Article abstract


Nature Medicine 13, 171 - 180 (2007)
Published online: 4 February 2007 | Corrected online: 18 April 2007 | doi:10.1038/nm1540

Brain glucose metabolism controls the hepatic secretion of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins

Tony K T Lam1,4,5, Roger Gutierrez-Juarez1,5, Alessandro Pocai1, Sanjay Bhanot2, Patrick Tso3, Gary J Schwartz1 & Luciano Rossetti1


Increased production of very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) is a critical feature of the metabolic syndrome. Here we report that a selective increase in brain glucose lowered circulating triglycerides (TG) through the inhibition of TG-VLDL secretion by the liver. We found that the effect of glucose required its conversion to lactate, leading to activation of ATP-sensitive potassium channels and to decreased hepatic activity of stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1). SCD1 catalyzed the synthesis of oleyl-CoA from stearoyl-CoA. Curtailing the liver activity of SCD1 was sufficient to lower the hepatic levels of oleyl-CoA and to recapitulate the effects of central glucose administration on VLDL secretion. Notably, portal infusion of oleic acid restored hepatic oleyl-CoA to control levels and negated the effects of both central glucose and SCD1 deficiency on TG-VLDL secretion. These central effects of glucose (but not those of lactate) were rapidly lost in diet-induced obesity. These findings indicate that a defect in brain glucose sensing could play a critical role in the etiology of the metabolic syndrome.

Top
  1. Departments of Medicine and Molecular Pharmacology, Diabetes Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, New York 10461, USA
  2. ISIS Pharmaceuticals, 1896 Rutherford Road, Carlsbad, California 92008, USA
  3. Department of Pathology, University of Cincinnati, 2120 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45237, USA
  4. Present address: Departments of Physiology and Medicine, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto M5G 1L7, Canada
  5. These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence to: Luciano Rossetti1 e-mail: rossetti@aecom.yu.edu

*

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.

NEWS AND VIEWS

State of the art: Atherosclerosis in a limited edition

Nature Medicine News and Views (01 Aug 1998)


Extra navigation

Subscribe to Nature Medicine

Subscribe

Open Innovation Challenges

naturejobs

ADVERTISEMENT