Adipose Tissue as a Major Launch Spot for Circulating Extracellular Vesicle-Carried MicroRNAs Coordinating Tissue and Systemic Metabolism.

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs), especially transported by extracellular vesicles (EVs), have recently emerged as major new participants in interorgan communication, playing an important role in the metabolic coordination of our tissues. Among these, adipose tissue displays an extraordinary ability to secrete a vast list of EV-carried miRNAs into the circulation, representing new hormone-like factors. Despite the limitations of current methodologies for the unequivocal identification of the origin and destination of EV-carried miRNAs in vivo, recent investigations clearly support the important regulatory role of adipose-derived circulating miRNAs in shaping the metabolism and function of other tissues including the liver, muscle, endocrine pancreas, cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, and brain.

Adipocyte deletion of the oxygen-sensor PHD2 sustains elevated energy expenditure at thermoneutrality.

Enhancing thermogenic brown adipose tissue (BAT) function is a promising therapeutic strategy for metabolic disease. However, predominantly thermoneutral modern human living conditions deactivate BAT. We demonstrate that selective adipocyte deficiency of the oxygen-sensor HIF-prolyl hydroxylase (PHD2) gene overcomes BAT dormancy at thermoneutrality.

Multi-step regulation of microRNA expression and secretion into small extracellular vesicles by insulin.

Tissues release microRNAs (miRNAs) in small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) including exosomes, which can regulate gene expression in distal cells, thus acting as modulators of local and systemic metabolism. Here, we show that insulin regulates miRNA secretion into sEVs from 3T3-L1 adipocytes and that this process is differentially regulated from cellular expression. Thus, of the 53 miRNAs upregulated and 66 miRNAs downregulated by insulin in 3T3-L1 sEVs, only 12 were regulated in parallel in cells.

Reciprocal communication between FAPs and muscle cells via distinct extracellular vesicle miRNAs in muscle regeneration.

Muscle regeneration is a complex process relying on precise teamwork between multiple cell types, including muscle stem cells (MuSCs) and fibroadipogenic progenitors (FAPs). FAPs are also the main source of intramuscular adipose tissue (IMAT). Muscles without FAPs exhibit decreased IMAT infiltration but also deficient muscle regeneration, indicating the importance of FAPs in the repair process.

Cardiac Progenitor Cell Exosomal miR-935 Protects against Oxidative Stress.

Oxidative stress-induced myocardial apoptosis and necrosis are critically involved in ischemic infarction, and several sources of extracellular vesicles appear to be enriched in therapeutic activities. The central objective was to identify and validate the differential exosome miRNA repertoire in human cardiac progenitor cells (CPC). CPC exosomes were first analyzed by LC-MS/MS and compared by RNAseq with exomes of human mesenchymal stromal cells and human fibroblasts to define their differential exosome miRNA repertoire (exo-miR).

PAHSAs reduce cellular senescence and protect pancreatic beta cells from metabolic stress through regulation of Mdm2/p53.

Senescence in pancreatic beta cells plays a major role in beta cell dysfunction, which leads to impaired glucose homeostasis and diabetes. Therefore, prevention of beta cell senescence could reduce the risk of diabetes. Treatment of nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice, a model of type 1 autoimmune diabetes (T1D), with palmitic acid hydroxy stearic acids (PAHSAs), a novel class of endogenous lipids with antidiabetic and antiinflammatory effects, delays the onset and reduces the incidence of T1D from 82% with vehicle treatment to 35% with PAHSAs.

Tissue differences in the exosomal/small extracellular vesicle proteome and their potential as indicators of altered tissue metabolism.

Exosomes/small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) can serve as multifactorial mediators of cell-to-cell communication through their miRNA and protein cargo. Quantitative proteomic analysis of five cell lines representing metabolically important tissues reveals that each cell type has a unique sEV proteome. While classical sEV markers such as CD9/CD63/CD81 vary markedly in abundance, we identify six sEV markers (ENO1, GPI, HSPA5, YWHAB, CSF1R, and CNTN1) that are similarly abundant in sEVs of all cell types.

MicroRNA sequence codes for small extracellular vesicle release and cellular retention.

Exosomes and other small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) provide a unique mode of cell-to-cell communication in which microRNAs (miRNAs) produced and released from one cell are taken up by cells at a distance where they can enact changes in gene expression. However, the mechanism by which miRNAs are sorted into exosomes/sEVs or retained in cells remains largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that miRNAs possess sorting sequences that determine their secretion in sEVs (EXOmotifs) or cellular retention (CELLmotifs) and that different cell types, including white and brown adipocytes, endothelium, liver and muscle, make preferential use of specific sorting sequences, thus defining the sEV miRNA profile of that cell type.

