Skeletal muscle of insulin resistant individuals is characterized by lower fasting lipid oxidation and reduced ability to switch between lipid and glucose oxidation. The purpose of the present study was to examine if impaired metabolic switching could be induced by chronic hyperglycemia. Human myotubes were treated with or without chronic hyperglycemia (HG) (20 mmol/l glucose for 4 days), and the metabolism of [14C]oleic acid (OA) and [14C]glucose was studied. Acute glucose (5mmol/l) suppressed OA oxidation by 50% in normoglycemic (NG) (5.5 mmol/l glucose) cells. Myotubes exposed to chronic hyperglycemia showed a significantly reduced OA uptake and oxidation to CO2, whereas acid-soluble metabolites were increased. Glucose suppressibility, the ability of acute glucose to suppress lipid oxidation, was significantly reduced to 21%, while adaptability, the capacity to increase lipid oxidation with increasing fatty acid availability, was unaffected. Glucose uptake and oxidation was significantly reduced by about 40%. Substrate oxidation in presence of mitochondrial uncouplers showed that net and maximal oxidative capacities were significantly reduced after hyperglycemia, and the concentration of ATP was reduced by 25%. However, none of the measured mitochondrial genes were downregulated nor was mitochondrial content. Microarray showed that no genes were significantly regulated by chronic hyperglycemia. Addition of chronic lactate reduced both glucose and OA oxidation to the same extent as hyperglycemia, and this effect was specific for lactate. In conclusions, chronic hyperglycemia reduced substrate oxidation in skeletal muscle cells and impaired the metabolic switching. The effect is most likely due to an induced mitochondrial dysfunction.
Chronic hyperglycemia reduces substrate oxidation and impairs metabolic switching of human myotubes.
Specimen part
View SamplesThe aim of the present work was to study the effects of benfotiamine (S-benzoylthiamine O-monophosphate) upon glucose and lipid metabolism and gene expression in differentiated human skeletal muscle cells (myotubes) incubated for 4 days under normal (5.5 mM glucose) and hyperglycemic (20 mM glucose) conditions.
Benfotiamine increases glucose oxidation and downregulates NADPH oxidase 4 expression in cultured human myotubes exposed to both normal and high glucose concentrations.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesAims/hypothesis: While lipid deposition in skeletal muscle is considered to be involved in obesity-associated insulin resistance, neutral intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) accumulation per se does not necessarily induce insulin resistance. We previously demonstrated that overexpression of the lipid droplet coat protein perilipin 2 augments intramyocellular lipid content while improving insulin sensitivity. Another member of the perilipin family, perilipin 5 (PLIN5), is predominantly expressed in oxidative tissues like skeletal muscle. Here we investigated the effects of PLIN5 overexpression in comparison with effects of PLIN2 on skeletal muscle lipid levels, gene expression profiles and insulin sensitivity. Methods: Gene electroporation was used to overexpress PLIN5 in tibialis anterior muscle of rats fed a high fat diet. Eight days after electroporation, insulin-mediated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle was measured by means of a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp. Electron microscopy, fluorescence microscopy and lipid extractions were performed to investigate IMCL accumulation. Gene expression profiles were obtained using microarrays. Results: TAG storage and lipid droplet size increased upon PLIN5 overexpression. Despite the higher IMCL content, insulin sensitivity was not impaired and DAG and acylcarnitine levels were unaffected. In contrast to the effects of PLIN2 overexpression, microarray data analysis revealed a gene expression profile favoring FA oxidation and improved mitochondrial function. Conclusions/interpretation: Both PLIN2 and PLIN5 increase neutral IMCL content without impeding insulin-mediated glucose uptake. As opposed to the effects of PLIN2 overexpression, overexpression of PLIN5 in skeletal muscle promoted expression of a cluster of genes under control of PPAR and PGC1 involved in FA catabolism and mitochondrial oxidation.
Overexpression of PLIN5 in skeletal muscle promotes oxidative gene expression and intramyocellular lipid content without compromising insulin sensitivity.
