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Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry
The Journal of Metabolic Diseases
Volume 114, 2008 - Issue 3
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Review

Insulin resistance associated to obesity: the link TNF-alpha

, , , , &
Pages 183-194 | Received 06 Feb 2008, Accepted 23 Apr 2008, Published online: 10 Oct 2008
 

Abstract

Adipose tissue secretes proteins which may influence insulin sensitivity. Among them, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha has been proposed as a link between obesity and insulin resistance because TNF-alpha is overexpressed in adipose tissue from obese animals and humans, and obese mice lacking either TNF-alpha or its receptor show protection against developing insulin resistance. The activation of proinflammatory pathways after exposure to TNF-alpha induces a state of insulin resistance in terms of glucose uptake in myocytes and adipocytes that impair insulin signalling at the level of the insulin receptor substrate (IRS) proteins. The mechanism found in brown adipocytes involves Ser phosphorylation of IRS-2 mediated by TNF-alpha activation of MAPKs. The Ser307 residue in IRS-1 has been identified as a site for the inhibitory effects of TNF-alpha in myotubes, with p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and inhibitor kB kinase being involved in the phosphorylation of this residue. Moreover, up-regulation of protein-tyrosine phosphatase (PTP)1B expression was recently found in cells and animals treated with TNF-alpha. PTP1B acts as a physiological negative regulator of insulin signalling by dephosphorylating the phosphotyrosine residues of the insulin receptor and IRS-1, and PTP1B expression is increased in peripheral tissues from obese and diabetic humans and rodents. Accordingly, down-regulation of PTP1B activity by treatment with pharmacological agonists of nuclear receptors restores insulin sensitivity in the presence of TNF-alpha. Furthermore, mice and cells deficient in PTP1B are protected against insulin resistance induced by this cytokine. In conclusion, the absence or inhibition of PTP1B in insulin-target tissues could confer protection against insulin resistance induced by cytokines.

Abbreviations
AMPK=

AMP-activated protein kinase

AS160=

AKT substrate of 160 kDa

ERK=

extracelullar-signal regulated kinase

FFA=

free fatty acids

FATP=

fatty acid transporter protein

FAT=

fatty acid translocase

GLUT4=

insulin-regulated glucose transporter

HSL=

hormone sensitive lipase

IKK=

inhibitor kB kinase

IR=

insulin receptor

IRS=

insulin receptor substrate

JNK=

c-Jun N-terminal kinase

LPL=

lipoprotein lipase

LXR=

liver X receptor

MAPK=

mitogen-activated protein kinase

PI3K=

phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase

PLC=

phospholipase C

PP=

protein-phosphatase

PPAR=

peroxisome proliferator activated receptor

PTP=

protein-tyrosine phosphatase

TNF=

tumour necrosis factor

TZD=

thiazolidinediones

UCP=

uncoupling-protein

Abbreviations
AMPK=

AMP-activated protein kinase

AS160=

AKT substrate of 160 kDa

ERK=

extracelullar-signal regulated kinase

FFA=

free fatty acids

FATP=

fatty acid transporter protein

FAT=

fatty acid translocase

GLUT4=

insulin-regulated glucose transporter

HSL=

hormone sensitive lipase

IKK=

inhibitor kB kinase

IR=

insulin receptor

IRS=

insulin receptor substrate

JNK=

c-Jun N-terminal kinase

LPL=

lipoprotein lipase

LXR=

liver X receptor

MAPK=

mitogen-activated protein kinase

PI3K=

phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase

PLC=

phospholipase C

PP=

protein-phosphatase

PPAR=

peroxisome proliferator activated receptor

PTP=

protein-tyrosine phosphatase

TNF=

tumour necrosis factor

TZD=

thiazolidinediones

UCP=

uncoupling-protein

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