Human antigen R (HuR) is a member of the Hu family of RNA-binding proteins and is involved in many physiological processes. Obesity, as a worldwide healthcare problem, has attracted more and more attention. To investigate the role of adipose HuR, we generate adipose-specific
HuR
knockout (HuR
AKO
) mice. As compared with control mice, HuR
AKO
mice show obesity when induced with a high-fat diet, along with insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, hypercholesterolemia and increased inflammation in adipose tissue. The obesity of HuR
AKO
mice is attributed to adipocyte hypertrophy in white adipose tissue due to decreased expression of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL). HuR positively regulates ATGL expression by promoting the mRNA stability and translation of
ATGL
. Consistently, the expression of HuR in adipose tissue is reduced in obese humans. This study suggests that adipose HuR may be a critical regulator of ATGL expression and lipolysis and thereby controls obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) is a subtype of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Because its diameter is less than 10 mm, diagnosing it accurately is difficult with traditional methods such as image examinations and FNA (Fine Needle Aspiration). Investigating the metabolic changes induced by PTMC may enhance the understanding of its pathogenesis and provide important information for a new diagnosis method and treatment plan. In this study, high resolution magic angle spin (HRMAS) spectroscopy and 1 H-nuclear magnetic resonance ( 1 H-NMR) spectroscopy were used to screen metabolic changes in thyroid tissues and plasma from PTMC patients respectively. The results revealed reduced levels of fatty acids and elevated levels of several amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine, lactate, serine, cystine, lysine, glutamine/glutamate, taurine, leucine, alanine, isoleucine and valine) in thyroid tissues, as well as reduced levels of amino acids such as valine, tyrosine, proline, lysine, leucine and elevated levels of glucose, mannose, pyruvate and 3-hydroxybutyrate in plasma, are involved in the metabolic alterations in PTMC. In addition, a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve model for PTMC prediction was able to classify cases with good sensitivity and specificity using 9 significant changed metabolites in plasma. This work illustrates that the NMR-based metabolomics approach is capable of providing more sensitive diagnostic results and more systematic therapeutic information for PTMC.
DJB preferentially increases serum taurine-conjugated BAs, probably because of more BA reabsorption in the terminal ileum. The gut microbiota is altered with more Firmicutes and Proteobacteria and less Bacteroidetes.
The preferentially elevated serum taurine-conjugated BAs were similar after different bariatric surgeries, and the enhanced conjugation of BAs in the liver might account for the changed serum BAs profiles.
DJB is effective in up-regulating the expression of the key proteins in the hepatic insulin signaling pathway and the key regulatory enzymes of intestinal gluconeogenesis and down-regulating the expression of the key regulatory enzymes of hepatic gluconeogenesis without weight loss. Our study helps to reveal the potential role of hepatic insulin signaling pathway and intestinal gluconeogenesis in ameliorating insulin resistance after metabolic surgery.
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