retention under 3 different ambient temperatures. Methods The effects of housing at 14 °C, 22 °C or 30 °C on core temperature (telemetry), energy expenditure (respirometry), thermal conductance, body composition, energy intake, and locomotor activity (beam breaks) were measured in ob/ob mice implanted subcutaneously with osmotic minipumps at a dose designed to deliver a physiological replacement dose of leptin or its vehicle-control. Results As expected, the hypothermic phenotype of ob/ob mice was partially rescued by administration of leptin at a dose that restores plasma levels into the physiological range. This effect of leptin was not due to increased energy expenditure, as cold exposure markedly and equivalently stimulated energy expenditure and induced activation of brown adipose tissue irrespective of leptin treatment. Instead, the effect of physiological leptin replacement to raise core body temperature of cold-exposed ob/ob mice was associated with reduced thermal conductance, implying a physiological role for leptin in heat conservation. Finally, both leptin- and vehicle-treated ob/ob mice failed to match energy intake to expenditure during cold exposure, resulting in weight loss. Conclusions The physiological effect of leptin to reduce thermal conductance contributes to maintenance of core body temperature under sub-thermoneutral conditions., Highlights • Physiological leptin replacement partially rescues hypothermia in cold-exposed ob/ob mice. • Leptin's normothermic effect cannot be explained by increased energy expenditure. • This effect does not appear to be mediated by changes in physical activity. • Leptin promotes normothermia during cold exposure by reducing thermal conductance.

Mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is a molecular node that couples extracellular cues to a wide range of cellular events controlling various physiological processes. Here, we identified mTORC1 signaling as a critical mediator of angiotensin II (Ang II) action in the brain. In neuronal GT1–7 cells, we show that Ang II stimulates neuronal mTORC1 signaling in an Ang II type 1 receptor-dependent manner. In mice, a single intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection or chronic sc infusion of Ang II activated mTORC1 signaling in the subfornical organ, a critical brain region in cardiovascular control and fluid balance. Moreover, transgenic sRA mice with brain-specific overproduction of Ang II displayed increased mTORC1 signaling in the subfornical organ. To test the functional role of brain mTORC1 in mediating the action of Ang II, we examined the consequence of mTORC1 inhibition with rapamycin on Ang II-induced increase in water intake and arterial pressure. ICV pretreatment with rapamycin blocked ICV Ang II-mediated increases in the frequency, duration, and amount of water intake but did not interfere with the pressor response evoked by Ang II. In addition, ICV delivery of rapamycin significantly reduced polydipsia, but not hypertension, of sRA mice. These results demonstrate that mTORC1 is a novel downstream pathway of Ang II type 1 receptor signaling in the brain and selectively mediates the effect of Ang II on drinking behavior.

Insulin action in the brain particularly the hypothalamus is critically involved in the regulation of several physiological processes, including energy homeostasis and sympathetic nerve activity, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is implicated in the control of diverse cellular functions, including sensing nutrients and energy status. Here, we examined the role of hypothalamic mTORC1 in mediating the anorectic, weight-reducing, and sympathetic effects of central insulin action. In a mouse hypothalamic cell line (GT1–7), insulin treatment increased mTORC1 activity in a time-dependent manner. In addition, intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of insulin to mice activated mTORC1 pathway in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus, a key site of central action of insulin. Interestingly, inhibition of hypothalamic mTORC1 with rapamycin reversed the food intake- and body weight-lowering effects of ICV insulin. Rapamycin also abolished the ability of ICV insulin to cause lumbar sympathetic nerve activation. In GT1–7 cells, we found that insulin activation of mTORC1 pathway requires phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K). Consistent with this, genetic disruption of PI3K in mice abolished insulin stimulation of hypothalamic mTORC1 signaling as well as the lumbar sympathetic nerve activation evoked by insulin. These results demonstrate the importance of mTORC1 pathway in the hypothalamus in mediating the action of insulin to regulate energy homeostasis and sympathetic nerve traffic. Our data also highlight the key role of PI3K as a link between insulin receptor and mTORC1 signaling in the hypothalamus.

