SO023HEPATOCYTE GROWTH FACTOR (HGF) PRECLUDE HIGH-FAT DIET-INDUCED OBESITY AND IMPROVED INSULIN RESISTANCE IN MICE
Authors: Muratsu Jun , Taniyama Yoshiaki , Sanada Fumihiro , Morishima Atsuyuki , Sakaguchi Katsuhiko , Rakugi Hiromi , Morishita Ryuichi 
Published: June 2020

Abstract

Background and Aims
Obesity and its associated chronic inflammation in adipose tissue initiate insulin resistance, which is related to several pathologies including hypertension and atherosclerosis. Previous reports demonstrated that circulating hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) level was associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, its precise role in obesity and related-pathology is unclear.

Method
In this experiment, cardiac-specific over-expression of human HGF in mice (HGF-Tg mice) which showed 4-5 times higher serum HGF levels than wild-type mice were used. We chose cardiac specific HGF overexpression, as other strain of HGF transgenic mice such as liver and kidney specific HGF overexpression mice develop cancer and cystic diseases, which are rare in the heart. In the present study, using HGF-Tg mice and anti-HGF neutralizing antibody (HGF-Ab), we explored the role of HGF in obese and insulin resistance induced by high fat diet (HFD) for 14 weeks (200 or 400ug/week).

Results
With normal chow diet (ND), there were no significant changes in body weight between WT and HGF-Tg mice. While body weight in wild-type mice fed with HFD for 14 weeks was significantly increased accompanied with insulin resistance, HGF-Tg mice prevented body weight gain and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance in obesity arises from the combination of altered functions of insulin target cells (e.g., liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue) and the accumulation of macrophages that secrete pro-inflammatory mediators in adipose tissue. The accumulation of macrophages and elevated levels of inflammatory mediators in adipose tissue were significantly inhibited in HGF-Tg mice as compared to wild-type mice. In the gWAT, the mRNA levels of the mature macrophage marker F4/80, the chemoattractants, MCP-1 and CXCL2, and the inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α and iNOS, were significantly increased in WT mice fed with HFD. However, these levels were markedly reduced in HGF-Tg mice fed with HFD. Additionally, activation of Akt by insulin administration was significantly reduced in the gWAT SM, and liver by HFD; however, this activation was restored in HGF-Tg mice. Moreover, insulin-induced Akt signaling was decreased in HGF-Ab groups as compared to saline group under HFD condition. Importantly, HFD significantly increased the level of HGF mRNA by approximately 2 fold in gWAT, SM, and liver without changing cMet expression. All together, these data indicate that the HGF as one of the systemic gWAT, SM, and liver-derived growth factor plays a role in compensatory mechanism against insulin-resistance through the at least anti-inflammatory effect in adipose tissue. The HFD-induced obesity in wild-type mice treated with HGF-neutralizing antibody showed an exacerbated response to the glucose tolerance test.

Conclusion
HGF suppresses inflammation in adipose tissue induced by a high-fat diet, and as a result improves systemic insulin resistance. These gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies demonstrated that the elevated HGF level induced by HFD have protective role against obesity and insulin resistance.