Altered pattern of circulating miRNAs in HIV lipodystrophy perturbs key adipose differentiation and inflammation pathways.

We identified a microRNA (miRNA) profile characterizing HIV lipodystrophy and explored the downstream mechanistic implications with respect to adipocyte biology and the associated clinical phenotype. miRNA profiles were extracted from small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) of HIV-infected individuals with and without lipodystrophic changes and individuals without HIV, among whom we previously showed significant reductions in adipose Dicer expression related to HIV. miR-20a-3p was increased and miR-324-5p and miR-186 were reduced in sEVs from HIV lipodystrophic individuals.

Peripheral Insulin Regulates a Broad Network of Gene Expression in Hypothalamus, Hippocampus, and Nucleus Accumbens.

The brain is now recognized as an insulin-sensitive tissue; however, the role of changing insulin concentrations in the peripheral circulation in gene expression in the brain is largely unknown. Here, we performed a hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp on 3-month-old male C57BL/6 mice for 3 h. We show that, in comparison with results in saline-infused controls, increases in peripheral insulin within the physiological range regulate expression of a broad network of genes in the brain.

Extracellular miRNAs: From Biomarkers to Mediators of Physiology and Disease.

miRNAs can be found in serum and other body fluids and serve as biomarkers for disease. More importantly, secreted miRNAs, especially those in extracellular vesicles (EVs) such as exosomes, may mediate paracrine and endocrine communication between different tissues and thus modulate gene expression and the function of distal cells. When impaired, these processes can lead to tissue dysfunction, aging, and disease.

Multi-dimensional Transcriptional Remodeling by Physiological Insulin In Vivo.

Regulation of gene expression is an important aspect of insulin action but in vivo is intertwined with changing levels of glucose and counter-regulatory hormones. Here we demonstrate that under euglycemic clamp conditions, physiological levels of insulin regulate interrelated networks of more than 1,000 transcripts in muscle and liver. These include expected pathways related to glucose and lipid utilization, mitochondrial function, and autophagy, as well as unexpected pathways, such as chromatin remodeling, mRNA splicing, and Notch signaling.

53BP1 Deficiency Promotes Pathological Neovascularization in Proliferative Retinopathy.

The replication stress inflicted on retinal endothelial cells (ECs) in the context of hypoxia-induced pathological neovascularization during proliferative retinopathy is linked with activation of the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair response. Here, we studied the effect of deficiency of the DNA damage response adaptor 53BP1, which is an antagonist of homologous recombination (HR), in the context of proliferative retinopathy. In the model of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), 53BP1-deficient mice displayed increased hypoxia-driven pathological neovascularization and tuft formation, accompanied by increased EC proliferation and reduced EC apoptosis, as compared with 53BP1-sufficient mice.

HIPECT4: multicentre, randomized clinical trial to evaluate safety and efficacy of Hyperthermic intra-peritoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) with Mitomycin C used during surgery for treatment of locally advanced colorectal carcinoma.

Background: Local relapse and peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) for pT4 colon cancer is estimated in 15,6% and 36,7% for 12 months and 36 months from surgical resection respectively, achieving a 5 years overall survival of 6%. There are promising results using prophylactic HIPEC in this group of patients, and it is estimated that up to 26% of all T4 colon cancer could benefit from this treatment with a minimal morbidity. Adjuvant HIPEC is effective to avoid the possibility of peritoneal seeding after surgical resection.

A self-sustained loop of inflammation-driven inhibition of beige adipogenesis in obesity.

In obesity, inflammation of white adipose tissue (AT) is associated with diminished generation of beige adipocytes ('beige adipogenesis'), a thermogenic and energy-dissipating function mediated by beige adipocytes that express the uncoupling protein UCP1. Here we delineated an inflammation-driven inhibitory mechanism of beige adipogenesis in obesity that required direct adhesive interactions between macrophages and adipocytes mediated by the integrin α and its counter-receptor VCAM-1, respectively; expression of the latter was upregulated in obesity. This adhesive interaction reciprocally and concomitantly modulated inflammatory activation of macrophages and downregulation of UCP1 expression dependent on the kinase Erk in adipocytes.

Adipose-derived circulating miRNAs regulate gene expression in other tissues.