Background— Obesity causes hypertension and sympathoactivation, a process proposed to be mediated by leptin. Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B), a major new pharmaceutical target in the treatment of obesity and type II diabetes mellitus, constrains the metabolic actions of leptin, but the extent to which PTP1B regulates its cardiovascular effects is unclear. This study examined the hypothesis that PTP1B is a negative regulator of the cardiovascular effects of leptin. Methods and Results— PTP1B knockout mice had lower body fat but higher mean arterial pressure (116±5 versus 105±5 mm Hg, P P P P 1 -adrenergic receptor subtypes, consistent with blunted constriction to phenylephrine. Conclusions— These data indicate that PTP1B is a key regulator of the cardiovascular effects of leptin and that reduced vascular adrenergic reactivity provides a compensatory limit to the effects of leptin on mean arterial pressure.

Mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is a molecular hub for signaling pathways mediating a wide range of cellular events involved in the regulation of various physiological and pathophysiological processes. We previously demonstrated that Angiotensin II (Ang II) activates mTORC1 and its downstream effector ribosomal protein S6 kinase in neurons in vitro . Here, we investigated the role of brain mTORC1 in hypertension and polydipsia induced by Ang II. In wild-type mice, acute stimulation of angiotensin type 1 receptor signaling by intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of Ang II (1 μg, 30 min) activated mTORC1 signaling in the subfornical organ (SFO), a critical brain region in cardiovascular control and fluid balance, as indicated by the significant increase in the number of phosphorylated S6-positive cells (32±2 vs 13±3 in vehicle group). Similar upregulation of the mTORC1 pathway in the SFO was also found in the mice treated subcutaneously with Ang II (1000 ng/kg/min) using an osmotic minipump for 1 week (27±3 vs 11±2 in vehicle group). To verify functional roles of the Ang II activation of mTORC1 in the SFO, we utilized hypertensive and polydipsic transgenic mice (sRA) that have a hyperactive brain renin-angiotensin system, resulting in SFO-overproduction of Ang II. Interestingly, sRA mice exhibited substantially elevated phospho-S6 immunoreactivity only in the SFO (64±6 vs 36±8 in controls) but not in other cardiovascular regulatory regions including the paraventricular nucleus. ICV delivery of mTORC1 blocker, rapamycin (10 ng/day for 7 days) significantly (p

Neurogenic mechanisms play a major role in obesity-induced increase in sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) and arterial pressure, but the molecular pathways involved remain ill defined. Mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling in the hypothalamus has emerged as a critical molecular regulator of SNA, vascular function and arterial pressure. To analyze the status of hypothalamic mTORC1 signaling in obesity we compared the phosphorylated levels of ribosomal protein S6, a downstream effector of mTORC1, in the brain between obesity prone (OP) and obesity resistant (OR) rats. Body weight was elevated (P

Our previous studies demonstrated roles of cyclic nucleotides in gamma-globin gene expression. We recently found that, upon activation of the cAMP pathway, expression of the gamma-globin gene is inhibited in K562 cells but induced in adult erythroblasts. Here we show that c-Myb, a proto-oncogene product that plays a role in cell growth and differentiation, is involved in the cAMP-mediated differential regulation of gamma-globin gene expression in K562 cells and primary erythroblasts. Our studies found that c-Myb is expressed at a high level in K562 cells compared to primary erythroblasts, and that c-Myb expression is further increased following the treatment with forskolin, an adenylate cyclase activator. The induction of gamma-globin gene expression was also inhibited in K562 cells by raising the levels of c-Myb expression. Importantly, forskolin-induced erythroid differentiation in K562 cells, as determined by the expression of glycophorins and CD71, suggesting that high-level expression of c-Myb may not be sufficient to inhibit the differentiation of erythroid cells. In contrast, c-Myb was not expressed in adult erythroblasts treated with forskolin and primary erythroblasts may lack the c-Myb-mediated inhibitory mechanism for gamma-globin gene expression. Together, these results show that the cAMP pathway blocks gamma-globin gene expression in K562 cells by increasing c-Myb expression and c-Myb plays a role in defining the mode of response of the gamma-globin gene to fetal hemoglobin inducers in erythroid cells.

