17488641 |
Tanaka T, Masuzaki H, Yasue S, Ebihara K, Shiuchi T, Ishii T, Arai N, Hirata M, Yamamoto H, Hayashi T, Hosoda K, Minokoshi Y, Nakao K: Central melanocortin signaling restores skeletal muscle AMP-activated protein kinase phosphorylation in mice fed a high-fat diet. Cell Metab. 2007 May;5(5):395-402. Little is known about the role of the central melanocortin system in the control of fuel metabolism in peripheral tissues. Skeletal muscle AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is activated by leptin and serves as a master regulator of fatty acid beta-oxidation. To elucidate an unidentified role of the central melanocortin system in muscle AMPK regulation, we treated conscious, unrestrained mice intracerebroventricularly with the melanocortin agonist MT-II or the antagonist SHU9119. MT-II augmented phosphorylation of AMPK and its target acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) independent of caloric intake. Conversely, AMPK/ACC phosphorylation by leptin was abrogated by the coadministration of SHU9119 or in KKA (y) mice, which centrally express endogenous melanocortin antagonist. Importantly, high-fat-diet-induced attenuation of AMPK/ACC phosphorylation in leptin-overexpressing transgenic mice was not reversed by central leptin but was markedly restored by MT-II. Our data provide evidence for the critical role of the central melanocortin system in the leptin-skeletal muscle AMPK axis and highlight the system as a therapeutic target in leptin resistance. |
5(0,0,0,5) |