OBJECTIVE:An Artemisia scoparia extract (SCO) has been shown to enhance adipocyte function, improve insulin sensitivity, and regulate lipolysis. We evaluated the actions of SCO and rosiglitazone (ROSI) in adipocytes, focusing on PPARγ's role in their regulation. METHODS:We assessed PPARγ activation by measuring its half-life and the PPAR-dependent transcription of a luciferase reporter. We measured glycerol release from adipocytes with siRNA gene silencing or pharmacological inhibition of PPARγ. Immunoblotting was used to detect adiponectin and protein disulfide isomerase (PDI); transcriptional effects in SCO- and ROSI-treated cells were compared by RNA-seq. RESULTS:ROSI and SCO both enhanced PPARγ degradation, a hallmark of ligand-induced activation. PPARγ transcriptional activity was induced in three cell types by ROSI, but in only one by SCO. PPARγ knockdown reversed the antilipolytic effects of both SCO and ROSI, while pharmacological inhibition only reversed the effect of ROSI. SCO treatment, but not ROSI, produced reduction-resistant adiponectin multimers and high-molecular-weight complexes of PDI. Transcriptional changes were more pronounced with ROSI than SCO, although the affected pathways were largely overlapping. CONCLUSIONS:SCO is a context-dependent PPARγ agonist with unique effects on redox-dependent protein multimerization. Transcriptional profiling indicates that SCO acts as a partial or selective PPARγ agonist.

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to examine the changes in adipose tissue lipolytic capacity and insulin signaling in response to shortened sleep duration (SSD) in postmenopausal women.MethodsAdipose tissue from a randomized crossover study of nine healthy postmenopausal women (mean [SD], age: 59 [4] years; BMI: 28.0 [2.6] kg/m2) exposed to four nights of habitual and SSD (60% of habitual sleep) while following a eucaloric diet was examined ex vivo. Tissue lipolytic capacity was determined by measurement of secreted glycerol. Cellular insulin signaling was determined by measuring insulin-mediated changes in Akt phosphorylation. RNA sequencing examined global transcriptional changes.ResultsWith SSD, basal glycerol secretion was reduced, and isoproterenol-stimulated lipolysis was attenuated. Insulin concentration-dependent increases in phosphorylated Akt observed in samples after habitual sleep were abrogated after SSD. However, insulin-mediated suppression of lipolysis remained unaltered with changes in sleep duration. Increased transcription of genes involved in adipogenesis and fatty acid metabolism was observed after SSD.ConclusionsSSD blunts adrenergic stimulation of lipolysis without altering insulin-mediated suppression of lipolysis in postmenopausal women. These changes in adipose tissue may potentiate fat gain independent of caloric intake. Therefore, interventions promoting sleep may be considered to mitigate abdominal adiposity in postmenopausal women.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of sleep restriction (SR) on insulin sensitivity and energy metabolism in postmenopausal women. Methods: In a randomized crossover trial, 14 women underwent four nights of habitual sleep (HS, 100% normal sleep) and SR (60% of HS) while following a eucaloric diet. Outcomes included the following: (1) insulin sensitivity by hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp, defined as the glucose infusion rate (GIR); (2) resting metabolism and substrate oxidation by indirect calorimetry; and (3) glucose, insulin, and Cpeptide concentrations following a standard meal test. Results: Nine postmenopausal women (mean [SD], age 59 [4] years, BMI 28.0 [2.6] kg/m(2)) were analyzed. Accelerometer-determined total time in bed was 8.4 +/- 0.6 hours during HS versus 5.0 +/- 0.4 hours during SR (38% reduction, p < 0.0001). SR reduced low-dose insulin GIR by 20% (HS: 2.55 +/- 0.22 vs. SR: 2.03 +/- 0.20 mg/kg/min; p= 0.01) and high-dose insulin GIR by 12% (HS: 10.48 +/- 0.72 vs. SR: 9.19 +/- 0.72 mg/kg/min; p < 0.001). SR reduced fat oxidation during high-dose insulin infusion (p < 0.01), and it did not alter resting energy metabolism. Conclusions: Four nights of SR reduced insulin sensitivity and fat oxidation in post-menopausal women. These findings underscore the role of insufficient sleep in metabolic dysfunction following menopause. Larger trials investigating how sleep disturbances cause metabolic dysfunction during menopause are needed across all stages of menopause.

