Background: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes has increased dramatically in recent decades. Increasing brown adipose tissue (BAT) mass and activity has recently emerged as an interesting approach to not only increase energy expenditure, but also improve glucose homeostasis. BAT can be recruited by prolonged cold exposure in lean, healthy humans. Here, we tested whether cold acclimation could have therapeutic value for patients with type 2 diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity. Methods: Eight type 2 diabetic patients (age 59.35.8 years, BMI 29.83.2 kg/m2) followed a cold acclimation protocol, consisting of intermittent cold exposure (6 hours/day, 14-14.5 C) for 12 consecutive days. Before and after cold acclimation, cold-induced BAT activity was assessed by [18F]FDG-PET/CT scanning, insulin sensitivity at thermoneutrality by a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, and muscle and WAT biopsies were taken. Results: Cold-induced BAT activity was low, but increased in all patients upon cold acclimation (SUV from 0.400.29 to 0.630.78, p<0.05). Interestingly, insulin sensitivity showed a very pronounced 40% increase upon cold acclimation (glucose rate of disappearance from 14.94.1 to 20.56.9 mol kg-1 min-1, p<0.05). A 40% increase in insulin sensitivity cannot be explained by BAT glucose uptake, in fact basal skeletal muscle GLUT4 content and translocation was markedly increased after cold acclimation, without effects on insulin signaling or AMPk activation. Conclusions: Regular mild cold exposure has marked effects on insulin sensitivity, which are accompanied by small increases in BAT activity and more pronounced effects on skeletal muscle. These data suggest a novel therapeutic option for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Short-term cold acclimation improves insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Subject
View SamplesZebrafish embryos have been proposed as an attractive alternative model system for hepatotoxicity testing.
A transcriptomics-based hepatotoxicity comparison between the zebrafish embryo and established human and rodent in vitro and in vivo models using cyclosporine A, amiodarone and acetaminophen.
Compound
View SamplesWe sequenced mRNA from 6 samples of FACsorted telencephalons from E14.5 Sip1|Nkx2-1 knockout and WT|Nkx2-1 control mouse embryos to find differentially expressed genes in the absence of the transcription factor Sip1. Overall design: Examination of mRNA levels in 3 control and 3 Sip1|Nkx2-1 knockout samples
Directed migration of cortical interneurons depends on the cell-autonomous action of Sip1.
Specimen part, Cell line, Subject
View SamplesTo capture the Zeb2-dependent transcriptional changes in early cell state/fate decisions we performed RNA-seq on Zeb2 control and Zeb2 knockout cells. We chose three stages, which correspond in control ESCs to the naive pluripotent state (d0; very low amounts of Zeb2 mRNA), multipotent progenitors (d4, low Zeb2 mRNA/protein) and early neural progenitors (d6, high Zeb2 mRNA/protein), respectively. Overall design: Three biological replicates of Zeb2 control (Ctrl) and Zeb2 knockout (KO) samples on day 0, day 4 and day 6 of neural differentiation were used in this study (18 samples in total)
Zeb2 Regulates Cell Fate at the Exit from Epiblast State in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells.
Cell line, Subject
View SamplesTranscription factor complexes bind to regulatory sequences of genes, providing a system of individual expression regulation. Targets of distinct transcription factors usually map throughout the genome, without clustering. Nevertheless, highly and weakly expressed genes do cluster in separate chromosomal domains with an average size of 80 to 90 genes. We therefore asked whether, besides transcription factors, an additional level of gene expression regulation exists that acts on chromosomal domains. Here we show that identical green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter constructs integrated at 90 different chromosomal positions determined by sequencing, obtain expression levels that correspond to the activity of the domains of integration. These domains are about 80 genes long and can exert an effect of up to 8-fold on the expression of integrated genes. 3D-FISH shows that active domains of integration have a more open chromatin structure than integration domains with weak activity. These results reveal a novel domain-wide regulatory mechanism that, together with transcription factors, exerts a dual control over gene transcription.
Domain-wide regulation of gene expression in the human genome.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesC57Bl6J mice were injected CCL4 for 8 weeks to induce liver injury and livers were used to prepare RNA.
Interspecies NASH disease activity whole-genome profiling identifies a fibrogenic role of PPARα-regulated dermatopontin.
Sex, Specimen part, Treatment
View SamplesThe three-dimensional (3D) folding of the chromosomal fibre in the human interphase nucleus is an important, but poorly understood aspect of gene regulation. Especially basic principles of 3D chromatin and chromosome organisation are still elusive. In this paper, we quantitatively analyse the 3D structure of large parts of chromosomes 1 and 11 in the G1 nucleus of human cells and relate it to the human transcriptome map (HTM). Despite a considerable cell-to-cell variation, our results show that subchromosomal domains, which are highly expressed, are more decondensed, have a more irregular shape and are located in the nuclear interior compared to clusters of low expressed genes. These aspects of chromosome structure are shared by six different cell lines and therefore are independent of cell type specific differences in gene expression within the investigated domains. Systematic measurements show that there is little to no intermingling of chromatin from different parts of the same chromosome, indicating that the chromosomal fibre itself is a compact structure. Together, our results reveal several basic aspects of 3D chromosome architecture, which are related to genome function.
The three-dimensional structure of human interphase chromosomes is related to the transcriptome map.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesThe homeostasis of circulating B cell subsets in the peripheral blood of healthy adults is well regulated, but in disease it can be severely disturbed. Thus, a subgroup of patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) presents with an extraordinary expansion of an unusual B cell population characterized by the low expression of CD21. Since these circulating atypical B cells in the blood of CVID patients could not be assigned to any certain B cell differentiation stage in the periphery, they were designated as CD21low B cells. Although, CD21low B cells are polyclonal and unmutated IgM+IgD+ B cells like naive B cells in the peripheral blood, they reveal several distinct phenotypic and functional features.
Circulating CD21low B cells in common variable immunodeficiency resemble tissue homing, innate-like B cells.
Specimen part, Disease
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
FMRP stalls ribosomal translocation on mRNAs linked to synaptic function and autism.
Sex, Specimen part
View SamplesThe Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein, FMRP, is thought to regulate the translation of a specific set of neuronal mRNAs on polyribosomes. Therefore, we prepared polyribosomes on sucrose gradients and purified mRNA specifically from these fractions, as well as the total mRNA levels, to determine whether a set of mRNAs might be changed in its % association with polyribosomes in the absence of FMRP in the KO mouse model.
FMRP stalls ribosomal translocation on mRNAs linked to synaptic function and autism.
Sex, Specimen part
View Samples