title: Leptin-induced nitric oxide production in white adipocytes is mediated through PKA and MAP kinase activation.
abstract: Leptin injection increases plasma levels of nitrites and/or nitrates, an index of nitric oxide (NO) production. Because plasma levels of NO are correlated with fat mass and because adipose tissue is the main source of leptin, it seems that adipose tissue plays a major role in NO release induced by leptin. Adipocytes express both leptin receptors and nitric oxide synthase (NOS; including the endothelial isoform, NOS III, and the inducible isoform, NOS II). In this study, we have demonstrated that physiological concentrations of leptin stimulate NOS activity in adipocytes. This effect of leptin is abolished by 1) AG490, an inhibitor of Janus tyrosine kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3; 2) U0126, an inhibitor of mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p42/p44 MAPK); and 3) N-[2-(p-bromocinnamylamino)ethyl]-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide (H-89) or Rp diastereomer of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic phosphorothioate, two inhibitors of protein kinase A, but not by wortmannin, an inhibitor of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. Immunoblotting studies have shown that leptin fails to activate Akt but increases p42/p44 MAPK phosphorylation, an effect that is prevented by U0126 but not by H-89. Furthermore, leptin induces NOS III phosphorylation at Ser(1179) and Thr(497), but not when adipocytes are pretreated with H-89 or U0126. Finally, stimulation of adipocyte NOS activity by leptin is either unaltered when protein phosphatase 2A is inhibited by 1 nM okadaic acid or completely abolished when protein phosphatase 1 (PP1) activity is inhibited by 3 nM tautomycin, which supports a crucial role for PP1 in mediating this effect of leptin. On the whole, these experiments demonstrate that NOS activity is a novel target for leptin in adipocytes and that the leptin-induced NOS activity is at least in part the result of NOS III phosphorylations via both protein kinase A and p42/p44 MAPK activation. More generally, this study also leads to the hypothesis of NO as a potentially important factor for leptin signaling in adipocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (UPRES EA-2493), Faculty of Médecine Paris-Ile de France-Ouest, University of Versailles Saint-Quentin en Yvelines, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mehebik
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jaubert
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sabourault
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Giudicelli
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ribière
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D053614:Janus Kinase 2; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007527:Isoenzymes; D020738:Leptin; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C015482:protein kinase modulator; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; C507926:Jak2 protein, mouse; D053614:Janus Kinase 2; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases