Effects of alpha-lipoic acid on chemerin secretion in 3T3-L1 and human adipocytes

• Published in: Biochimica et biophysica acta Vol. 1861; no. 3; pp. 260 - 268
• Main Authors: Prieto-Hontoria, Pedro L., Pérez-Matute, Patricia, Fernández-Galilea, Marta, López-Yoldi, Miguel, Sinal, Christopher J., Martínez, J. Alfredo, Moreno-Aliaga, María J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.03.2016
• Subjects: 3T3-L1 Cells; Adipocytes; Adipocytes - drug effects; Adipocytes - metabolism; Aminoimidazole Carboxamide - analogs & derivatives; Aminoimidazole Carboxamide - pharmacology; AMP-Activated Protein Kinases - metabolism; Animals; Anti-Obesity Agents - pharmacology; Chemerin; Chemokines - blood; Chemokines - genetics; Chemokines - metabolism; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Down-Regulation; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents - pharmacology; Insulin - pharmacology; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - blood; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - genetics; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - metabolism; Lipoic acid; Male; Mice; Obesity; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase - metabolism; PPAR gamma - metabolism; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt - metabolism; Rats, Wistar; Ribonucleotides - pharmacology; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Signal Transduction - drug effects; Thioctic Acid - pharmacology; Transfection; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - pharmacology; Chemerin; Lipoic acid; Obesity; FBS; AICAR; Adipocytes; BMI; α-LA
• ISSN: 1388-1981; 0006-3002; 1879-2618
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2015.12.011

Chemerin is a novel adipokine associated with obesity and insulin resistance. α-Lipoic acid (α-LA) has shown beneficial properties on diabetes and obesity. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of α-LA on chemerin production in adipocytes in absence or presence of TNF-α, insulin and AICAR. The potential signaling pathways involved in α-LA effects on chemerin were also analyzed. α-LA actions on chemerin were tested in differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes and in some cases in human subcutaneous and omental adipocytes. Chemerin mRNA levels were measured by RT-PCR and the amount of chemerin secreted to culture media was determined by ELISA. α-LA induced a concentration-dependent inhibition on both chemerin secretion and mRNA levels in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The AMPK activator AICAR and the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 dramatically abrogated both chemerin secretion and gene expression, and further potentiated the inhibitory effect of α-LA on chemerin secretion. Insulin was able to partially reverse the inhibitory action of α-LA on chemerin secretion. α-LA also reduced basal chemerin secretion in both subcutaneous and omental adipocytes from overweight/obese subjects. Moreover, α-LA was able to abolish the stimulatory effects of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α on chemerin secretion. Our data demonstrated the ability of α-LA to inhibit chemerin production, an adipokine associated to obesity and metabolic syndrome, suggesting that the reduction of chemerin could contribute to the antiobesity/antidiabetic properties described for α-LA. •α-LA inhibits chemerin production in mature human and mouse adipocytes.•α-LA reverses the TNF-α stimulatory effects on chemerin production.•Chemerin reduction might contribute to the antiobesity/antidiabetic properties of α-LA.