Oncostatin M (OSM) is an immune cell-derived cytokine that is upregulated in adipose tissue in obesity. Upon binding its receptor (OSMR), OSM induces the phosphorylation of the p66 subunit of Src homology 2 domain-containing transforming protein 1 (SHC1), called p66Shc, and activates the extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) pathway. Mice with adipocyte-specific OSMR deletion (OsmrFKO) are insulin resistant and exhibit adipose tissue inflammation, suggesting that intact adipocyte OSM–OSMR signaling is necessary for maintaining adipose tissue health. How OSM affects specific adipocyte functions is still unclear. Here, we examined the effects of OSM on adipocyte lipolysis. We treated 3T3-L1 adipocytes with OSM, insulin, and/or inhibitors of SHC1 and ERK and measured glycerol release. We also measured phosphorylation of p66Shc, ERK, and insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1) and the expression of lipolysis-associated genes in OSM-exposed 3T3-L1 adipocytes and primary adipocytes from control and OsmrFKO mice. We found that OSM induces adipocyte lipolysis via a p66Shc-ERK pathway and inhibits the suppression of lipolysis by insulin. Further, OSM induces phosphorylation of inhibitory IRS1 residues. We conclude that OSM is a stimulator of lipolysis and inhibits adipocyte insulin response. Future studies will determine how these roles of OSM affect adipose tissue function in health and disease.

Botanicals have a long history of medicinal use for a multitude of ailments, and many modern pharmaceuticals were originally isolated from plants or derived from phytochemicals. Among these, artemisinin, first isolated from Artemisia annua, is the foundation for standard anti-malarial therapies. Plants of the genus Artemisia are among the most common herbal remedies across Asia and Central Europe. The species Artemisia scoparia (SCOPA) is widely used in traditional folk medicine for various liver diseases and inflammatory conditions, as well as for infections, fever, pain, cancer, and diabetes. Modern in vivo and in vitro studies have now investigated SCOPA’s effects on these pathologies and its ability to mitigate hepatotoxicity, oxidative stress, obesity, diabetes, and other disease states. This review focuses on the effects of SCOPA that are particularly relevant to metabolic health. Indeed, in recent years, an ethanolic extract of SCOPA has been shown to enhance differentiation of cultured adipocytes and to share some properties of thiazolidinediones (TZDs), a class of insulin-sensitizing agonists of the adipogenic transcription factor PPARγ. In a mouse model of diet-induced obesity, SCOPA diet supplementation lowered fasting insulin and glucose levels, while inducing metabolically favorable changes in adipose tissue and liver. These observations are consistent with many lines of evidence from various tissues and cell types known to contribute to metabolic homeostasis, including immune cells, hepatocytes, and pancreatic beta-cells. Compounds belonging to several classes of phytochemicals have been implicated in these effects, and we provide an overview of these bioactives. The ongoing global epidemics of obesity and metabolic disease clearly require novel therapeutic approaches. While the mechanisms involved in SCOPA’s effects on metabolic, anti-inflammatory, and oxidative stress pathways are not fully characterized, current data support further investigation of this plant and its bioactives as potential therapeutic agents in obesity-related metabolic dysfunction and many other conditions.

Two new diprenylated coumaric acid isomers (1a and 1b) and two known congeners, capillartemisin A (2) and B (3), were isolated from Artemisia scoparia as bioactive markers using bioactivity-guided HPLC fractionation. Their structures were determined by spectroscopic means, including 1D and 2D NMR methods and LC-MS, with their purity assessed by 1D 1H pure shift qNMR spectroscopic analysis. The bioactivity of compounds was evaluated by enhanced accumulation of lipids, as measured using Oil Red O staining, and by increased expression of several adipocyte marker genes, including adiponectin in 3T3-L1 adipocytes relative to untreated negative controls. Compared to the plant's 80% EtOH extract, these purified compounds showed significant but still weaker inhibition of TNFα-induced lipolysis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. This suggests that additional bioactive substances are responsible for the multiple metabolically favorable effects on adipocytes observed with Artemisia scoparia extract.

