Lluis Fajas

Persistent organic pollutant exposure leads to insulin resistance syndrome.

Background The incidence of the insulin resistance syndrome has increased at an alarming rate worldwide, creating a serious challenge to public health care in the 21st century. Recently, epidemiological studies have associated the prevalence of type 2 diabetes with elevated body burdens of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). However, experimental evidence demonstrating a causal link between POPs and the development of insulin resistance is lacking. Objective We investigated whether exposure to POPs contributes to insulin resistance and metabolic disorders. Methods Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed for 28 days to lipophilic POPs through the consumption of a high-fat diet containing either refined or crude fish oil obtained from farmed Atlantic salmon. In addition, differentiated adipocytes were exposed to several POP mixtures that mimicked the relative abundance of organic pollutants present in crude salmon oil. We measured body weight, whole-body insulin sensitivity, POP accumulation, lipid and glucose homeostasis, and gene expression and we performed microarray analysis. Results Adult male rats exposed to crude, but not refined, salmon oil developed insulin resistance, abdominal obesity, and hepatosteatosis. The contribution of POPs to insulin resistance was confirmed in cultured adipocytes where POPs, especially organochlorine pesticides, led to robust inhibition of insulin action. Moreover, POPs induced down-regulation of insulin-induced gene-1 (Insig-1) and Lpin1, two master regulators of lipid homeostasis. Conclusion Our findings provide evidence that exposure to POPs commonly present in food chains leads to insulin resistance and associated metabolic disorders.

miR-143 interferes with ERK5 signaling, and abrogates prostate cancer progression in mice.

Background Micro RNAs are small, non-coding, single-stranded RNAs that negatively regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Since miR-143 was found to be down-regulated in prostate cancer cells, we wanted to analyze its expression in human prostate cancer, and test the ability of miR-43 to arrest prostate cancer cell growth in vitro and in vivo. Results Expression of miR-143 was analyzed in human prostate cancers by quantitative PCR, and by in situ hybridization. miR-143 was introduced in cancer cells in vivo by electroporation. Bioinformatics analysis and luciferase-based assays were used to determine miR-143 targets. We show in this study that miR-143 levels are inversely correlated with advanced stages of prostate cancer. Rescue of miR-143 expression in cancer cells results in the arrest of cell proliferation and the abrogation of tumor growth in mice. Furthermore, we show that the effects of miR-143 are mediated, at least in part by the inhibition of extracellular signal-regulated kinase-5 (ERK5) activity. We show here that ERK5 is a miR-143 target in prostate cancer. Conclusions miR-143 is as a new target for prostate cancer treatment.

Metabolism and proliferation share common regulatory pathways in cancer cells

Cancer development involves major alterations in cells’ metabolism. Enhanced glycolysis and de novo fatty acids synthesis are indeed characteristic features of cancer. Cell proliferation and metabolism are tightly linked cellular processes. Others and we have previously shown a close relationship between metabolic responses and proliferative stimuli. In addition to trigger proliferative and survival signaling pathways, most oncoproteins also trigger metabolic changes to transform the cell. We present herein the view that participation of cell-cycle regulators and oncogenic proteins to cancer development extend beyond the control of cell proliferation, and discuss how these new functions may be implicated in metabolic alterations concomitant to the pathogenesis of human cancers.

Abrogation of De novo Lipogenesis by Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase 1 Inhibition Interferes with Oncogenic Signaling and Blocks Prostate Cancer Progression in Mice