The magnetic and electronic transport properties and the specific heat of La 1- x Ca x CoO 3 (0.05≤ x ≤0.5) have been investigated. In the whole composition range, the Co atoms are in an intermedia...

Angiotensin II (Ang II) is a major effector peptide of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). Ang II-induced activation of angiotensin type 1 receptor (AT1R) signaling in cardiovascular-related brain ...

Insulin action in the hypothalamus produces sympathetic nerve activation with pathological implications in obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, the molecular events mediating the sympathetic effects evoked by hypothalamic action of insulin are poorly understood. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) which can be activated by the insulin receptor has emerged as an important regulator of sympathetic nerve activity (SNA). Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathway is an important upstream regulator of mTOR signaling; and insulin stimulates PI3K in the hypothalamus. Thus, we postulate that the PI3K-mTOR axis is critical for insulin-induced sympathetic nerve activation. In hypothalamic GT1-7 neurons, we found that insulin (100 nM) activated mTOR signaling as indicated by the increase in phosphorylated levels of the downstream effectors, S6K (1.5-fold) and S6 (1.4-fold), measured by Western blot. In GT1-7 neurons, insulin also increased the phosphorylation levels of Akt (2.7-fold), a downstream effector of PI3K. Importantly, inhibition of PI3K (LY294202, 10 μM) abolished insulin-induced activation of S6K and S6. To study further the contribution of PI3K signaling to the insulin action, we used p110αD933/WT mice which carry a heterozygous mutation disrupting PI3K signaling. In wild type (WT) control mice, ICV administration of insulin (100 μU) significantly elevated the number of phospho-S6 positive cells in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (29±1, n=3, p

Hypothalamic insulin receptor (IR) signaling has been implicated in the regulation of energy homeostasis and sympathetic nerve activity (SNA). Recent studies demonstrated that the sympathetic action of insulin emanates from the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC). However, the specific neuronal population within the ARC that mediates the sympathetic effect of insulin is unknown. We hypothesized that proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons of the ARC which contain the insulin receptor (IR) are critical for the increases in SNA in response to insulin. To test this, we generated mice lacking the IR specifically in POMC neurons (IRΔPOMC mice) by crossing the IRflox/flox mice with POMCCre mice. First, we visualized POMC promoter-driven Cre recombinase expression by crossing POMCCre mice with tdTomato reporter mice. tdTomato fluorescence was detected mainly in the ARC and overlapped with staining for β-endorphin (a POMC proteolytic product). As previously reported, body weight of IRΔPOMC mice (at 12 weeks of age: 23±1 g, n=8) was not significantly different (p=0.21) from littermate controls (25±2 g, n=8). There was also no significant difference in fat pad weights (brown adipose tissue, peri-gonadal and peri-renal) between IRΔPOMC mice and littermate controls. Next, we used direct multifiber nerve recording to assess the sympathetic effects of insulin. In wild type mice, intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of insulin (100 μU) caused a robust increase in lumbar SNA (202±36%, n=7). Surprisingly, genetic deletion of the IR from POMC neurons by loxP-Cre recombination did not alter the sympathetic response as indicated by the comparable (p=0.24 vs. littermate controls) increase in lumbar SNA in the IRΔPOMC mice in response to ICV insulin (264±40%, n=7). Ongoing studies are aimed to determine whether deletion of the IR from POMC neurons interferes with the ability of insulin to increase SNA subserving tissues other than the hindlimb. We conclude that insulin receptor signaling in POMC neurons does not mediate the lumbar sympathetic nerve activation evoked by insulin.