ObjectiveAn ethanolic extract of Artemisia scoparia (SCO) improves adipose tissue function and reduces negative metabolic consequences of high‐fat feeding. A. scoparia has a long history of medicinal use across Asia and has anti‐inflammatory effects in various cell types and disease models. The objective of the current study was to investigate SCO’s effects on inflammation in cells relevant to metabolic health.MethodsInflammatory responses were assayed in cultured adipocytes, macrophages, and insulinoma cells by quantitative polymerase chain reaction, immunoblotting, and NF‐κB reporter assays.ResultsIn tumor necrosis factor α–treated adipocytes, SCO mitigated ERK and NF‐κB signaling as well as transcriptional responses but had no effect on fatty acid–binding protein 4 secretion. SCO also reduced levels of deleted in breast cancer 1 protein in adipocytes and inhibited inflammatory gene expression in stimulated macrophages. Finally, in pancreatic β‐cells, SCO decreased NF‐κB–responsive promoter activity induced by IL‐1β treatment.ConclusionsSCO’s ability to promote adipocyte development and function is thought to mediate its insulin‐sensitizing actions in vivo. Our findings that SCO inhibits inflammatory responses through at least two distinct signaling pathways (ERK and NF‐κB) in three cell types known to contribute to metabolic disease reveal that SCO may act more broadly than previously thought to improve metabolic health.

Adipocytes and adipose tissue are not inert and make substantial contributions to systemic metabolism by influencing energy homeostasis, insulin sensitivity, and lipid storage. In addition to well-studied hormones such as insulin, there are numerous hormones, cytokines, and growth factors that modulate adipose tissue function. Many endocrine mediators utilize the JAK-STAT pathway to mediate dozens of biological processes, including inflammation and immune responses. JAKs and STATs can modulate both adipocyte development and mature adipocyte function. Of the seven STAT family members, four STATs are expressed in adipocytes and regulated during adipogenesis (STATs 1, 3, 5A, and 5B). These STATs have been shown to play influential roles in adipose tissue development and function. STAT6, in contrast, is highly expressed in both preadipocytes and mature adipocytes, but is not considered to play a major role in regulating adipose tissue function. This review will summarize the latest research that pertains to the functions of STATs in adipocytes and adipose tissue.

Adipose, or fat, tissue (AT) was once considered an inert tissue that primarily existed to store lipids, and was not historically recognized as an important organ in the regulation and maintenance of health. With the rise of obesity and more rigorous research, AT is now recognized as a highly complex metabolic organ involved in a host of important physiological functions, including glucose homeostasis and a multitude of endocrine capabilities. AT dysfunction has been implicated in several disease states, most notably obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. The study of AT has provided useful insight in developing strategies to combat these highly prevalent metabolic diseases. This review highlights the major functions of adipose tissue and the consequences that can occur when disruption of these functions leads to systemic metabolic dysfunction.

Adipocytes are important players in metabolic health and disease, and disruption of adipocyte development or function contributes to metabolic dysregulation. Hence, adipocytes are significant targets for therapeutic intervention in obesity and metabolic syndrome. Plants have long been sources for bioactive compounds and drugs. In previous studies, we screened botanical extracts for effects on adipogenesis in vitro and discovered that an ethanolic extract of Artemisia scoparia (SCO) could promote adipocyte differentiation. To follow up on these studies, we have used various separation methods to identify the compound(s) responsible for SCO's adipogenic properties. Fractions and subfractions of SCO were tested for effects on lipid accumulation and adipogenic gene expression in differentiating 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Fractions were also analyzed by Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry (UPLC-MS), and resulting peaks were putatively identified through high resolution, high mass accuracy mass spectrometry, literature data, and available natural products databases. The inactive fractions contained mostly quercetin derivatives and chlorogenates, including chlorogenic acid and 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid, which had no effects on adipogenesis when tested individually, thus ruling them out as pro-adipogenic bioactives in SCO. Based on these studies we have putatively identified the principal constituents in SCO fractions and subfractions that promoted adipocyte development and fat cell gene expression as prenylated coumaric acids, coumarin monoterpene ethers, 6-demethoxycapillarisin and two polymethoxyflavones.