Increased de novo fatty acid (FA) synthesis is one hallmark of tumor cells, including prostate cancer. We present here our most recent results showing that lipid composition in human prostate cancer is characterized by an increased ratio of monounsaturated FA to saturated FA, compared with normal prostate, and evidence the overexpression of the lipogenic enzyme stearoyl-CoA desaturase 1 (SCD1) in human prostate cancer. As a new therapeutic strategy, we show that pharmacologic inhibition of SCD1 activity impairs lipid synthesis and results in decreased proliferation of both androgen-sensitive and androgen-resistant prostate cancer cells, abrogates the growth of prostate tumor xenografts in nude mice, and confers therapeutic benefit on animal survival. We show that these changes in lipid synthesis are translated into the inhibition of the AKT pathway and that the decrease in concentration of phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate might at least partially mediate this effect. Inhibition of SCD1 also promotes the activation of AMP-activated kinase and glycogen synthase kinase 3α/β, the latter on being consistent with a decrease in β-catenin activity and mRNA levels of various β-catenin growth-promoting transcriptional targets. Furthermore, we show that SCD1 activity is required for cell transformation by Ras oncogene. Together, our data support for the first time the concept of targeting the lipogenic enzyme SCD1 as a new promising therapeutic approach to block oncogenesis and prostate cancer progression. Mol Cancer Ther; 9(6); 1740–54. ©2010 AACR.

Cyclin D3 promotes adipogenesis through activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma.

ABSTRACT In addition to their role in cell cycle progression, new data reveal an emerging role of D-type cyclins in transcriptional regulation and cellular differentiation processes. Using 3T3-L1 cell lines to study adipogenesis, we observed an up-regulation of cyclin D3 expression throughout the differentiation process. Surprisingly, cyclin D3 was only minimally expressed during the initial stages of adipogenesis, when mitotic division is prevalent. This seemingly paradoxical expression led us to investigate a potential cell cycle-independent role for cyclin D3 during adipogenesis. We show here a direct interaction between cyclin D3 and the nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ). Our experiments reveal cyclin D3 acts as a ligand-dependent PPARγ coactivator, which, together with its cyclin-dependent kinase partner, phosphorylates the A-B domain of the nuclear receptor. Overexpression and knockdown studies with cyclin D3 had marked effects on PPARγ activity and subsequently on adipogenesis. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirm the participation of cyclin D3 in the regulation of PPARγ target genes. We show that cyclin D3 mutant mice are protected from diet-induced obesity, display smaller adipocytes, have reduced adipogenic gene expression, and are insulin sensitive. Our results indicate that cyclin D3 is an important factor governing adipogenesis and obesity.

Adipose tissue-specific inactivation of the retinoblastoma protein protects against diabesity because of increased energy expenditure

The role of the tumor suppressor retinoblastoma protein (pRb) has been firmly established in the control of cell cycle, apoptosis, and differentiation. Recently, it was demonstrated that lack of pRb promotes a switch from white to brown adipocyte differentiation in vitro. We used the Cre-Lox system to specifically inactivate pRb in adult adipose tissue. Under a high-fat diet, pRb-deficient (pRbad−/−) mice failed to gain weight because of increased energy expenditure. This protection against weight gain was caused by the activation of mitochondrial activity in white and brown fat as evidenced by histologic, electron microscopic, and gene expression studies. Moreover, pRb−/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts displayed higher proliferation and apoptosis rates than pRb+/+ mouse embryonic fibroblasts, which could contribute to the altered white adipose tissue morphology. Taken together, our data support a direct role of pRb in adipocyte cell fate determination in vivo and suggest that pRb could serve as a potential therapeutic target to trigger mitochondrial activation in white adipose tissue and brown adipose tissue, favoring an increase in energy expenditure and subsequent weight loss.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma regulates E-cadherin expression and inhibits growth and invasion of prostate cancer.

ABSTRACT Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) might not be permissive to ligand activation in prostate cancer cells. Association of PPARγ with repressing factors or posttranslational modifications in PPARγ protein could explain the lack of effect of PPARγ ligands in a recent randomized clinical trial. Using cells and prostate cancer xenograft mouse models, we demonstrate in this study that a combination treatment using the PPARγ agonist pioglitazone and the histone deacetylase inhibitor valproic acid is more efficient at inhibiting prostate tumor growth than each individual therapy. We show that the combination treatment impairs the bone-invasive potential of prostate cancer cells in mice. In addition, we demonstrate that expression of E-cadherin, a protein involved in the control of cell migration and invasion, is highly up-regulated in the presence of valproic acid and pioglitazone. We show that E-cadherin expression responds only to the combination treatment and not to single PPARγ agonists, defining a new class of PPARγ target genes. These results open up new therapeutic perspectives in the treatment of prostate cancer.

