The aim of this study was to evaluate thermogenesis in the interscapular brown adipose tissue (IBAT) of rats submitted to low-protein, high-carbohydrate (LPHC) diet and the involvement of adrenergic stimulation in this process. Male rats (~100 g) were submitted to LPHC (6%-protein; 74%-carbohydrate) or control (C; 17%-protein; 63%-carbohydrate) isocaloric diets for 15 days. The IBAT temperature was evaluated in the rats before and after the administration of noradrenaline (NA) (20 µg 100 g b w(-1) min(-1)). The expression levels of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and other proteins involved in the regulation of UCP1 expression were determined by Western blot (Student's t test, P ≤ 0.05). The LPHC diet promoted a 1.1 °C increase in the basal temperature of IBAT when compared with the basal temperature in the IBAT of the C group. NA administration promoted a 0.3 °C increase in basal temperature in the IBAT of the C rats and a 0.5 °C increase in the IBAT of the LPHC group. The level of UCP1 increased 60% in the IBAT of LPHC-fed rats, and among the proteins involved in its expression, such as β3-AR and α1-AR, there was a 40% increase in the levels of p38-MAPK and a 30% decrease in CREB when compared to the C rats. The higher sympathetic flux to IBAT, which is a consequence of the administration of the LPHC diet to rats, activates thermogenesis and increases the expression of UCP1 in the tissue. Our results suggest that the increase in UCP1 content may occur via p38 MAPK and ATF2.

956RESUMO: "Efeito da erva-mate (Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil., Aquifoliaceae) sobre o colesterol, triacilglicerídeos e glucose em ratos Wistar com dieta alimentar suplementada com lipídeos e glicídeos" Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil., Aquifoliaceae, é uma espécie nativa das regiões subtropicais e temperadas da América do Sul, usada em bebidas por infusão como chá, chimarrão e tererê. Para verificar os efeitos fisiológicos que a I. paraguariensis pode causar sobre o metabolismo de lipídeos e glicídeos em ratos Wistar, após a ingestão de chá de erva-mate, analisou-se quatro grupos experimentais: Grupo Lipídeo Controle (receberam água e dieta hiperlipídica); Grupo Lipídeo Ingestão (extrato de I. paraguariensis e dieta hiperlipídica); Grupo Glicídeo Controle (receberam água e dieta hiperglicídica); e Grupo Glicídeo Ingestão (extrato de I. paraguariensis e dieta hiperglicídica). Os animais receberam a dieta por 60 dias, de acordo com o grupo que pertenciam, sendo pesados semanalmente. Após esse período, foram avaliadas as concentrações de colesterol, glicose e triacilglicerídeos sanguíneos, e ainda, peso da gordura visceral. Os dados foram analisados estatísticamente. O nível de significância aceito foi p<0,05. Os resultados mostraram que a ingestão de erva-mate atua sobre o peso corpóreo, gordura visceral e taxas de glucose, colesterol e triacilglicerídeos plasmáticos. Unitermos: Ilex paraguariensis, metabolismo de lipídios, metabolismo de glicídios.ABSTRACT: Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil., Aquifoliaceae, is a species native to the subtropical and temperate regions of South America, used in beverages prepared by infusion such as teas, chimarrão and tererê. To investigate the physiological effects of I. paraguariensis on the metabolism of fats and sugars in Wistar rats, following the ingestion of erva-mate tea, four experimental groups were constructed: Lipid Control Group (receiving water and high-fat diet); Lipid Tea Group (extract of I. paraguariensis and high-fat diet); the Sugar Control Group (water and high-sugar diet); and Sugar Tea Group (extract of I. paraguariensis and high-sugar diet). The animals received their particular diet for 60 days, and were weighed weekly. After this period, the plasma concentrations of cholesterol, glucose and triacylglycerides were determined, together with the weight of visceral fat. The data were subjected to statistical analysis with a significance level of p<0.05. The results show that the ingestion of erva-mate affected body weight, visceral fat and plasma glucose, cholesterol and triacylglyceride levels. Keywords:Ilex paraguariensis, fat metabolism, sugar metabolism.Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy 20(6): 956-961, Dez. 2010 Article