An ethanolic extract of Artemisia scoparia (SCO) has metabolically favorable effects on adipocyte development and function in vitro and in vivo. In diet-induced obese mice, SCO supplementation significantly reduced fasting glucose and insulin levels. Given the importance of adipocyte lipolysis in metabolic health, we hypothesized that SCO modulates lipolysis in vitro and in vivo. Free fatty acids and glycerol were measured in the sera of mice fed a high-fat diet with or without SCO supplementation. In cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes, the effects of SCO on lipolysis were assessed by measuring glycerol and free fatty acid release. Microarray analysis, qPCR, and immunoblotting were used to assess gene expression and protein abundance. We found that SCO supplementation of a high-fat diet in mice substantially reduces circulating glycerol and free fatty acid levels, and we observed a cell-autonomous effect of SCO to significantly attenuate tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα)-induced lipolysis in cultured adipocytes. Although several prolipolytic and antilipolytic genes were identified by microarray analysis of subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue from SCO-fed mice, regulation of these genes did not consistently correlate with SCO's ability to reduce lipolytic metabolites in sera or cell culture media. However, in the presence of TNFα in cultured adipocytes, SCO induced antilipolytic changes in phosphorylation of hormone-sensitive lipase and perilipin. Together, these data suggest that the antilipolytic effects of SCO on adipose tissue play a role in the ability of this botanical extract to improve whole body metabolic parameters and support its use as a dietary supplement to promote metabolic resiliency.

An ethanolic extract of Baccharis halimifolia (groundsel bush, GB), which is a native Louisiana plant with documented use in Creole folk medicine, has been shown to inhibit lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in cultured macrophages. Here, we examine the effects of GB on adipocyte development and function, as these processes are attractive targets for intervention in insulin resistance. Oil Red O neutral lipid staining, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and immunoblotting were used to measure GB effects on lipid accumulation, gene expression, and protein abundance, respectively. In differentiating 3T3-L1 adipocytes, GB enhanced lipid accumulation and increased expression of several adipogenic genes (GLUT4, aP2, ADPN, CEBPα, FAS, and PPARγ). Protein levels of two of these adipogenic markers (aP2 and adiponectin) were examined and found to be induced by GB treatment. In mature adipocytes, GB reduced the gene expression of resistin, a pro-inflammatory endocrine factor, increased the adiponectin protein levels in a time-dependent manner, and substantially attenuated the TNF-alpha-induced reduction in adiponectin. In macrophages, GB reduced the expression of pro-inflammatory genes that were induced by LPS. GB produces metabolically favorable changes in differentiating adipocytes, mature adipocytes, and macrophages in vitro, suggesting its potential use as a dietary supplement or nutraceutical to support metabolic health and resiliency.

IntroductionAdipocytes serve a critical function not only as a reservoir of excess caloric energy but also as an endocrine organ regulating metabolic homeostasis. Therefore, interventions aimed at enhancing adipocyte development and function have the potential to ameliorate conditions associated with metabolic syndrome, such as ectopic fat accumulation and insulin resistance. Here we report evidence that a novel botanical, Baccharis halimifolia (groundsel bush), enhances adipocyte development and function in vitro.MethodsFor in vitro assessment of adipocyte development, differentiating adipocytes were treated with groundsel bush (GB) extract at three doses (5, 20, and 50 μg/mL) and the effects of GB were assessed by performing qPCR and immunoblotting to determine expression of adipogenic gene and protein expression, respectively. Neutral lipid accumulation in differentiating adipocytes was measured by Bodipy or Oil Red O staining. In mature murine adipocytes, adiponectin protein expression was assessed by western blot. The effectiveness of GB in attenuating inflammatory responses in mature adipocytes and RAW macrophages was evaluated by western blot analysis of adiponectin protein expression in TNFα‐treated adipocytes and by analysis of inflammatory gene expression in LPS‐treated RAW macrophages.ResultsIn differentiating adipocytes, GB treatment enhanced the expression of adipogenic marker genes and protein expression of adiponectin and aP2, and also increased lipid accumulation. In mature adipocytes, GB increased gene and protein expression of adiponectin while decreasing resistin gene expression. GB attenuated TNFα‐induced repression of adiponectin protein expression in mature adipocytes while also reducing gene expression of MCP‐1 in LPS‐treated RAW macrophages.ConclusionsThe present study provides evidence that GB enhances adipocyte differentiation and neutral lipid accumulation, while also increasing adiponectin expression in mature adipocytes. GB also attenuates inflammatory responses in adipocytes and RAW macrophages. Collectively, these results indicate that GB has the potential to favorably modulate adipocyte function and therefore merits further study.Support or Funding InformationThis work was supported by NIH P50 AT002776. SEF was supported by institutional training grant NIH T32 AT004094 awarded to PBRC.

