Life metabolism最新文献

Obesity causes extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling which can develop into serious pathology and fibrosis, having metabolic effects in insulin-sensitive tissues. The ECM components may be increased in response to overnutrition. This review will focus on specific obesity-associated molecular and pathophysiological mechanisms of ECM remodelling and the impact of specific interactions on tissue metabolism. In obesity, complex network of signalling molecules such as cytokines and growth factors have been implicated in fibrosis. Increased ECM deposition contributes to the pathogenesis of insulin resistance at least in part through activation of cell surface integrin receptors and CD44 signalling cascades. These cell surface receptors transmit signals to the cell adhesome which orchestrates an intracellular response that adapts to the extracellular environment. Matrix proteins, glycoproteins, and polysaccharides interact through ligand-specific cell surface receptors that interact with the cytosolic adhesion proteins to elicit specific actions. Cell adhesion proteins may have catalytic activity or serve as scaffolds. The vast number of cell surface receptors and the complexity of the cell adhesome have made study of their roles challenging in health and disease. Further complicating the role of ECM-cell receptor interactions is the variation between cell types. This review will focus on recent insights gained from studies of two highly conserved, ubiquitously axes and how they contribute to insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction in obesity. These are the collagen-integrin receptor-IPP (ILK-PINCH-Parvin) axis and the hyaluronan-CD44 interaction. We speculate that targeting ECM components or their receptor-mediated cell signalling may provide novel insights into the treatment of obesity-associated cardiometabolic complications.

In recent decades, the global prevalence of metabolic syndrome has surged, posing a significant public health challenge. Metabolic disorders, encompassing diabetes, obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and polycystic ovarian syndrome, have been linked to alterations in the gut microbiota. Nonetheless, the connection between gut microbiota and host metabolic diseases warrants further investigation. In this review, we delve into the associations between various metabolic disorders and the gut microbiota, focusing on immune responses and bile acid (BA) metabolism. Notably, T helper cells, innate lymphoid cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells have been shown to modulate host metabolism through interactions with intestinal microorganisms and the release of cytokines. Furthermore, secondary BA metabolites, derived from the microbiota, are involved in the pathogenesis of metabolic diseases via the farnesoid X receptor and Takeda G protein-coupled receptor 5. By covering both aspects of this immune system-microorganism axis, we present a comprehensive overview of the roles played by the gut microbiota, microbiota-derived BA metabolites, and immune responses in metabolic diseases, as well as the interplay between these systems.

Glucokinase (GK) plays a pivotal role in glucose homeostasis as the glucose sensor in the pancreas and liver. Loss of function of GK results in hyperglycemia, and gain of function causes congenital hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia. We speculate that the progressive loss of GK at both messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels in the islets and liver would be the key mechanism for Type 2 diabetes (T2D) pathogenesis. The development of GK activator (GKA) as an anti-diabetic drug has been endeavored for several decades. The failure of the early development of GKAs is due to the limitation of understanding the mode of GKA action. The success of dorzagliatin in the treatment of T2D has brought new hope for GK in setting a good model for repairing the underlying defects in the pancreatic islets and liver of T2D patients.