Although it is well known that chronic hypoxia induces muscle wasting, the effects of intermittent hypoxia on skeletal muscle protein metabolism remain unclear. We hypothesized that acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH), a challenge that activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, would alter muscle protein homeostasis through a glucocorticoid-dependent mechanism. Three-week-old rats were submitted to adrenalectomy (ADX) and exposed to 8 h of AIH (6% O for 40 s at 9-min intervals). Animals were euthanized, and the soleus and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles were harvested and incubated in vitro for measurements of protein turnover. AIH increased plasma levels of corticosterone and induced insulin resistance as estimated by the insulin tolerance test and lower rates of muscle glucose oxidation and the HOMA index. In both soleus and EDL muscles, rates of overall proteolysis increased after AIH. This rise was accompanied by an increased proteolytic activities of the ubiquitin(Ub)-proteasome system (UPS) and lysosomal and Ca-dependent pathways. Furthermore, AIH increased Ub-protein conjugates and gene expression of atrogin-1 and MuRF-1, two key Ub-protein ligases involved in muscle atrophy. In parallel, AIH increased the mRNA expression of the autophagy-related genes LC3b and GABARAPl1. In vitro rates of protein synthesis in skeletal muscles did not differ between AIH and control rats. ADX completely blocked the insulin resistance in hypoxic rats and the AIH-induced activation of proteolytic pathways and atrogene expression in both soleus and EDL muscles. These results demonstrate that AIH induces insulin resistance in association with activation of the UPS, the autophagic-lysosomal process, and Ca-dependent proteolysis through a glucocorticoid-dependent mechanism. Since hypoxia is a condition in which the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply and muscle wasting is induced, the present work provides evidence linking hypoxia to proteolysis through a glucocorticoid-dependent mechanism. We show that the activation of proteolytic pathways, atrophy-related genes, and insulin resistance in rats exposed to acute intermittent hypoxia was abolished by surgical removal of adrenal gland. This finding will be helpful for understanding of the muscle wasting in hypoxemic conditions.

The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activates cAMP signaling and promotes trophic effects on brown adipose tissue (BAT) through poorly understood mechanisms. Because norepinephrine has been found to induce antiproteolytic effects on muscle and heart, we hypothesized that the SNS could inhibit autophagy in interscapular BAT (IBAT). Here, we describe that selective sympathetic denervation of rat IBAT kept at 25°C induced atrophy, and in parallel dephosphorylated forkhead box class O (FoxO), and increased cathepsin activity, autophagic flux, autophagosome formation, and expression of autophagy-related genes. Conversely, cold stimulus (4°C) for up to 72 h induced thermogenesis and IBAT hypertrophy, an anabolic effect that was associated with inhibition of cathepsin activity, autophagic flux, and autophagosome formation. These effects were abrogated by sympathetic denervation, which also upregulated Gabarapl1 mRNA. In addition, the cold-driven sympathetic activation stimulated the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, leading to the enhancement of protein synthesis, evaluated in vivo by puromycin incorporation, and to the inhibitory phosphorylation of Unc51-like kinase-1, a key protein in the initiation of autophagy. This coincided with a higher content of exchange protein-1 directly activated by cAMP (Epac1), a cAMP effector, and phosphorylation of Akt at Thr308, all these effects being abolished by denervation. Systemic treatment with norepinephrine for 72 h mimicked most of the cold effects on IBAT. These data suggest that the noradrenergic sympathetic inputs to IBAT restrain basal autophagy via suppression of FoxO and, in the setting of cold, stimulate protein synthesis via the Epac/Akt/mTOR-dependent pathway and suppress the autophagosome formation, probably through posttranscriptional mechanisms. NEW & NOTEWORTHY The underlying mechanisms related to the anabolic role of sympathetic innervation on brown adipose tissue (BAT) are unclear. We show that sympathetic denervation activates autophagic-lysosomal degradation, leading to a loss of mitochondrial proteins and BAT atrophy. Conversely, cold-driven sympathetic activation suppresses autophagy and stimulates protein synthesis, leading to BAT hypertrophy. Given its high-potential capacity for heat production, understanding the mechanisms that contribute to BAT mass is important to optimize chances of survival for endotherms in cold ambients.

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