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Taurine in adipocytes prevents insulin-mediated H2o2 generation and activates Pka and lipolysis

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Abstract

Among many actions assigned to taurine (Tau), the most abundant amino acid in numerous mammalian tissues, it prevents high-fat diet-induced obesity with increasing resting energy expenditure. To sustain this Tau action, the goal of the present study was to explore the acute effects of Tau on baseline and on adrenaline, insulin and their second messengers to modulate lipolysis in white adipose tissue (WAT) cells from rat epididymis. The Tau effects in this topic were compared with those recorded with Gly, Cys and Met. Tau on its own did not modify baseline lipolysis. Tau raised isoproterenol- and dibutyryl-cAMP (Bt2cAMP)-activated glycerol release. Gly diminished Bt2cAMP-activated glycerol release, and Cys and Met had no effect. Cyclic AMP-dependent activation of protein kinase A (PKA) in cell-free extracts decreased slightly by Gly and was unaltered by Cys, Met, and Tau. PKA catalytic activity in cell-free extracts was stimulated by Tau and unchanged by Cys, Gly and Met. Gly and Tau effects on PKA disappeared when these amino acids were withdrawn by gel filtration. Insulin-mediated NADPH-oxidase (NOX) raises H2O2 pool, which promotes PKA subunit oxidation, and precludes its cAMP activation; thus, lipolysis is diminished. Tau, but not Cys, Gly and Met, inhibited, by as much as 70%, insulin-mediated H2O2 pool increase. These data suggested that Tau raised lipolysis in adipocytes by two mechanisms: stimulating cAMP-dependent PKA catalytic activity and favoring PKA activation by cAMP as a consequence of lowering the H2O2 pool.

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Abbreviations

Bt2cAMP:

Dibutyryl-cAMP

PKA:

cAMP-dependent protein kinase A

T2:

Type 2

TAG:

Triacylglycerol

NOX:

NADPH-oxidase

NSFA:

Non-sterified fatty acids

BSA:

Bovine serum albumin

HSL:

Hormone-sensitive lipase

WAT:

White adipose tissue

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Mrs. Alejandra Palomares for her secretarial contribution and to Maggie Brunner, M.A., for her continuous advice for improving the manuscript. The criticism and advice of two unknown reviewers, which convinced us to present an improved version of our manuscript, are sincerely appreciated. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by DGAPA, UNAM, Mexico, Grant IN 211210-2.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, National Autonomous University of Mexico, P.O. Box 70159, 04510, Mexico, D.F, Mexico

    Guadalupe Piña-Zentella, Gilda de la Rosa-Cuevas, Héctor Vázquez-Meza, Enrique Piña & Martha Zentella de Piña

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  1. Guadalupe Piña-Zentella
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  2. Gilda de la Rosa-Cuevas
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  3. Héctor Vázquez-Meza
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  4. Enrique Piña
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Correspondence to Enrique Piña or Martha Zentella de Piña.

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Piña-Zentella, G., de la Rosa-Cuevas, G., Vázquez-Meza, H. et al. Taurine in adipocytes prevents insulin-mediated H2o2 generation and activates Pka and lipolysis. Amino Acids 42, 1927–1935 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-011-0919-x

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