Objective: Plant-based therapies have been used in medicine throughout recorded history. Information about the therapeutic properties of plants often can be found in local cultures as folk medicine is communicated from one generation to the next. The aim of this study was to identify native Louisiana plants from Creole folk medicine as a potential source of therapeutic compounds for the treatment of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and related disorders.Methods: We used an interdisciplinary approach combining expertise in disciplines ranging from cultural anthropology and botany to biochemistry and endocrinology to screen native southwest Louisiana plants. Translation of accounts of Creole folk medicine yielded a list of plants with documented use in treating a variety of conditions, including inflammation. These plants were collected, vouchered, and catalogued before extraction of soluble components. Extracts were analyzed for bioactivity in regulating inflammatory responses in macrophages or fatty acid-induced insulin resistance in C2C12 skeletal muscle cells.Results: Several extracts altered gene expression of inflammatory markers in macrophages. Multiplex analysis of kinase activation in insulin-signaling pathways in skeletal muscle also identified a subset of extracts that alter insulin-stimulated protein kinase B phosphorylation in the presence of fatty-acid-induced insulin resistance.Conclusion: An interdisciplinary approach to screening botanical sources of therapeutic agents can be successfully applied to identify native plants used in folk medicine as potential sources of therapeutic agents in treating insulin resistance in skeletal muscle or inflammatory processes associated with obesity-related insulin resistance. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dietary methionine restriction (MR) produces an integrated series of biochemical and physiological responses that improve biomarkers of metabolic health, limit fat accretion, and enhance insulin sensitivity. Using transcriptional profiling to guide tissue-specific evaluations of molecular responses to MR, we report that liver and adipose tissue are the primary targets of a transcriptional program that remodeled lipid metabolism in each tissue. The MR diet produced a coordinated downregulation of lipogenic genes in the liver, resulting in a corresponding reduction in the capacity of the liver to synthesize and export lipid. In contrast, the transcriptional response in white adipose tissue (WAT) involved a depot-specific induction of lipogenic and oxidative genes and a commensurate increase in capacity to synthesize and oxidize fatty acids. These responses were accompanied by a significant change in adipocyte morphology, with the MR diet reducing cell size and increasing mitochondrial density across all depots. The coordinated transcriptional remodeling of lipid metabolism between liver and WAT by dietary MR produced an overall reduction in circulating and tissue lipids and provides a potential mechanism for the increase in metabolic flexibility and enhanced insulin sensitivity produced by the diet.

Aim To compare the effects of dietary fibers on hepatic cellular signaling in mice. Methods Mice were randomly divided into four groups (n = 9/group): high-fat diet (HFD) control, cellulose, psyllium, and sugarcane fiber (SCF) groups. All mice were fed a HFD with or without 10% dietary fiber (w/w) for 12 weeks. Body weight, food intake, fasting glucose, and fasting insulin levels were measured. At the end of the study, hepatic fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 21, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and insulin signaling protein content were determined. Results Hepatic FGF21 content was significantly lowered, but βKlotho, fibroblast growth factor receptor 1, fibroblast growth factor receptor 3, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha proteins were significantly increased in the SCF group compared with those in the HFD group (P < 0.01). SCF supplementation also significantly enhanced insulin and AMPK signaling, as well as decreased hepatic triglyceride and cholesterol in comparison with the HFD mice. The study has shown that dietary fiber, especially SCF, significantly attenuates lipid accumulation in the liver by enhancing hepatic FGF21, insulin, and AMPK signaling in mice fed a HFD. Conclusion This study suggests that the modulation of gastrointestinal factors by dietary fibers may play a key role in both enhancing hepatic multiple cellular signaling and reducing lipid accumulation.