Many homeostatic processes, including appetite and food intake, are controlled by neuroendocrine circuits involving the CNS. The CNS also directly regulates adipocyte metabolism, as we have shown here by examining central action of the orexigenic hormone ghrelin. Chronic central ghrelin infusion resulted in increases in the glucose utilization rate of white and brown adipose tissue without affecting skeletal muscle. In white adipocytes, mRNA expression of various fat storage-promoting enzymes such as lipoprotein lipase, acetyl-CoA carboxylase alpha, fatty acid synthase, and stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 was markedly increased, while that of the rate-limiting step in fat oxidation, carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1alpha, was decreased. In brown adipocytes, central ghrelin infusion resulted in lowered expression of the thermogenesis-related mitochondrial uncoupling proteins 1 and 3. These ghrelin effects were dose dependent, occurred independently from ghrelin-induced hyperphagia, and seemed to be mediated by the sympathetic nervous system. Additionally, the expression of some fat storage enzymes was decreased in ghrelin-deficient mice, which led us to conclude that central ghrelin is of physiological relevance in the control of cell metabolism in adipose tissue. These results unravel the existence of what we believe to be a new CNS-based neuroendocrine circuit regulating metabolic homeostasis of adipose tissue.

Aims/hypothesis: The IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) is an anti-inflammatory cytokine known to antagonise the actions of IL-1. We have previously shown that IL-1Ra is markedly upregulated in the serum of obese patients, is correlated with BMI and insulin resistance, and is overexpressed in the white adipose tissue (WAT) of obese humans. The aim of this study was to examine the role of IL-1Ra in the regulation of glucose homeostasis in rodents. Methods: We assessed the expression of genes related to IL-1 signalling in the WAT of mice fed a high-fat diet, as well as the effect of Il1rn (the gene for IL-1Ra) deletion and treatment with IL-1Ra on glucose homeostasis in rodents. Results: We show that the expression of Il1rn and the gene encoding the inhibitory type II IL-1 receptor was upregulated in diet-induced obesity. The blood insulin:glucose ratio was significantly lower in Il1rn −/− animals, which is compatible with an increased sensitivity to insulin, reinforced by the fact that the insulin content and pancreatic islet morphology of Il1rn −/− animals were normal. In contrast, the administration of IL-1Ra to normal rats for 5 days led to a decrease in the whole-body glucose disposal due to a selective decrease in muscle-specific glucose uptake. Conclusions/interpretation: The expression of genes encoding inhibitors of IL-1 signalling is upregulated in the WAT of mice with diet-induced obesity, and IL-1Ra reduces insulin sensitivity in rats through a muscle-specific decrease in glucose uptake. These results suggest that the markedly increased levels of IL-1Ra in human obesity might contribute to the development of insulin resistance.

Aims/hypothesis: The aims of this work were to determine the effect of hypothyroidism on insulin-stimulated glucose turnover and to unravel the potential mechanisms involved in such an effect. Methods: Hypothyroidism was induced by administration of propylthiouracil, with partial T4 substitution. Euglycaemic-hyperinsulinaemic clamps, associated with the labelled 2-deoxy-D-glucose technique for measuring tissue-specific glucose utilisation, were used. To assess a possible involvement of leptin in the modulation of glucose metabolism by hypothyroidism, leptin was infused intracerebroventricularly for 6 days. A group of leptin-infused rats was treated with rT3 to determine a potential role of T3 in mediating the leptin effects. Results: Compared with euthyroid rats, hypothyroid animals exhibited decreased overall glucose turnover and decreased glucose utilisation indices in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Leptinaemia in hypothyroid rats was lower while resistin mRNA expression in adipose tissue was higher than in euthyroid animals. Intracerebroventricular leptin infusion in hypothyroid rats partially restored overall, muscle and adipose tissue insulinstimulated glucose utilisation and improved the reduced glycaemic response observed during insulin tolerance tests. The leptin effects were due neither to the observed increase in plasma T3 levels nor to changes in the high adipose tissue resistin expression of hypothyroid rats. The administration of leptin to hypothyroid animals was accompanied by increased expression of muscle and adipose tissue carnitine palmitoyl transferases, decreased plasma NEFA levels and reduced muscle triglyceride content. Conclusions/interpretation: Hypothyroidism is characterised by decreased insulin responsiveness, partly mediated by an exaggerated glucose-fatty acid cycle that is partly alleviated by intracerebroventricular leptin administration.

Resistin is an adipose-derived hormone that has been proposed as a link among obesity, insulin resistance, and diabetes. In agreement with a role of resistin in insulin resistance, the administration of recombinant resistin led to glucose intolerance in mice and impaired insulin action in rat liver. However, the regulation of resistin expression by physiological conditions, hormones, or agents known to modulate insulin sensitivity does not always support the association between resistin and obesity-induced insulin resistance. In the present study we investigated the effects of leptin administration on adipose resistin expression in insulin-resistant and obese ob/ob mice. We show that the expression of resistin mRNA and protein in adipose tissue is lower in ob/ob than in wild-type control mice, in agreement with the reduced adipocyte resistin mRNA level reported in several models of obesity. Leptin administration in ob/ob mice resulted in improvement of insulin sensitivity concomitant with a decrease in resistin gene expression. The lack of effect of leptin on resistin in db/db mice indicated that the leptin inhibitory action on resistin expression requires the long leptin receptor isoform. In addition, we demonstrated that the effect of leptin on resistin expression was centrally mediated. High-fat feeding in C57BL/6J wild-type mice, which is known to induce the development of obesity and insulin resistance, produced an increase in resistin expression. Interestingly, in both ob/ob and high fat-fed mice we obtained a striking positive correlation between glycemia and resistin gene expression. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that leptin decreases resistin expression and suggest that resistin may influence glucose homeostasis.