Dichotomic role of heparanase in a murine model of metabolic syndrome.

Abstract

Heparanase is the predominant enzyme that cleaves heparan sulfate, the main polysaccharide in the extracellular matrix. While the role of heparanase in sustaining the pathology of autoimmune diabetes is well documented, its association with metabolic syndrome/type 2 diabetes attracted less attention. Our research was undertaken to elucidate the significance of heparanase in impaired glucose metabolism in metabolic syndrome and early type 2 diabetes. Here, we report that heparanase exerts opposite effects in insulin-producing (i.e., islets) vs. insulin-target (i.e., skeletal muscle) compartments, sustaining or hampering proper regulation of glucose homeostasis depending on the site of action. We observed that the enzyme promotes macrophage infiltration into islets in a murine model of metabolic syndrome, and fosters β-cell-damaging properties of macrophages activated in vitro by components of diabetogenic/obese milieu (i.e., fatty acids). On the other hand, in skeletal muscle (prototypic insulin-target tissue), heparanase is essential to ensure insulin sensitivity. Thus, despite a deleterious effect of heparanase on macrophage infiltration in islets, the enzyme appears to have beneficial role in glucose homeostasis in metabolic syndrome. The dichotomic action of the enzyme in the maintenance of glycemic control should be taken into account when considering heparanase-targeting strategies for the treatment of diabetes.

• Authors: Esther Hermano, Françoise Carlotti, Alexia Abecassis, Amichay Meirovitz, Ariel M Rubinstein, Jin-Ping Li, Israel Vlodavsky, Ton J Rabelink, Michael Elkin
• Journal: Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS (Cell Mol Life Sci) Vol. 78 Issue 6 Pg. 2771-2780 (Mar 2021) ISSN: 1420-9071 [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 33051777 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
• Interleukin-1beta
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
• heparanase
• Glucuronidase

Topics

• Animals
• Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 (metabolism, pathology)
• Diet, High-Fat
• Disease Models, Animal
• Fatty Acids, Unsaturated (pharmacology)
• Glucose Tolerance Test
• Glucuronidase (genetics, metabolism)
• Insulin Resistance
• Insulin-Secreting Cells (cytology, metabolism)
• Interleukin-1beta (metabolism)
• Macrophages (cytology, drug effects, immunology, metabolism)
• Male
• Metabolic Syndrome (metabolism, pathology)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C57BL
• Mice, Knockout
• Obesity (metabolism, pathology)
• Phosphorylation
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt (metabolism)