Sex, Age, Specimen part, Treatment
View Samples1,2-unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) are plant metabolites predominantly occurring in the plant families Asteraceae and Boraginaceae. Acute and chronic PA poisoning causes severe hepatotoxicity. So far, the molecular mechanisms of PA toxicity are not well understood. To analyze its mode of action, primary human hepatocytes were exposed to a non-cytotoxic dose of 100 M of four structurally different PA: echimidine, heliotrine, senecionine, senkirkine. Changes in mRNA expression were analyzed by a whole genome microarray. Employing cut-off values with a |fold change| of 2 and a q-value of 0.01, data analysis revealed numerous changes in gene expression. In total, 4556, 1806, 3406 and 8623 genes were regulated by echimidine, heliotrine, senecione and senkirkine, respectively. 1304 genes were identified as commonly regulated. PA affected pathways related to cell cycle regulation, cell death and cancer development. The transcription factors TP53, MYC, NFB and NUPR1 were predicted to be activated upon PA treatment. Furthermore, gene expression data showed a considerable interference with lipid metabolism and bile acid flow. The associated transcription factors FXR, LXR, SREBF1/2, and PPAR// were predicted to be inhibited. In conclusion, though structurally different, all four PA significantly regulated a great number of genes in common. This proposes similar molecular mechanisms, although the extent seems to differ between the analyzed PA as reflected by the potential hepatotoxicity and individual PA structure.
Disturbance of gene expression in primary human hepatocytes by hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids: A whole genome transcriptome analysis.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesType 2 diabetes is characterized by excessive lipid storage in skeletal muscle. Excessive intramyocellular lipid storage exceeds intracellular needs and induces lipotoxic events ultimately contributing to the development of insulin resistance. Lipid droplet (LD)-coating proteins may control proper lipid storage in skeletal muscle. Perilipin 2 (PLIN2/ADRP) is one of the most abundantly expressed LD-coating proteins in skeletal muscle. Here we examined the role of PLIN2 in myocellular lipid handling and insulin sensitivity by investigating the effects of in vitro PLIN2 knockdown and in vitro and in vivo overexpression. PLIN2 knockdown decreased LD formation and triacylglycerol storage, marginally increased FA oxidation, and increased incorporation of palmitate into diacylglycerols and phospholipids. PLIN2 overexpression in vitro increased intramyocellular TAG storage paralleled with improved insulin sensitivity. In vivo muscle-specific PLIN2 overexpression resulted in increased LD accumulation and blunted the high-fat diet-induced increase of OXPHOS protein content. Diacylglycerol levels were unchanged, while ceramide levels were increased. Despite the increased intramyocellular lipid accumulation, PLIN2 overexpression improved skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity. We conclude that PLIN2 is essential for lipid storage in skeletal muscle by enhancing the partitioning of excess FAs towards triacylglycerol storage in LDs thereby blunting lipotoxicity-associated insulin resistance.
Perilipin 2 improves insulin sensitivity in skeletal muscle despite elevated intramuscular lipid levels.
Cell line
View SamplesDeficiencies in the ATM gene are the underlying cause for ataxia telangiectasia, a congenital syndrome characterized by neurological, motor and immunological defects, as well as a predisposition to cancer risks. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small regulators of post-transcriptional gene expression and a useful tool for cancer diagnosis, staging, and prediction of therapeutic responses to clinical regimens. In particular, miRNAs have been used to develop signatures for breast cancer profiling. We are interested in the consequences of ATM deficiency on miRNA expression in breast epithelial cells and the potential contribution to cancer predisposition. In this study we investigate the effects of ATM loss on the miRNA expression and related gene expression changes in normal human mammary epithelial cells (HME-CC). We have identified 81 significantly differently expressed miRNAs in the ATM-deficient HME-CCs using small RNA sequencing. Many of these differentially expressed miRNAs have been described and implicated in tumorigenesis and proliferation. These changes include down-regulation of tumor suppressor miRNAs, such as hsa-miR-29c and hsa-miR-16, as well as the over-expression of pro-oncogenic miRNAs hsa-miR-93 and hsa-mir-221. All 81 miRNAs were combined with genome wide gene expression profiles to investigate possible targets of miRNA regulation. We identified messenger RNA (mRNA) targets of these miRNAs that were also significantly regulated after the depletion of ATM. Predicted targets included many genes implicated in cancer formation and progression, including SOCS1 and the proto-oncogene MAF. Integrated analysis of miRNA and mRNA expression allows us to build a more complete understanding of the pathways and networks involved in the breast cancer predisposition observed in individuals deficient in ATM. This study highlights miRNA and predicted mRNA target expression changes in ATM-deficient HME-CCs and suggests a mechanism for the breast cancer-prone phenotype seen in ATM deficient cells and patients. Additionally, this study provides preliminary data for defining miRNA profiles that may be used prognostic biomarkers for breast cancer predisposition. Overall design: Examination of small RNA population in human mammary epithelial cell lines. Each condition was preformed in triplicate.
