Liver secretes new 'obesity factors'

May 6, Nature -Metabolism published a research paper online on the collaboration between Song Baoliang, a professor at Wuhan University's School of Life Sciences, and Qi Wei, a researcher at the School of Life Sciences and Technology at Shanghai University of Science and Technology. Using mouse models and population samples, the study found that Gnmb proteins secreted by the liver act on adipose tissue, promote lipid synthesis, and participate in obesity and insulin resistance. Studies have revealed a communication mechanism between the liver and adipose tissue in metabolic diseases and other conditions, and have shown that targeting Ggpnmb can treat diseases such as obesity and diabetes.
lipid metabolism in the body is in dynamic equilibrium regulation, sterol regulatory element binding protein (SREBP) pathline can activate sterol and lipid synthesis, absorption of gene expression in the absence of lipids, is one of the important regulatory path. Previous studies such as Song Baoliang have found that specific inhibition of SREBP pathlands in the liver can lead to an increase in lipid synthesis of adipose tissue, thus speculating that the liver can secrete some kind of "obesity factor" to promote fat synthesis of adipose tissue.
this study analyzed the liver difference expression genes inhibited by the SREBP pathline, expressed the candidate genes one by one in the mouse liver with adenovirus, and identified Gpnmb's lipid synthesis by combining CD44 subjects on the surface of the fat cell membrane. Over-expression of Ggpnmb in mice can significantly increase fat weight, fat cells become large, adipose tissue lipid synthesis genes significantly increased. The researchers found that expressing Ggpnmb increased diet-induced obesity in mouse models, increased the weight of adipose tissue, increased the ability of fat synthesis in adipose tissue, and observed that the heat production capacity of adipose tissue was inhibited, the body's energy consumption decreased, and insulin resistance was increased.
researchers further developed Ggpnmb-medium antibodies and found that antibody injections were effective in reversing obsession in obese mice: reducing the weight of adipose tissue, reducing the expression of fat-synthetic genes in adipose tissue, promoting heat production in adipose tissue, and reducing insulin resistance. (Source: Tang Feng, China Science Journal)
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