Effect of the HF diet and Akt1-mediated muscle growth on gene expression in liver tissue.

In contrast to the well-established role of oxidative muscle fibers in regulating fatty acid oxidation and whole body metabolism, little is known that about the function of fast/glycolytic muscle fibers in these processes. Here, we generated a skeletal muscle-specific, conditional transgenic mouse expressing a constitutively-active form of Akt1. Transgene activation led to muscle hypertrophy due to the growth of type IIb muscle fibers, which was accompanied by an increase in strength. These mice were then used to assess the consequence of building fast/glycolytic muscle fibers on adiposity and metabolism. Akt1 transgene induction in obese mice resulted in reductions in body weight and fat mass, a resolution of hepatic steatosis and improved metabolic parameters. These effects were achieved independent of changes in physical activity and levels of food consumption. Akt1-mediated skeletal muscle growth opposed the effects of high fat/sucrose diet on transcript expression patterns in the liver, and increased hepatic fatty acid oxidation and ketone body production. Our findings indicate that an increase in fast/glycolytic muscle mass can result in the regression of obesity and obesity-related metabolic disorders in part through its ability to alter fatty acid metabolism in remote tissues.

11

Izumiya Y, Hopkins T, Morris C, Sato K, Zeng L, Viereck J, Hamilton JA, Ouchi N, LeBrasseur NK, Walsh K