Genome-wide small RNA sequencing and gene expression analysis reveals a microRNA profile of cancer susceptibility in ATM-deficient human mammary epithelial cells.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesIdentification of AP-2d target genes in the midbrain of E15 mouse embryos
AP-2δ is a crucial transcriptional regulator of the posterior midbrain.
Specimen part
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Comparative transcriptome analysis of human skeletal muscle in response to cold acclimation and exercise training in human volunteers.
Sex, Disease, Subject, Time
View SamplesBackground: Cold acclimation and exercise training were previously shown to increase peripheral insulin sensitivity in human volunteers with type 2 diabetes. Although cold is a potent activator of brown adipose tissue, the increase in peripheral insulin sensitivity by cold is largely mediated by events occurring in skeletal muscle and at least partly involves GLUT4 translocation, as is also observed for exercise training. Results: To investigate if cold acclimation and exercise training overlap in the molecular adaptive response in skeletal muscle, we performed transcriptomics analysis on vastus lateralis muscle collected from human subjects before and after 10 days of cold acclimation, as well as before and after a 12-week exercise training intervention. Methods: Cold acclimation altered the expression of 756 genes (422 up, 334 down, P<0.01), while exercise training altered the expression of 665 genes (444 up, 221 down, P<0.01). Principal Component Analysis, Venn diagram, similarity analysis and Rank–rank Hypergeometric Overlap all indicated significant overlap between cold acclimation and exercise training in upregulated genes, but not in downregulated genes. Overlapping gene regulation was especially evident for genes and pathways associated with extracellular matrix remodeling. Interestingly, the genes most highly induced by cold acclimation were involved in contraction and in signal transduction between nerve and muscle cells, while no significant changes were observed in genes and pathways related to insulin signaling or glucose metabolism. Conclusions: Overall, our results indicate that cold acclimation and exercise training have overlapping effects on gene expression in human skeletal muscle, but strikingly these overlapping genes are designated to pathways related to cell remodeling rather than metabolic pathways.
Comparative transcriptome analysis of human skeletal muscle in response to cold acclimation and exercise training in human volunteers.
Sex, Disease, Subject, Time
View SamplesBackground: Cold acclimation and exercise training were previously shown to increase peripheral insulin sensitivity in human volunteers with type 2 diabetes. Although cold is a potent activator of brown adipose tissue, the increase in peripheral insulin sensitivity by cold is largely mediated by events occurring in skeletal muscle and at least partly involves GLUT4 translocation, as is also observed for exercise training. Results: To investigate if cold acclimation and exercise training overlap in the molecular adaptive response in skeletal muscle, we performed transcriptomics analysis on vastus lateralis muscle collected from human subjects before and after 10 days of cold acclimation, as well as before and after a 12-week exercise training intervention. Methods: Cold acclimation altered the expression of 756 genes (422 up, 334 down, P<0.01), while exercise training altered the expression of 665 genes (444 up, 221 down, P<0.01). Principal Component Analysis, Venn diagram, similarity analysis and Rank–rank Hypergeometric Overlap all indicated significant overlap between cold acclimation and exercise training in upregulated genes, but not in downregulated genes. Overlapping gene regulation was especially evident for genes and pathways associated with extracellular matrix remodeling. Interestingly, the genes most highly induced by cold acclimation were involved in contraction and in signal transduction between nerve and muscle cells, while no significant changes were observed in genes and pathways related to insulin signaling or glucose metabolism. Conclusions: Overall, our results indicate that cold acclimation and exercise training have overlapping effects on gene expression in human skeletal muscle, but strikingly these overlapping genes are designated to pathways related to cell remodeling rather than metabolic pathways.
Comparative transcriptome analysis of human skeletal muscle in response to cold acclimation and exercise training in human volunteers.
Sex, Disease, Subject, Time
View Samples