A Functional Polymorphism in a STAT5B Site of the Human PPARγ3 Gene Promoter Affects Height and Lipid Metabolism in a French Population

Objective—The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-&ggr; (PPAR&ggr;) plays a role in adipocyte differentiation and insulin sensitization. It has been shown that genetic variation in the PPAR&ggr; gene alters body weight control, lipid and insulin homeostasis, and the susceptibility to type 2 diabetes. Four PPAR&ggr; isoforms are generated by alternative splicing and promoter usage. PPAR&ggr;3 is only expressed in adipose tissue, colon, and macrophages and therefore seems to be a good candidate gene for metabolic and cardiovascular-associated diseases. In the present study, we looked for genetic variation in the PPAR&ggr;3 promoter. Methods and Results—The proximal PPAR&ggr;3 promoter was sequenced in 20 individuals. We detected a C/G polymorphism at position −681 from exon A2. Interestingly, it was located in a signal transducer and activator of transcription 5B (STAT5B) binding consensus site. In a French population (n=836), the −681G allele was associated with increased height and plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations. In vitro, we showed that the −681G allele completely abolished the binding of STAT5B to the cognate promoter element as well as the transactivation of the PPAR&ggr;3 promoter by the growth hormone/STAT5B pathway. Conclusions—Our results suggest that PPAR&ggr;3 may regulate the control of height and lipid homeostasis via the STAT5B pathway.

The nuclear receptor liver receptor homolog-1 is an estrogen receptor target gene

Liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1) is a nuclear receptor previously known to have distinct functions during mouse development and essential roles in cholesterol homeostasis. Recently, a new role for LRH-1 has been discovered in tumor progression, giving LRH-1 potential transforming functions. In order to identify critical factors stimulating LRH-1 expression leading to deregulated cellular proliferation, we studied its expression and its regulation in several breast cancer cell lines. We observed that LRH-1 expression was increased in estrogen receptor (ER) α expressing cell lines, whereas weak-to-no expression was found in nonexpressing ERα cell lines. In MCF7, LRH-1 expression was highly induced after treatment with 17β-estradiol (E2). This transcriptional regulation was the result of a direct binding of the ER to the LRH-1 promoter, as demonstrated by gelshift and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. Interestingly, siRNA-mediated inactivation of LRH-1 decreased the E2-dependent proliferation of MCF7 cells. Finally, LRH-1 protein expression was detected by immunohistochemistry in tumor cells of human mammary ductal carcinomas. Altogether, these data demonstrate that LRH-1 is transcriptionally regulated by the ER α and reinforce the hypothesis that LRH-1 could exert potential oncogenic effects during breast cancer formation.

Impaired pancreatic growth, β cell mass, and β cell function in E2F1 –/– mice

We evaluated the effects of E2F1 on glucose homeostasis using E2F1(-/-) mice. E2F1(-/-) mice show an overall reduction in pancreatic size as the result of impaired postnatal pancreatic growth. Furthermore, these animals have dysfunctional beta cells, linked to impaired PDX-1 activity. Because of the disproportionate small pancreas and dysfunctional islets, E2F1(-/-) mice secrete insufficient amounts of insulin in response to a glucose load, resulting in glucose intolerance. Despite this glucose intolerance, E2F1(-/-) mice do not develop overt diabetes mellitus because they have insulin hypersensitivity, which is secondary to a diminished adipose tissue mass and altered adipocytokine levels, which compensates for the defect in insulin secretion. These data demonstrate that factors controlling cell proliferation, such as E2F1, determine pancreatic growth and function, subsequently affecting metabolic homeostasis.