Adipose tissue is a major site of energy storage and has a role in the regulation of metabolism through the release of adipokines. Here we show that mice with an adipose-tissue-specific knockout of the microRNA (miRNA)-processing enzyme Dicer (ADicerKO), as well as humans with lipodystrophy, exhibit a substantial decrease in levels of circulating exosomal miRNAs. Transplantation of both white and brown adipose tissue-brown especially-into ADicerKO mice restores the level of numerous circulating miRNAs that are associated with an improvement in glucose tolerance and a reduction in hepatic Fgf21 mRNA and circulating FGF21.

Adipocyte Dynamics and Reversible Metabolic Syndrome in Mice with an Inducible Adipocyte-Specific Deletion of the Insulin Receptor.

Insulin and IGF1 signaling are important for adipose tissue development and function; however, their role in mature adipocytes is unclear. Mice with a tamoxifen-inducible knockout of insulin and/or IGF1 receptors (IR/IGF1R) demonstrate a rapid loss of white and brown fat due to increased lipolysis and adipocyte apoptosis. This results in insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, hepatosteatosis, islet hyperplasia with hyperinsulinemia, and cold intolerance.

Adipocyte-Specific Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 2α Deficiency Exacerbates Obesity-Induced Brown Adipose Tissue Dysfunction and Metabolic Dysregulation.

Angiogenesis is a central regulator for white (WAT) and brown (BAT) adipose tissue adaptation in the course of obesity. Here we show that deletion of hypoxia-inducible factor 2α (HIF2α) in adipocytes (by using Fabp4-Cre transgenic mice) but not in myeloid or endothelial cells negatively impacted WAT angiogenesis and promoted WAT inflammation, WAT dysfunction, hepatosteatosis, and systemic insulin resistance in obesity. Importantly, adipocyte HIF2α regulated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and angiogenesis of obese BAT as well as its thermogenic function.

Multipotent glia-like stem cells mediate stress adaptation.

The neural crest-derived adrenal medulla is closely related to the sympathetic nervous system; however, unlike neural tissue, it is characterized by high plasticity which suggests the involvement of stem cells. Here, we show that a defined pool of glia-like nestin-expressing progenitor cells in the adult adrenal medulla contributes to this plasticity. These glia-like cells have features of adrenomedullary sustentacular cells, are multipotent, and are able to differentiate into chromaffin cells and neurons.

Dual role of B7 costimulation in obesity-related nonalcoholic steatohepatitis and metabolic dysregulation.

Unlabelled: The low-grade inflammatory state present in obesity contributes to obesity-related metabolic dysregulation, including nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and insulin resistance. Intercellular interactions between immune cells or between immune cells and hepatic parenchymal cells contribute to the exacerbation of liver inflammation and steatosis in obesity. The costimulatory molecules, B7.

Opposing effects of HIF1α and HIF2α on chromaffin cell phenotypic features and tumor cell proliferation: Insights from MYC-associated factor X.

Pheochromocytomas and paragangliomas (PPGLs) are catecholamine-producing chromaffin cell tumors with diverse phenotypic features reflecting mutations in numerous genes, including MYC-associated factor X (MAX). To explore whether phenotypic differences among PPGLs reflect a MAX-mediated mechanism and opposing influences of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)s HIF2α and HIF1α, we combined observational investigations in PPGLs and gene-manipulation studies in two pheochromocytoma cell lines. Among PPGLs from 140 patients, tumors due to MAX mutations were characterized by gene expression profiles and intermediate phenotypic features that distinguished these tumors from other PPGLs, all of which fell into two expression clusters: one cluster with low expression of HIF2α and mature phenotypic features and the other with high expression of HIF2α and immature phenotypic features due to mutations stabilizing HIFs.

Blocking CD40-TRAF6 signaling is a therapeutic target in obesity-associated insulin resistance.

The immune system plays an instrumental role in obesity and insulin resistance. Here, we unravel the role of the costimulatory molecule CD40 and its signaling intermediates, TNF receptor-associated factors (TRAFs), in diet-induced obesity (DIO). Although not exhibiting increased weight gain, male CD40(-/-) mice in DIO displayed worsened insulin resistance, compared with wild-type mice.

The complement anaphylatoxin C5a receptor contributes to obese adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance.

Obese adipose tissue (AT) inflammation contributes critically to development of insulin resistance. The complement anaphylatoxin C5a receptor (C5aR) has been implicated in inflammatory processes and as regulator of macrophage activation and polarization. However, the role of C5aR in obesity and AT inflammation has not been addressed.