Background Uncoupling protein (UCP) 2 is related to the dysfunction of beta cells induced by fatty acids. However,whether UCP2 has similar effects on alpha cell is still not clear. This study aimed to investigate th...Background Uncoupling protein (UCP) 2 is related to the dysfunction of beta cells induced by fatty acids. However,whether UCP2 has similar effects on alpha cell is still not clear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of UCP2 and its possible mechanisms in lipotoxicity-induced dysfunction of pancreatic alpha cells.Methods The alpha TC1-6 cells were used in this study to evaluate the effects of palmitate and/or UCP2 inhibit factors on the glucagon secretory function, glucagon content, the glucagon mRNA level and the nitrotyrosine level in the supernatant. Meantime, the expression levels of UCP2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1 alpha) were measured by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting. Furthermore, the possible relationship between UCP2 and insulin signal transduction pathway was analyzed.Results Palmitate stimulated alpha cell glucagon secretion and the expression of UCP2 and PGC-1 alpha, which could be partially decreased by the inhibition of UCP2. Palmitate increased nitrotyrosine level and suppressed insulin signal transduction pathway in alpha cells. Inhibition of UCP2 influenced the effects of free fatty acid on alpha cells and may relate to glucagon secretion.Conclusion UCP2 played an important role on alpha cell dysfunction induced by free fatty acid in vitro, which may be related to its effects on oxidative stress and insulin signal transduction pathway.展开更多
Background Currently it is unclear whether lipid accumulation occurs in a particular sequence and its relationship with whole body insulin resistance (IR). This study aimed to answer this question.Methods Male Sprag...Background Currently it is unclear whether lipid accumulation occurs in a particular sequence and its relationship with whole body insulin resistance (IR). This study aimed to answer this question.Methods Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed on a normal or a high-fat diet for 20 weeks. Serum triglycerides (TG), serum free fatty acids (FFA), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and liver and skeletal muscle TG were measured. The glucose infusion rate (GIR) and mRNA levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1) in the liver and skeletal muscle were determined at different stages.Results Compared with rats fed on the normal diet, serum FFA was not significantly increased in rats fed on the high-fat diet until 20 weeks. In contrast, liver TG was significantly increased by the high-fat diet by four weeks (20-fold; P <0.01),and remained elevated until the end of the study. However, skeletal muscle TG was not significantly increased by the high-fat diet until 20 weeks (10.6-fold; P<0.01), and neither was the FPG. The GIR was significantly reduced (1.6-fold; P <0.01) by the high-fat diet after 8 weeks. The mRNA levels of ACC gradually increased over time and CPT-1 decreased over time, in both the liver and skeletal muscle in rats fed the high-fat diet.Conclusions Lipid accumulation in the liver occurs earlier than lipid accumulation in the skeletal muscle. Fatty liver may be one of the early markers of whole body IR. Changes in the gene expression levels of ACC and CPT-1 may have important roles in the process of IR development.展开更多
文摘Background Uncoupling protein (UCP) 2 is related to the dysfunction of beta cells induced by fatty acids. However,whether UCP2 has similar effects on alpha cell is still not clear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of UCP2 and its possible mechanisms in lipotoxicity-induced dysfunction of pancreatic alpha cells.Methods The alpha TC1-6 cells were used in this study to evaluate the effects of palmitate and/or UCP2 inhibit factors on the glucagon secretory function, glucagon content, the glucagon mRNA level and the nitrotyrosine level in the supernatant. Meantime, the expression levels of UCP2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1 alpha) were measured by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting. Furthermore, the possible relationship between UCP2 and insulin signal transduction pathway was analyzed.Results Palmitate stimulated alpha cell glucagon secretion and the expression of UCP2 and PGC-1 alpha, which could be partially decreased by the inhibition of UCP2. Palmitate increased nitrotyrosine level and suppressed insulin signal transduction pathway in alpha cells. Inhibition of UCP2 influenced the effects of free fatty acid on alpha cells and may relate to glucagon secretion.Conclusion UCP2 played an important role on alpha cell dysfunction induced by free fatty acid in vitro, which may be related to its effects on oxidative stress and insulin signal transduction pathway.
基金This research was partly supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30670995).
文摘Background Currently it is unclear whether lipid accumulation occurs in a particular sequence and its relationship with whole body insulin resistance (IR). This study aimed to answer this question.Methods Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were fed on a normal or a high-fat diet for 20 weeks. Serum triglycerides (TG), serum free fatty acids (FFA), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), and liver and skeletal muscle TG were measured. The glucose infusion rate (GIR) and mRNA levels of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase-1 (CPT-1) in the liver and skeletal muscle were determined at different stages.Results Compared with rats fed on the normal diet, serum FFA was not significantly increased in rats fed on the high-fat diet until 20 weeks. In contrast, liver TG was significantly increased by the high-fat diet by four weeks (20-fold; P <0.01),and remained elevated until the end of the study. However, skeletal muscle TG was not significantly increased by the high-fat diet until 20 weeks (10.6-fold; P<0.01), and neither was the FPG. The GIR was significantly reduced (1.6-fold; P <0.01) by the high-fat diet after 8 weeks. The mRNA levels of ACC gradually increased over time and CPT-1 decreased over time, in both the liver and skeletal muscle in rats fed the high-fat diet.Conclusions Lipid accumulation in the liver occurs earlier than lipid accumulation in the skeletal muscle. Fatty liver may be one of the early markers of whole body IR. Changes in the gene expression levels of ACC and CPT-1 may have important roles in the process of IR development.