Episodes of chronic stress can result in psychic disorders like post-traumatic stress disorder, but also promote the development of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. We hypothesize that muscle, as main regulator of whole-body energy expenditure, is a central target of acute and adaptive molecular effects of stress in this context. Here, we investigate the immediate effect of a stress period on energy metabolism in Musculus gastrocnemius in our established C57BL/6 chronic variable stress (Cvs) mouse model.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe worldwide incidence of allergic diseases has been continuously increasing, and up to one in every five people are currently affected by these medical conditions. Although seldom fatal, allergies have a profound impact on children's growth, development, and quality of life, besides being associated with heavy healthcare costs and resource utilisation. In this context, a group of experts in nutrition, paediatric gastroenterology, allergology, and neonatology joined forces to discuss the role of infant formulas in the primary prevention of allergies in infants for whom breastfeeding is not an option and who are at risk of developing allergies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground Urticaria typically involves the skin and mucosa and is characterized by the development of wheals, angioedema, or both. According to the temporal evolution of the lesions, urticaria is classified as acute (AU) or chronic (CU), depending on whether the episodes last for fewer or more than six weeks, respectively. This study aimed to characterize a group of children and adolescents with urticaria and describe its subtypes, associated comorbidities, treatment, and evolution.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlterations in mitochondrial function are an important control variable in the progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), while also noted by increased de novo lipogenesis (DNL) and hepatic insulin resistance. We hypothesized that the organization and function of a mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) in this pathologic condition is a consequence of shifted substrate availability. We addressed this question using a transgenic mouse model with increased hepatic insulin resistance and DNL due to constitutively active human SREBP-1c.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis
January 2022
Chronic stress leads to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and metabolic disorders including fatty liver. We hypothesized that stress-induced molecular mechanisms alter energy metabolism, thereby promoting hepatic lipid accumulation even after a stress-free recovery period. In this context, we investigated fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF21) as protective for energy and glucose homeostasis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFatty liver occurs from simple steatosis with accumulated hepatic lipids and hepatic insulin resistance to severe steatohepatitis, with aggravated lipid accumulation and systemic insulin resistance, but this progression is still poorly understood. Analyses of hepatic gene expression patterns from alb-SREBP-1c mice with moderate, or aP2-SREBP-1c mice with aggravated, hepatic lipid accumulation revealed IGFBP2 as key nodal molecule differing between moderate and aggravated fatty liver. Reduced IGFBP2 expression in aggravated fatty liver was paralleled with promoter hypermethylation, reduced hepatic IGFBP2 secretion and IGFBP2 circulating in plasma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAlthough fibrosis depicts a reparative mechanism, maladaptation of the heart due to excessive production of extracellular matrix accelerates cardiac dysfunction. The anthraquinone Rhein was examined for its anti-fibrotic potency to mitigate cardiac fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition (FMT). Primary human ventricular cardiac fibroblasts were subjected to hypoxia and characterized with proteomics, transcriptomics and cell functional techniques.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) caused by ectopic lipid accumulation, lipotoxicity is a crucial molecular risk factor. Mechanisms to eliminate lipid overflow can prevent the liver from functional complications. This may involve increased secretion of lipids or metabolic adaptation to ß-oxidation in lipid-degrading organelles such as mitochondria and peroxisomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdipocyte and hepatic lipid metabolism govern whole-body metabolic homeostasis, whereas a disbalance of de novo lipogenesis (DNL) in fat and liver might lead to obesity, with severe co-morbidities. Nevertheless, some obese people are metabolically healthy, but the "protective" mechanisms are not yet known in detail. Especially, the adipocyte-derived molecular mediators that indicate adipose functionality are poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn Pediatr (Engl Ed)
January 2019
The key lipid metabolism transcription factor sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP)-1a integrates gene regulatory effects of hormones, cytokines, nutrition and metabolites as lipids, glucose, or cholesterol via phosphorylation by different mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades. We have previously reported the impact of SREBP-1a phosphorylation on the phenotype in transgenic mouse models with liver-specific overexpression of the N-terminal transcriptional active domain of SREBP-1a (alb-SREBP-1a) or a MAPK phosphorylation site-deficient variant (alb-SREBP-1a∆P; (S63A, S117A, T426V)), respectively. In this report, we investigated the molecular basis of the systemic observations by holistic analyses of gene expression in liver and of proteome patterns in lipid-degrading organelles involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic syndrome, i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: CDH13, an atypical member of the cadherin superfamily, has been identified in adipocyte secretomes of lean mouse models. CDH13 abundance differs in mouse models according to their susceptibility to develop metabolic disorders, but the role of CDH13 in adipose tissue is unknown.
Methods: Secreted CDH13 protein levels and mRNA levels in visceral adipose tissue were determined in lean and obese mouse models.
Purpose: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) consists of five risk factors: elevated blood pressure and fasting glucose, visceral obesity, dyslipidemia, and hypercholesterinemia. The physiological impact of lipid metabolism indicated as visceral obesity and hepatic lipid accumulation on MetS is still under debate. One major cause of disturbed lipid metabolism might be dysfunction of cellular organelles controlling energy homeostasis, i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe group of adipokines comprises hundreds of biological active proteins and peptides released from adipose tissue. Alterations of those complex protein signatures are suggested to play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of multifactorial, metabolic diseases. We hypothesized that also the pathophysiology of type-2-diabetes is linked to the dysregulation of the adipocyte secretome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPolygenic diseases with a broad phenotypic spectrum, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), present a particular challenge in terms of identifying the underlying genetic mechanisms, nevertheless genetic variants have impact on the individual phenotype. We aimed to determine if next to genetic variations like SNPs further mechanisms might play a role in the pathogenesis of PCOS. We examined the effect of copy-number variations (CNVs) on metabolic phenotypes in PCOS.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBiochim Biophys Acta
July 2015
Unlabelled: Major causes of lipid accumulation in liver are increased import or synthesis or decreased catabolism of fatty acids. The latter is caused by dysfunction of cellular organelles controlling energy homeostasis, i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe transcription factor sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP)-1c plays a pivotal role in lipid metabolism. In this report we identified the main phosphorylation sites of MAPK-families, i.e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArch Physiol Biochem
December 2014
Visceral adiposity is associated with metabolic disorders, but little is known on the underlying pathophysiological mechanism. One possible link might be the release of various signalling and mediator proteins, named adipokines. Our hypothesis was that dependent on genetic background factors are released which might trigger a primary disease susceptibility.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL) or Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy (BSCL) is a rare genetic syndrome characterized by the absence of adipose tissue. As CGL is thought to be related to malfunctions in adipocyte development, genes involved in the mechanisms of adipocyte biology and maintenance or differentiation of adipocytes, especially transcription factors are candidates. Several genes (BSCL1-4) were found to be associated to the syndrome but not all CGL patients carry mutations in these genes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCellular compartmentalization of central metabolic pathways as lipid metabolism to mitochondria and peroxisomes enables high efficient control processes. The basis to understand mitochondrial or peroxisomal function is exactly to determine proteins physically present. For proteomic investigations of mouse liver organelles, we developed 2-DE reference maps covering the range pH 4-9, available under ( www.
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