Major involvement of mTOR in the PPARγ-induced stimulation of adipose tissue lipid uptake and fat accretion

J Lipid Res. 2012 Jun;53(6):1117-25. doi: 10.1194/jlr.M021485. Epub 2012 Mar 30.

Abstract

Evidence points to a role of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway as a regulator of adiposity, yet its involvement as a mediator of the positive actions of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)γ agonism on lipemia, fat accretion, lipid uptake, and its major determinant lipoprotein lipase (LPL) remains to be elucidated. Herein we evaluated the plasma lipid profile, triacylglycerol (TAG) secretion rates, and adipose tissue LPL-dependent lipid uptake, LPL expression/activity, and expression profile of other lipid metabolism genes in rats treated with the PPARγ agonist rosiglitazone (15 mg/kg/day) in combination or not with the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin (2 mg/kg/day) for 15 days. Rosiglitazone stimulated adipose tissue mTOR complex 1 and AMPK and induced TAG-derived lipid uptake (136%), LPL mRNA/activity (2- to 6-fold), and fat accretion in subcutaneous (but not visceral) white adipose tissue (WAT; 50%) and in brown adipose tissue (BAT; 266%). Chronic mTOR inhibition attenuated the upregulation of lipid uptake, LPL expression/activity, and fat accretion induced by PPARγ activation in both subcutaneous WAT and BAT, which resulted in hyperlipidemia. In contrast, rapamycin did not affect most of the other WAT lipogenic genes upregulated by rosiglitazone. Together these findings demonstrate that mTOR is a major regulator of adipose tissue LPL-mediated lipid uptake and a critical mediator of the hypolipidemic and lipogenic actions of PPARγ activation.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue / drug effects
  • Adipose Tissue / metabolism*
  • Adiposity / drug effects
  • Animals
  • Biological Transport / drug effects
  • Drug Interactions
  • Fatty Acids / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / drug effects
  • Hydrolysis / drug effects
  • Lipid Metabolism* / drug effects
  • Lipoprotein Lipase / genetics
  • Lipoprotein Lipase / metabolism
  • Male
  • PPAR gamma / agonists
  • PPAR gamma / metabolism*
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Rosiglitazone
  • Sirolimus / pharmacology
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism*
  • Thiazolidinediones / pharmacology
  • Triglycerides / metabolism

Substances

  • Fatty Acids
  • PPAR gamma
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Thiazolidinediones
  • Triglycerides
  • Rosiglitazone
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • Lipoprotein Lipase
  • Sirolimus