title: Prevention of obesity in mice by antisense oligonucleotide inhibitors of stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1.
abstract: Effective therapies for the treatment of obesity, a key element of metabolic syndrome, are urgently needed but currently lacking. Stearoyl-CoA desaturase-1 (SCD1) is the rate-limiting enzyme catalyzing the conversion of saturated long-chain fatty acids into monounsaturated fatty acids, which are major components of triglycerides. In the current study, we tested the efficacy of pharmacological inhibition of SCD1 in controlling lipogenesis and body weight in mice. SCD1-specific antisense oligonucleotide inhibitors (ASOs) reduced SCD1 expression, reduced fatty acid synthesis and secretion, and increased fatty acid oxidization in primary mouse hepatocytes. Treatment of mice with SCD1 ASOs resulted in prevention of diet-induced obesity with concomitant reductions in SCD1 expression and the ratio of oleate to stearoyl-CoA in tissues and plasma. These changes correlated with reduced body adiposity, hepatomegaly and steatosis, and postprandial plasma insulin and glucose levels. Furthermore, SCD1 ASOs reduced de novo fatty acid synthesis, decreased expression of lipogenic genes, and increased expression of genes promoting energy expenditure in liver and adipose tissues. Thus, SCD1 inhibition represents a new target for the treatment of obesity and related metabolic disorders.
authors.affiliation: Metabolic Disorders - Diabetes and Comparative Medicine, Merck Research Laboratories, Rahway, New Jersey 07065, USA.
authors.forename: Guoqiang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Zhihua
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Franklin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kenneth
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ellsworth
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Dallas-Yang
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ronan
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Esau
authors.forename: Cain
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Szalkowski
authors.forename: Raynald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bergeron
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Doebber
authors.forename: Bei B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004032:Diet; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009043:Motor Activity; D009765:Obesity / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D013230:Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D005227:Fatty Acids; D007328:Insulin; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; C490333:Scd1 protein, mouse; D013230:Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase