Transmembrane tumor necrosis factor-alpha sensitizes adipocytes to insulin. (5th May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhou, Wenjing; Yang, Peng; Liu, Li; Zheng, Shan; Zeng, Qingling; Liang, Huifang; Zhu, Yazhen; Zhang, Zunyue; Wang, Jing; Yin, Bingjiao; Gong, Feili; Wu, Yiping; Li, Zhuoya
• Is Part Of: Molecular and cellular endocrinology. Volume 406(2015)
• Page Start: 78
• Page End: 86
• Publication Date: 2015-05-05
• Subjects: Transmembrane TNF-α -- Adipocyte -- Insulin resistance -- IL-6 -- Adiponectin; Endocrinology -- Periodicals; Molecular biology -- Periodicals; Cytology -- Periodicals; Endocrinology -- Periodicals; Hormones -- Periodicals; Endocrinologie -- Périodiques; Cytology; Endocrinology; Molecular biology; Periodicals; 573.4
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.02.023
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0303-7207

Abstract

Highlights: tmTNF-α sensitizes adipocytes to insulin via promoting insulin signaling. tmTNF-α downregulates proinflammatory adipokine secretion via inactivation of NF-κB. tmTNF-α increases adiponectin expression and insulin sensitivity via PPAR-γ pathway. tmTNF-α sensitizes adipocytes to insulin via forward signaling. Graphical Abstract: Abstract: Transmembrane TNF-α (tmTNF-α) acts both as a ligand, delivering 'forward signaling' via TNFR, and as a receptor, transducing 'reverse signaling'. The contradiction of available data regarding the effect of tmTNF-α on insulin resistance may be due to imbalance in both signals. Here, we demonstrated that high glucose-induced impairment of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake by 3T3-L1 adipocytes was concomitant with decreased tmTNF-α expression and increased soluble TNF-α (sTNF-α) secretion. However, when TACE was inhibited, preventing the conversion of tmTNF-α to sTNF-α, this insulin resistance was partially reversed, indicating a salutary role of tmTNF-α. Treatment of 3T3-L1 adipocytes with exogenous tmTNF-α promoted insulin-induced phosphorylation of IRS-1 and Akt, facilitated GLUT4 expression and membrane translocation, and increased glucose uptake while addition of sTNF-α resulted in the opposite effect. Furthermore, tmTNF-α downregulated the production of IL-6 and MCP-1 via NF-κB inactivation, as silencing of A20, an inhibitor for NF-κB, by siRNA, abolished this effect of tmTNF-α. However, tmTNF-α upregulated adiponectin expression through the PPAR-γ pathway, as inhibition of PPAR-γ by GW9662 abrogated both tmTNF-α-induced adiponectin transcription and glucose uptake. Our data suggest that tmTNF-α functions as an insulin sensitizer via forward signaling.