Increased regional sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) triggered by central nervous system (CNS) action of insulin has diverse physiological and pathophysiological implications. However, the molecular events underlying CNS action of insulin in mediating SNA elevation are poorly understood. Previously, we reported that pharmacological inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) selectively blocked the lumbar SNA response to intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of insulin. Here, we tested the effect of genetic disruption of p110α catalytic subunit of PI3K on the sympathetic effect of CNS insulin. For this, we utilized a mouse model (p110αD933/WT) carrying a heterozygous mutation in p110α catalytic subunit of PI3K. We used multifiber sympathetic nerve recording to assess the SNA effects of insulin. In wild type mice, ICV administration of insulin (100 μU) caused a robust increase in lumbar SNA (259±37%, n=8). In contrast, ICV insulin failed to increase lumbar SNA in p110αD933/WTmice (−12±21%, n=5, P

Given the importance of Jak2 in cell signaling, a critical role for Jak2 in immune cells especially dendritic cells (DCs) has long been proposed. The exact function for Jak2 in DCs, however, remained poorly understood as Jak2 deficiency leads to embryonic lethality. Here we established Jak2 deficiency in adult Cre(+/+)Jak2(fl/fl) mice by tamoxifen induction. Loss of Jak2 significantly impaired DC development as manifested by reduced BMDC yield, smaller spleen size and reduced percentage of DCs in total splenocytes. Jak2 was also crucial for the capacity of DCs to mediate innate immune response. Jak2(-/-) DCs were less potent in response to inflammatory stimuli and showed reduced capacity to secrete proinflammatory cytokines such as TNFalpha and IL-12. As a result, Jak2(-/-) mice were defective for the early clearance of Listeria after infection. However, their potency to mediate adaptive immune response was not affected. Unlike DCs, Jak2(-/-) macrophages showed similar capacity secretion of proinflammatory cytokines, suggesting that Jak2 selectively modulates innate immune response in a DC-dependent manner. Consistent with these results, Jak2(-/-) mice were remarkably resistant to lethal dose of LPS-induced septic shock, a deadly sepsis characterized by the excessive innate immune response, and adoptive transfer of normal DCs restored their susceptibility to LPS-induced septic shock. Mechanistic studies revealed that Jak2/SATA5 signaling is pivotal for DC development and maturation, while the capacity for DCs secretion of proinflammatory cytokines is regulated by both Jak2/STAT5 and Jak2/STAT6 signaling.

Rationale: Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular dysfunction, yet the underlying factors driving this impaired function remain poorly understood. Insulin resistance is a common pathology in obese patients and has been shown to impair vascular function. Whether insulin resistance or obesity, itself, is causal remains unclear. Objective: The present study tested the hypothesis that insulin resistance is the underlying mediator for impaired NO-mediated dilation in obesity by genetic deletion of the insulin-desensitizing enzyme protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP)1B in db/db mice. Methods and Results: The db/db mouse is morbidly obese, insulin-resistant, and has tissue-specific elevation in PTP1B expression compared to lean controls. In db/db mice, PTP1B deletion improved glucose clearance, dyslipidemia, and insulin receptor signaling in muscle and fat. Hepatic insulin signaling in db/db mice was not improved by deletion of PTP1B, indicating specific amelioration of peripheral insulin resistance. Additionally, obese mice demonstrate an impaired endothelium dependent and independent vasodilation to acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside, respectively. This impairment, which correlated with increased superoxide in the db/db mice, was corrected by superoxide scavenging. Increased superoxide production was associated with increased expression of NAD(P)H oxidase 1 and its molecular regulators, Noxo1 and Noxa1. Conclusions: Deletion of PTP1B improved both endothelium dependent and independent NO-mediated dilation and reduced superoxide generation in db/db mice. PTP1B deletion did not affect any vascular function in lean mice. Taken together, these data reveal a role for peripheral insulin resistance as the mediator of vascular dysfunction in obesity.